Difference between revisions of "Online Research"

From the Family Tree Forum Reference Library
 
(123 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
Simplified so as not to be out of sync with any skin changes
+
[[Image:online3.jpg|250px|right]]
 +
[[Category:Online Research]]
 +
[[Category:Starting Out]]
 +
 
 +
__NOEDITSECTION__
 +
__TOC__
 +
 
 +
=='''Online Search Techniques'''==
 +
 
 +
The Internet can be a useful source of records and information connected with family history research. There are a number of useful sites available and knowing which to use and how to use them effectively can be confusing.
 +
 
 +
Which sites to use can depend on a number of factors. A brief overview of the popular sites is shown below. The site listings are not exhaustive and their descriptions are not comprehensive as space is limited, but a visit to the sites mentioned will reveal more information.
 +
 
 +
Trying to find specific records can sometimes seem impossible, but the screenshot examples in this section explain how to search for a birth record or locate a missing family in the census. The examples given are based on actual searches and demonstrate how researchers have found the results they needed to continue with their trees.
 +
 
 
<hr>
 
<hr>
=='''ONLINE SEARCH TECHNIQUES'''<br>==
+
===='''Site Reviews'''====
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*[[image:freething2.jpg]] [http://www.familysearch.org Family Search (LDS)] A completely free site operated by the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS). The 1881 census and both pre- and post-civil registration data can be found. The database is far from complete, however, and submitted entries must be treated with caution until verified against the original records. Extracted records are more reliable but again should be verified as correct. The [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/RG/frameset_rg.asp Research Help on Family Search] is a useful section too. This gives you links to sources of information from all over the world.<br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[image:freething2.jpg]] [http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ FreeBMD] A free site covering England and Wales birth, marriage and death records. Although incomplete, it is useful for records from 1837 to around 1920, with more results being added on a regular basis. It also gives reference numbers to use for ordering certificates from the General Register Office, and scans of the index allow you to verify the entry. Marriage results also list the spouse, which is a useful feature that other sites lack. <br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[image:freething2.jpg]] [http://www.freereg.org.uk/ FreeREG] Another free site, operated on the same basis as FreeBMD, which has an increasing number of transcribed parish records, again regular updates are made to the site (roughly one a month) although there are no images available the site is a useful resource and coverage is increasing all the time.<br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[image:freething2.jpg]] [http://www.freecen.org.uk/ FreeCen] is the third of the free sites (FreeBMD and FreeREG being the other partner sites). FreeCen has transcriptions of census records but no images, again coverage is improving with regular updates as more volunteer transcribers contribute to the project. The site covers England, Wales and Scotland. One major benefit of the site is that it allows another source of searches which can be used to find ancestors and helps locate references and other information that can be used to locate census images from other online sites. <br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[image:freething2.jpg]] [http://www.ukbmd.org.uk UKBMD Project] Free sites for many English counties, searchable birth, marriage and death database. Reference numbers and links to local Register Offices allow you to locate bmd events and order certificates from the local registrars. The sites are volunteer projects and updated regularly; well worth a visit to see how well your county interests are covered.<br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[Image:paysite thing2.jpg]] [http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]  Access to England and Wales birth, marriage and death index from 1837-2004  Pay-per-view (PPV) and subscription packages allow access to a variety of records including bmd, census, a partial parish and probate index, some military and passenger lists, directories and much more. Too much to list in the space available. The tree builder and 1881 census sections of the site are available without a subscription. The Scottish census records are transcriptions only, Scottish census images cannot be viewed on the Ancestry website.<br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[Image:paysite thing2.jpg]] [http://www.britishorigins.com/ British Origins]  Subscription site offering Boyd's Marriage Index, miscellaneous records of Wills, Apprenticeship records, London Burial Index, Passenger Lists ... and much more.  <br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[Image:paysite thing2.jpg]] [http://www.familyrelatives.com Family Relatives]  Pay-per-view (PPV) or subscription available. Contains BMDs, WW1 and WW2 military records (death indexes), Phillimore Marriage parish registers. Overseas BMDs available free.  <br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[Image:paysite thing2.jpg]] [http://www.findmypast.com/HomeServlet Find My Past] (Previously Called 1837 Online) Pay-per-view site (PPV), or subscription packages available.  Comprehensive birth, marriage and death index, plus census details are available along with migration and military sections, parish records, death duty registers, etc. Again there is too much to list in the space available.  FMP is also the first site to have the 1911 England and Wales census available as part of a larger record database.  However, it is not available through the normal FMP Explorer subscription - an additional or separate subscription is required to view the 1911 census. However, the most recent census release is the 1921 census which is exclusive to Find My Past.  <br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[Image:paysite thing2.jpg]] [http://www.1901censusonline.com/main.asp?wci=welcome 1901 census] Now part of the records section of the Genes Reunited site (trading as Genes Reunited Records Ltd), images can be viewed by purchasing credits on a "Pay per view" basis or via a subscription taken as part of Gold Membership status. The site name is slightly misleading as the records include England/Wales bmd index and additional census years.<br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[Image:paysite thing2.jpg]] [http://www.1911census.co.uk/ 1911 Census] Online access to the England and Wales 1911 census. Whilst searches are free the transcripts and images can only be viewed by purchasing credits.  (The 1911 census is also available on the Find My Past website.) <br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[Image:paysite thing2.jpg]] [http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] Pay-per-view site (PPV). Purchase credits to view results. The most comprehensive site for online Scottish records including birth, marriage and death records, census returns for 1841 to 1901 and parish records and probate records. The site also allows you to download certificates and census images for just 5 credits (£1 each). The bmd index coverage has been extended to include additional years but check the availability of images as more recent events cannot be downloaded directly from the site.<br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ The National Archives] Offers a more comprehensive collection than the recently withdrawn A2A website. The free search facility can be used to locate which records office(s) may hold records of your ancestors, in addition, some documents such as pre-1858 wills and many medal cards can be downloaded from the site for a modest charge. The site is fully searchable and has online research guides for specific subjects. <br><br>
 +
 
