4.  Locating Official Documents

There are some records available on the Internet but in the end you will need to visit a record office, family history center, or library where you can search records on microfilm and microfiche. The dates civil registration of births, marriages and deaths were recorded by the government vary greatly depending on location. For early records, you will need to look at church parish records. Newspapers are also a good source for early information.

Remember to always check various spellings of your ancestors' names. It is likely that you will find variations in the spelling of surnames in earlier records. Also, due to illiteracy some of your ancestors were unable to tell the record keeper how their names should be spelled.