Learn to research from your armchair

Now that the nights are drawing in and it’s getting chilly outside, make the most of these winter hours to explore your family history from the comfort of your own cosy chair. June Terrington has been conducting home-based genealogy research for many years now, and the results are as intriguing as they are inspiring. Read June's article in the December issue of Family Tree to find out how you too can trace the lives of your ancestors online and uncover your family’s story.

You may be wondering why I’d want to research solely from home, and in my case I had no choice. If you find you’re in the same position, and are unable or don’t want to make the long trips to the archives (whether it’s constraints of time, money, health issues or other responsibilities), but you’re wishing you could research your family tree, let me show you how I did it. Hopefully following these steps will help you too.

I started tracing my family’s past in 2000, after a long-time yearning to find out about my roots, especially as my father had disappeared back to his family when I was three years old. I must admit I had very little to go on at the time – a newspaper cutting of my father’s death, some notes I had written from my mother’s stories – and a computer. I can tell you it felt daunting, wondering where to begin. But once you start researching online, you’ll find not just records to search, but many friendly like-minded family history researchers who are often more than willing to help you.

Read the full article to find out about accessing your library from home, using forums, finding free websites and choosing software, plus much more! Download or buy the issue today from our store - click here.