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How far back...?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. How far one can follow back the traces of ancestors depends on different conditions. In Norway many of the parish registers are found to start with their entries in the early 17th century, typically starting in the late 17th or early 18th centuries. Census records are sporadic and are not like the USA which typically have been taken every 10 years. In Norway, there are two types of census; the nominative counts which give us detailed information, and the numerical counts which only give us the number of residents arranged by district, age, occupation or other categories. The first nation-wide nominative census was in 1801. Later nominative counts were carried out in 1865, 1875, 1891 and 1900, however some folketellinger/manntal are available prior to 1801. After 1900 there has been a census every 10 years until 2000, but these are not yet available for public use, and using these for tracing ancestry makes that a moot point.
There isn't always consistency either whether a parish has all birth/baptism, death, marriage, etc. records for the same time period. Often times some records were lost (pages missing), a type of entry never recorded (e.g. no death records), or usually in the much older records the entries are illegible or partially destroyed. Much the same can be said for the various state documents, such as land registers. In any case, however, I take the time to try and extract as much information from what is available for you, based on your specific requests.
As said, I always endeavour to go back as far as I can. Much will depend on the hand-down of the records and what is extant. The "distinctiveness" of your ancestor's surname can be helpful when they used the farm name with or without the patronymic name. Sometimes for occupational, economical, or family reasons people moved about the country, but unless emigrating, they often times did not move too far. If there are no hints in the parish or land registers, then it can be very difficult to continue on the trail of the family...But rest assured I will use all my resources to the best of my ability.
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Bygdebøker
The bygdebok is a useful resource in genealogical research. Those that have been written for a particular area/parish (bygd) can be used to help trace and document the families that lived in that community. Usually spouses and children are listed in the entries under each farm for where they lived/worked. The caveat is, that not all the time is the data accurate, but that is where the church or census records come into use. Neither are all bygdebøker alike. I own several of the books that I can use for your research, should your roots fall into the same ones I have, otherwise, upon your desire, I can attempt to procure the applicable book(s) for you. They are a useful tool and not to be overlooked as a potential resource.
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Other (Re)sources
Besides church records and the bygdebok, there are other sources that can be used. From census records, to emigration and immigration records, to personal family documents (that perhaps need translating), to government/legal documents, all avenues to tracking down information about your ancestors can be utilized or exploited. Sometimes there are published works about particular families, but still these accounts ought to be backed up by official records of some kind.
I have many kinds of books that are also of use from a historical perspective, from those that give etymological information about surnames and place names, to various lexicons, to other regional histories. Depending on what kinds of information you want, I may just have a resource for your purpose.
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