A different version of the story may appear with each retelling of the past from various family members. Still, the basic facts will be the key points that bridge the stories to enable us to interpret the whole story.

Today, you can access many sources of information to build your family story. Some sources are online or at government repositories not yet digitized. Some records may be stored within families, and there are other snippets of information in towns where families once lived. These may be personal documents such as letters, scrapbooks, photographs, and local official records kept by councils, businesses or institutions.

For researchers exploring their family’s narrative, Torquay Museum Without Walls has resources to help you flesh out your family history, put it in context and bring it to life. Our database has an extensive range of family histories with over 3000 names. The files range in size from one page to substantial family histories running hundreds of pages. They may take the form of research notes, random jottings, family group sheets, pedigree charts, family trees, original documents, transcripts, newspaper cuttings, photographs or entirely written up histories.