North Carolina Genealogy
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1. Begin with yourself and write down as much as you know. You can find free genealogy software and printable family trees at Genealogy Freebies to help record your information.
   
   
2. Vital records — birth, marriage and divorce, and death — are the foundations of genealogical research. Church records and census records may also provide additional clues. See the Ancestry.com census images for FREE!!!
   
   Use the search engines above to find if your ancestor's vital records are online; otherwise write to:
   
   NC Vital Records
   P.O. Box 29537
   Raleigh, NC 27626-0537
   (919) 733-3526
   
   Birth and Death $10.00; State office has had birth records since October 1913 and death records since January 1, 1946. Death records from 1913 through 1945 are available from NC State Archives, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-2807.
   
   Marriage: $3.00 Since 1962. Registrar of Deeds in county where marriage was performed.
   
   Divorce: Cost varies. Since 1958. Clerk of Superior Court where divorce was granted.
   
   
3. Use the Ancestor Search directory of hundreds of searchable genealogy databases that can help fill in the blanks of your family tree. Keep track of your search results with this free research log. Be aware that not all genealogy information is available online. If your names are not found in an online database, you may have to do some research offline. Try the
   
   North Carolina State Archives
   109 East Jones Street
   Raleigh, NC 27601-2807
   Tel: 919-733-7305
   www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us
   
   
   
4. If you do not know much about an ancestor, you may need to do additional research on his or her children first. For example:
   • If you do not know when your ancestor was married, the birth date of the first child may give you the approximate time frame needed to search for the marriage records.
   • If you do not know where your ancestor lived, finding the birthplace of the children may provide a clue.

   
   
   

5. Collaborate with other genealogists researching the same families. You can search for them at the Maryland Surname List database.
   
   
6. Military records are an often overlooked source to obtain vital records. Learn how to send away to the National Archives for military service and pension records at Send to NARA for military records.
   
   
7. For additional help and detailed instructions for tracing ancestors, go to Free Genealogy Lessons and Guides.

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