English Family History Research on the Internet

An Overview

By Alan E. Mann, AG®

I've summarized some of the ways that I've used the Internet for genealogy research in eight categories, for which examples and key Internet addresses follow in outline form.

I. Access records (original, transcribed, extracted)	V. Check compiled records
II. Reference library	VI. Find instructions
III. Coordinate research	VII. Find where records are located
IV. Collaborate with others	VIII. Share, store, and preserve

This page was updated in May 2007. Some of the addresses may have changed. If you find errors, please email me at alan.familyhistory@gmail.com so I can make corrections to the online version.

I. Access records (or transcriptions, extractions, or indexes)

Majority available are listed on GenUKI (www.genuki.org.uk/big/) FOR EXAMPLE:

Cheshire probate records (http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Recordoffice/Wills/Home.htm)

Devon directories (www.historicaldirectories.org)

Durham Church records (www.genuki.org.uk/search)

Gloucester census records (www.rootsweb.com/~engcots/Census.html)

Kent, Minster-in-Thanet, parish registers (users.ox.ac.uk/~malcolm/genuki/big/eng/KEN/Minster/)

British Jews database (www.jewishgen.org/databases/UK/)

Cornwall newpapers indexes (freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wbritonad/cornwall/intro.html)

Somerset visitations (web.ukonline.co.uk/nigel.battysmith/visitations/)

Yorkshire marriages (North Riding) website.lineone.net/~jjoiner/mindex/mindex.html

UK Genealogy – nice categorized list sometimes more consistent but less frequently updated than GENUKI (www.ukgenealogy.co.uk/england.htm)

Major online document archival sites in UK

PRO (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk )

Family Records (www.familyrecords.gov.uk)

Documents Online (www.documentsonline.nationalarchives.gov.uk/) PCC Wills!

Access to Archives (www.a2a.pro.gov.uk)

Familia (www.familia.org.uk).

Major British commercial web sites

Origins (ScottishOrigins as well) www.origins.net (free search at www.originsnetwork.com)

The Genealogist has civil registration index images, census, directories, and more – free access for indexing www.thegenealogist.co.uk

FindMyPast – many resources, including civil registration, census, and 1890’s emigration (www.findmypast.com)

Ancestry.com England section (www.ancestry.com/search/locality/dbpage.aspx?tp=3257&p=3251)

FamilyRelatives - www.familyrelatives.org has actual name indexes to civil registration, not just jpegs.

Federation of Family History Socieites - www.familyhistoryonline.net/database/index.shtml

Access to various publications, products, and fee-based websites via www.genfair.com

For a good summary of census websites available, see www.alanmann.com/British%20Census.htm.

British Royal Genealogies

• Official - www.royal.gov.uk/files/pdf/current.pdf
• Other (extensive listing) - www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/genealogy/royal/

Simple extractions and indexes to specific databases are numerous, for example:

• London marriages (searchable) - www.angelfire.com/fl/Sumter/Middlesex.html
• Emigration pages - freespace.virgin.net/alan.tupman/sites/ships_us.htm
• FreeBMD (Birth, Marriage, & Death index 1837-1925 at freebmd.rootsweb.com)
• Old Bailey index (criminal court indexed 1674-1834 at www.oldbaileyonline.org)

UKGenWeb archive - www.worldgenweb.org/archives/england.html

Locate additional databases or records using

Check Knoblauch's list of miscellaneous databases (www.softek.net/gerald/gensrch.htm)

United Kingdom Birth, Marriage & Death indexes list - www.ukbmd.org.uk/index.php

A categorized list (www.cyndislist.com, www.genealogylinks.net, www.genealogysitefinder.com, etc.)

II. Reference Library (The Internet is a vast reference library--use it!)

• Gazetteer  Landranger Maps (www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/freefun/didyouknow/)
• NOTE – text based gazetteers on ancestry.com England section
• White’s directory “gazetteer” included in most parish entries on Genuki.
• Maps - www.old-maps.co.uk/ (or uk.multimap.com) Older maps often easily obtained via Internet
• Street maps (www.streetmap.co.uk/), enter town or parish then England in the country
• Richard’s Church Albums (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~temples/indexe.html)
• Catalogs

National Register of Archives search (www.nra.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/ ) covers millions of documents in hundreds of archives

PRO catalog (www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/Default.asp) full class lists, searchable; indexes many documents (military, legal)

the Electronic Access to Resources in Libraries (EARL at www.earl.org.uk)

the Consortium of University Research Libraries web Online Public Access Catalogs (CURL's COPAC at copac.ac.uk/copac/)

LibWeb (sunsite.berkeley.edu/Libweb/brit.html)

UK Academic libraries with online catalogs (www.niss.ac.uk/lis/opacs.html)

