Getting started

This page gives advice on starting to research the history of your family, and highlights how some of Kent County Council's services can help.

Before you start

Often the best way to start doing your family history is to read a book (browse our library catalogue) or visit a website to find out what is involved. Alternatively, you may well have a local family history society near you which you can join or from which you may get specialist advice.

As more and more material is put onto the internet many people are able to put together a reasonable family tree through the use of online resources. You may also be lucky enough to find someone who has already traced all or some of your family history as part of other research.

However, it is usually advisable to visit an archive or local studies centre to confirm what other people have discovered and also because part of the attraction of doing your family history is the contact with historical documents and the thrill of finding new information.

First Steps

Note down all the dates and events you are certain of concerning your immediate family. Ask other members of your family what they know, but remember it is always best to check any such information by consulting official records, so that you have concrete proof to back up memories!

Family photos are a great way of getting people talking, so do ask relatives to see
these. It is best to start with yourself and work backwards. Once you have got enough material from relatives and the internet it is time to visit an archive centre - for Kent this is the Kent History & Library Centre (KHLC) - or your library's local history section to start filling in the details of your family history research.

It is important to plan your visit and we would advise:

• contacting the archive, record centre or library in advance to book a desk, computer and/or microfilm reader. Archive centres and Record Offices can get very busy, may be closed for stocktaking or the particular records you want to see may not be available immediately (for example there may be special conditions attached to accessing a particular collection). Check that the centre you are planning to visit holds the records you wish to consult.
• When you visit you will have to show some form of ID (showing your name, address and signature), an Archives Research Network card or Kent Library card (at the Kent History & Library Centre).
• Check the website of the archive centre for a list of holdings or the online catalogue. Often much of the time you spend in an archive is actually
  taken up looking through catalogues and indexes so if you can do this online before your visit you may save a lot of time. Remember to write down accurately the references to any documents you find that might be relevant.
• When you get to the archive centre it is a very good idea to talk to the staff so that they are aware of what you are trying to find out and to ask them for advice. 

What sort of records are useful for family history?

Parish records

The parish registers consist of baptisms, marriages and burials. Within the parish collections you may also find records such as overseers’ accounts (which include poor law records, accounts and settlements) and school records useful for family history.

The parish records covering Kent are held at the Kent History & Library Centre. However there are also records held at Medway Archives and Bexley and Bromley local studies and archive centres. Microform or transcript copies can also be found in public libraries. In England and Wales from 1837 births, marriages and deaths were civilly registered and can be found at the local register office or at the Family Records Centre in London. Some archive offices also hold registers of burials that have taken place in municipal cemeteries.

The International Genealogical Index is a very good source for obtaining information from parish registers. But remember to check information for yourself in original documents.

Census returns

Censuses started in 1801, but the earliest census for which substantial records survive and which is of use to the family historian is 1841. Full census entries are available from 1841-1911, most centres offer those on microfilm but increasingly these are also made available via online subscriptions. For example Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives offers free access via Ancestry and Find My Past in its all libraries and at the Kent HIstory & Library Centre.

Wills and probate

Before 1858, wills were proved in the church courts. The records for local church courts and the Prerogative Court of Canterbury are held at the Kent History & Library Centre in Maidstone on microfilm. We now also provide access to indexes for over 40,000 records of West Kent wills 1440-1857 and probate inventories for the whole of Kent 1571-1842 free in libraries and at the KHLC via Origins UK.

From 1858, probate was a civil matter. You can search for wills proved after 1858 in person at:

Probate Department of the Principal Registry Family Division,
Probate Search Room,
First Avenue House,
42-49 High Holborn,
London WC1V 6NP
(tel: 020 7947 7000).

Taxation

All offices hold material regarding taxation, for example, window, hearth and land taxes. Please enquire at each office as to what they can provide. Copies of tithe maps and apportionments (c1840) are also available for the whole county. 

Electoral Registers

These are closed for the last 10 years, but you are able to access earlier ones at the KHLC which cover the whole county. These can also be used in conjunction with local trade directories.

Websites and online databases

The internet is of course a fantastic and accessible source for family historians but
please remember that the information is only as good as the people who have produced it. In other words, you should not rely on the accuracy of the information you get from a
website and it is always advisable to check at a record office or a library.

These are just a few of the records which may be useful in tracing your family history and there are of course many more. Our family history websites page includes a selection of some of the most useful websites which could help you discover more about your family's history.