Where to start?

So you want to trace your roots? Don't know where to start?

This was me a couple of years ago when I decided that before all my immediate family passed on, it would be nice to get some information on where I came from. Who knows there may be some royalty in the family a few generations back.

From a personal point of view the best place you can start will be with living relatives. Get yourself a notepad and ask as many questions as you can. Bear in mind that not all families are happy ones, and there may have been arguments, or subjects that some people just don't want to talk about. You have to respect this and information may be able to be sourced from other relatives instead.

I started with my Great Aunt, who was the oldest living relative at the time a few years ago. I wrote her a letter as we hadn't seen most of the family for a while, and explained who I was and what I was looking for.
Her daughter sent me a lovely letter with a great start for me, containing names of their immediate family and how it traced back to me.
I also asked my parents and they gave me information about their parents and grandparents. This may not seem like much but it gives you a great base to start with.

I think you have to decide what name to start with, as your search will take you off on tangents all the time. When you reach a brick wall with a relative you may find yourself looking into a different name and finding the search slightly easier.

This journey can go on and on and your tree will be ever expanding. Good luck with your journey.