Cyndi's List is a categorized and cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the internet.
Jam packed full of web sites, databases, Cyndi's List has been up and running since 1996. Good for the new researcher and seasoned.
http://www.cyndislist.com/
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Free Message Boards
Rootsweb is an online Community which is free to join and free to search. It is run by Ancestry.Com, the biggest Genealogy website.
Personally i have found it to be most helpful when searching through the message boards. I have been able to make contact with a number of people who were searching the same family as myself.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
Personally i have found it to be most helpful when searching through the message boards. I have been able to make contact with a number of people who were searching the same family as myself.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Free search of Passenger lists
This web site about Ellis Island is an excellent resource. It is also free to search and view the records.
One tip about registration that i have found with this site. It concerns forgetting your user name and password. If this happens, they say that they will send it to you in an e-mail. The E-mail never arrives and it leaves you having to take out another registration with a new name and user name.
Take a look at this site and read about the new Americans who arrived at Ellis Island.
Trace your own Ancestors through the Passenger lists.
http://www.ellisisland.org/
One tip about registration that i have found with this site. It concerns forgetting your user name and password. If this happens, they say that they will send it to you in an e-mail. The E-mail never arrives and it leaves you having to take out another registration with a new name and user name.
Take a look at this site and read about the new Americans who arrived at Ellis Island.
Trace your own Ancestors through the Passenger lists.
http://www.ellisisland.org/
BMD Records
Step 4 - Birth, Marriage and Death Records
What are the Birth, Marriage and Death records?
They are the vital records that capture the statistic's of residents in a particular area. They were created to record the births, marriages and deaths in a community.
What information can we find with them?
They record important events in our lives. We can find out dates,names,places,relationships and occupations.
What are the Birth, Marriage and Death records?
They are the vital records that capture the statistic's of residents in a particular area. They were created to record the births, marriages and deaths in a community.
What information can we find with them?
They record important events in our lives. We can find out dates,names,places,relationships and occupations.
Family Tree Tips
Step 3 - Tips
Record where you find your information (this is known as the source) from the beginning of your research. Failure to do so may find you a few months later doing the research again.
Keep a log of the resources that produced the results so that you can find them useful again.
When gathering information from your relatives keep an open unbiased mind. Aunt Mabel may not remember dates that well and could send you on a wild goose chase.
When looking at the census, remember that the years of birth were often rounded off to the nearest year. You may find that you have 3 or 4 possible dates of birth.
Record where you find your information (this is known as the source) from the beginning of your research. Failure to do so may find you a few months later doing the research again.
Keep a log of the resources that produced the results so that you can find them useful again.
When gathering information from your relatives keep an open unbiased mind. Aunt Mabel may not remember dates that well and could send you on a wild goose chase.
When looking at the census, remember that the years of birth were often rounded off to the nearest year. You may find that you have 3 or 4 possible dates of birth.
Family Trees, Ready to begin
Step 2 - Ready to Begin
You have done the ground work now hopefully for your family tree. You are armed with birth certificates, marriage records, notes from what your mother in law had to say about Uncle Fred, you get the picture.
Now if you have a family tree software package, or you have joined Ancestry. com or if your only tools are a big stack of paper, the beginning will still be the same.
Start with your self…
Name
Gender
Birth date
Birth place
Next…Add your Father
Birth date
Birth Place
Marriage record
Death date
Next Add your Mother
Birth date
Birth place
Marriage record
Death record
Next Add your Fathers Father….and your Fathers Mother
Next Add your Mothers father…..and your Mothers Mother.
Next, stop now and decide where you want to go from here, do you want to go back and add your siblings, your Husband or Wife or do you go on researching your Grandparents? It is up to you, after all it is your family tree and this information has to be added at some time.
If you go back to adding siblings or partners then its easy ,you are just adding facts to the data base. If you are starting to trace one of your family lines then this is the next step in your family research. A good place to start looking for them is in the census, which one will depend on what years your ancestors lived in. If you are researching your Ancestors from the United Kingdom then the 1881 is available on line free. This is where Ancestry.com or Ancestry.co.uk comes in very handy as they have the English census for the years 1841,1851,1861,1871,1881,1891 and the last year available at the moment 1901
You have done the ground work now hopefully for your family tree. You are armed with birth certificates, marriage records, notes from what your mother in law had to say about Uncle Fred, you get the picture.
