Begin with yourself and work backwards

Every family history begins with you. Before you open a single online database, write down what you already know about your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Use a simple chart or a notebook: full names, dates and places of birth, marriage and death. Be precise. "Around 1920 in Yorkshire" is a starting point, but "12 March 1921 in Leeds" is a breakthrough. Work backwards one generation at a time. Resist the temptation to leap to a famous ancestor or a distant century. Solid roots grow from the known to the unknown.

Ask yourself: what documents might already exist in your family? A birth certificate tucked in a drawer, a marriage announcement in a local paper, a photograph with names on the back. These are your first clues, and they are more reliable than any online tree you might stumble across.

Search your home for family papers

Before you spend a penny on certificates, turn your house upside down. Family papers are the bedrock of good genealogy. Look for:

• Certificates of birth, marriage, civil partnership and death.
• Wills and probate papers, which often name relatives and addresses.
• Photographs with dates or names written on the reverse.
• Letters, postcards and diaries that mention places and relationships.
• Service records, medals and discharge papers from military service.
• Baptism cards, confirmation certificates and funeral orders of service.

Ask relatives if they hold anything similar. A cousin may have your grandmother's autograph book; an aunt may have the family Bible with births recorded inside. Scan or photograph everything, then store the digital copies safely. Label each file with names, dates and where you got it.

Capture oral memories before they fade

Talk to your oldest relatives now. Their memories are irreplaceable, and they can point you to records you would never think to search. Ask open questions: "What was your mother like?" "Where did the family live when you were small?" "Did anyone talk about coming from Ireland or Scotland?" Listen for nicknames, occupations, religious denominations and migration stories. Record the conversations if you can, with permission. A smartphone voice memo is perfect.

Be gentle and patient. Memories can be faulty, especially about dates. Treat every spoken detail as a clue to verify, not a fact to copy. But even a mistaken memory might contain a grain of truth – a village name, a trade, a family rumour – that leads you to the right document.

Order birth, marriage and death certificates

In the UK, civil registration began in 1837 for England and Wales, 1855 for Scotland, and 1864 for Northern Ireland (with non-Catholic marriages from 1845). These records are the backbone of British genealogy. You can search the national indexes – often available at local archives or online – to find the reference number, then order a certificate from the relevant General Register Office or records office.

Certificates cost a small fee and take a week or two to arrive. Each one gives you more than the index: names, addresses, occupations, fathers' names, and sometimes the mother's maiden name. Start with a birth certificate for a grandparent, then use the parents' names to order their marriage certificate, and so on. This chain of evidence is how you move confidently back through the generations.

Move to online records with a clear strategy

Only after you have gathered papers, memories and certificates should you dive into online databases. The main sources for British ancestors are:

• Census returns from 1841 to 1921, which place families together at an address every ten years.
• Parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, which predate civil registration and go back to the 1500s for some parishes.
• Probate records and wills, which can name heirs and property.
• Electoral rolls and rate books, useful for tracing addresses between censuses.

Search one record set at a time. Use wildcards for spelling variations – "Smith" might be "Smyth" or "Smithe". Note down every reference number and source. If a search fails, change the spelling, the date range, or the county. British ancestors moved more than you might expect.

Keep your research organised and verify everything

Genealogy is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep a research log: what you searched, when, and what you found (or didn't). Use a filing system, whether digital folders or a ring binder, with one section per surname. Cite your sources for every fact. If you find a tempting online tree that claims your great-great-grandfather was a duke, treat it with scepticism until you see the original record.

Finally, enjoy the journey. Every certificate and census return is a small window into a life. Your British ancestors were farmers, factory workers, sailors, servants and shopkeepers. By starting with what you know and working backwards carefully, you will build a family history that is accurate, meaningful, and genuinely yours.