4. Using internet sites.
Always enter dates - as day -month in letters and year this is because Americans transpose dates
Be aware that an American may transpose day and month when entering date.
Always double check information someone as entered to ensure it is accurate. Only add information to online trees when you have checked information.
Main Sites to find Records Censuses and BDM’s
These are the main four sites to search records. They are continually being up dated.
They also contain alot of other information relating to Genealogy and how to search
findmypast.co.uk
Access by subscription but some information obtainable
http://findmypast.com This site has census, BDMs, military records, parish records, newspapers and other information. It is being continually updated.
By putting in a general search in to the censuses i.e. a persons name and date of birth if known, then redefining search if you can identify place of birth and removing date of birth and first name and putting in place of birth, you can find the families of the surname in that area.
You can enter your own tree
ancestry.com/ Ancestry.co.uk
Access by subscription
This site is available free at the Library, has occasional free weekends
http://ancestry.co.uk It may be possible by accepting free trial and then cancelling it to set up access to site. Limited information can then be accessed on the site for free.
You can enter your own tree. The site will then give you hints. Has an app. Your tree will remain accessible even if no subscription.
It has occasional free weekends.
Thegenealogist.co.uk
Access is free for some information by subscription for full records
http://thegenealogist.co.uk Easily search marriages and order official government certificates(Cheaper from GRO) The genealogist also has newspapers, Court and Criminal records and tithe maps.
family Search.org
Access is free
http://familysearch.org The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints site
A search can be made without paying subscription.
You can enter names in family tree. Once names have been entered into tree it can be cross checked with information on other people searching the same people. You can also search the records held by the Latter Day Saints. Information held by Findmypast, My Heritage and Ancestry is shown but it only tells you the record is there does not allow you to see the original unless you have subscription to the site.
The site a other useful information including a catalogue of where records can be found such as National Archives and History centres. also a index of books by authors and subjects.
Has Protestant nonconformist Records
Always double check information to ensure it is accurate
Free Sites which refer you to other sites
Forebears.co.uk (English)
Free access
http://forebears.co.uk This site directs you to other sites mainly Ancestry. Also contains Maps of spread of surnames based on 1881 census. There are directions to newspaper items, wills etc.
Dustydocs.com.au(Australian)
Free access
http://dustydocs.com.au This site directs you to other sites and has information on how to search records, Has English Records.
ukbmdsearch.org.uk
free access
http://ukbmdsearch.org.uk This site allows you to search records of births and censuses by directing you to other sites. It also has an A-Z of registration districts.
Cyndi's List
free access
http://www.cyndislist.com/uk/eng/ This site has a list of sites on a multitude of Genealogy subjects.
Site to find where which county a parish is in
genuki.org.uk
Free access
Check http://www.genuki.org.uk/ to discover which district parishes come under. You may be surprised. Mitton was a parish before the canal joined the Severn and became Stourport. The village
on some Censuses is in Ombersley.
Sites to find BMD’s, Wills and censuses
Gro.gov.uk
Free Access
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificatesThe General Register Office holds a central copy of all registrations for England and Wales. Local Register Offices also hold records of events registered in their area. Searchable by name, Certificates can be ordered. (Cheapest way to obtain certificates)
Freereg.org.uk
Free acess
https://www.freereg.org.uk This site gives lists of birth, marriages and deaths in areas.
They ask for a donation.
freebmd.org.uk
Free Access
http://freebmd.org.uk This site enables a free search for births and marriages from Sept 1837 and is still being updated with more recent entries
Probate
https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills Wills and probate from1858 to present day
Deceased on Line
https://deceasedonline.com There is a charge for some information but a free search by name , not by parish or county. With a common name this may give a large number of results.
The 1921 Census
https://1921census.org.uk Information site for the next census to be published
1642 Protestant Returns
https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/parliamentary-archives/explore-guides-to-documentary-archive-/familyhistory/sources/protestations1642 'Census' begins to appear online The House of Lords is very much in the news at the moment - but for family historians the best news is that digitised images of some of the Protestation Returns of 1642 (held in the House of Lords archives), are now available online.
Censuses can be found on all the main sites. Only Findmypast has the 1939 register.
There are several site for villages and town which also holds Census and Parish records. These have been transcribed individually. It's useful to do a Google search for parish records for the village or Town you are interested in
Many sites have transcription errors so it's worth checking on more than one site.
