THE BASICS
Note: You can always reach out to other people, with whom it seems you share ancestors, and ask whether they are happy to share research insights with you. Two heads may be better than one, and together you can solve problems on your family trees.
ONLINE TREES
Search widely
There are many different websites to choose from, on which you can build your online family tree and many of them are free to use.
All the major family history record collection sites (Ancestry, Findmypast, MyHeritage, TheGenealogist, FamilySearch) allow you to create an online family tree free of charge.
If you are keen to find living relations, then search other family trees for shared ancestral connections – as a distant cousin may be building their tree on a different platform to you
First steps