Family History

Students will gain an understanding of researching family background and preparing a family tree using a range of specialised web sites.  Students will be able to search for information about members of their family on a range of websites such as Ancestry.co.uk.

Course Objectives

The purpose of this course is to introduce the fundamentals of Family History Research for people with limited experience of the subject, or the use of the Internet, to find important family history records.

• On this course you will learn about:
  • The basics of Family History Research
  • Remove the mystique behind the jargon
  • How to get information from
  • Census returns
  • Birth, Marriage and Death records
  • Parish Records
  • Other sources of information
  • To organise your data and keep it safely
  • How to write up your family history story
  • How to get help

A workbook is provided containing exercises to give hands-on experience and general information. This is yours to keep.

Course Structure

Five weeks x 2 hours

The course is set up as 8 modules, two of which will be taught each week. There is a fifth week allowed to catch up and cover any other topics that students particularly want.

• Module 1 Introduction & Getting started on the Internet
• Module 2 Researching online
• Module 3 Census records part 1
• Module 4 Births Marriages Deaths
• Module 5 Parish Records & Monumental Inscriptions
• Module 6 People and Places
• Module 7 Census part 2
• Module 8 Wills, archives & other useful sites

An introduction to DNA testing is available.

Course Timetable

Ref	Location	Course & Fees	Course Details	Class Date
1217	Hertfordshire Federation of Women's Institutes, Wheathampstead	Family History £40.00	5 weeks Wednesday 10:00 - 12:00	4th May, 2022 11th May, 2022 18th May, 2022 25th May, 2022 1st Jun, 2022 8th Jun, 2022

Prerequisites

Learners should have been on a starter course listed below, or be confident with the Internet and be able to use Microsoft Windows, an Apple iPad or Android tablet, to find and save information.

• Starting off with Apple iPads
• Starting off with Android Tablets
• Starting off with Windows

When and Where?

If you are unsure of the suitability of one of our courses or simply wish to find out more you can visit one of our drop in centres to discuss a course or visit our courses timetable page or our course planner page to see where and when the courses are being held.
Completing a Starting Off With course in 2025 means you can do a Getting More From course for only £10.

Book a course now