{"id":247,"date":"2022-01-01T07:41:10","date_gmt":"2022-01-01T06:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=105643"},"modified":"2022-01-01T08:04:12","modified_gmt":"2022-01-01T07:04:12","slug":"how-to-trace-your-rural-family-tree","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/how-to-trace-your-rural-family-tree\/","title":{"rendered":"How to trace your rural family tree"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Samantha Stocks\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 01 January 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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In the past, trying to uncover our family connections to the countryside would have involved trips to archives, but now, with more and more information going online, it has become much easier for anyone with internet access to explore their family\u2019s rural past.<\/p>\n

The great thing about exploring your family history is that you can find out exactly what they did and how they fitted in to the rural economy. Our love of the countryside can be enriched by understanding how previous generations lived and worked there. A beautiful village can be admired by anyone, but if you explore somewhere your ancestors lived and visit the church where they once worshipped, you will experience a much deeper sense of connection.<\/p>\n

Here is our expert guide to tracing your rural family tree, including how to begin<\/a>, which records to check<\/a>, and all the digital resources<\/a> you need.<\/p>\n

Discover more about your ancestors at our sister title,\u00a0whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com<\/a>. Good luck!<\/p>\n

How to discover your rural family tree<\/h2>\n
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A vintage postcard featuring a group of men making cider in Gloucestershire, circa 1920\/Credit: Paul Popper\/Popperfoto\/Getty.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Step 1:\u00a0Talk to your family<\/h3>\n

The first step for anyone wanting to explore their past is to talk to your family and write down what you know already. This often gets overlooked by people who want to jump straight online. Talk to older generations, siblings and cousins to find out what they know already about your family. A digital family tree can be a handy way to keep track of your discoveries. You can download free software, such as Gramps<\/a> or RootsMagic Essentials<\/a>, but there are also easy-to-use online family-tree builders on genealogy websites such as Ancestry<\/a> and Findmypast<\/a> that you can use for free, although you have to register with the site first.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Check the Census records<\/h3>\n

There is something magical about seeing records of your ancestors at home with their families, and census records let you do just that. The most recent available census is 1911 \u2013 although in 2022 the 1921 census will be released, on <\/span>Findmypast<\/a> for English and Welsh records and <\/span>ScotlandsPeople<\/a> for the Scottish census. Hopefully your initial conversation with family members will have given you enough detail to search for people on a subscription website or you can try the free website <\/span>FamilySearch<\/a>, although you won\u2019t see the actual census images there. Most libraries offer free access to <\/span>Ancestry<\/a>, so if you are on a budget, try that option.<\/span><\/p>\n

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July 1949: Publican Peggy Powell stocks a selection of London brews at the Shakespeare Hotel in Folkestone, Kent, in order to maintain her popularity with London holidaymakers\/Credit: Don Price\/Fox Photos\/Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The 1911 census is the only one where the schedules filled in by the head of the household have survived so you will see your ancestor\u2019s handwriting. Before that, the records available are the books compiled by the enumerator. These 10-yearly records will hopefully take you back to the 1841 census. This early census is not as helpful as later ones as it didn\u2019t ask for much detail about where a person had been born and adult ages were rounded down to the nearest five years. It also didn\u2019t ask people what their relationship to the head of the household was, so you have to guess who is who. Abbreviations were also used for most occupations. In fact, it\u2019s where the term \u2018ag lab\u2019 for an agricultural labourer came from. Retracing the decades, you can follow your family and see what occupations they had. The census can also give you clues that will lead to birth, marriage and death records.<\/p>

Step 3: Look at civil registration<\/h3>\n

Before civil registration began in 1837 for England and Wales and 1855 for Scotland, vital events were recorded by the church. If someone was born, then it was assumed they would be baptised and a record would be created. Marriage was the same and burial records marked a death. However, a desire for more accurate, centralised records resulted in the introduction of civil registration. These are the birth, marriage and death certificates that form the backbone of family history.<\/p>\n

If you are researching Scottish family, then you can order these records from ScotlandsPeople<\/a> as a digital file for just \u00a31.50 each. For England and Wales you need to go to the GRO website<\/a> where you can either order a certificate that will be posted to you for \u00a311 or pay \u00a37 for a PDF via email (selected births and deaths only). These records can help you uncover a woman\u2019s maiden name so that you can find her family on earlier census records or tell you the name and occupation of the bride and groom\u2019s fathers enabling you to step back a further generation, or give a cause of death that will help complete an ancestor\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

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