TRACING MY FAMILY TREE - AN ADDICTIVE HOBBY!

I have become completely absorbed in my retirement hobby of tracing my family tree. Although it is recommended to concentrate on just one of the four family names to choose from, I am grasshopper-minded and prefer to flit between them. It will take longer to get back to William the Conqueror, but I don't begrudge the time.

There are any number of books to assist and advise, but the internet has transformed research and made it so much easier. If, like me, you do not have a computer then the first step is to book a couple of sessions (free of charge) at Evington Library where the staff are friendly and helpful. Having a grasp of the basics, you are then just a click away from a fantastic window into your past.

There are many websites dedicated to family history research, but again Evington Library comes to the rescue as it is connected to the “Ancestry” website, usually pay per view, but free of charge to library users. The Ancestry site gives access to the building blocks of family tree research: mainly Census lists as well as Birth, Marriage and Death indexes.

Where to start? Starting with yourself (of course!) write down all the family names you know, working back from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles etc. Also, make notes of any dates and occupations in respect of family members. It was at this point I realised I should have started my tree when aged 10 when my grandparents were still alive.

Using Ancestry, I started with the 1901 Census, my grandparents' era. The Census forms list each household and family member, with ages and occupations (knowing the names of relatives helps to pinpoint your family from another with the same name). The ages given on the Census indicate the dates to look for on the Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes. Deduct ten years, and you are back to the 1891 Census, and so on.

If your ancestors came from Leicestershire, there is the bonus of a further three local research facilities.

The Record Office, Long Street, Wigston Magna, holds Parish Registers for the city and county. Marriages can be checked on a microfiche (photocopies can be obtained - currently 60p instead of £7 - £9 from a Registry Office), also registers of Baptism (but not Birth) and Burial (but not Death).

The Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society have a research centre in King Street, Leicester.

Welford Road Cemetery is a Victorian gem, a truly amazing place and worth a visit in its own right. My relatives, of course, are not to be found amongst the row upon row of magnificent tombs but lie unmarked in grassy areas and would never be found without help from the Visitor Centre staff. Provided you have a date, they have access to records of burial plans and can help pinpoint an individual grave plot.

I doubt very much I will find a rich relation; mine seem to have been either Framework Knitters - the poorest of the poor, or agricultural workers - ditto. I just enjoy discovering that my great, great, great grandmother was named Silence; another relative called Isabella was a bit of a gal whose address was the local workhouse where she resided with two illegitimate children; and my grandfather's WW1 service records show his height on enlistment as 5ft 1 3/4 inches. Small facts, but my family history.

Tracing your family tree is fascinating and enjoyable, but somewhat addictive. Good luck if you decide to join the search.