The British Library (official copyright office of the UK) (www.bl.uk/)

Parish locator (& radius search tool) (www.genuki.org.uk/big/parloc/search.html)

Manorial Documents Register (Wales, York, Hampshire) (www.mdr.nationalarchives.gov.uk/mdr/)

Many miscellaneous specific lists and reference helps, such as

• Directory of Baptist, Independent, and Methodist Chapels in Northamptonshire - website.lineone.net/~gsward/dirchap.html
• English Calendar help – (www.albion.edu/english/calendar/)
• British regimental histories and army finding aids (www.regiments.org)
• Archaic medical terms (www.paul_smith.doctors.org.uk/ArchaicMedicalTerms.htm)
• Standard Reference works (dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.) at www.refdesk.com/ - a good genealogical reference site is genealogy.about.com.
• History Reference History Online - UK ihr.sas.ac.uk/search/
• Internet Medieval Sourcebook    www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html
• Lists of websites - www.familyrecords.gov.uk/links.htm

III. Coordinate research (find others working on the same family)

Contact others working on the same families

GenesReunited – fantastic site with great interface, but not free (inexpensive, though) at www.genereunited.com. Helps you get in touch with relatives you never new you had—you can see their pedigree once they grant you permission.

RootsWeb Surname List (over 1,000,000 surnames) rsl.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/rslsql.cgi

Find if there is a web page, mailing list, or society for the ancestor’sfamily or surname using sites such as:

1. www.linkpendium.com/genealogy/USA/sur/ (worldwide, not just USA, despite URL)

2. www.ffhs.org.uk/

3. www.cyndislist.com/surnames.htm

4. www.familyhistory.com/societyhall/main.asp

5. www.familysearch.org/Eng/Share/Collaborate/frameset_share.asp

6. www.rootsweb.com/~jfuller/gen_mail.html

7. www.genealogy.com/links/c/c-people.html

There are similar services in book or CD-ROM form. The Internet can help you find out about them--e.g.,

GRD - www.ozemail.com.au/~grdxxx/index.html.

Use Query databases to find other researching your ancestors

• Use www.worldgenweb.org or www.britishislesgenweb.org to go to specific place and leave query
• See if www.genforum.com/ has a message board for your ancestor's surname
• See if RootsWeb message boards contain the information you want (boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/script/main/rw)
• Surname Helper (surhelp.rootsweb.com/srchall.html) searches 4,000 query databases

Use mailing lists (see if anyone can help)

See a list of mailing lists at www.rootsweb.com/~jfuller/gen_mail.html.

Mailing lists are messages (questions, announcements, information, etc.) about a specific name,             family, or place that are forwarded to all interested parties. To get messages, subscribe to the mailing list (instructions in preceding link)

Surname lists check for you ancestors’surnames

Many mailing lists have archives that allow you to see past messages

GEN-MEDIEVAL Mailing List

See many more such items listed at www.cyndislist.com/mailing.htm#Queries.

Use newsgroups

• See list of newsgroups with links at www.rootsweb.com/~jfuller/gen_use.html
• Newsgroups are like mailing lists only you have to ask for the messages each time
• Most newsgroups have archives--the preceding link will link you to the archive.
• soc.genealogy.medieval is devoted to research in the pre-1500 time period.
• Use Google Groups Search to search the archive of past messages (click on “search groups”)
• See many more such items listed at www.cyndislist.com/newsgrps.htm#Queries
• When necessary, locate living people using - www.infobel.com/teldir/, www.bigfoot.com, www.people.yahoo.com/, etc. to get contact information

IV. Collaborate with others (find others working in the same area or the same name)

• Use FamilySearch Internet collaboration lists (www.familysearch.org/Eng/Share/Collaborate/frameset_share.asp)
• Use resources shown in III just above but consider working with non-relatives.
• Use Roots Location List (searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/Genea/rll) to search places to find others working in the same area
• Determine if there's a one-name Society for the surname (www.one-name.org/)
• Use BritishIslesGenWeb (www.britishislesgenweb.org) to find others willing to help
• England Lookup Exchange (address changes frequently); try to find your county’s lookup exchange by:
1. doing a search engine search with your county name followed by Lookup Exchange (e.g., Hampshire Lookup Exchange),
2. www.ukgenealogy.co.uk/lookup.htm —WARNING: some of the links on this page don’t work either, in which case go back to option 1.
3. For examples, see http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/anna.smart/nth.htm and http://home.wi.rr.com/lincolnshire/lincs.html.
• Put your data on a collaborative site where you authorize relatives to work on the database, with everyone's changes, additions, and updates available to all.(see www.ancestry.com/oft/main.asp)
• Use Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness’ list of volunteers (www.raogk.org)
• Find other volunteers and free lookups at www.cyndislist.com/lookups.htm