Now if you have a family tree software package, or you have joined Ancestry. com or if your only tools are a big stack of paper, the beginning will still be the same.
Start with your self…
Name
Gender
Birth date
Birth place
Next…Add your Father
Birth date
Birth Place
Marriage record
Death date
Next Add your Mother
Birth date
Birth place
Marriage record
Death record
Next Add your Fathers Father….and your Fathers Mother
Next Add your Mothers father…..and your Mothers Mother.
Next, stop now and decide where you want to go from here, do you want to go back and add your siblings, your Husband or Wife or do you go on researching your Grandparents? It is up to you, after all it is your family tree and this information has to be added at some time.
If you go back to adding siblings or partners then its easy ,you are just adding facts to the data base. If you are starting to trace one of your family lines then this is the next step in your family research. A good place to start looking for them is in the census, which one will depend on what years your ancestors lived in. If you are researching your Ancestors from the United Kingdom then the 1881 is available on line free. This is where Ancestry.com or Ancestry.co.uk comes in very handy as they have the English census for the years 1841,1851,1861,1871,1881,1891 and the last year available at the moment 1901
Family Tree, Trace your family
Step 1 - How to trace your family
Have you wanted to trace your family tree but didn't know how?
Then read on, we will help you start your family tree with our guidance and useful tips.
Step one, make a list.
Think about which lines you want to follow. You have two Parents, four Grandparents. Eight Great Grandparents.
It's a good idea to start with the family line that you know the most about. If some of your Ancestors were from Ireland ,then maybe leave that family line until you know more about family search. Many of the Irish records did not survive. Births records in Ireland were not compulsory until 1868.
Step two, ask your elderly relatives
Talk to all the members of your family ,ask them what they remember and take notes. The day will come when all those little notes of information will fit in somewhere and help you make a connection on your family tree.
Step three
Gather all the old photos,letters,birth,marriage and death records that you have or that your relatives may have.
Step four
Now having got all this information you are ready to start with your research.
Have you wanted to trace your family tree but didn't know how?
Then read on, we will help you start your family tree with our guidance and useful tips.
Step one, make a list.
Think about which lines you want to follow. You have two Parents, four Grandparents. Eight Great Grandparents.
It's a good idea to start with the family line that you know the most about. If some of your Ancestors were from Ireland ,then maybe leave that family line until you know more about family search. Many of the Irish records did not survive. Births records in Ireland were not compulsory until 1868.
Step two, ask your elderly relatives
Talk to all the members of your family ,ask them what they remember and take notes. The day will come when all those little notes of information will fit in somewhere and help you make a connection on your family tree.
Step three
Gather all the old photos,letters,birth,marriage and death records that you have or that your relatives may have.
Step four
Now having got all this information you are ready to start with your research.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Birth, Death, Marriage Records , Ireland
The General Register Office
(3RD Floor, Block 7, Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1)
The General Register Office maintains a genealogical facility. It is open Monday –Friday from 9.30am - 4.30pm, For the purpose of searching indexes Birth, Death and Marriage records. For obtaining photocopies of the records identified from the records.
1) Births registered in the island of Ireland between the 1st of January 1864 and the 31st December, 1921 inclusive and in Ireland (excluding the six north eastern counties of Derry, Antrim, Down, Armagh, Fermanagh and Tyrone know as Northern Ireland) From 1922 onwards.
2) Deaths registered in the island of Ireland between the 1st January, 1864 and the 31st of December, 1921 inclusive and in Ireland (excluding Northern Ireland) from 1922 onwards.
3) Non-Roman Catholic marriages registered in the island of Ireland between the 1st of April 1845 and the 31st of December, 1921 inclusive.
4) Marriages registered in the island of Ireland between the 1st of January, 1864 and the 31st of December, 1921 inclusive and in Ireland (excluding Northern Ireland) from 1922 onwards.
Legal Adoptions registered in the Republic of Ireland from the 10th July 1953.
