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Genealogy & Family Stories

Information

Share what you know about your family's history and help others discover their ancestral past.

Members: 29
Latest Activity: Feb 25

Get Started Finding Your Roots

Here are a few quick and simple steps to help you find more information about your family's roots. The links provided are not associated with the Celtic Friends Network.

Start with the Surname
Plug your last name into a Google search or a website like House of Names, which should give you a basic background on the family's history and maybe even a few interesting stories!

Find Associated Clans
Chances are if you're of Gaelic blood, you belong to a clan somewhere down the line if not outright. Websites like Scot Clans and Electric Scotland can help you track down which clan you may belong to and give you a history about that clan, as well as tartans, crests, badges, etc. There are also many clans that are organized and can provide more information about the clan history itself, possibly giving you clues where to look next.

Documents & Records
Records like the Domesday Book or the Battle Abbey Roll mention specific people by name and can offer some insight to where, what, or when your family member was doing something. Immigrant and military records, newspaper archives, etc. are also documents to look into. Even place names can offer information if your relative adopted the name of their hometown or if they gave their name to the town itself.

Search For Someone Specific
If you know a particular family member's name that you are trying to research, you can try to find them through Family Search or Census Finder. You can even start with a recent relative, such as a grandparent, and backtrack. Be sure to check with local churches and town records where the person may have been born, baptized, married, or died.

Make Use of Websites
Many times you can find website that will assist you in finding more about your family's history. The BBC has a free webpage (http://www.bbc.co.uk/familyhistory/)for people with families of British (English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, etc.) descent. Other websites that may be helpful, but most require a membership, so if you are serious about your serach, it may be worth it to you.

Discussion Forum

Welsh Genealogy 3 Replies

Started by Ceilidh MacNaughton. Last reply by WalesDVD.com Oct. 7, 2009.

Scottish Genealogy 5 Replies

Started by Ceilidh MacNaughton. Last reply by S. Williams Apr. 20, 2009.

Irish Genealogy 4 Replies

Started by Ceilidh MacNaughton. Last reply by Jody Allen Apr. 15, 2009.

Continental Celtic Genealogy

Started by Ceilidh MacNaughton Mar. 2, 2009.

Comment Wall

Comment by Kate Roland on April 15, 2009 at 9:02am: Glad to be here. I have been chasing my family history and tree for about 15 years. With the help of my Father and his Sister, we have made some progress, but still a long way to go. I have a question though. What is the doomsday book record?

Comment by Ceilidh MacNaughton on April 18, 2009 at 9:54pm: The Domesday Book...
... is a survey that William I, the Conqueror (ruled England from 1066 AD to 1087 AD), ordered in 1085 and was completed in 1086. It is a sort of census or survey taken of England's wealth at the time. He sent people to record who had what, how much, and what it was worth.

You can find out more about it here: Domesday Book