Find a great-grandfather, and keep the record with him
Turn one name off a birthday card into a census page, with the record attached to it, and a reference for ordering the birth certificate.
Everybody starts in the wrong place: a website, a free trial, and a surname. Start instead with the oldest person you can telephone.
Key points
- Begin with a telephone call rather than a website
- Search on a name, a rough year and a place, and read the county
- Keep the record attached to the person, so you can see why you believed it
What to remember
- Read the county before you get excited. That is where trees go wrong.
- If you start a free two weeks, put a calendar note two days before it ends.
Try this
Call the oldest relative you have. Ask where they were born, and their mother’s maiden name.
Practice: Find a great-grandfather, and keep the record with him. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.