Alan E. Mann, A.G.
alan@alanmann.com Accredited
Genealogist
www.alanmann.com/articles/Inet.htm
BYU Family History & Genealogy Conference 2002
English Sources on the Internet
The Internet can play a role in nearly every aspect
of British research. While the web is useful in the areas of research
coordination, finding aids, & published genealogies, the web may give you
access to a compiled genealogy, extracted or transcribed records, indexes, or
local help. Even if you need to consult records not available electronically, a
web page or an archive email address can help you get more information about
the records and how you can access them. Many libraries offer online searchable
catalogs. A lookup service could provide a contact who
would actually look at the record and email you the results. A "how
to" web page could describe the records and help you determine whether the
record will meet your research goal.
I've summarized some of the ways that I've used the
Internet in genealogical pursuits in eight categories, for which examples and
some 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 article was originally prepared in December
1999. Some of the addresses may have changed. If you find errors, please email
me at familyhistory.geo@yahoo.com
so that I can make corrections.
I. Access records (or transcriptions, extractions, or indexes)
A. Majority available are listed on GenUKI (www.genuki.org.uk/big/)
FOR EXAMPLE:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
London
Jews database (www.jewishgen.org/databases/londweb.htm)
8.
9.
Somerset
visitations (http://www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/england/Devon/visprepref.html)
10.
B British
Isles GenWeb archive - http://www.britishislesgenweb.org/
C.
British Royal Genealogies
1.
Official
- http://www.royal.gov.uk/files/pdf/current.pdf
2.
Other
(extensive listing) - http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/royal/
D. Simple
extractions and indexes to specific databases are numerous, for example:
1.
2.
Emigration
pages - freespace.virgin.net/alan.tupman/sites/ships_us.htm
E. Check Knoblauch's list of miscellaneous databases (www.bc1.com/users/sgl/)
F. Locate
additional databases or records using
1.
Ancestry's
Genealogy Page Finder www.genpagefinder.com/
2.
FamilySearch
Internet (www.familysearch.org/)
3.
A
categorized list (www.cyndislist.com, www.genealogysitefinder.com,
etc.)
II.
Reference Library (The Internet is a vast reference library--use it!)
A.
Gazetteer
Landranger Maps (http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/,
click on GetaMap)
B.
Maps
- www.old-maps.co.uk/
(or uk.multimap.com) Older
maps often easily obtained via Internet
C.
Street
maps (www.mapquest.com), enter town or
parish then
D.
PRO
web site extensive (see genealogy, archives, finding aids buttons - see full
content list courtesy of GenUKI at www.genuki.org.uk/indexes/PROcontents.html
E.
Catalogs
1. National Register
of Archives search (www.hmc.gov.uk/nra/nra2.htm)
covers millions of documents in hundreds of archives
2. PRO catalog (catalogue.pro.gov.uk/ListInt/Default.asp)
full class lists, searchable
3. the
Electronic Access to Resources in Libraries (EARL at www.earl.org.uk)
4.
the Consortium of University Research Libraries
web Online Public Access Catalogs (CURL's COPAC at copac.ac.uk/copac/)
5. LibWeb (sunsite.berkeley.edu/Libweb/europe-brit.html)
6. UK Academic
libraries with online catalogs (www.riss.ac.uk/reference/obi/obi.html)
7. The British
Library (official copyright office of the
F.
Parish locator
(& radius search tool) (www.genuki.org.uk/big/parloc/search.html)
G.
Manorial
Documents Register (
H.
English Poor Law
and workhouse records www.workhouses.org.uk
I.
Many
miscellaneous specific lists and reference helps, such as
1.
Directory
of Baptist, Independent, and Methodist Chapels in Northamptonshire
- http://website.lineone.net/~gsward/
2.
English
Calendar help - http://www.albion.edu/english/calendar2/index.htm
3.
British
regimental histories and army finding aids (www.regiments.org)
J.
Standard
Reference works (dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.) at www.refdesk.com/
K.
History
Reference History Online - UK
www.ihrinfo.ac.uk/ihr/info6.html
Internet Medieval Sourcebook www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html
III.
Coordinate research (find others working
on the same family)
A.
Contact others working on the same families
1.
Roots
Surname List (over 750,000 surnames) rsl.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/rslsql.cgi
2.
Find
if there is a web page, mailing list, or society for the ancestor=s family or
surname using sites such as www.ffhs.org.uk/,
www.cyndislist.com/surnames.htm,
www.familyhistory.com/societyhall/main.asp,
www.familysearch.org/share/, members.aol.com/johnf14246/gen_mail.html,
and www.genealogy.com/links/surnames.html
3.
There
are similar services in book form. The Internet can help you find out about the
books--e.g., GRD - www.ozemail.com.au/~grdxxx/index.html.
B. Use
Query databases to find other researching your ancestors
1.
Use
www.worldgenweb.org or www.britishislesgenweb.org
go to specific place and leave query
2.
See
if www.genforum.com/ has a message board
for your ancestor's surname
3.
Surname
Helper (surhelp.rootsweb.com/srchall.html)
searches over 4,000 query databases
4.
Use
Query Central at query.tbox.com/
5.
GenConnect queries search is at http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi?search
C. Use
mailing lists (see if anyone can help)
1.
See
a list of mailing lists at http://www.rootsweb.com/~jfuller/gen_mail.html.
2.
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)
3.
Surname
lists check for you ancestors= surnames
4.
Many
mailing lists have archives that allow you to see past messages
5.
