At the end of my research

[Craclyn]

There is an amazing amount of information out there for free now, so even if you cannot subscribe to a pay site there is always something new being added to the record sets. Some of the good free sites include familysearch, freebmd, freereg and freecen.

[rosie99]

There is an amazing amount of information out there for free now, so even if you cannot subscribe to a pay site there is always something new being added to the record sets. Some of the good free sites include familysearch, freebmd, freereg and freecen.

Maybe your local library has access to Ancestry or FindMyPast. I also have access to newspapers online to view at home through my local library using my readers ticket to access.

[Erato]

I feel bad for asking people for help because I can't look at it.

I don't think you should feel bad about asking for help.  There are loads of people here who enjoy helping simply because they enjoy the thrill of the chase.

Also, you can learn a lot even without membership in paying sites - online newspapers and Google books, just for example.  If you don't want to go further back, or if that proves impossible, go wider or deeper.  There's no end to the interesting information, especially if you're a naturally nosy person.

[Craclyn]

How about your fatherīs mother and all the new lines that will lead backwards from her? Same thing with following both sides for your mother, then following both sets of parents for all grandparents, then for all great grandparents. All of these folks go into making you, not just your direct paternal line and your direct maternal line.

[davidft]

How about posting what you know about your oldest (furthest back) direct line male ancestor and see if it means anything to anyone and if there is any help out there.

Also if you live in or near the area where your ancestors came from then you can visit the local archives for free and see what they have that may help you further.

[lizdb]

I too am amazed you are at this point in a year!

After 30 years I dont consider my research complete!!

But then I havent just done a pedigree (2 parents, 4 grandparents,8 ggrandparents) etc,  Ive researched the family of each person fitting them into a tree that gets wider as it goes down (as opposed to a pedigree that gets wider as it goes up, if you see what I mean!) Thus producing many trees of that style for each "name" from my direct line.
E.g Grandad Edmonds married grannie Nellie Green, so I have a large Green Tree (green tree! Pun not intended) fitting Nellie in with all her siblings, then back to her parents and their siblings and descendents, and then as I got back a generation further, amd found the siblings of that generation I could follow each of them down, and so on.
But then great grandad Edmonds married a Farrington, so there is then all the Farrongton research in the same way, producing a Farrington tree as far back as I can go, following each person forward.
And so it goes on, for each generation back on my pedigree, and and has done for last 30 years.
Havent even started on my Mums ancestors yet!!!

[iluleah]

The whole point of rootschat is about asking for help, fresh eyes to look at what you find and there are so many people on here, who given the opportunity and  love to help and share their knowledge.

Researching FH can be isolating and you can miss things even if you are looking at the parish books in the church or records office, someone else can see what you have missed and can often suggest other records you haven't even thought of or knew about.

I have never paid a subscription to a website, if I wish to use one it is a trip to the library to do so and although everyone's research is different the fact is that ALL your ancestors are equally related to you in both paternal and maternal lines and I don't live anywhere near where my ancestors did so it isn't like I can go and look myself at records.

My ancestors are 'boring' compared to some of their siblings and researching them has not only enabled me to research in different countries and find so much more as well as learn so much more they also go back to the same direct ancestors and that enables you other record opportunities from a new perspective

An example my grandfathers brother migrated to Canada, his wife died in an accident out there within weeks and he returned home however two of his adult sons decided to stay and although I knew they did I had no knowledge about them apart from their names, no knowledge about their mothers  death, it was just said in the family " she had an accident" like it was some sort of secret or something to hide, by researching not only did I see an image of her death certificate on a Canadian Government website so know exactly what happened ( thanks to a question I asked on rootschat for help/advice) I also made contact with a descendant of my great uncle who sent me photos of our joint ancestors, my great grandparents and their children which included my grandfather aged 8 years old which none of the family here had seen before and I have been researching 35 years and still lots to learn and find.

So many lovely rootschatters have gone out of their way for me and took photos of parish records,  taken and sent photos of grave stones, and share their own resources , do look ups or sort out confusing information and I have done the same many times for others

[Guy Etchells]

I've got back to about 1740 with my main line, and around 1800 with my others. I've had a look at a range of people many of whom aren't directly related to me. I've tried to get further back but it just seems impossible to find any solid proof that 'this' person is the right person.

The thing about family history is there is never solid proof of anything.
All family history is a balance of probabilities.

Not even DNA can give solid proof.

I suggest you build up the "evidence" by using as many sources as possible to build a picture of the family from today back in time, never be content with just one source look for other "evidence" to add weight to the argument.
For example tie birth certificate in with census and school records & college registers and eventually death, burials & wills.
As you get further back tie in baptisms to the birth registers, look for other sources such as tax records, manorial records, property records
Look for other types of records to build a picture not just of the individuals but of the family and its place in the society (village, district, town) it lives in.

If necessary work other families bearing the same surname to rule out children with the same forenames.
My research was started about a hundred and twenty years ago, by my grandfather, I got involved in the 1950s (eventually inheriting it) and it still not finished, more sources become available as the years go by.
Private sources inaccessible become available as the holder dies and their successor is more amenable to the public access to family archives.
I hope my grandchildren and their grandchildren find researching the family history as exciting and interesting as I have.
One thing is certain it will never be finished.
Cheers
Guy
PS the bulk of my research has been done pre internet, however the internet bring easy access to resources such as newspapers.

[Rainbow Quartz]

I have been researching the paternal side of my family for about five years, and while I consider that I have achieved a lot, I am always finding loads more to do, and love going off down one or more 'branches' to see what I can find. I also like looking at the neighbours on the Census returns, because most of my family comes from small Somerset villages, and I can see where friendships, and some marriages (and also some rather interesting 'relationships' ) have come from, and can surmise why people were witnesses at weddings for example. I only subscribe to GR, and to offers from other sites, and have found most of my info from the free sites, and from County OPCs and local family history groups. So..... I don't think I will ever 'finish' my family history, and if I did, whatever would I do with my time???