Skip to main content

News

Want to start researching your family history? Our resources at The Hive can help

  • 28th January 2015

Christmas and New Year is traditionally a time for families to gather and this may have inspired you to start researching your family history. But where do you start?

It is always best to start with what you already know and work backwards.

Record all the information that you know, your date and place of birth, marriage, spouse and children, then add any known details about your parents, siblings and grandparents. Check whether you already have any records such as birth, death or marriage certificates or perhaps newspaper cuttings, letters, photos or diaries.

Ask relatives if they can add any more information, they may have some relevant documents. Remember to write down any information that you find and where you found it.

Once you’ve gathered this information together, it’s time to start using official records. Some records such as the census and index to births, marriages and deaths are available online and access is available free of charge in The Hive and all Worcestershire libraries. For other records such as parish registers, wills, newspapers and trade directories you may need to visit your local archive. Many of the records for Worcestershire are available in the self-service area on level two at The Hive. This area is open seven days a week from 8.30am-10pm and there are useful guides and finding aids to help you find your way around. More information is available in the starting family history guide which is available on our website.

We also have a wealth of family history books which will provide you with details of additional sources as well as useful tips. Details are available on the library catalogue.

If you are interested in starting your research, but would like some more help we run a regular hour-long introduction to family history on the first Tuesday of every month 10am-11pm. If you are looking for something a bit more in-depth we have a two part ‘Starting Family History’ workshop, the first will be on Wed 4th & Wed 11th February 10am-12:30pm, with a second one on Sat 21st Feb & Saturday 28th Feb 10am-12:30pm. For more details or to book a place contact us on 01905 766352 or e-mail explorethepast@worcestershire.gov.uk

Comments are closed.

Related news


  • 27th August 2025
The 1921 census and its insight into rural life

In our latest blog about the 1921 census, the story of Alvie’s family gives a fascinating insight into life in rural Lincolnshire. Both sides of my family have lived in rural Lincolnshire for centuries. In 1921 most of my relatives were living around the villages of Benington and Leverton in South Lincolnshire, which is about...

  • 26th August 2025
Women, War and Bankruptcy

Amongst the Magistrate Court records held with us on behalf of Worcestershire County Council as part of The Public Records Act are Bankruptcy records from the early 20th century. Whilst they detail the financial situation of individuals and businesses, individual case files which are outside the 100-year closure period can provide insight into the circumstances...

  • 21st August 2025
Newspapers online

Excellent News! Your wait is nearly over – our newspaper collections is set to return! Not only that but, thanks to our partnership with Ancestry.com, our  collection has been digitised and there is free access to it from The Hive via newspapers.com. Unless you want to, gone are the days of having to search date...