Abstract six-stage evidence workflow in cream, navy, grey and burgundy — Original abstract illustration for this research guide.

How to use this section

Each workflow begins with a narrow question and ends with a citation plus an explicit statement of what remains uncertain. The steps are visible on the page and described as research method, not as a promise of a particular result.

Throughout the section, indexes are treated as finding aids. The fullest available image, certificate or original source should be checked before a claim is accepted.

30 entries

Every entry has a stable URL, a visible source block and a verification date.

Start Hertfordshire family-history researchA source-first sequence from known facts to parish, civil and census evidence.
Identify the right Hertfordshire parishResolve a place name before selecting a register or archive catalogue.
Read parish-register coverage datesDistinguish collection coverage from complete survival.
Compare baptism and birth evidenceTreat a baptism date and a birth date as separate claims.
Compare burial and death evidenceUse burial and civil death sources without assuming they are interchangeable.
Find a marriage before 1837Plan church-register and licence searches before civil registration.
Order GRO certificatesMove from index evidence to an official certificate responsibly.
Use census households carefullySeparate what the schedule states from what family relationships imply.
Read old English handwritingUse letter forms, abbreviations and source context without inventing an unclear word.
Handle spelling variationRecord variants as search observations rather than silent corrections.
Research boundary parishesCheck both historic and modern counties for Barnet, Potters Bar, Kensworth and similar places.
Use the HALS catalogueTranslate a research question into collection-level catalogue searches.
Plan a HALS visitPrepare references, access requirements and a focused source list.
Use Findmypast parish indexesUse an index as a locator and verify against available images or originals.
Use the FamilySearch catalogueBrowse by place and record group while noting access restrictions.
Find nonconformist recordsMove beyond Church of England registers using denomination and place.
Find poor-law recordsIdentify the relevant parish or union before searching catalogues.
Research a workhouseCombine union administration, census and civil records.
Find wills before 1858Choose a probate court using place, date and jurisdiction.
Find probate after 1858Use calendars and ordered copies as distinct evidence layers.
Use the Manorial Documents RegisterIdentify a manor and locate surviving records before visiting an archive.
Use tithe maps and apportionmentsPair numbered parcels with owners and occupiers.
Use electoral registersAccount for franchise rules, missing years and changing addresses.
Use school recordsCheck admission, log and administrative series without assuming survival.
Use quarter sessions recordsSearch court and administrative series by place, date and subject.
Record a genealogy source citationCapture repository, collection, reference, item and access details.
When parish registers do not surviveDocument the gap and select independent church, civil or administrative alternatives.
Resolve conflicting datesCompare independent sources and explain why one claim is preferred.
Use bishops’ transcripts when registers are missingCheck transcript survival and differences instead of assuming a complete substitute.
Write a negative-search logRecord where, when and how a source was checked even when nothing was found.

Coverage note: this directory describes sources and access routes. It does not assert that every series survives, is digitised, or contains a particular person.

Sources for this page

Links and stated coverage checked 2026-07-29. A coverage date is not evidence of complete survival.