(3RD Floor, Block 7, Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1)
The General Register Office maintains a genealogical facility. It is open Monday –Friday from 9.30am - 4.30pm, For the purpose of searching indexes Birth, Death and Marriage records. For obtaining photocopies of the records identified from the records.
1) Births registered in the island of Ireland between the 1st of January 1864 and the 31st December, 1921 inclusive and in Ireland (excluding the six north eastern counties of Derry, Antrim, Down, Armagh, Fermanagh and Tyrone know as Northern Ireland) From 1922 onwards.
2) Deaths registered in the island of Ireland between the 1st January, 1864 and the 31st of December, 1921 inclusive and in Ireland (excluding Northern Ireland) from 1922 onwards.
3) Non-Roman Catholic marriages registered in the island of Ireland between the 1st of April 1845 and the 31st of December, 1921 inclusive.
4) Marriages registered in the island of Ireland between the 1st of January, 1864 and the 31st of December, 1921 inclusive and in Ireland (excluding Northern Ireland) from 1922 onwards.
Legal Adoptions registered in the Republic of Ireland from the 10th July 1953.
Friday, February 20, 2009
English Birth Certificates, Order online
The General Register Office,
England and Wales
The General Register Office, official information for Births, Deaths, Marriages.
The GRO has a responsibility for England and Wales.
The General Register Office can provide certificates of birth, marriage, death, adoption, and stillbirth; these certificates are certified copies of records held for events which took place in England and Wales between 1837 and 18 months prior to the present date.
Adoption records date back to 1927. They do not hold information that would link it back to the original birth certificate.
Orders for certificates can be made online, by post, phone or fax. Alternatively you can apply to the register office where the event was registered.
If you are looking for an overseas record, the Overseas Section might be able to help you.
The main sources for searching for records prior to 1837 are Church of England parish registers and records of other faiths.
Order certificates online
E-mail certificatesonline@ons.qsi.gov.uk
Web Site http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content
England and Wales
The General Register Office, official information for Births, Deaths, Marriages.
The GRO has a responsibility for England and Wales.
The General Register Office can provide certificates of birth, marriage, death, adoption, and stillbirth; these certificates are certified copies of records held for events which took place in England and Wales between 1837 and 18 months prior to the present date.
Adoption records date back to 1927. They do not hold information that would link it back to the original birth certificate.
Orders for certificates can be made online, by post, phone or fax. Alternatively you can apply to the register office where the event was registered.
If you are looking for an overseas record, the Overseas Section might be able to help you.
The main sources for searching for records prior to 1837 are Church of England parish registers and records of other faiths.
Order certificates online
E-mail certificatesonline@ons.qsi.gov.uk
Web Site http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Best Tools for Family Tree
The value of a good conversation
One of the best tools for researching your family tree is quite simply having a good chat with one of your older relatives.
The next time that you pick up the phone or go for a visit, just be prepared.
Make a list of Questions that you could ask them. Make notes during the conversation.
After the visit or the phone call, go through your notes and regroup them into order. This could be into a story form or you may have tasks from some of the notes for researching. It's also important where you make these notes. How many times have you used a piece of scrap paper that usually gets left by the telephone? Then someone else uses it and then it just disappears.
Use a notebook and this way the notes will still be there when you are ready to use them.
It may seem like the smallest piece of information that you have been told. A personal story, a description, or an incident that happened to someone in your tree.
Once you add these anecdotes to profiles on your tree, you will be surprised how much your tree has gained from them. They can really bring your tree to life and create interest for the reader.
Copyright 2009, English Ancestors
One of the best tools for researching your family tree is quite simply having a good chat with one of your older relatives.
The next time that you pick up the phone or go for a visit, just be prepared.
Make a list of Questions that you could ask them. Make notes during the conversation.
After the visit or the phone call, go through your notes and regroup them into order. This could be into a story form or you may have tasks from some of the notes for researching. It's also important where you make these notes. How many times have you used a piece of scrap paper that usually gets left by the telephone? Then someone else uses it and then it just disappears.
Use a notebook and this way the notes will still be there when you are ready to use them.
