Researching Family History - Worksop Library - Adult Learning

Are you interested in tracing your family tree but don’t know where to start? This could be the perfect course for you! Over six sessions, you will be introduced to the main types of records available for your research. You will discover where to locate family history documents and online information, as well as developing your research skills to help you make sense of what you find.  

At the beginning of the course, we will discuss important first steps to take before starting to explore family history records and information online, as well as in libraries and archives. Focusing mainly on records of England and Wales, we will look at birth, marriage and death records, census returns, and the 1939 Register. We will also explore other key family history sources including parish registers, electoral registers, newspapers and trade directories. Using sample documents and case studies, you will develop your research skills and learn search strategies to help you when growing your own family tree. The course now includes a practical session, giving you the opportunity to put new skills into practice as you search online for your own ancestors (using library laptops and Inspire’s free access to Ancestry.co.uk). Finally, suggestions will be given on how to organise and present your research.  

Resources required:

Please bring a pen and paper to each session.

Funding and Fees

If you receive certain benefits, you may be able to take the course for free.
If money is stopping you from enrolling, please visit our funding page to see what help is available.

Living in England

To book and join one of our courses, you must live in England permanently and either:

• Live inside the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) area (Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire)

or

• Live outside the devolved areas listed below

You cannot enrol if you live in these devolved areas:

•    Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
•    Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

• Greater London Authority
•    North East Combined Authority
•    South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
•    Tees Valley Combined Authority
•    West Midlands Combined Authority
•    West of England Combined Authority
•    West Yorkshire Combined Authority
•    Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority
•    York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
•    Hull and East Yorkshire
•    Greater Lincolnshire
•    Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority
•    Cornwall Council
•    Lancashire Combined County Authority
•    Buckinghamshire

• Warwickshire

• Surrey

Residency Requirements (Additional Information)

If you live in the UK on a visa, we’ll need evidence of your visa to confirm funding. You can upload this when applying, and you’ll need to complete a short questionnaire.

Some exceptions include:

• Your visa must last until after your course ends.

• Asylum seekers must have lived in the UK for at least 6 months while their claim is being processed.

• You are supported by your local authority under Section 23C or 23CA of the Children Act 1989, or under the Care Act 2014.

Anyone who does not meet the funding criteria would need to pay full course fees.