1 Begin your family tree

Start with what you already know: yourself and your immediate family. Ask family members for information – this can be invaluable.

Read these 20 simple steps to start your family tree (PDF) from Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine.

Family tree video tutorial

Start your family tree

2 Births, marriages & deaths

Use findmypast.co.uk's birth, marriage and death records to begin to fill in the gaps and to document the events your family have told you about.

Birth, marriage & death records video tutorials

Births, marriages & deaths

3 Explore the censuses

Explore findmypast.co.uk's 1841-1911 census records. These records will help you to discover your ancestors' parents and siblings, find their addresses and chart their progress through life.

Census records video tutorial

Search our census records

4 Parish records

Journey back to 1538 with our parish records collection. You'll need to use these sources to track back your tree beyond 1837.

Parish records video tutorial

Search our parish records

5 Branching out

Track down that elusive ancestor - explore the millions of other historical records on findmypast.co.uk:

• education & work
• institutions & organisations
• military, armed forces & conflict
• newspapers, directories & social history
• travel & migration

Other records video tutorial

6 Get help and advice

Every family historian encounters problems from time to time.

If you are stuck in your research or don't know what to do next, our help & advice section will assist you.