It may seem like the smallest piece of information that you have been told. A personal story, a description, or an incident that happened to someone in your tree.
Once you add these anecdotes to profiles on your tree, you will be surprised how much your tree has gained from them. They can really bring your tree to life and create interest for the reader.
Copyright 2009, English Ancestors
Monday, February 16, 2009
Liverpool Genealogy Sites
This web site is a collection of genealogy web sites that cover Liverpool. Its packed of full information for the researcher tracing ancestors from Liverpool.
Church's, School's, Newspaper's are included with many of the church's having Databases of Church Baptisms, Marriages and Burials.
http://www.old-liverpool.co.uk/links.html
Church's, School's, Newspaper's are included with many of the church's having Databases of Church Baptisms, Marriages and Burials.
http://www.old-liverpool.co.uk/links.html
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Coatbridge Irish Genealogy Project
This is a study that is being researched now. If you had Irish ancestors who moved over the sea to Scotland,they may have well turned up in Coatbridge. Once described as "Hell on earth",i was to find a Great Uncle here working as a blast furnesser,the hardest job going.
The study which is ongoing describes life in Coatbridge and the result of so many Irish moving there. You can include your ancestors if they moved to or came from the area.
http://www.monklands.co.uk/cigp/
The study which is ongoing describes life in Coatbridge and the result of so many Irish moving there. You can include your ancestors if they moved to or came from the area.
http://www.monklands.co.uk/cigp/
Friday, February 13, 2009
Free Online Resource For Ireland
Any one researching Ancestors in Ireland knows that it is one long roundabout of searching sites for databases that their Ancestors may be on. Most of the time they are out of luck.
Library Ireland has a site, which amongst other things, has Directories(County, City and Borough) for 1862.
Well worth a look as that Ancestor may be hiding here.
http://www.libraryireland.com/
Library Ireland has a site, which amongst other things, has Directories(County, City and Borough) for 1862.
Well worth a look as that Ancestor may be hiding here.
http://www.libraryireland.com/
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Free 1901 Census for Lecale, County Down, Ireland
The Lecale Historical Society is based in Downpatrick. Their web site has a section on historical resources containing Griffith's valuation for Lecale.
The complete transcription of the 1901 census for the area is also available for search.
An extra little goodie is the several sets of correspondence by 19th Century emigre families
In all there is much to read on this site as well as the search databases.
http://www.lecalehistory.co.uk/index.htm
The complete transcription of the 1901 census for the area is also available for search.
An extra little goodie is the several sets of correspondence by 19th Century emigre families
In all there is much to read on this site as well as the search databases.
http://www.lecalehistory.co.uk/index.htm
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Free 1901 Irish Census
This site researching Ireland is jam packed full of goodies for the researcher.
The 1901 census is complete for all of Rosscommon, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo. All of the other counties are still under development but are still online for limited searching.
Other databases include Surnames, Townlands, Griffiths valuation. This site is also updated on a regular basis. You will find a link to The Leitrim -Rosscommon Genealogy Web site here.
http://www.leitrim-roscommon.com/index.shtml
The 1901 census is complete for all of Rosscommon, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo. All of the other counties are still under development but are still online for limited searching.
Other databases include Surnames, Townlands, Griffiths valuation. This site is also updated on a regular basis. You will find a link to The Leitrim -Rosscommon Genealogy Web site here.
http://www.leitrim-roscommon.com/index.shtml
Monday, February 9, 2009
Free Irish Surname Search
The Irish Times .com have improved on their free search for Surnames in Ireland. Under their Irish Ancestors page is a free search and browse section.
The Civil Parish summary now shows the ten most common surnames in each parish in Griffiths (1847-1868) with the number of households. This site has other searches on offer but the surname search is the only one free.
Take a look
http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/
The Civil Parish summary now shows the ten most common surnames in each parish in Griffiths (1847-1868) with the number of households. This site has other searches on offer but the surname search is the only one free.
Take a look
http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Explore 120,000 Photos of English History
This is a really unique site.The Francis Firth Collection, photographic publishers since 1860.
The photos are free to search and browse,with all photos available to purchase online. You can see places where your Ancestors lived. The site has a section where you can add your memories and read other memories that people have submitted.