Always look at the original as well as the transcription.
Next census to be released is the 1921 census but the hundred year rule will apply.
Ordering Certificates
Find the correct reference from freebmd.org.uk or www.gro.gov.uk before ordering from www.gro.gov.uk
Other sites offering this service might cost considerably more.
Sites with family trees
To keep your research private use a tree that does not publish online Example "RootsMagic" or from a disc. Using an online tree you can make private but this may limit your research and contact with others researching the same persons. Never put information about a living person or disguise some information such as referring to a person by initial not name and only put birth date as about year not month and day. This will help protect personal data from fraud.
FindmyPast, Ancestry, Family Search already referred to
genesreunited.com
Access by subscription but some information obtainable
https://genesreunited.com The subscription to this site is under £10 and enables you to contact other people researching the same names.
Extra subscription can be paid to access census information.
Always double check information to ensure it is accurate
myheritage
Access is free for limited amount of entries into Family tree
http://myheritage Once names have been entered into tree it can be cross checked with information on other people searching the same people. It will give hints and offer possible connections. It can give useful information which you may not have found.
This site offers good charts which can be downloaded. This site is based in Israel.
Always double check information to ensure it is accurate
geni.com
Access is free for family tree and some information
https://geni.com This site allows you to enter a family tree. It gives you access to documents relating to a surname. This is an American site but has some English documents. Day and month may be transposed
This site may be useful if you have American connections but the above sites may be better.
Sites with information
Rootsweb.com
Free access to some information entered by users but linked to Ancestry.com which has a subscription
https://rootsweb.comA resource site to find information people have put on line and to get access to Ancestry. Then when you have established which information you want get it printed off for small charge at library from Ancestry if you do not have subscription to Ancestry. Some are personal trees and therefore information needs checking. Some trees however have been posted by researchers.
This site also has access to useful information including a List of occupations and abbreviation.
Always double check information someone has entered to ensure it is accurate
lostcousins
Access is free
https://lostcousins This site offers news letter with useful information and updates what is happening on other site.
If you enter people who were on the 1881 Census they hope to connect you with other people searching the same names.
Family history for you
http://www.roccoland.plus.com/FH4U/index.html This site is run by the former U3A national genealogy organiser. Heather likes feedback and she has said has said "Without some very positive results, this newsletter will cease to exist into 2018."
London Family history
http://londonfamilyhistory.org Has catalogue of where records are. It covers the whole of England. The England Jurisdictions 1851 project simplifies research by consolidating data from many finding aids into a single searchable repository that can be accessed by clicking in a parish boundary.
access free
https://This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.A resource site to find where to find information. Tells you which information at Kew or other History centres.
The National Archives is a government department and an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. It incorporate the Office of Public Sector Information and Her Majesty's Stationery Office. They also perform the Historical Manuscripts Commission's functions in relation to private records.
As the government's national archive for England, Wales and the United Kingdom, They hold over 1,000 years of the nation's records for everyone to discover and use.
access free
https://flickr.com the national archives site which holds old and recent photos useful for adding photos to your biographies.
your-family-history.com
access free
https://your-family-history.com Put your family name into this site and it will show you the spread of the family across the censuses, and how often a full name occurs. It will then link to The genealogist
Joiner Marriage index
http://joinermarriageindex.co.uk/ This is Paul Joiners site which has 2,695039 verified marriage records from 4,760 parishes in 35 counties before 1837. There is a charge of £3.49 per record
International Genealogical Index
http://www.archersoftware.co.uk/igi/index.htm
This website lists the Extracted batches for the British Isles that previously formed part of the IGI(International Genealogical Index), the on-line database created by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and available at familysearch.org.
Books
Parish Chest
https://www.parishchest.com Is a shop where you can purchase parish records and books and will also direct you to family history groups.
EBooks
https://archive.org/details/texts This site has an archive of eBooks that can be borrowed or downloaded
including "A History of Kidderminster published 1890
GenFair
http://www.genfair.co.uk Books to buy or download
Special Interest sites
Railway Ancestors
https://railwayancestors.org.uk A resource site to find information about railway staff.
