Family history research is an ever-growing hobby, becoming increasingly popular through various television programmes that make the process seem easy and straightforward. But how do you organise the confusing mix of names into a logical, illustrative and accurate family tree?

Where do I begin?

The main thing to remember when constructing your family tree is to start with the present and make logical progressions backwards, from generation to generation. Firstly, try to map out what you already know, beginning with yourself. Start by constructing a pedigree or tree, with the names of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, including any dates of birth, marriage or death, which you already know.

The next step is to talk to knowledgeable older relatives who may remember additional details and stories. At this stage it may be best to just listen and take notes, as their train of thought can often stray from the point. Details can always be clarified at a later date. When talking to older relatives it is also wise to ask after family papers, photographs and Bibles. Birth, marriage and death certificates may be lingering in a shoebox somewhere and a family Bible may record the dates of baptisms, marriages and burials. It is also useful to try and find out where in Somerset your family lived. Somerset contains 567 ancient parishes and it could be a long search if you only know a vague locality. A final reminder is not to assume all persons in a parish with the same surname are part of the same family: prove they are yours before claiming them!

The sources

Records of civil registration are normally the starting-point for family history. The registration of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales began in 1837, and although not compulsory until 1875, should list all the events registered since. It is quicker to order a certificate if you know the volume and folio number of the entry, which can be found in the indexes. There are separate national indexes for each event, and each year is divided into quarters (March, June, September and December quarters), with the event being recorded in the quarter during which it occurred, thus a birth in January would be recorded in the March quarter. Once an entry has been found in the index, an application can be made to the General Register Office or the local registrar to purchase a copy of the certificate.

• See the Records of Civil Registration research guide for more details on finding and purchasing the certificates, and what information is given on each certificate

Parish registers (ref. D/P/*) were ordered to be kept from 1538, although most for Somerset survive from the 17th century. Registers record baptisms, marriages and burials for the Church of England. Registers for the Diocese of Bath and Wells are held at the Somerset Heritage Centre, and most are available on microfiche, with the majority of the pre 1914 registers also available online via Ancestry. To use this source, you need to know which parish to search, and an approximate date, as the majority of parish registers remain un-indexed. A related source are the bishops’ transcripts (ref. D/D/rr and D/D/rra), the annual returns from the parish to the bishop recording baptisms, marriages and burials performed in a parish. Bishops’ transcripts can fill in missing gaps in parish registers and a catalogue of the transcripts is available in the searchroom.

• See the **Parish Records **research guide for more details, and see the **Ancestry Guide **for help finding Somerset's parish registers online.

Catholics and nonconformist religions also kept registers.

• See the Nonconformist Records research guide, for further details on nonconformist records, how to find them and what information they can provide

Census returns were first collected in 1801, but names were not recorded until 1841. From then the census has been taken every ten years (apart from 1941). The Somerset Heritage Centre holds microform copies of the returns for Somerset for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901. The census provides details of individuals, including their address, position in the family, age, sex, profession and place of birth. Surname indexes are available for the 1851 and 1891 Somerset census and a national index for 1881. Census returns for 1841-1911 can be found online at Ancestry and Find My Past (the latter also provides access to the 1921 Census to premium subscribers). Details on draft census compilations for individual parishes for the period 1801-1831, usually naming only heads of households, survive for a few Somerset parishes and are listed in Census schedules and listings, 1801-1831 (ref. PAM2774). See our Census Records research guide for more information.

The 1939 Register was compiled at the outbreak of World War II as a National Register listing the personal details of every civilian in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to assist with coordinating the war effort at home. It was taken on 29 September 1939 and includes similar details to a census: name, address, date of birth and occupation.

• See the Census Records research guide for more details on Census records, including information on what each census can tell you, common abbreviations and more details on the 1939 Register

The International Genealogical Index (IGI) has been compiled by the Church of the Later Day Saints from parish registers and other sources. It lists many baptism and marriage entries for the whole country. The index is arranged alphabetically by surname within each county. However, the IGI coverage for Somerset is poor with only 3% of entries for the years 1754-1812 covered. Any entries found on the IGI need to be double-checked with original parish register entries to ensure accuracy. The index for Somerset is available on microfiche and is also available online at Family Search.

Wills can be a very valuable source providing details about the person making the will and their families. Legacies are often bequeathed to wives, husbands, children or siblings. Letters of administration were granted where a will was not written, and although less informative they often give the next of kin as the person appointed to administer the estate. Before 1858 wills were administered in church courts and after 1858 in civil courts and the Principal Probate Registry. Unfortunately, most of Somerset’s wills were destroyed by bombing during World War II. Various indexes have been compiled to the wills still in existence as well as those that were destroyed.

