Ancestry searching

[4D]

I'm interested in tracing my ancestors back a couple of centuries. The info I have so far is not great, just wondered the best resource for this kind of thing?
On my dad's side there were quite a few military personnel,
My grandad was in one of the highlanders regiments, and fought in WW2, I have some facts on him. My great great uncle was in the cavalry during the first World War I have a photo. There is also a photo of another relative but we only have a first name, he was a sailor on HMS Vanguard (the last battleship).
My great gran was an Irish immigrant in the late 19th Century.

Any pointers welcome.

[Largey81]

I'd recommend using ancestry.co.uk and paying for a months membership. You can just blitz a load of searches and build your information that way, then cancel and take stock. Definitely make sure it is the membership that includes military records.

Make sure to download and save any pdfs as once you cancel the membership you can't view them again.

I also had a few WWI military links and it ended up taking me to eastern France to a war cemetery where my great uncle is buried. His brother is buried in Basra so won't be seeing that one it seems!

Once you have service numbers and more info you can do more detailed searches elsewhere.

Also recommend searching the 1939 census which was done before the war and is the most recent census available. 1921 was available last year as well, next one won't be till 2032.

Good luck! I found it fascinated.

[horlock07]

Another vote for ancestry.co.uk, its actually really easy to go back a long way as so many other people have already done it and if you have ancestors in common it all links together so you don't have to do the research as well. 

My old man has done ours back for ages (15th Century) and we are the dullest family ever, I'm now doing my mother sdie who are equally dull so far. Funniest thing is that my Yorkshire born and bred missus has always taken the piss out of me for being from down south and thus posh, but transpires she has shed loads of lords and ladies (and a possible link to Walt Disney) in hers!

For the military stuff may be worth a look at the IWM or National Archive (I'd recommend that for anyone anyway as its just dead interesting!)

[Peter Venkman]

Me and the wife took my side back to 1798 and the wife her side back to 1647 so far, Ancestry is the best place to start, its not cheap but worth paying for 100%.

Its not easy to get right there are lots of red herrings on popular names and some first names and surnames are spelt very differently to what is on the register but its good fun, I have a very close friend, who happens to be Ginginhos Aunt, who does it part time professionally and if you gets stuck I can put you in contact with her.

Enjoy, it is very interesting.

Also worth doing the DNA testing with them, turns out I am directly related to Cheddar Man genetically, that explains my love for cheese! I am also related to Ade Edmondson and Roald Amundsen and the missus is related to Percy Shelley and Captain Pilfold who commanded the ship Ajax at the Battle of Trafalgar. I have 1 murderer and 2 murder victims in my family too.

[Ginginho]

Me and the wife took my side back to 1798 and the wife her side back to 1647 so far, Ancestry is the best place to start, its not cheap but worth paying for 100%.

Its not easy to get right there are lots of red herrings on popular names and some first names and surnames are spelt very differently to what is on the register but its good fun, I have a very close friend, who happens to be Ginginhos Aunt, who does it part time professionally and if you gets stuck I can put you in contact with her.

Enjoy, it is very interesting.

Also worth doing the DNA testing with them, turns out I am directly related to Cheddar Man genetically, that explains my love for cheese! I am also related to Ade Edmondson and Roald Amundsen and the missus is related to Percy Shelley and Captain Pilfold who commanded the ship Ajax at the Battle of Trafalgar. I have 1 murderer and 2 murder victims in my family too.

Debbie? I think she's my Dad's cousin, so my 2nd cousin I think?

She's also distantly related to Andy Partridge, but on the other side, so i'm not unfortunately.

[Mooneyraker]

If you know the respective Regiments for WW2 and WW1 that will help as they loved paperwork back in the day and you can tap into the records that way.

You’ll be able to work the WW1 out from the photo hopefully if you don’t know.

[Peter Venkman]

Debbie? I think she's my Dad's cousin, so my 2nd cousin I think?

She's also distantly related to Andy Partridge, but on the other side, so i'm not unfortunately.

Yes mate Debs, we started school on the same day at Gorse Hill Infants.

[4D]

If you know the respective Regiments for WW2 and WW1 that will help as they loved paperwork back in the day and you can tap into the records that way.

You’ll be able to work the WW1 out from the photo hopefully if you don’t know.

Can't quite make it out. This is WW1. I'm thinking Royal Artillery.

[Peter Venkman]

Royal Field Artillery.

[4D]

Yeah, just thought the same. Nice one.

[Peter Venkman]

Went into Ancestry and cheked my tree and now we have traced back to Salisbury in 1540, which was a surprise.