 +
Recently some sites have evolved where unwanted or transcribed documents have been placed online, the number of documents may not be huge but as the sites become more popular they can be a useful source of documents such as certificates or probate transcriptions. It is worth having a look at the sites (registration may be required), on a regular basis as members submit new information almost continuously.<br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[Image:Sharesitething.jpg]] [http://www.willtranscriptions.co.uk/index.htm Will Transcriptions] contains transcriptions of probate documents. Searches can be made by county or by alphabetical surname listings. The site is still relatively new so the quantity of entries is fairly small but submitted record sites such as this can grow to have a large collection.<br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[[Image:Sharesitething.jpg]] [http://bmd-cert-exch-site.ourwardfamily.com/ BMD Certificate Exchange] is a site where members can advertise their unwanted certificates (often these have been ordered in error), it is pot luck whether a particular certificate has been submitted but always worth checking periodically.<br><br>
 +
 
 +
*[http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki/index.php/Unwanted_Certificates Unwanted Certificates] is a wiki page where details of unwanted certificates can also be added here on Family Tree Forum.<br><br>
 +
 
  
The internet can be a useful source of records and information connected with family history research. There are a number of useful sites available and knowing which to use and how to use them effectively can be confusing.
+
===='''General Hints & Tips For Online Searching'''====
  
Which sites to use can depend on a number of factors, a brief overview of the popular sites are shown below. They are not comprehensive site descriptions as space is limited but a visit to the sites mentioned will reveal more information.
+
*[[Census Search]]
  
Trying to find specific records can sometimes seem impossible but by using the screenshot examples in this section knowing how to search for a birth record or locating a missing family in the census is explained. The examples given are based on actual searches and demonstrate how researchers found the results they needed to continue with their trees. A screenshot guide to search options for the Familysearch, A2A and The National Archives websites are also included.
+
*[[Victorian Registrars and the GRO]] Not just for Online Research but useful to bear in mind ..
  
<hr>
+
*[[The National Archives|A Guide to using the National Archives & A2A websites]] Work in progress.
=='''SITE REVIEWS'''==
+
 
 +
<br>
  
*[[Site Reviews]]<br><br>
+
===='''Family History Detectives - Step by Step Guides'''====
<hr>
 
'''General Hints & Tips For Online Searching'''
 
  
*[[Census Search]] <br><br>
+
*[[Case Study: Searching for the records of James William Sudder]]  
<hr>
 
'''Family History Detectives - Visual Step by Step Guides'''
 
  
 
*[[Visual Introduction to Family Search]]
 
*[[Visual Introduction to Family Search]]
 +
 +
*[[Visual Introduction to ScotlandsPeople]]
  
 
*[[Tracking down your ancestors before 1900]]
 
*[[Tracking down your ancestors before 1900]]
  
<hr>
 
=='' Searching for Hatches, Matches And Dispatches '''==
 
  
*[[Searching the FreeBMD site]] (FREE)
+
===='''Searching for Hatches, Matches and Dispatches'''====
 +
 
