If you live in England or have ancestors who did, our specialists can help you trace your English ancestry.
Using Records to Trace English Ancestry
England’s history goes back over 1000 years, but as with many other countries, the types and quality of records that are available varies by time period, location, and a several other factors. Most English genealogy records are kept at the county or parish level, and with 48 counties, which are then divided into smaller parishes, it can be difficult to locate the records for your ancestors. Locating where exactly your ancestors lived is often the most time consuming part of the research. Once that place is known it is usually much easier to extend your family lines, so don’t get discouraged if it takes a long time to make a little progress in the beginning! There are plenty of different types of record sources available to assist in extending your English ancestry – it just requires patience and diligence until you find the necessary clues.
English Civil Registration began in July 1837, so if you have an ancestor who was born, married, or died after that date you can check the free BMD indexes to try to find records for those events. However, due to name variations and different spellings, you might find several potential matches. This is when a location (or even a known occupation) also comes in handy. Prior to 1837 English genealogy can be more tricky, but there are church records, censuses, military records, court records, and many other records that can be used to extend your English ancestry.
Our Team of Professional Genealogists Can Help
Our genealogists are experts at finding and putting together all possible clues in order to create the most accurate family history possible for your English ancestry. We believe in leaving no stone unturned, so we will search all available record sources to find the most (and best!) information possible.
