Tracing Your Family History

Let me say straight away that tracing your family ancestry is a great hobby but very addictive, so unless you want to get well and truly hooked, don't start.

When I travel around the country to Family History Fairs, I am amazed at the number of people who say quite cheerfully, "family history is so easy, I did mine in half an hour on the internet." If they are happy with that, then good luck to them, but for me, if I cannot prove it, it doesn't count.

Family history is not about just collecting a pile of names and then trying to fit them all together like a genealogical jigsaw puzzle. You must start with what you know to be true and that is your birth certificate. On that will be the names of your parents, so, if you do not already have access to it, it shouldn't be hard to obtain their marriage certificate. From there until 1837, you can travel back fairly safely with hatched, matched and dispatched certificates from the Family Records Centre in London. Pre 1837, you have to be able to access parish registers, and this is where the going can get tough. If you are unsure of the area your forbears are from, census returns can be very helpful.

In case you are planning to have a go at compiling your family tree, be aware that you could be in for a few surprises (shocks). Just because granny always seemed prim and proper to you, doesn't make it so.

Pam Drake, Parish Chest. The Premier Online Family History Shop

---

Treasure Hunting - Part Two

Treasure hunting begins at home. People regularly find famous old... Read More

Creative Soap Crafts

Soap is a craft that is fun and easy to... Read More

The Power Of Scrapbook Journaling

By journaling your pages you will transform an ordinary collection... Read More

How to Use Feathers and Dried Flowers to Give Your Scrapbooks an Artistic Feel

Feathers make exotic and interesting embellishments and borders. Feathers add... Read More

What Is A Reverse Painting?

Welcome to the world of Reverse Painting on Glass. Reverse... Read More

How to Make Your Civil War Uniform Shirt

Your own shirt designed and made by you for your... Read More

Photograph Mosaics and Markers in Your Scrapbooks

An attractive technique for placing photographs into scrapbooks is the... Read More

Embroidery Sewing Quality of Machine Embroidery Designs

Many new to embroidery have experienced numerous problems because of... Read More

An Easy Way to Understand Your Collectibles

What kind of gifts you often receive? Is it toy... Read More

Bartering: A Modern Day Phenomenon

Back in the early days of America, families didn't have... Read More

Saltwater Coral Reef Aquariums - 5 Tips for Success

Do you dream of watching the natural beauty of the... Read More

Easy Origami

Starting outOrigami is an art of paper folding, therefore all... Read More

Are Your Collectibles Valuable? Heres How to Find Out

The first thing you will need to do is check... Read More

Preserving Thanksgiving Memories for Scrapbooking

Last year our family tried out a new way to... Read More

How to Make Gel Candles - 11 Easy Steps

Do you love burning beautiful, scented candles? And do you... Read More

Soap Making For Beginners ? Melt And Pour Process

As you will learn, soap making can be simple or... Read More

Origami Instructions

Origami is a fantastic art form that guarantees hours of... Read More

A Look at the Humidor Plan

There are many styles of humidors that range from the... Read More

Money Making Hobbies - Which Ones?

Which ones can be money making hobbies? A friend made... Read More

How to Create a Reverse Painting on Glass

Introduction:Glass is a non-absorbant painting support which does not allow... Read More

Sharing Journals

Creating a journal or diary that combines scrapbooking and journaling,... Read More

Collectible Action Figures - Is About Fun Memories And More Money

Superhero action figures first stormed the doors of department stores... Read More

Kona Cotton: The Quilters & Embroiderers Dream Fabric

What, Exactly, Is Kona Cotton? Kona(R) cotton is a premium,... Read More

Tooling Leather

Use vegetable-tanned, light-colored top-grained leather for tooling leather. If you're... Read More

The Surprising Popularity of Cigar Smoking

The practice of cigar smoking has been on the rise... Read More

Genealogy / Family History

One huge advantage of knowing about family history is that... Read More

Mixed Media Collage - Make The Pieces of Your Life Sing!

According to the dictionary, collage art is an artistic composition... Read More

Cleaning Silk Bouquets In 3 Simple Steps

How To Clean A Silk BouquetA Silk bouquet can last... Read More

Candle Maintenance

Many people don't know that you can actually improve the... Read More

A Look at Cabinet Humidors

Cabinet humidors are specially designed for the serious cigar aficionado.... Read More

Blown Glass: They Do Still Make It Like They Used To

Blown art glass is quickly becoming one of the fastest... Read More

Woodworking Tools: Right Selection And Care Will Save You Money, Part 2

Woodworking: Tools Of The Trade, Part 2 - Tools For... Read More

Turn An Arts And Crafts Hobby Into A Business

Are you searching for a quick way to make an... Read More