Hi All

[Lumptus]

I have been meaning to do my family history for ages.
Mum died last week so I need to get on with it.
Only started a few days ago and I have loads of names and dates so its a start
but not really sure what I am doing!

[Lesley Robertson]

Welcome to the British Genealogy Forum.
Firstly, I’d like to offer my condolences - it isn’t easy to lose a parent.
Secondly, be warned - Genealogy is seriously addictive!

Now that you have a collection of names and dates, it’s a good idea to sort them out into a preliminary tree. You’re going to want a programme, but paper and a pencil is a good start, it focuses your attention!

One piece of advice that is really important - keep track of what you found where. Keeping track of your sources is essential - it’s almost inevitable that you will find conflicts somewhere alone the line, and knowing where you found a particular birthdate or husband’s name will help you sort out what is to be trusted.

Have a wander round, see what we have and where, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you look in the “Finding your feet in BG” forum, you’ll find a post of how to help us to help you HERE.

Pam, another of our Mods, posted a very useful message in the Genealogy Beginners Forum HERE

Above all, enjoy!