V. Check compiled sources -- take advantage of what’s already been researched

Check collections of family genealogies turned in by others

• Use Pedigree Resource File (also on CD-ROM) (www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=prf/search_PRF.asp&clear_form=true
• Use Ancestral File (www.familysearch.org/Search/searchaf.asp)
• Check 200 million names at Ancestry World Tree (www.ancestry.com/worldtree/tree.htm)
• Search 24 million names at GenServ (www.genserv.com/)
• See an index to 95 million names at www.mytrees.com/ (not free)
• This category could also include GenesReunited, described above under III.
• Many other such collections

Check huge databases containing many different records

• FamilySearch Internet Search For Ancestors at www.familysearch.org/
• Internet Family Finder--indexes published family histories www.genealogy.com/ifftop.html
• Ancestry search millions of names in one search, including some British records and magazine articles at www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search.asp
• Genealogy Library -- thousands of books in one index at www.genealogylibrary.com for a fee.

Check data on other collective online indexes

• Index to 400+ Broderbund's online at www.genealogy.com/cdhome.html. Index tells which CD, then use the CD Lookup Exchange (www.loricase.com/CDs/cdlist.html) to get details.
• Check dealers in British CD-ROMs (and books) at
1. GenFair (www.genfair.com), agent for many more products on CD-ROM or books
2. Archive CD books -- www.archivecdbooks.org
3. S&N Genealogy products -- www.genealogysupplies.com/
• Index to all books published by Heritage Books (www.heritagebooks.com)
• Find out more about CD-ROM products from www.genealogy.com/cdhome.html, www.heritagequest.com, or www.globalgenealogy.com

VI. Find instructions (get information on how to research)

• Family records guides at www.familyrecords.gov.uk.
• All of the PRO leaflets and guides on over 100 topics (www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/researchguidesindex.asp)
• The Society of Genealogists instructional leaflets (www.sog.org.uk/leaflets/leaflets.shtml)
• Use Research Helps (www.familysearch.org/sg/), which has all of the FHL research outlines and other publications (including many that have never appeared in print).
• Use Research Guidance (www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/RG/frameset_rg.asp), which tells what records to use to reach the goal you set for the country (state) where your ancestor lived.
• Use Online University (www.genealogy.com/genealogy/university.html), which has tutorials and classes on how to research your family and to use specific records.
• Ask questions & learn about research methods, sources, and resources (see III C and D, above)
• Attend a genealogy conference or seminar for instruction (see calendars of events online at www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/Education/frameset_education.asp)

VII. Find where records are located

• Family History Library Catalog Surname Index-- www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp
• Library of Congress Surname Catalog (simple search at catalog.loc.gov/)
• Find online catalogs (see www.libdex.com, www.cyndislist.com/lib-gen.htm, etc.) See II. E, above.
• Use ARCHON and National Register of Archives at HMC (www.archon.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/ and www.nra.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/).
• Ask questions by email (good, quick response); use ARCHON to get email address of archive (www.archon.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/)
• Use browse categories in comprehensive sites to find web sites of other record offices (www.genuki.org.uk/big/), (www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/WebSites/frameset_websites.asp), (www.CyndisList.com), www.genealogylinks.net, (www.genealogy.com/genealogy/links/index.html), etc.
• Poor Law Unions – www.workhouses.org  and www.fourbears.worldonline.co.uk/html/union_finder_database.html.

VIII. Share research findings, store & preserve your research.

• Use GEDCOM & email to share copies of branches of your family with relatives
• Create a web page with your software program and tell others where it is. Use free web space from www.greatnow.com, www.web1000.com, www.50megs.com, or GeoCities (or other similar service).
• Use online service for genealogy programs such as phpgedview.sourceforge.net in combination with www.yourbeginnings.com
• Submit your genealogy to various online services mentioned in IV, above.
• Use Preserve Your Genealogy (www.familysearch.org/Eng/Share/Preserve/frameset_preserve.asp) to store a copy in the LDS Granite Rocky Mountain Vault and be added to Pedigree Resource File
• Use CD-ROM burner (create your own CD-ROM, save it offsite)
• Scan to preserve photos electronically--store copies online; email photos to family
• Create a family organization, blog, or private website for sharing family news, pedigrees, research notes.

Use www.myfamily.com for family space with many functions (no longer free)

Get help creating a society from www.familyhistory.com/societyhall/main.asp

©Copyright 1997-2007 by Alan E. Mann, AG®.  All rights reserved.  Written permission to reproduce all or part of this syllabus material  in any format, including photocopying, data retrieval or the Internet, must be secured in advance from the copyright holder.

NOTE: This entire article is online at www.alanmann.com/England.htm