LESLEY GREEN has started a business helping people trace their family trees after she began to unravel the mystery of her own
My great uncle kept two penguins in the back garden of his house in Bromley and my grandfather was a footman in Eaton Square, London, at a house belonging to cousins of the Prime Minister. These were just a couple of minor gems that I unearthed while researching my family tree.
Interest in genealogy has grown dramatically over recent years with television programmes such as Who Do You Think You Are? and Heir Hunters proving hugely popular, while younger generations have had their interest stimulated by what their ancestors did in the First and Second World Wars following the many recent milestone anniversaries. Add to that the fact that the Internet has made it easier to access to data that was never freely available before and one can understand the phenomena.
When starting to look into a tree, often the first question people ask is: “Is there any money?” Ironically the real treasures lie in the stories and unexpected details that come to light when you start to dig into the history of your family.
So where do you start? Researching a family tree can appear intimidating. In my experience the most crucial and important sources of information are living members of your family especially your older relations. They may surprise you with revelations that add flavour and colour to your family history. And remember that once those older relatives have passed, their memories are lost for ever.
My initial advice is simple, talk to everyone, record conversations, and dig out photos so you can identify as many of those key family members as you can. Or, if one of your younger family members is interested make sure you give them as much information so you can spark their interest to delve deeper.
One area guaranteed to get them hooked is the stories of the black sheep; those family members who were a little wayward, or may have created a scandal. Ironically these characters, whilst once frowned upon and not mentioned or brushed under the carpet, will be the individuals who garner the most interest. After all, what will excite your children more; the fact that their great grandfather was a banker, or that he ‘forgot’ to divorce his first wife before marrying the second?
So many research facilities are now available online, such as birth, marriage and death certificates. The census, that is taken every 10 years, can be utilised to track where people lived, and their occupations, and those that date from 1841 to 1911 are now also online. War records are also archived on the Internet and will reveal how and where your family served in times of conflict. 
Delving can be daunting, and also expensive, as there is usually a charge to access information websites; but if you have the time it is fascinating and rewarding.
Alternatively you can always engage the services of a researcher to investigate, unearth and document those crucial elements required to paint the picture of your past.
Who knows what you may come across? Or who. You may ‘meet’ others researching the same line; distant relations you never knew existed or you had lost touch with.
My personal interest was sparked by my flamboyant great aunt who was deemed the holder of the family history and secrets. She shared many stories with me, and from those conversations grew my own family tree research which led to me producing a 250 page, leather-bound book of family treasures which I presented to my mother on her 90th birthday.
The book contained dozens of census records, baptism certificates, school attendance records, and newspaper articles. I spent hours in graveyards, and visited and photographed houses and churches that formed part of my ancestors’ lives and vicariously my own.
I have since become passionate about researching. It’s a never ending quest as new information is added almost daily to archives, record offices and the Internet so I now undertake commissions from friends to produce ancestry books for them too.
I would encourage anyone to either start the process and/or to engage children and grandchildren to build up their family tree. Don’t leave it too late. Enjoy those conversations and reminiscences and record your memories on tape.
I am grateful to those penguins, who were incidentally called Percy and Priscilla, and my eccentric uncle, without whom I would never have started my journey into my past.
Allow six weeks for Lesley to research and produce a book of your family tree and budget around £500. For more information please email Lesley at: lcr_green@hotmail.com
