What are good websites for looking up family history or discovering family trees?

Question

My Mum said she'd always liked to know where our family's from and where it all begins, so I'd like to find a website where I can find out about it. Please help me, I don't mind registering for websites but I don't want to pay any fees or charges.

Hope you can help, thank you!!!

Answer 1

Maybe you could try http://www.myheritage.com/

Answer 2

http://rwguide.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

Start with education (free) on the process (how it works).  The core is finding valid records, even though WHERE THE RECORDS are, will vary between locations.

Another tip.. instead of looking for family history compared to a painting (complete).. think of a puzzle.. YOU PUT the pieces together. Trust my gray little head on this.. when you break it down to figuring WHAT piece you need to find, there are more places than you thought, to locate it.  I am so sad for people who EXPECT their tree to be "online somewhere", then don't know what to do, when it isn't.  In GENERAL.. the sites that claim to offer ready made trees, will often want you to pay. If you look for facts, they are all over the place.  Ancestry.com is the exception, since they have census records which are a basic tool.

http://www.cyndislist.com/

Last, I always suggest cyndis list.. she is an encyclopedia of sources. When you find your ancestor worked a certain job, or served in a certain war.. you can go here, to find what is 'out there' on that topic.

And you can always make yourself at home here, since lots of people can offer help along the way.

Answer 3

familysearch.org its the mormon website and its really good its free we got back to 1685  using it .as long as you have a start point ours was an old family bible but we found loads only problem is if you got irish in you very hard to find, and scottish its all pay sites in scotland, but for england  familysearch and  b m d  im in yorkshire  so its yorkshire bmd for us but you should have one for your neck of the woods

Answer 4

You are probably in the UK, since you use "Mum", but you might be a Canadian or Australian, considering the time you posted. Please edit your question to include a country. It makes a difference, and we can't tell from looking.

Answer 5

goldenmemoriescharts.co.uk

Answer 6

I use Ancestry.co.uk which is free to register but you do have to pay to view the files if you find what you are looking for.  They do have a free index for the 1881 English and Welsh cenuses though.  I pay monthly which I think is between £8 and £10 and you can cancel it at any time you like and you can view any files on there.  Better value than their pay per view vouchers as if you open the wrong file they take a credit off you.  Pay per view is £6.95 for 14 days and 12 credits.

On Ancestry they have a forum and if you ask nicely somebody might do a free look up for you...

Apart from that I also look for Online Parish Clerk websites for example there is one for Cornwall where volunteers transcribe parish registers and census returns and you can look at them for free.  Other counties are doing this as well and you can do a search on the web for them.

Sorry can't be of more help but I never had much luck of finding free records and I don't live near a record office so I just plumped for Ancestry as it was easier plus you can build your tree online and it automatically searches for records that might fit your tree once you start filling your info in as well as showing you other people's trees that have the same people in them.

Good luck!