Searching for your ancestors online
Tomorrow, I will give you an outline of some of the best
websites to help you make a start on your family history.
Here is a list of the sites I’ll talk about (or briefly mention)...
Will/probate records at the National Archives:
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
You can order a will / probate record for £5 from the Probate Office
on Park Row in Nottm.
Your nearest Mormon (LDS) family history centre:
via www.rootsweb.com
Nottingham LDS Church,
Stanhome Square, West Bridgford
Tel: 0115 9144255 for info or to book a session.
www.familysearch.org
Look here for the IGI, the 1881 England & Wales Census, info on
how to get started, and to download their PAF software.
www.ancestry.co.uk
Stacks of info on here : BMD, Census and lots of other records in UK
and elsewhere, message boards, etc.
Access it free of charge at our County Libraries
www.freebmd.org.uk
… look at BMD info on here for England & Wales
www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates
Order BMD certificates online for £7 each from the General Register Office.
www.genuki.org.uk
www.cyndislist.com
www.rootsweb.com (U.S. based like Ancestry)
Tons of stuff on here free of charge – help for newbies, mailing lists, etc.
www.sog.org.uk (Society of Genealogists) … this site is more for professional genealogists.
www.genesreunited.co.uk ... get in touch with folk searching your lines.
genealogy.com/community .. to look for more message boards / forums.
Avoid the link to Ancestry, which will divert you there.
www.curiousfox.com .. to look at the villages you’re interested in.
www.findmypast.com ... for looking at BMD, census data and other records.
(No access to the 1901 England & Wales Census, and the 1871 Census is
incomplete)
www.ffhs.org.uk the UK’s federation of family history societies
www.nottsfhs.org.uk Nottingham Family History Society
Look at the societies in the areas you’re interested in, to see
if anyone is researching the surnames you’re interested in.
Software programs reviewed in The Guardian recently …
Roots Magic Platinum Edition**
Family Historian Version 3
(has 100% gedcom compatibility, the others are not as good)
Family Tree Maker 2006 edition
Legacy Version 6
Heredis (for Mac users)
Check out prices and customer reviews on Amazon for these programs, and discuss these programs with members of your local FHS, and see what they like to use.
Have a look at the free software on the Mormon site (PAF 5.2)
www.ellisislandrecords.org .. for past immigrants to the US
www.whitepages.com .. the US telephone directory online
