Useful tips
Visit Family Search for useful tips on how to get started on your research.
Start with what you know
Do you know your parents' names, birthdates and birth places? What about your grandparents or great grandparents? Following one family line helps keep your research on track.
If you have older family members ask questions. They may have items like a family bible, letters, diaries, photographs, certificates and war medals which can be helpful in your research.
Begin from all the facts and work backwards
Make sure you check the accuracy of each source. Keep a record of all your research.
Get a family tree
Sometimes known as a pedigree chart. You can use the chart to record family relationships. You can access free charts from:
A good place to start is checking Ancestry to see if anyone else has done any research on your family. Make sure they have supporting records for each ancestor.
Visit your local library
Visit your local Kingston library to access family history resources and seek assistance from library staff.
Remember less is more
Sometimes by entering a full name you can miss the right record. For example James may have been written as Ja, Jms or J. The name Thomas was often written as Thos. Allow for spelling variants when searching, this may bring up records that sound like the name you are looking for.
Be careful with original documents
Make copies and leave the originals in a safe place. Never lend your original copy.