In the summer of 1991, I began researching my direct ancestors, with my mother's
help and in consultation with some family members. To keep the task manageable and
minimise the cost, I concentrated on direct ancestors, ignoring other family members
such as great aunts, uncles, cousins etc., except where these help to fill in some
detail or for recent relatives for whom details are already well-
Records of all Births, Marriages and Deaths were stored centrally from from 1st July 1837. Copies of all Census Returns from 1841 to 1901 are available via the internet.