Genealogy Storytelling

Your Online Source For Telling Your Story

Free Records on FamilySearch That Can’t Be Found using Search

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You have millions of records to search that are not in the search engine. Here are some clever tricks to view them.

 

It’s an often overlooked fact that a vast amount of FamilySearch’s collections cannot be found via the search on their site. Millions of free family history records are waiting to be discovered but have not yet been indexed and are, therefore, some what hard to find. These records are invaluable tools for genealogists and cover a wide range of locales and time periods so we thought we’d offer a quick rundown on how to access them.

But first a note about searching collections individually.

One of the most commonly overlooked tactics for successfully locating ancestors in online databases is to search collections individually. It’s natural to want to check a site’s entire database with one quick search–and many places do make this incredibly easy and quite accurate–but the truth is, no search function is perfect. Especially when looking for an ancestor with a common name, searching all resources at one time may mean some results are never returned or that certain results get over looked. It happens all of the time.

So, whether you’re searching through records on FamilySearch or another large site, we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the additional details you can uncover by searching collections individually. It might take some digging to find the section you need to complete the needed search, but it will likely be well worth your time.

See full story on familyhistorydaily.com

image courtesy of familyhistorydaily.com

Mormon Genealogy Records

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Genealogy is a fascinating subject and Mormon genealogy records can be found with ease and at no cost to you. Even if the Mormon religion is not a part of your family’s background, you can still find just about anyone looking through the Mormon records.

The name of the site to go to is www.familysearch.org. This Mormon genealogy records site is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here you will find some of world’s largest collections of genealogical records. There is also an international network of global centers affiliated with a Mormon genealogy search. Just think of the largesse of the site: it has over a billion names from counties and areas in the United States alone!

Much of the information contained in these Mormon genealogy records are obtained from U.S. Census Records performed in 1880 and after. There are also Census records from Canada and Great Britain. In addition to some vital statistics, census information will inform you as to where a person was living at the time of the record, and who was living with them (spouse, children). Here you will also be directed to the Ellis Island web site database. This is a very important resource if you ancestors traveled to America on a ship in the early part of the twentieth century. You’ll also find the Freedman’s Bank records on the family search site.

The records you can access at the Mormon Church site are microfilmed and digitized records which can be seen free of charge. You can also go to one of their Family Centers to view these records. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Family History Library can be traveled to in Salt Lake City, Utah. Here you can access one of the world’s largest ancestry libraries in the entire world. With records from more than 110 countries, from England to Africa, the Center receives about 2,400 visitors every day. Many of these visitors came from abroad, hailing from countries in Europe, Asia and more. The pull to find out about our past is an intense and strong magnetic one.

There are also over 4,500 Family History Centers that are local to certain Mormon Church meetinghouses all around the world. Any genealogical services are given free by Church volunteers.

If your ancestors date back to the Civil War era, records can be accessed at the Mormon Family Center sites. There are soldier’s indexes, individual pensioner’s information and draft records.

Index your family’s information onto the indexing database so others can find your relatives you have in common during their search. You simply transcribe what is on your records and they will then become available on the Mormon ancestry site for others to view. The Mormon genealogy records are an excellent source  for your genealogy research.

Find My Ancestors

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courthouse records
find my ancestors

We get many request from folks who ask “can you help me find my ancestors?” My answer:

when you are ready to delve into your family tree you can begin with a free ancestor search on the internet. You will have a lot of questions to be answered, and as long as you have some basic, preliminary information, you can do most of the detective work on your own, at no cost to you.

Find My Ancestors

First, you need to gather all of the information you can about your ancestors. You can organize this on www.myheritage.com, where a family tree diagram will be organized for you; you simply have to gather names, dates, birth places, any information on dates of death and so on. If you have family elders still living, you should interview these people. Search for photographs as these can be placed on this site also. This will give you a good starting point for organizing your free ancestor search.

