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Getting Started

Example of historical record from the Register

There are a few simple rules you should follow when starting building your family tree that will make things easier in the long run.

— Start with what you know and build backwards from there.

— Deal with facts.

— Talk to older members of your family, starting with parents then grandparents, aunties, great aunties and so on. There is a wealth of knowledge about past generations right at your fingertips.

— Find original birth, marriage and death certificates if they still exist and gather what information you can from them.

— Old photographs are also a good tool especially if you can get relatives to pinpoint names, places and dates. This approach will set you well onto the road of building up your family’s tree.

An early 20th century family photograph, with the father in British Army uniform

Old photographs are a good tool for pinpointing names, places and dates

— Other potential sources of information could include looking at headstones if you know where someone is buried. There may be family information there which might prove useful.

— Family bibles, service papers, old newspaper cuttings, diaries, school and employment records may all prove useful in filling in gaps and bringing old ancestors alive.

— Remember to store and label all your records methodically and if researching two sides of your family try and keep their papers apart otherwise you will find that you are buried under a mountain of paperwork.

— Always record the source of your information as it may be necessary to double check that you have the correct person. This is especially true if it is a common surname.

— Once you have gathered as much information from your family as you can then start researching further back by coming to the ScotlandsPeople centre and looking up records going back hundreds of years. If you can’t come to Edinburgh then use the official government website http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ where you can search and download images for a fee.

— When you come into the Centre or search online start with statutory birth, marriage and death records. The information found here will lead you further back in time as they record parental details and occasionally parent’s marriage details of the person you are looking for.

— Use census information to add more detail to your research. You can find siblings, occupations, addresses and birthplaces of family members. It can give you details of the type of house they lived in and whether they were lucky enough to have servants or had elderly relatives living with them.

— Once you find someone who was born before 1855 research becomes trickier as pre-1855 records are not as complete as those after 1855. Not everyone is recorded in the Old Parish Registers and this has to be borne in mind if you hit a brick wall in your research. See information on Old Parish registers for help and hints.

1831 Old Parish Register entry for the birth of James Maxwell, who became an eminent mathemitician and physicist

Getting Started

Example of historical record from the Register

Old photographs are a good tool for pinpointing names, places and dates

Old Parish Register entry for the birth of James Maxwell in 1831, who became an eminent mathematician and physicist

Old Parish Register entry for the birth of James Maxwell in 1831,
who became an eminent mathematician and physicist