Hello there and welcome to section five of tracing ancestors in the UK for beginners. In this section we'll be looking at one of the main sources of genealogical information that can potentially take your ancestry back several centuries, the parish registers. As usual, I will first be taking you through a brief history of the registers, and when and why they started, and some of the changes that have taken place to these records over the years. I'll then be introducing you to the international genealogical index, a useful source that can help you to find the parish register entries, and then I'll be taking you through where you can view the original registers, both online and offline. Once we've had a look at that, I'll be showing you what you can expect to find in The registers the baptism, marriage and burial records that make up the registers and how the information changes over time.

You will then get a chance to carry out your own research. And we'll end the section on a short quiz. Hold on to your hats. There's a lot to get through. Have fun