For what it is worth my Dad (Daniel Vance Bryan son of Lot Ernest Bryan) started with records kept by his father's sister Patty Otherday Bryan and passed the records to my aunt Peg (Margaret Bryan Hagen). Aunt Patty & Lot Ernest were scion of James Malachai Bryan who was son of James Bryan. from knowing that James retired in Iowa with J. Mal, they were able to trace that James came to Iowa from Coshocton County Ohio. James and his older brother John arrived in Coshocton in 1816 and this was recorded in a book called History of Coshocton County. The easiest way to start is gathering anything you can from you living relatives. Names, birth dates, birth places, death dates & places for any antecedents. Use those data to search for other pieces in places associated with the information like census records, birth, death, property & court records.