Quick Questions #1: Ancestry

[tamaranth]

Inspired by a reference in Route 66 AD to Egyptian priests at the time of the Roman Empire, who claimed to trace their ancestry back 10,000 years:

How far back (in years) can you track your family?

Can you think of anyone who can track their family back before the Norman Conquest?

Comments

[childeric.livejournal.com]

Ouch, yes, the record office burning down is a big problem. There'll still be some centrally-held records, but not extending back very far beyond 1861. It's not insuperable, but you'd be dependent upon luck.

Your mother's birth certificate shouldn't be impossible to trace: that would have details of her father. But, naturally, it all depends on how much info you have.

There's a vast amount on the PRO/National Archives website about this sort of thing. Or try the Family Records Centre in Clerkenwell.