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You do not need lots of
fancy lectures to get started, just common sense, organisation and
perseverance. Although many people start by purchasing copies of birth
certificates, there is a much easier
and cheaper way.
Basic principles
- Find a relative who was alive
in a census year, for example 1891 (see Census). Work out where
they lived, as near as you can.
- Use the census at a local
studies library to local the individual. Many of the
censuses have been indexed by local family history societies
but if not, allow about 30 minutes for a village of about 200
people (This is called an enumeration district)
- Try to locate them on each
census year back to 1851. This should give you the parish in which
they were born. Check the evidence in different censuses.
- Now go to the Archives Office
and examine the Parish registers to
find the person's birth. Look at the section on Parish Registers
for more help.
- Finally don't forget to talk
to elderly relatives. Pre-prepare your questions and
give them time - see the section 'Using Photographs'
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