Begin your search

The first steps on your journey

Researching your personal heritage starts at the beginning, and the beginning is you. Ancestral research is a methodical, careful step-by-step that goes back generation by generation, revealing the past through your ancestral connections. You’ll discover places to visit – houses, streets, cemeteries, places of work, museums that illustrate the lives and times of your ancestors – as you follow your Lincolnshire roots.

A good starting point for doing research in person is the Lincolnshire Archives in Lincoln, where you have free access to the written memory of the county. You’ll find genealogy and family history records on microfiche, microfilm and original documents and the helpful staff will provide advice and guidance or, for a fee, carry out research on your behalf.

Libraries hold a wealth of information to help you start and the most comprehensive local studies collection is held at Lincoln Central Library , just a short walk from the Archives. As well as books and other resources there is access to the main online sources.

The Lincolnshire Family History Society is a community of like-minded people. Membership is very good value and the society has a range of publications. As well as branches around the county the society has a research centre in Lincoln. 

For more information about how to explore your Lincolnshire roots, download our handy guide. Good luck with your research and don’t forget: when you find out where you come from….go there.