Romany and Traveller Family History Society
https://rtfhs.org.uk A resource site to find information about Romany and travellers. Has publications of many Romany families including Loveridges
12 month membership (1 Oct 2016 to 30 Sep 2017)
is available at the following rates:
|
UK |
£12.00 |
|
Europe |
£16.00 |
|
Elsewhere - Airmail |
£20.00 |
Members receive four issues of the journal (Dec , Mar , Jun Sep ).
Jewish Families
Limited free access
https://jgsgb.org.uk The Jewish Genealogy Society of Great Britain - JGSGB - was founded in 1992 for beginners and experienced researchers to: help one another to learn and discover more about genealogy; encourage genealogical research; promote the preservation of Jewish genealogical records and resources; and share information amongst members.
Single membership - £35.00 for 12 Months -
£35.00 per annum for individuals and overseas members to include copies of our publication Shemot, produced 3 times per year, and the Society's quarterly Newsletter.
Children in homes
https://hiddenlives.org.uk Hidden Lives Revealed provides an intriguing encounter with children who were in the care of the Children's Society in the late Victorian and early 20th Century Britain. Has photo, case files of about 22,500 children in the collection.
Immigration and Migration
Ancestry and Findmypast also have passenger lists. Check information for the destination.
Shiping Lists
http://www.theshipslist.com This site has information on passengers and ships it may direct you to other sites
Military records
Forces at war
https://forces-war-records.co.uk Military records some research can be done without paying.
Tip If you want a subscription first make a list of persons with military records then take out a one months subscription and concentrate on this site for the month,
Commonwealth war graves
access free
https://cwgc.org The site commemorate the 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars. The cemeteries, burial plots and memorials are a lasting tribute to those who died in some 153 countries across the world. The Register records details of Commonwealth war dead so that graves or names on memorials can be located.
Individual Regiments.
Many regiments have their own sites and Museums.
Royal Warwickshire Regiment
https://warwickfusiliers.co.uk Some information available but better to visit their Museum
History of War
http://www.historyofwar.org Information on any aspect of military history Battles, ships. Refers you to other sites
Workhouses and poverty
access free
https://workhouses.org.uk This site gives access to information about workhouses. By access through the map on workhouse locations you can get information on individual workhouses.
Charles Booth on line archive
Access free
https://booth.lse.ac.uk The Booth collection at LSE Archives contains the original records from Booth's survey into life and labour in London, dating from 1886 to 1903. The archives of the Senate House Library contain Booth family papers from 1799 to 1967. Poverty maps of London and Police notebooks.
Newspapers
There are news papers on the Genealogist and Findmypast sites
British Newspaper Archive
Either by subscription or included in FindmyPast
https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk This site gives access to news paper articles and is in partnership with the owners of Find my past.
The National Library of Wales
http://newspapers.library.wales Has a collection of Welsh Newspapers 1800 -1910
Snippets from papers and books
https://www.gengophers.com/#/ Search by name and place and the site finds information from over 80,000 books and newspapers
Historic Newspapers
http://www.historic-newspapers.co.uk Newspapers from 1900 to purchase.
Regional Information
Curious Fox
https://curiousfox.com Discussion site, entries by name or village.
RootsChat
http://www.rootschat.com Discussion site
Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry
https://bmsgh.org.uk Has information on Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire and surrounding areas. The site has a lot of records some have been added to other sites such as the genealogist.
Birmingham
http://digitalhandsworth.org.uk New updated search engine has Handsworth, Ladywood, Balsall Heath and suburban Birmingham
Black Country
https://bcconnections Family trees, photos of individuals in the Black Country
Ireland
Of paid sites, Findmypast has good Irish coverage for many sources, including dog licences and Irish petty session records.
A very useful book is The Irish Family and Local History Handbook 2, by Robert and Elizabeth Blatchford, published in 2013.
Irish Genealogy
Www.irishgenealogy.ie is an Irish government sponsored site. It has free transcriptions and digital images of Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland records from Dublin, County Cork and County Kerry. The indexes of civil records are available for births between 1864 and 1915, marriages from 1845 (1864 for RC) to 1940 and deaths from 1864 to 1965. Northern Irish records are only available up to 1922. There are register images for births from 1864 to 1915, marriages from 1882 to 1940 and deaths from 1891 to 1965. There is also general information about exploring Irish family history.
