Exactly what I mean in my title
Like to see if I can carry my ancestors line back further
Got the 1800,s one like to go further but don't know how or wheat to check if correct
Also the name changes. Can we always rely on that?
Also could t by a birth certificate for those years?
Many thanks
Simon
It is comparatively easy to carry a line back from 1837 to 1538 (or rather the start of existing parish registers in the parish of interest).
Unfortunately since the advent of the internet newer researchers have not developed the search techniques which older researchers were forced to develop.
The main difference is there are “no censuses” to confirm findings, I have put that in inverted commas as in many cases there are local census or surveys that can often help.
The process is still the same going from the known to the unknown by the purchase of certificates or as the records are often available to search without the need to buy certificates searching the registers oneself.
(Before anyone claims you cannot buy certificates before the start of civil registration, you can. A certificate is simply a certified copy of an entry in a register. The researcher can buy a certified copy of a parish entry from the clergy in the same way as buying a copy of a civil register entry from the GRO or Superintendent Registrar).
In some ways searching parish registers is easier than searching civil registers as one can view the whole register and collate all the likely candidates then weed out those who died early, married earlier or later. As with more modern families one must use in addition to the registers other sources such as wills, property registers, recusant rolls, court rolls, burial plot registers, etc. etc. to hone in on the correct family and individuals.
Cheers
[FONT="]Guy[/FONT]
PS I should mention that parish register may contain Births and Deaths as well as Baptisms and Burials though not all do