Excited to see how far i can trace my roots! Have some of you succesfully linked back centuries ?

Question

Any one have tips and advice , on how too trace your family tree?  I am new to this but am definitly excited and motivated to find aome answers.

Answer 1

Simple answer is "Yes", some have. Best tip, be cautious and thorough and cite your sources as you go. We all say that, but I guess most didn't start out that way. If your source is Mum or Dad say that, at least until you find the relevant documents. Document everything. Ask questions. There's a lot of help here. Welcome to Wikitree.

Answer 2

Just start with yourself and work back one step at at a time. Document your research and sources as you go along so that you will understand how you reached a conclusion when you look back at your findings later. You can find a lot of the information you need in vital records (birth, marriage, death), censuses, wills, newspapers etc.

If you tell us which part of the world you expect to be researching then someone should be able to advise you on the main sources for that area.

Answer 3

familysearch.org is a free site with extensive family history information.

Is one of these your ancestor?

Sharon L Lyons

United States Public Records, 1970-2009

birth: 21 October 1954

residence: 13 November 2000

Hazelwood, Missouri, United States

 

 

Sharon L Lyons

[Sharon L Lions]

United States Public Records, 1970-2009

birth: 11 September 1954

residence: from 13 October 1980 to 1 July 2008

Bellevue, Washington, United States

 

 

Sharon J Aldridge

[Sharon L Guy, Sharon J Lyons]

United States Public Records, 1970-2009

birth: 25 November 1954

residence: from 1 June 2000 to 30 December 2000

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

 

 

Sharon L Lyons

United States Public Records, 1970-2009

birth: 1 September 1954

residence: from 30 December 2000 to 10 January 2009

Redding, California, United States

 

 

Sharon L Lyons

United States Public Records, 1970-2009

birth: 20 May 1954

residence: from 1 January 1998 to 1 January 2004

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Comments

If you know the location, state, county, and or city, it can help pinpoint the person you want to trace back.

Answer 4

If you don't come from a famous family (which makes things easier) but also don't come from a really common surname in a big city (a line of John Smiths in London) you will probably get to 1800 fairly quickly and then it gets harder,

But remember you have two parents four grandparents eight great grandparents and so on.  You can choose to follow an easier line, someone with a fairly rare surname whose ancestors stick around for a long time in a small town or large parish where the clerks were conscientious and kept accurate, complete and legible registers back to at least 1700.  Or you can usually find at least one great great grandparent who is from a well-researched line, perhaps a landowner.  Then a couple of hundred years research has already been done and all you have to do is check out the most important sources provided (some researchers are very careless and eager to move fast).

Good Luck