The National Archives of Ireland
http://www.nationalarchives.iegives free access to the 1901 and 1911 censuses and fragments of other censuses for Ireland and other records
The National Library of Ireland
www.nli.ie. has a good Sources catalogue for manuscripts and periodicals and a useful Family History section. This site has all the R.C. parish records . They provide a map of the 4 Provinces which then shows the dioceses and then the parishes. These then give baptisms, marriages and burials but on microfilm. The most useful are the baptisms as they include parents and often family members who were godparents and they are the mostly complete.
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
proni.gov.uk.offers many free records collections, including signatures to the 1912 Ulster Covenant, will calendars entries, church listings and freeholders' records
Northern Irish civil certificates www.nidirect.gov.uk/gro, after 1922 can be obtained from this site but are expensive.
Republic of Ireland
www.groireland.ie. Records for the Republic
Griffith's valuation records
Griffith's valuation records which can be used as a census substitute. It has valuation of all the land occupiers in mid C19th Ireland which given the sketchy nature of some of the Irish records of that time can be valuable. The downside is that they are set up by Civil Parish and Townland. There are maps to help so whilst it can be tricky to start with it is fairly straightforward once you get into it.
Scotland
National Records of Scotland
http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk Has research guide and will tell about each set of records i.e. Statutory register of births are from 1. Jan 1855 unlike England (1837) There is more information on record including time of birth. There is also a list of registration Districts.
ScotlandsPeople
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk This is the research site for the National Records of Scotland. You can order certificates from this site.
Wales
BDM are obtainable from gro.gov.uk as for England. Most records can be found on the same sites as England
Welsh Genealogy
http://www.welshgenealogy.net This site has a number of records including ships into some ports and cemeteries
Counties
Information can be found from county record offices such as The Hive for Worcestershire
local libraries and sites for the individual counties.
Somerset
Yahoo
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/somersetfamilyhistory/info Restricted group for discussion on Somerset. Access to index only. Links to useful Somerset sites
Courts
Ancestry and Findmypast have crime and punishment records. Most of the National Archive records are on Findmypast. Over 1.9 million crime and punishment records, held by The National Archives, have been digitised and made available online by family history website Findmypast.co.uk. This joins Findmypast’s online collection of almost three million crime and prison records available to search and download. The Genealogist has Worcester , Warwickshire and Shropshire records (BMSGH)
Old Bailey
https://www.oldbaileyonline.org The Old Bailey Proceedings Online makes available a fully searchable, digitised collection of all surviving editions of the Old Bailey Proceedings from 1674 to 1913, and of the Ordinary of Newgate's Accounts between 1676 and 1772. It allows access to over 197,000 trials and biographical details of approximately 2,500 men and women executed at Tyburn, free of charge for non-commercial use.
Connected Histories
http://www.connectedhistories.org/Search Will search a number of sites for information
Maps
https://Mapso.net Is an Australian site with a few old maps and pictures of England and London
A Vision of Britian through time
https://visionofbritain.org.uk Has maps and history of places and includes historical writings. Has option to purchase maps.
National Library of Scotland
https://maps.nls.uk Is a collection of maps for great Britain including Ordnance Survey , Bartholomew, Estate, Town and Military maps. Also WW1 trench maps.
Useful Resorce sites
Do a Google search with speech marks round words to limit the amount of hits,
Example " John Smith" Kidderminster
Google Maps
https://www.google.co.ukmaps or Google maps apps Although modern maps it can be useful to locate places.
History of Slang words
https://greensdictofslang.com Slang words
Abbreviation found in Genealogy
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rigenweb/abbrev.html A- z list of abbreviations
List of Occupations
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgwkidz/oldjobs.htm A-Z list of Occupations
Heraldry
http://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/index.htm Glossary of terms used in Heraldry
Medical
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgwkidz/oldmedterm.htm A-Z list of Medical terms
Wikipedia
https://wikipedia.org Is useful to research places trades and other items of interest.
Facebook has numerous groups that can be of use.
Ancestry UK is a useful group where you can post queries and find information. It does not refer to only Ancesty.co.uk
Kidderminster Past is useful for the posting of old photos and information.
This is an example of information on one place but most towns or area have a similar group.
Shropshire family genealogy is a site for people researching Shropshire
This is an example of information on one county but most counties have a similar group