|
The above poster gave 2 good free sites.
However, your public library might have a subscription to Ancestry.Com which has lots of records and seems to be getting more all the time. They have all the U.S. censuses through 1930. The 1940 and later are not available to the public yet. They also have U. K. censuses.
Just don't take as absolute fact everything you see in family trees on ANY website, free or paid. The information is subscriber submitted and mostly not documented or poorly documented. Even when you see the same information from many different subscribers on the same people that is no guarantee at all it is correct. A lot of people copy without verifying. The information can be very helpful to use as CLUES as to where to get the documentation.
Actually you need to see what all your public library has in genealogy.
A Family History Center at a Latter Day Saints(Mormon) Church is free to use but you need to call them to find out their hours for the general public. They have records on people all over the world, not just on Mormons. In Salt Lake City, they have the world's largest genealogical collection. Their Family History Centers can order microfilm for you to view at a nominal fee.
I have never had them to try and convert me or send their missionaries by to ring my doorbell. I haven't heard of them doing that to anyones else either.
But the first thing you need to do is get as much information from living family as possible, particularly your senior members. Tape them if they will let you. It might be they are confused on some things but what might seem to be insignificant story telling might turn out to be very significant. Ask to see and make copies of birth, marriage and death certificates. Also depending on their religious faith, baptismal, first communion, confirmation and marriages certificates from their church can be very helpful.
While you are at your library and the Family History Center, you will probably have an excellent opportunity to talk with other researchers and that is how people learn by hearing about the experiences and ideas of other people.
Good Luck!
 |