Family History Beginners

Learn how to trace your family history with this course aimed at those wanting to start to trace
their roots.

This course explores the key resources which will enable you to start building your own family
tree. Discover various records and documents that contain information about your ancestors including Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates, Census Records & Parish Records.

In addition to the use of the internet, we shall be look at resources available in records
offices with the possibility of a behind the scenes trip to the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre in Chippenham to discover a wide range of documents, maps, photos, old newspapers and other items used in family history research.

Learn how to draw a family tree and ways of organising & presenting your information.
Find out how to use items that you may have hidden away at home and how to interview relatives in order to build up a picture of the lives of your ancestors.

Primarily we will be looking at records relating to the UK but the research techniques learnt can be applied to records of other countries as well.

The course tutor, Michelle Smith has been researching family history for over 25 years and has been successful in assisting others trace their roots. During that time she has learnt where to find records, people and information to help piece together the history of a family.