T here are so many ways to trace your family’s story. It’s a quest that means as many different things as there are people who set out to learn more about their ancestors and their origins. Yet what all of us will very likely have in common is that we won’t want to spend money that we don’t need to.
Free software This table has details of four completely free family history software programs you can use to store your research
It’s easy to think that with some big ticket items – such as DNA tests and website subscriptions – being so valuable and widely used for family history, that tracing your family tree is sure to be an expensive process. Yet there are many workarounds and alternatives that can help you save on the process – while still making exciting strides on your journey back into the past.
Before you begin...
Before you go whizzing off to the web, let’s check that you have asked your family members for clues they may be holding in their own homes. (Think: old photos, old certificates, books inscriptions, newspaper clippings and so on. These can all provide you with a wealth of family history information – without you having to part with a penny). Now that’s done. Let’s get started, and we hope the website ideas to follow will come in handy.
FreeBMD (left) and free collections on the National Library of Scotland website
Free family history software
First up – family history software. Such software is really useful for helping you to store your research, and there are a number of options to choose from which offer completely free versions. You can use them as long as you wish and they can become your familiar ‘work horse’ tool for keeping track of your research.
While the free versions will have limitations (when compared to the paid-for ones) they can nevertheless be really handy aids to your family history record keeping, which you can use on an on-going basis (when there’s no trial-only period). See the table (below left) for a run through of some of the free versions available.
What about growing your tree online?
There are numerous family history websites on which you can grow your tree online free of charge. As with some of the desktop programs, the online tree building sites may also have an app, so you can access your tree on the go – for convenience, fun, and ensuring that a research opportunity never passes you by.