HOW DO I START?

Start by talking with as many of your relatives as you can. Make a list of all your questions. It is a known fact that females can recall more than males when talking about their relatives. Be sensitive and don’t push for information they do not want to reveal as doing so may close the door.

Unfortunately, people begin tracing their family history after parents or grandparents have died and taken memories with them to the grave. So, don’t delay! Contact those who are still alive - siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles. Do it NOW!

Ask if they have any family documents or heirlooms that they are willing to share these with you.

Try to establish basic facts as far as possible - date and place of birth/baptism, marriage, and date and place of death/burial of as many of your relatives as you can.

You will doubtless be informed of family legends. Do not ignore them or believe them as being literally true. Use them as a source of guidance in finding out about the past. There just could be a grain of truth somewhere!

If you are able, record your family members as you interview them. Remember to be open about what you would like to do, ask their permission before doing so because some people may be self-conscious or not like the idea. Oral histories form a valuable part of any family archive. Recording an interview will allow you to capture accents and emotions as relations respond to your questions.  Having a recording of your ancestors is an invaluable record.

Before you talk to your relatives make a checklist of items you wish to discuss. Start by telling them what you already know, no matter how much or how little that is. It will act as a prompt to them.

Don't be surprised if people don't remember the detail but use the information in your continued research.

You can build a lively discussion by asking questions about schools attended, which family members went to the same school, who served in the military, where did they go on holiday and so on. 

Try and build up a life picture because you will learn what they looked like, were there any nicknames or aliases they used, what they did for a living, whether they served in the wars, any conflicting tales and obtain an idea of events in their lives. Older relations may remember people who were alive a century ago.

Gather any family documents and photographs you have or can obtain from other relatives. These can provide precise dates and places for events including family members' births, marriages and deaths. They will also help you to fill in some of the missing information on your tree.

You might find unique original documents and photos within the family - but you may also find photographs which are not labelled so you may not be able to identify the subjects.

Try to keep any paper documents flat. Do not fold them unless absolutely necessary.

As you talk with your relatives you should be able to locate other family bits and pieces - letters, a family bible, legal documents, diaries, school reports, certificates, newspaper cuttings, medals etc. All these bits and pieces might look a bit tatty and old, but do NOT discard them! They will contain a lot of useful information, so they must be kept safely. 

As time goes on and you make progress with your research, you will gather more and more information such as certificates and wills - even more bits of paper! You are in fact beginning to create your own personal family archive. Not only is this fun to do and shows your progress, but it also becomes a wonderful thing to hand down to future generations of your family.  For this reason, it is important to learn the proper way to store these old but priceless personal possessions in the right manner.

For now, just remember that sunlight, damp, heat and vermin are the enemies of old papers.  Make use of digital storage as much as you can for now.

Various archive companies deal specifically with preserving old documents and sell their materials at family history fairs. These companies can also be found online.