• See the Wills research guide for more details on how to find Somerset wills

Marriage licences (ref. D/D/cm) were issued to couples not wishing the publicity or delay involved in marrying by banns and until the 19th century generally concerned persons of the artisan class and upwards. Among the diocesan records will be found the records completed before a licence was issued, mainly allegations and bonds. These documents will often supply not only the names and residences of the parties but also occupations, details of bondsmen (sometimes relations) and indicate whether minors were involved. Marriage licence bonds and allegations from 1754-1899 are available online via Ancestry, and a card index is available in the searchroom at the Heritage Centre.

• See the Records of the Diocese of Bath and Wells research guide for more details on Diocesan records, such as the Church Court registers (ref. D/D/ca and D/D/cd)

Settlement, removal and bastardy papers (ref. D/P/*) form a very rich source for the poor of the parish. The pre 1834 poor laws stated that when members of the poorer classes moved from parish to parish they should take with them a settlement certificate (or indemnity certificate) from the parish in which they were legally settled. If they failed to this, or became a financial burden on the new parish, they became subject to a settlement examination, which often record many details about their life, including occupations and family details. A removal order would be issued if the person was deemed to be legally settled elsewhere and therefore a different parishes responsibility. For illegitimate children there are bastardy examinations, bastardy bonds (executed by the putative father) and bastardy orders, all of which can be of particular value when the identity of the natural father in not shown in other sources, such as a baptism register. A name index to all these sources is available in the searchroom at the Heritage Centre.

The records of the Quarter Sessions (ref. Q/*), such as the session rolls (ref. Q/SR), are a valuable source when researching the criminal elements of society, along with civil matters such as bastardy, settlement, apprenticeship and licensing records. The Quarter Session papers also include the gaol registers (ref. Q/AG*), many of which are available to view online via Ancestry.

• See the Quarter Sessions and Assize Records research guides for more details on researching criminal ancestors and using these records.

Poor Law Union records (ref. D/G/*) relate to the post 1834 Poor Law system, which established the Poor Law Unions and built the workhouses. The workhouses provided assistance for those who were unable to support themselves. The system lasted until the Public Assistance Act of 1929. An index to the surviving Workhouse admission and discharge registers can be found on our website.

• See the Poor Law Union Records research guide for more details on this source

Other family history sources are also available, such as:

• Education records, which include the admission registers and log books for many schools in Somerset. See the School Records research guide, for details on how to find and use these records
• Asylum records, such as those for the Bath and Wells Pauper Lunatic Asylum (ref. D/H/men) and the Tone Vale Asylum (ref. D/H/tv) record details on the patients. See the Mental Health research guide on how to find these records
• Details on occupations, such as service with the Police or the Military, are also reflected in our collections, see the research guides on Police Records, Army Records, and Researching the First World War for details
• Coroners (ref. C/CR/*) records for the 20th century can provide details on a person’s death. See our Coroners Records research guide for details on how to access these records
• Manorial records can provide details on ancestors prior to the introduction of parish registers. See our Manorial records research guide for more details.
• Newspapers can provide many details on the activities of the Somerset population, from births, deaths and marriages, to the holding of public office or social activities. See our Somerset Newspapers research guide for details on our holdings.
• The Ancestry website contains a wealth of genealogical sources, but it can be difficult at times to find the relevant records. See our research guide on Finding our Records on Ancestry for help to find Somerset’s resources.

How to record your findings

It is very important to keep a record of every source that you search, so that you do not go over the same material twice. The best way to do this is to write down the type of record, dates and reference number. Even if your search has been unsuccessful, it is useful to know that it produced no results.

Next, find a cataloguing system that works for you. Possible techniques are a biographical sheet per person, recording important dates at the top of the page, names of spouse, parents, siblings and children, with space at the bottom for other interesting facts, or a system based on organising by family groups. There are also numerous computer programmes that can help you to organise your research. Printable forms can be found online or template books are available to purchase.

At an early stage it may be useful to compile a pedigree, so family links are clear, and you have an easy reference point. Where possible it may be worth having copies of relevant documents; difficult words can be deciphered at a later date and the copies help to add flesh to your research.

And finally….

There is a wide range of published family history guides, and most bookshops and libraries should stock several. These provide an in-depth overview of sources, where they are held, and what information you can gain from them. A selection of guides is available in the library at the Somerset Heritage Centre and several titles are available for purchase. The Internet is also a rich source of information for genealogy, providing general guidance, online searchable data, and a wide variety of discussion groups. You may also find contacting or joining the local family history society useful, as a way of gathering information and exchanging advice.