There are quite a few web sites dedicated to ancestry searches and some of them can be conducted for free. One of these free ancestor search sites is www.familysearch.org. This site is run by the Mormons’ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There is a lot of information on this free site. In fact, it is one of the most powerful ancestry search engines on the internet today. If you input the person’s name, place and dates of birth or death, you will get information that you may find extremely helpful. The U.S. Census is linked here, so that data comes up. The dates of birth, places of residence and children’s names will appear on your screen. You will also find links to marriage records for this person. There is a Learning Section and a Blog to help you navigate not only this site, but other ancestry searches in general.

Often, these free searches can only be performed if you join the organization on a free trial basis. For instance, www.ancestry.com will allow you trial access to their site for a free ancestor search. It has a very large online community that does nothing but ancestry searches! You can find other people who are searching for your family members and contact them through the site. You can also search publicly placed member trees to find your own family members. There’s a world of information on this site, showing how to conduct your search. Locate birth, marriage and death records. Access the U.S. Census Records, immigration and emigration reports and military information on your ancestors.

Now some of these pieces of the puzzle can also be accessed freely by simply going to the U.S. Census Bureau site. You can also access the Social Security Death Index site to get information there. But if your ancestors emigrated here from another country, checking the Ellis Island web site can offer you a lot of data on your relatives: when they came to America, who was traveling with them, their age at the time, how much money they had with them, the town they came from, and more. This can be a wonderful source that will lead you down other paths to discovering your past. So the next time you ask “can you help me find my ancestors you have some great information here to get you started.

by Leonard Smith

Family History Websites

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Family history websites can be a tremendously helpful resource for those who are researching their ancestral backgrounds. There are many of these family history sites on the internet, and some of them can be accessed for free.

1910 census records
family history websites

Family History Websites

The most popular and perhaps most useful site is www.ancestry.com. On this site you will find a multitude of information and links to helpful sites, some of which are free, such as the U.S. Census site. With ancestry.com, you can also take advantage of their free trial offer and check out whether you would like to continue using the site to research your heritage.

As you’ve probably already discovered, there are dozens of family history resources out there. But which are the reputable ones, which are free, and which can really be of help to you?

The USGenWeb Project consists of a group of volunteers working together to provide Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. The Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free access for everyone.

Organization is by county and state, and this website provides you with links to all the state websites which, in turn, provide gateways to the counties. The USGenWeb Project also sponsors important Special Projects at the national level and this website provides an entry point to all of those pages, as well.

Although the basic unit of organization for The USGenWebProject is at the county level, State Websites include very important information as well, including such resources for postings of unknown county queries, family reunion bulletin boards, state histories, and maps showing the changing county boundaries, among others. Many states also have ongoing projects as diverse as the transcription of Civil War regiments or the reuniting of families with lost photos, bibles, etc.

For more information on The USGenWebProject click here.

The most reputable of the family history resources are, as previously noted, ancestry.com. But there are other well-known sites that are also very good. Try, for instance, www.familysearch.org. This is run by the Mormons’ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are not trying to convert you to their religion if you decide to use their website! This is simply a vast resource of family history databases, with names and information. The Mormon Church’s intention is to help us connect with our past. Family is extremely important to the Church and the site and family centers are free of charge for the public to use.

Another site for looking up family history information is www.rootsweb.com. The resources available on rootsweb.com are meant to make it easier for researchers to initiate connections with one another and with the information they need. People have transcribed and submitted records to the site for all to view. This can be in the form of books, documents, photographs, microfilm and more. You will find use articles on this website to help you conduct your genealogy search. Also, you will find links to other helpful ancestry informational sites such as the Social Security Death Index, the World Connect Project, the U.S. Town/County Database, and an index of all search engines and databases! Quite a lot of leads to help you discover your family’s roots!

You can also try http://www.MyHeritage.com as a informative family heritage site. This is a powerful genealogy search engine introducing you to hundreds of free family history sites Here you can perform a family history search for free and access other web sites.

Take a look at all of your family history websites internet options and investigate as many search engines and web sites as you can for your family search.

by Leonard Smith