You may well be able to draw up a draft family tree going back several generations, just from talking to your parents and grandparents. This will not be completely accurate but it will give you a starting point.

People are more likely to remember names, rather than specific ages or dates, but even if you just get an idea of the order of birth of the children, it will help you when you come to do the research. A word of warning though, people were often known by a different name within the family to the name that they were christened with or the one that you will find on a birth certificate. The information that you get from talking to family members is invaluable but it needs to be checked against the records.

When talking to your family members you must remember that for some talking about past events is painful. Although many find it enjoyable to discuss the past with interested relatives, you will find that some of the family will want to avoid certain topics. These can include illegitimacy, crime, death, poverty and other sensitive issues. They may go as far as to omit details about individuals or not even admit that that person existed.

It is always worth remembering that our grandparents and parents grew up with different attitudes, and what we may accept without question, may be a far more significant problem for an older generation. When in doubt, do not push. You can always trace a person through the official records.

• Always write everything down! Make a note of everything you looked at, including where it was, when you did the research, the range searched and the name you searched for. Do this even if the item had nothing of interest
• When you do find something interesting write down on the same page or piece of paper exactly what source it is from, including reference number, page and microfilm or fiche number
• Make sure that what you write down is legible! It's all too easy to write something down and then when you get home you find it makes no sense
• Before you visit a record office make sure that you know what you are looking for. Contact the record office beforehand if you are unsure and ask what information they hold. The Dorset History Centre can be contacted by email, telephone or post, or if your ancestors are not from Dorset, you can use the  ARCHON directory (opens in a new window) to find the record office that covers the geographical area of the UK you are interested in
• As you acquire more information keep a draft family tree. It is sometimes easier to establish where to go next if you have a visual aid
• Decide on the system that you want to use for keeping notes - this could be on paper or computer-based
• Finally, ask staff in record offices if you have any queries or if you cannot read the document or microfilm. Guessing a name incorrectly may lead to problems later on in your search

Useful sources

Who's Afear'd of Family History: A Guide to sources for family history in Dorset Record Office, published by Dorset Archives Service - this is available to purchase at the Dorset History Centre

Mark D. Herber, Ancestral Trails: the Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History, (Sutton, 1997)

D. Iredale and J. Barrett, Discovering Your Family Tree, (Shire Publications, 1985)

Eve McLaughlin, Reading Old Handwriting, (Federation of Family History Societies, 1987, reprinted 1989)

Jeremy Gibson and others, Guides to records available for family and local history and where to find them, (Federation of Family History Societies)

The above sources can be consulted in our local studies library.

Next step ...

The next step in our online guide deals with Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates.