Researcher
Mon Jun 23 2025
•
< 5 minutes read
Using handy online tools and digitised genealogy records, you can uncover the locations that shaped your ancestors’ lives, from the schools they attended to the places they called home.
Search family history records
The easiest way to discover the ‘where’ in your family story is to search family history records online. Websites like Findmypast have made a wealth of records accessible from the comfort of your home.
Different types of records will reveal different information about your ancestors’ lives. It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with what genealogical records are before you begin searching.
Birth, marriage and death records (BMDs) may provide a town or parish
To uncover where an ancestor lived, try using the key milestones in their life – their birth, death and any marriages they had – as anchor points. From the 19th century onwards, each of these events would have been documented by either the church (in parish records) or the local authorities (with civil records).
From parish BMDs, you’ll often learn the exact location of a baptism, marriage or burial, i.e. the church in which it took place. You’ll also be given the parish, which helps to establish your family’s local area. These records go back as far as 1538.
Civil BMDs, on the other hand, didn’t start until 1837. If your ancestor’s birth, marriage or death took place after this date, a record may reveal the registration district they lived in. A village name or street address may also be provided.
Find addresses with census records and electoral rolls
Once you’ve established a general location (e.g. Brayton in North Yorkshire), use census records to zoom in further. For England and Wales, censuses from every decade between 1841 and 1921 are available to search online. Each record provides a complete snapshot of a household – every resident and their relationship to one another. In later censuses, you’ll find a full address listed.
The 1939 Register, taken just before the outbreak of the Second World War, is another rich source of address details. Electoral rolls can also help fill in gaps between census years, showing where eligible adults were registered to vote.
With family history sites like Findmypast, you can search many of these records by name or address. This makes it much easier to uncover exactly where your ancestors lived and how long they stayed in one place.
Store your discoveries in a family tree
As you gather addresses and track your ancestors’ movements, keeping everything organised is key. A digital family tree allows you to attach each record and location to the right person, helping you build a clearer timeline of their life.
Sites like Findmypast let you store records directly in your tree, and even map where individuals lived over the years. This visual approach helps reveal migration patterns, family clusters, and ties to specific towns or neighbourhoods you might never have expected.
Enrich your understanding with historical maps
Knowing the name of a town or street is one thing, but seeing it on a map can really bring it to life. Historical maps can show you what your ancestors’ area looked like at the time they lived there.
Streets may have since disappeared, been renamed, or moved under different local authorities. Tithe maps, old Ordnance Surveys, and town plans can help you spot changes in land use, identify neighbouring properties, and see how a village evolved over decades. If your ancestor lived in a rural area, maps may also highlight farms, manors or other landmarks that featured in their day-to-day lives.
Delve deeper with old newspapers
Once you’ve found where your ancestors lived, newspapers can help you understand what the area was like at the time. Local papers are rich with detail, from stories about community events to court proceedings or advertisements that mention specific streets or houses.
You might discover:
- Property listings advertising rooms to let
- Notices of deaths, wills, or marriages with full addresses
- Articles covering local disputes or noteworthy events involving your ancestors
Online newspaper archives on websites like Findmypast make it easy to locate stories by name, location or keyword. These clippings can add depth to your research, painting a fuller picture of your family’s place in history.
By combining genealogical records, maps, and newspapers, you can do more than trace your ancestors. You can explore the world they lived in and the homes they made their own.
Next
Find your family in billions of online records
Search billions of family history records for free
Discover original records and transcripts of your ancestors’ documents
Delve into the details their lives, from key dates to addresses, occupations and more
Who are you looking for?