My Favorite Free Genealogy Websites

Free is the word of the day.  And free genealogy is the name of the game.  It seems nowadays when anyone talks genealogy the talk turns to Ancestry.com.  The problem is Ancestry.com cost money.  And it is not the only genealogy search website out there.  As a matter of fact there are some really great genealogy search sites out there and they are absolutely free!

This is my list of the free genealogy sites that I use frequently but is by no mean an exhaustive list.

1. FamilySearch.org  This site is run my the Church of Later-day Saints and thou you have to create a Log-in with user password it is completely free.  They have the worlds largest collection of free records, resources and services design to help people learn more about there family history.  In addition they have free on line classes and training.  The topics rage from basic research to training on specific record types and are designed for both beginner and experienced researchers.

2. USGenWeb.org  The US GenWeb Project is a group of volunteers working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every County and every state in the United States. This website is noncommercial and fully committed to free genealogy access for everyone.

The US GenWeb project website is organized by county and state. Click on a state link and it will take you to the states website which in turn leads you to the County websites. On the County pages you can find the County history maps, marriage records, military history, Cemetery records and Bible records. These records are not complete and some counties have more than others but don’t pass up this little gem because it might just have the record you’re looking for.

3. FindAGrave.com The website project started out as a place to record famous people's graves but has expanded to allow non-famous graves. It is a treasure free genealogy where thousands of volunteer contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers of their loved ones graves.

4. Archives.gov  The National Archives and Records Administration has some hidden treasures as well.  At first it seems complicated to find exactly what you're looking for but the site has a wonderful video tutorial just for genealogist.  On the home page go to Research Our Records then Resources For Genealogists and then Start Your Genealogy Research

5. Google.com  Google has been the number one search engine for genealogist from the beginning due to its ability to return relevant search results for genealogy and surname queries and its huge index.  The trick is knowing how to use all the search tricks to get what you are looking for.  Many people have written articles on how best to do genealogy searches on Google and I give daily tips on my Facebook Fan Page.

Here are a couple of articles I have found very helpful

About.com Genealogy Style
The Google Genealogist

Genealogy is fun and very rewarding and it is even better when it's FREE!

Finished My Second Online Course in the National Genealogical Society's Home Study.

What a beautiful surprise! My certificate for my first completed course in the NGS Home Study.

After finishing The Basics (which I wrote about in my post "American Genealogical Studies: The Basics") I signed up for the next course in the National Genealogical Society's Home Study, Guide to Documentation and Source Citation.

I love the way the course explains the basic citation principles in a simple outline form:

Creator/Author
Title/Descriptor
Publication information
Internal Locators

Using this basic set up you can cite any source. They go on to explain the difference between footnotes (which most genealogists use) and bibliographies. From what I could gather you just leave out the internal locators when listing the citation in a bibliography.

Using Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Mills the course goes on to explain how to cite published books, periodicals, e-books, webpages, blogs, online databases, federal government records, such as census records, military records and immigration records, also local and state government records such as vital records, court files, court registers and then also privately created records such as church records and manuscript collections like letters and diaries.

It seems like a lot but using the basic outline it all made very good sense.   The challenge came with the quiz. They would give you a scenario of a source that was found and then gave you four choices for the citation. Each choice only had a few things different. It took me two tries to pass but I did it!

I think one reason a lot of people do not cite their sources on public trees is because they think it is too hard and takes too much time.  But if the genealogy community could convince everyone how important it is and how simple it can be there would be a lot less frustration when there is a fact but no one knows where it came from.

I am one more step closer to my goal of becoming a certified genealogist.

Until next time, happy hunting!

quote picture from startupzap.com

Don't Be Afraid of Your Local Family History Center

picture from Columbia, MS Family History Center

I was told when I first started doing family research that the Church of Later Days Saints had genealogy libraries all over the United States.  I thought how wonderful but I'm not going in there by myself!  So years went by and then when I got married to another genealogy addict he suggested we go see what it was all about.  That was some 10 years ago.  The closest library which is called a Family History Center was only 10 minutes away but when we arrived we discovered a small room with just a few microfilm readers and a volunteer to answer our questions.  Back then in order to have a microfilm sent from Salt Lake City you had to sit in the little room and go through catalogs to find what you wanted.  It was all a little overwhelming and we didn't go back.

picture from Greenville, SC Family History Center

Well things are a lot different now.  First of all the Catalog is now online at FamilySearch.org and you can browse it at will in the comfort of your own home in your pajammies and fluffy slippers even!  You also order the films you want to view from your home too.

picture from Fabulous after 40

So my husband and I decided to try again.  We found some microfilm we would like to see that we could not get from our own library or through interlibrary loans.  It cost us $7 for each film using our PayPal account.  We were emailed about two weeks later letting us know the films had arrived at the Family History Center close to our home.  Every Family History Center is different as far as size and hours of operation are concerned and ours is only available Wednesday days and Thursday evenings.  So on the next Thursday we went to the center and searched our little hearts out.  The films will stay at the center for about a month and then we have the option to renew then or have them sent back.  The cool thing about the renewal is that it will stay at our Family History Center until another patron requests it which could be indefinitely.

So don't be afraid of using this wonderful source of invaluable materials.  The volunteer at our center was so kind and helpful.  I can't believe I waited so long to try it out.

Do you have experience with your local Family History Center?   I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

Until next time, happy hunting.
Kristina

Is There a Witch in My Family Tree?

