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In depth guide to family history

Glossary page

How to research your family history

This guide describes some of the more popular and useful record sources for family historians. It includes links to other archives, record offices and useful websites. It includes images of some of the key documents in The National Archives for family history, showing you what they look like, what they can tell you, and how to interpret the information that is contained within them.

Each gallery covers a specific theme, with images, captions and interpretive text, directing you to the record series that you need to consult. The galleries identify and explain how to get to the records and how to use them. Each gallery connects to our research guides, our online catalogue, and links to relevant websites. 

The galleries link to each other, but you can use them independently of each other to trace ancestors in specific occupations and different stages of life.