Family history - getting started
Before you start decide whether to start with your mother or father's family. Doing both at once is not impossible but can become very confusing.
First of all talk to your relatives and collect as much information as you can. Gather it all together and photocopy or write it down.
A pedigree chart is one way to organise your information. The chart is available both in Excel and Portable Document Format (PDF) in the related documents.
When you are ready to start your research, ask if there is anything at your local library to help you because several of the larger ones have some family history research materials for their local area.
Soon you will need to visit one or more of the bigger Local Studies Libraries. These are at Chesterfield and Matlock.
Derby City Council (opens in a new window) offers a similar service in Derby.
It is essential to book an appointment before you visit so that there will be a microfilm machine for you to use and the staff will have time to help you.
For more information please contact:
Chesterfield Local Studies: 01629 533400
Matlock Local Studies: 01629 536579
Related documents
The following document is in Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download the PDF software for free from the Adobe website (opens in a new window)
The following document is in Excel format. You can download the Excel software for free from the Excel viewer page (opens in a new window) of the Microsoft website.