The Standard version also features a number of limited tools for presenting your research for others to enjoy, courtesy of a handful of reports and charts that can be generated from your research and then printed out. All of the tools you need are here – although it can take a little bit of searching to track down what goes where thanks to the overly complicated interface.

Build your tree in the usual manner: input core details about individuals, link them together and then – when you have the facts and archive material to hand – flesh them out by adding details gleaned from records and other sources, plus digitally archive old photos and attach them to individuals and families. Thankfully, the Standard version contains everything you need to record your family history on. Freebies are thin on the ground, but Legacy 7.5 is one such tool that exists as both a cut-down freebie (Standard) and paid-for (Deluxe) version. Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of dedicated family history packages out there, but most cost money. This is all well and good, but having used your computer to research your family history, it also makes sense to record the database-like details of your family tree on it too. Websites like and make it easy to search millions of digitised records in seconds, helping you piece together the past lives of your ancestors. And thanks to the internet, discovering your past doesn’t have to involve trips to track down local records offices or dusty church registers, opening up what was a niche pastime to millions. You don’t have to be a celebrity to have an interesting family history.

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