 +
*[[Searching the FreeBMD site]]
 +
 
 +
*[[Searching for BMD on the IGI]]
 +
 
 +
*[[IGI Batch Numbers - British Isles and North America ]]
 +
 
 +
*[[Finding children by searching for their parents on the IGI]]
 +
 
 +
*[[Searching for BMD on ScotlandsPeople]]
 +
 
 +
*[[Finding a Birth on Ancestry Partial BMD Index]]
 +
 
  
*[[Searching the IGI – including Hugh Wallis and using batch numbers]] (FREE)
+
==Links==
 +
*[http://www.coraweb.com.au/ukbdm.htm England & Wales: Online Birth, Death & Marriage Indexes]
  
*[[Searching the IGI – Finding children by searching for their parents]] (FREE)
+
*[[Latter Day Saints Family History Libraries|A Guide to the LDS ]]
  
*[[Searching for BMD on FindMyPast]] (FREE SEARCH – THEN PAYING)
+
*[http://www.achievements.co.uk/services/gretna/ Gretna Green Marriage Index]
  
*[[Searching for BMD on ScotlandsPeople]] (FREE SEARCH – THEN PAYING)
+
*[http://www.parishregister.org/wpp.htm History of Phillimores Marriage Index]
  
*[[Searching for BMD on Family Relatives]] (FREE SEARCH – THEN PAYING)
+
*[http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/StCathsTranscriptions/index.html The St. Catherine's Marriage Index]
  
*[[Partial FreeBMD - finding a birth reference]] (PAYING)
+
*[http://www.livgenmi.com/fhcigi.htm Understanding the IGI]
  
*[[Using the Complete BMD indexes on ancestry]] (PAYING)
 
  
 +
See also [[Transcribing Historical Records]]
  
----
+
Back to [[Creating Your Family Tree]]
'''N.B.''' ''If Rutland can be separate then Huntingdonshire should have its own page too !!! <br>
 
It means the table is tidy as well.''
 
----
 
'''ENGLISH COUNTIES'''
 
  
{| style="width:100%; height:35px" border="0" cellpadding="5"
+
Back to [[Main Page]]
|- style="width:100%"
 
|[[Bedfordshire]]||[[Berkshire]]||[[Buckinghamshire]]||[[Cambridgeshire]]
 
|-
 
|[[Cheshire]]||[[Cornwall]]||[[Cumberland]]||[[Derbyshire]]
 
|-
 
|[[Devon]]||[[Dorset]]||[[Durham]]||[[Essex]]
 
|-
 
|[[Gloucestershire]]||[[Hampshire]]||[[Herefordshire]]||[[Hertfordshire]]
 
|-
 
|[[Huntingdonshire]]||[[Isle of Wight]]||[[Kent]]||[[Lancashire]]
 
|-
 
|[[Leicestershire]]||[[Lincolnshire]]||[[LONDON (Middlesex)]] ||[[Norfolk]]
 
|-
 
|[[Northamptonshire]]||[[Northumberland]]||[[Nottinghamshire]]||[[Oxfordshire]]
 
|-
 
|[[Rutland]]||[[Shropshire]]||[[Somerset]]||[[Staffordshire]]
 
|-
 
|[[Suffolk]]||[[Surrey]]||[[Sussex]]||[[Warwickshire]]
 
|-
 
|[[Westmoreland]]||[[Wiltshire]]||[[Worcestershire]]||[[Yorkshire]]
 
|-
 
|}
 
{| style="width:100%; height:35px" border="0" cellpadding="5"
 
|[[Channel Islands and Crown Dependencies]]
 
|}
 

Latest revision as of 12:24, 25 September 2022

Online3.jpg


Online Search Techniques

The Internet can be a useful source of records and information connected with family history research. There are a number of useful sites available and knowing which to use and how to use them effectively can be confusing.

Which sites to use can depend on a number of factors. A brief overview of the popular sites is shown below. The site listings are not exhaustive and their descriptions are not comprehensive as space is limited, but a visit to the sites mentioned will reveal more information.

Trying to find specific records can sometimes seem impossible, but the screenshot examples in this section explain how to search for a birth record or locate a missing family in the census. The examples given are based on actual searches and demonstrate how researchers have found the results they needed to continue with their trees.


Site Reviews

  • Freething2.jpg Family Search (LDS) A completely free site operated by the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS). The 1881 census and both pre- and post-civil registration data can be found. The database is far from complete, however, and submitted entries must be treated with caution until verified against the original records. Extracted records are more reliable but again should be verified as correct. The Research Help on Family Search is a useful section too. This gives you links to sources of information from all over the world.

  • Freething2.jpg FreeBMD A free site covering England and Wales birth, marriage and death records. Although incomplete, it is useful for records from 1837 to around 1920, with more results being added on a regular basis. It also gives reference numbers to use for ordering certificates from the General Register Office, and scans of the index allow you to verify the entry. Marriage results also list the spouse, which is a useful feature that other sites lack.

