Welcome to The Briercliffe Society Forum

This might sound a daft question but what are the ways to trace your tree before the census started can anyone give me any tips, eg where do you find other records.
sues.

Hi Sue, you could try the family search web site www.familysearch.org it is a free site to search but you do need to register. That site has helped me a lot.
If you are searching in Lancashire there is http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/ but they get you no further back than 1837.
Some parish registers can be found on http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/
Parish records available at the records office and libraries local to them.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

If you want to search on line, the most useful site in my experience is http://www.familysearch.org/ - the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) database. It can also be rewarding to look at http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

Both these sites contain other people's findings and deductions and therefore can be wrong, but I've had many good finds from them. Good luck!

Charon

The research news section on here also gives some ideas for you to look at.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

There are some helpful hints and links on the Lost Cousins site's Help page http://www.lostcousins.com/pages/help/,
particularly (as both Gloria and I have suggested you try Family Search) http://www.lostcousins.com/pdf/IGI.pdf
which is a brief but useful guide to the IGI.

Charon

Thanks to everyone.
sues.

Sues, if you have hit a brick wall, which we all do, put it on the site, there is always someone who will try to knock it down, and get through it.
Gloria

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.