<p>At some point we have all wondered about our family history; where did I come from, are there any famous people in my family and did my ancestors do great things?</p>
<p align="center"><img class="alignright" alt="Ancestors" src="http://myblogguest.com/forum/uploads/articles/2013/5/old_photo.png" width="273" height="335" /></p>
<p align="center">Image by born1945</p>
<p>What with the growing trend of unearthing family history boosted by programmes such as “Who Do You Think You Are”;</p>
<p>it may seem that without a family tree you’re behind the times.</p>
<p>Indeed there are many resources at your disposal, but what about the cost?</p>
<p>Here are a few tips to get your family tree firmly rooted for free- all you’ll need is a keen interest and a bit of spare time.</p>
<p><strong>Talk About It</strong></p>
<p>Sit down with some of the oldest members of your family, preferably with a cup of tea- biscuits are optional!- and have a good long chat.</p>
<p>It may take a bit of patience and be prepared for tangents but remember to take a few notes along the way.</p>
<p>Names of great great grandparents will give you a head start as well as birthplaces and marriages.</p>
<p><strong>Get Your Hands Dirty</strong></p>
<p>Now, for anyone who has seen ‘The Grudge’, the loft is a scary place. But pull yourself together and get up there (maybe take a torch).</p>
<p>The purpose of this exercise is to uncover any old dusty clues to the past.</p>
<p>You never know what could be tucked away in the cracks of those attic floorboards; old pictures, births, marriages and death certificates; letters and diaries.</p>
<p>Don’t discard anything. You never know what secrets may be lurking in those scribbles.</p>
<p><strong>Get Online</strong></p>
<p>The internet has an array of genealogy websites for the use of the general public. It’s true that most charge fees for their services; but not all.</p>
<p>Free websites include Freebmd.org.uk that holds some birth, marriage and death indexes for England and Wales,</p>
<p>familysearch.org for vast international genealogy and Myheritage.com that allows users to search over 1,400 genealogy databases.</p>
<p>Do bear in mind that you may have to search a few different websites to fully research your family history and not all sites will have what you are looking for.</p>
<p><strong>Take Advantage Of Every Opportunity</strong></p>
<p>You will tend to find that those bigger, better known sites offer free trials to first timers.</p>
<p>Both ancestry.co.uk and findmypast.co.uk offer a free 14 day try before you buy package and often when looking up records on subscription sites you can return to it for free for a set time period.</p>
<p>Don’t miss out; explore the sites for any resource that might be free and at your disposal.</p>
<p>These may seem like obvious tips and maybe they are, but sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.</p>
<p>So take it back to basics, hunker down and in no time you’ll be an expert people finder.</p>
<p>And if all else fails, you can always make it up. That’s free too.</p>
<p>Is there anyone interesting in your family tree?</p>
<h5>Featured images:</h5>
<p><span class="license">License: Creative Commons</span></p>
<p><span class="source">image source</span></p>
<p>Hannah Coughlan is a graduate of creative writing and journalism who specialises in short story writing.</p>
<p>She loves literature, music reviews and creative blogs. She writes for White Pages.</p>

How To Trace Your Family Tree For Free