  • Freething2.jpg FreeREG Another free site, operated on the same basis as FreeBMD, which has an increasing number of transcribed parish records, again regular updates are made to the site (roughly one a month) although there are no images available the site is a useful resource and coverage is increasing all the time.

  • Freething2.jpg FreeCen is the third of the free sites (FreeBMD and FreeREG being the other partner sites). FreeCen has transcriptions of census records but no images, again coverage is improving with regular updates as more volunteer transcribers contribute to the project. The site covers England, Wales and Scotland. One major benefit of the site is that it allows another source of searches which can be used to find ancestors and helps locate references and other information that can be used to locate census images from other online sites.

  • Freething2.jpg UKBMD Project Free sites for many English counties, searchable birth, marriage and death database. Reference numbers and links to local Register Offices allow you to locate bmd events and order certificates from the local registrars. The sites are volunteer projects and updated regularly; well worth a visit to see how well your county interests are covered.

  • Paysite thing2.jpg Ancestry Access to England and Wales birth, marriage and death index from 1837-2004 Pay-per-view (PPV) and subscription packages allow access to a variety of records including bmd, census, a partial parish and probate index, some military and passenger lists, directories and much more. Too much to list in the space available. The tree builder and 1881 census sections of the site are available without a subscription. The Scottish census records are transcriptions only, Scottish census images cannot be viewed on the Ancestry website.

  • Paysite thing2.jpg British Origins Subscription site offering Boyd's Marriage Index, miscellaneous records of Wills, Apprenticeship records, London Burial Index, Passenger Lists ... and much more.

  • Paysite thing2.jpg Family Relatives Pay-per-view (PPV) or subscription available. Contains BMDs, WW1 and WW2 military records (death indexes), Phillimore Marriage parish registers. Overseas BMDs available free.

  • Paysite thing2.jpg Find My Past (Previously Called 1837 Online) Pay-per-view site (PPV), or subscription packages available. Comprehensive birth, marriage and death index, plus census details are available along with migration and military sections, parish records, death duty registers, etc. Again there is too much to list in the space available. FMP is also the first site to have the 1911 England and Wales census available as part of a larger record database. However, it is not available through the normal FMP Explorer subscription - an additional or separate subscription is required to view the 1911 census. However, the most recent census release is the 1921 census which is exclusive to Find My Past.

  • Paysite thing2.jpg 1901 census Now part of the records section of the Genes Reunited site (trading as Genes Reunited Records Ltd), images can be viewed by purchasing credits on a "Pay per view" basis or via a subscription taken as part of Gold Membership status. The site name is slightly misleading as the records include England/Wales bmd index and additional census years.

  • Paysite thing2.jpg 1911 Census Online access to the England and Wales 1911 census. Whilst searches are free the transcripts and images can only be viewed by purchasing credits. (The 1911 census is also available on the Find My Past website.)

  • Paysite thing2.jpg ScotlandsPeople Pay-per-view site (PPV). Purchase credits to view results. The most comprehensive site for online Scottish records including birth, marriage and death records, census returns for 1841 to 1901 and parish records and probate records. The site also allows you to download certificates and census images for just 5 credits (£1 each). The bmd index coverage has been extended to include additional years but check the availability of images as more recent events cannot be downloaded directly from the site.

  • The National Archives Offers a more comprehensive collection than the recently withdrawn A2A website. The free search facility can be used to locate which records office(s) may hold records of your ancestors, in addition, some documents such as pre-1858 wills and many medal cards can be downloaded from the site for a modest charge. The site is fully searchable and has online research guides for specific subjects.

Recently some sites have evolved where unwanted or transcribed documents have been placed online, the number of documents may not be huge but as the sites become more popular they can be a useful source of documents such as certificates or probate transcriptions. It is worth having a look at the sites (registration may be required), on a regular basis as members submit new information almost continuously.

  • Sharesitething.jpg Will Transcriptions contains transcriptions of probate documents. Searches can be made by county or by alphabetical surname listings. The site is still relatively new so the quantity of entries is fairly small but submitted record sites such as this can grow to have a large collection.

  • Sharesitething.jpg BMD Certificate Exchange is a site where members can advertise their unwanted certificates (often these have been ordered in error), it is pot luck whether a particular certificate has been submitted but always worth checking periodically.

  • Unwanted Certificates is a wiki page where details of unwanted certificates can also be added here on Family Tree Forum.


General Hints & Tips For Online Searching


Family History Detectives - Step by Step Guides


Searching for Hatches, Matches and Dispatches


Links


See also Transcribing Historical Records

Back to Creating Your Family Tree

Back to Main Page