Well worth a look.
http://www.francisfrith.com/
The photos are free to search and browse,with all photos available to purchase online. You can see places where your Ancestors lived. The site has a section where you can add your memories and read other memories that people have submitted.
Well worth a look.
http://www.francisfrith.com/
Friday, February 6, 2009
Civil Parish Map of County Down Ireland
This map of County Down, Ireland,was made by Murray of Christchurch, New Zealand.
It is a map of County Down showing all the Administrative districts and Civil Parishes.
http://ireland.kiwicelts.com/irishMap/ireMap.html
It is a map of County Down showing all the Administrative districts and Civil Parishes.
http://ireland.kiwicelts.com/irishMap/ireMap.html
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Free History records 1086 Domesday Book
Most of us will have heard of the Domesday Book but do you know what the content is and how old the book is?
The Domesday Book was commissioned in December 1085 by William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066. The first draft was completed in August 1086 and contained records for 13,418 settlements in the English counties south of the rivers Ribble and Tees (the border with Scotland at the time).
The original Domesday Book has survived over 900 years of English history and is currently housed in a specially made chest at The National Archives in Kew, London.
This site called 'The Domesday Book online' is fairly new and still has pages that are in progress. The lists of landowner's will be of interest to Genealogy researchers.
Well worth a good look.
http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/index.html
The Domesday Book was commissioned in December 1085 by William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066. The first draft was completed in August 1086 and contained records for 13,418 settlements in the English counties south of the rivers Ribble and Tees (the border with Scotland at the time).
The original Domesday Book has survived over 900 years of English history and is currently housed in a specially made chest at The National Archives in Kew, London.
This site called 'The Domesday Book online' is fairly new and still has pages that are in progress. The lists of landowner's will be of interest to Genealogy researchers.
Well worth a good look.
http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/index.html
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Search for Irish Townland
Are you looking for Ancestors that came from Ireland. Do you know what county they came from?
Do you know what Townland they came from?
This is a link to a database of place names in Ireland. The database is available in English and Irish.
You may be one step nearer to finding those Irish folk after searching the Database
http://www.logainm.ie/
Do you know what Townland they came from?
This is a link to a database of place names in Ireland. The database is available in English and Irish.
You may be one step nearer to finding those Irish folk after searching the Database
http://www.logainm.ie/
Monday, February 2, 2009
English and Irish Names, Family History
1st Son after Father's Father ie. Paternal Grandfather.
2nd Son after Mother's Father ie. Maternal Grandfather.
3rd Son after Father.
4th Son after Father's eldest Brother.
1st Daughter after Mother's Mother ie. Maternal Grandmother.
2nd Daughter after Father's Mother ie. Paternal Grandmother.
3rd Daughter after Mother.
4th Daughter after Mother's Eldest Sister.
*
The naming pattern seems to be the same for both England and Ireland between 1700 and 1875.
But beware!! You will sometimes find 2 children of the same name, but the eldest child may have died young and then the name was given to another child down the line in the same family with same parents or parent.
Also, don't forget the ones who were named after a relative, but died without being registered.
The naming pattern can be a help but it is not completely reliable.
The name was sometimes used for the middle name of a new born.
Sometimes even if the child's first name was after a relative, the child used his middle name for legal purposes instead of the relative's name.
2nd Son after Mother's Father ie. Maternal Grandfather.
3rd Son after Father.
4th Son after Father's eldest Brother.
1st Daughter after Mother's Mother ie. Maternal Grandmother.
2nd Daughter after Father's Mother ie. Paternal Grandmother.
3rd Daughter after Mother.
4th Daughter after Mother's Eldest Sister.
*
The naming pattern seems to be the same for both England and Ireland between 1700 and 1875.
But beware!! You will sometimes find 2 children of the same name, but the eldest child may have died young and then the name was given to another child down the line in the same family with same parents or parent.
Also, don't forget the ones who were named after a relative, but died without being registered.
The naming pattern can be a help but it is not completely reliable.
The name was sometimes used for the middle name of a new born.
Sometimes even if the child's first name was after a relative, the child used his middle name for legal purposes instead of the relative's name.
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