One reason I love Ancestry.com is the "Shaking Leaf"  feature. Well actually like most I have a love-hate relationship with Ancestry's "leaves"  But sometimes they really do help direct you to some great leads.

So last night I was going through some of my 18th century ancestors looking for new "leaves" and I came across one that said Salem Witches!  Oh how cool to be a direct descendant  of a notable ancestor with involvement in a key event in early American history.  Well like I said the "leaf" is just a hint, not a fact so I started doing a little verifying of facts.  Well I'm starting to think that my Abigail who married Anthony Bennett is less likely than not to be Abigail Somes of the Salem witch trials of 1692.  But I'm not giving up yet. More research must be done.

Here is what I have learned

Anthony Bennett of Gloucester married Abigail ___ 12 Nov 1678 MA Vital Records

C Wain of Wainwright Family of Essex County Massachusetts writes this about his research

Notes for Abigail Somes:

The connection of Anthony Bennett to Abigail Somes, daughter of Morris Somes born 1655 is very tempting- she is not accounted for by either marriage or death otherwise in my records, and her age is perfect.  While some researchers have made that assumption, none has a source citation or made any argument that Anthony Bennett’s wife was indeed a Somes.  A review of many reference texts indicates there are no scholars or recognized genealogists who are ready to make this connection.
The primary reason is that an Abigail Somes of Salem, late of Gloucester, singlewoman, was indicted as a witch and imprisoned in 1692 (check this record from Suffolk County Court Records ).
This individual apparently died unmarried in 1733.
Babson assumes this person to be the daughter of Timothy Somes of Gloucester (History of Gloucester, p 211).  , but I am not so sure.  Abigail, daughter of Morris would have been about 37 years old and unmarried, a prime profile of an accused witch and I have seen no record of another Abigail in Gloucester or Salem who fits as well.

He is right about the ages of the all other Abigail Somes however she might not be a Somes there are two other Abigails, a Coe and Doll born around the same time.  I will need to do a little more research.

Until next time, don't give up and Happy Hunting!
Kristina

Ask a Librarian

I have been working on a brick wall of mine lately.  I have not been able to find the parents of my fourth great-grandmother.  In the new addition of Family Tree Magazine there is an article on Solving Cold Cases.  One suggestion is to ask a librarian.  Of course a librarian is not going to do the research for you but might be able to lead in a direction you were not aware of. That is what happen to me.

I sent a request to see if the library at the Family Research Center in Elizabeth City, NC might know where I should look next for my missing ancestors.  I gave all the information I had and what a surprise when I got an email back today with all kinds of ideas to try.  One thing I never heard of were Estate files.  She said there is an 85 page file on my third great grand father that might have a clue.  Even if it doesn't it will be interesting to see what his file has in it.

So don't give up on those brick walls.  Keep chipping away at them.  Be sure to read the latest genealogy journals and research magazines.  There is a lot of information out there and the more you know the better researcher you will be.

Is there a brick wall you are working on.  What are some of your strategies?  Has a brick wall come down for you?  We would love to hear your story.  Just add it to the comments box below.

Untill next time, happy hunting.
Kristina

Using a Microfilm Reader

Searching for ancestors on the internet is easy and convenient however not every historical document  has been digitized and put out on the world wide web.  Before the internet genealogists depended on published sources, microfilm and microfiche that they could only search through in a library.

The current project I am working on is documenting a Revolutionary War ancestor from Virginia for the Daughters of the American Revolution.  I live in Texas and cannot just go to Virginia and look up these documents.  However some documents can come to me via interlibrary loans.  Last week I got a notice from my library that the microfilm I requested was in.  I was so excited to see what I would find.

I had requested the church records from the First Presbyterian Church in Portsmouth, VA.  They were available on a microfilm reel which I had to view on a Microfilm reader.

A microfilm can have up to 600 images which usually is not indexed.  You basically have to start with the first image and look at each image one by one.  It took me three hours to go through the whole thing but it paid off.  I found the baptism record for my 3rd great grandfather and the death record for his mother.  The librarian told me I could save the images I wanted straight to my flash drive or make hard copies for 10 cents a page.

Hope all your days are successful too!
Until next time, happy hunting!
Kristina

DAR Lineage Research Committee

I have been a member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution since 1997.  I've served on many committees over the years but this year I am on the lineage research committee and I LOVE it!!!  It is so fun helping others find their connection to a patriot in the American Revolution.

Sometimes I go a little above and beyond when I mentor an older lady who does not know how to use a computer.  As was the case today.  I took everything this lady knew and plugged it into my computer on Ancestry.com and then began to do a search on some of her ancestors she didn't have any documentation for.  Oh what fun when I found not only a Find A Grave hit but on the memorial page someone had listed the very information and source we were looking for!!!  I was easily able to print the documents and now her application is complete!  Oh what a wonderful feeling to be able to help and serve others in this very wonderful organization.  And oh how I love all the genealogical social medias out there.

Are you a member of DAR? or have a "great find" story?  I'd love to hear from you.  Let me know in the comments box below.

Until next time.  Happy hunting.
Kristina

Finding Genealogy Resources at Half Price Books

As I continually educate myself on genealogy research I find having my own personal genealogy library very helpful.  I have been to many genealogy lectures over the years and they always talk about their own personal libraries and how invaluable they are.  So I decided I needed to start a collection too.  However I can't buy them all at once so which ones should I buy first?  At Genealogy. com I found a great article that gave me the answer.  You can see the article here:  Top 10 Genealogy Books

Well today at Half Price Books I found the #1 book on the list!!!  and a couple others that looked interesting and at the right price.