GEN-MEDIEVAL
Mailing List
6.
See
many more such items listed at www.CyndisList.com/mailnews.htm#Queries
D. Use
newsgroups
1.
See
list of newsgroups with links at www.rootsweb.com/~jfuller/gen_use.html
2.
Newsgroups
are like mailing lists only you have to ask for the messages each time
3.
Most
newsgroups have archives--the preceding link will link you to the archive.
4.
soc.genealogy.medieval is devoted
to research in the pre-1500 time period.
5.
Use
www.dejanews.com to search the archive
of past messages
E.
When
necessary, locate living people - use www.teldir.com,
www.bigfoot.com, www.whowhere.com, www.people.yahoo.com/, etc. to get
contact information
IV.
Collaborate with others (find others
working in same area or on the same name)
A.
Use
FamilySearch Internet collaboration lists (www.familysearch.org/Share/default.asp)
B.
Use
resources shown in III just above but consider working with non-relatives.
C.
Use
Roots Location List (searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/Genea/rll)
to search places to find others working in the same area
D.
Determine
if there's a one-name Society for the surname (www.one-name.org/)
E.
Use
BritishIslesGenWeb (www.britishislesgenweb.com/) to
find others willing to help
F.
England
Lookup Exchange (www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/8555/lookup.html)
G.
Use
Mike Rice's helplist to get help from someone in the
area (posom.com/hl)
H.
Put
your data file on a collaborative site where you authorize relatives to work on
the database, with everyone's changes, additions, and updates available to all
others.(see www.ancestry.com/oft/main.asp)
V
Check compiled sources -- take
advantage of what’s already been researched
A. Check
collections of family genealogies turned in by others
1.
Use
Pedigree Resource File (www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=prf/search_PRF.asp&clear_form=true;
also on CD-ROM)
2.
Use
Ancestral File (www.familysearch.org/Search/searchaf.asp)
3.
Check
160 million names at Ancestry World Tree (www.ancestry.com/worldtree/tree.htm)
4.
Search
24 million names at GenServ (www.genserv.org/)
5.
See
an index to 95 million names at www.mytrees.com/
(not free)
6.
Gendex - index to HTML converted family histories www.gendex.com/
7.
Many
other such collections
B. Check
huge databases containing many different records
1.
FamilySearch Internet Search For Ancestors at www.familysearch.org/
2.
Internet
Family Finder--indexes published family histories www.familytreemaker.com/allsearch.html#iff
3.
Ancestry
search millions of names in one search, including some British records and
magazine articles at www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search.asp
4.
Genealogy
Library -- thousands of books in one index at www.genealogylibrary.com
C Check
data on other collective online indexes
1.
Index
to 200+ Broderbund's online at www.genealogy.com/cdhome.html.
Index tells which CD, then use the CD Lookup Exchange (genweb.net/~gen-cds/cdlist.html)
to get the details.
2.
Index
to all books published by Heritage Books (www.heritagebooks.com)
3.
Find
out more about CD-ROM products from www.genealogy.com/cdhome.html, www.heritagequest.com, www.appletons.com, or www.globalgenealogy.com
D. Use
indexes to records on the Internet
1.
www.geocities.com/Heartland/6266/indexes.htm
2.
www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/8310/gensearcher.html
VI. Find instructions (get information on how to research)
A.
All
of the PRO leaflets and guides on over 100 topics -- mostly for genealogists (www.pro.gov.uk/leaflets/Riindex.asp)
B.
The
Society of Genealogists instructional leaflets (www.sog.org.uk/leaflets/)
C.
Use
Research Helps (www.familysearch.org/sg/),
which has all of the FHL research outlines and the catalog helper (select a
goal, it tells you what records can help you achieve that goal). SourceGuide can be fully searched www.familysearch.org/Search/keywordhomepage.asp.
D.
E.
Use
newsgroups, mailing lists, family history societies, and libraries (see III C
and D, above) to ask questions and learn about research methods, sources, and
resources
F.
Attend
a genealogy conference or seminar for instruction (see calendar of events
online)
VII. Find where records are located
A.
Family
History Library Catalog Surname Index--www.familysearch.org/Search/searchcatalog.asp/
B.
Library
of Congress Surname Catalog (simple search at lcweb.loc.gov/)
C.
Find
other online catalogs (see www.libdex.com,
www.cyndislist.com/lib-gen.htm,
etc.)
D.
Ask
questions by email (good, quick response); See www.genuki.org.uk/big/.
E.
Use
browse categories in comprehensive sites to find web sites of other record
offices (www.genuki.org.uk/big/), (www.familysearch.org/Browse/browse.asp),
(www.CyndisList.com), (www.genealogy.com/genealogy/links/index.html),
etc.
VIII.
Share your research findings,
store and preserve your research.
A.
Use
GEDCOM & email to share copies of branches of your family with relatives
B.
Create
a web page with your software program and tell others where it is. Use free web
space from www.50megs.com
or GeoCities (or other similar
service).
C.
Submit
your genealogy to various online services mentioned in IV, above.
D.
Use
Preserve Your Genealogy (www.familysearch.org/Preserve/)
to store a copy in the LDS Granite Rocky Mountain Vault and be added to
Pedigree Resource File
E.
Use
CD-ROM burner (create your own CD-ROM, save it offsite)
F.
Scan
to preserve photos electronicallyCstore copies
online; email photos to family
G.
Create
a family organization, society, or private family site for sharing family news,
pedigrees, research notes, and more.
1.
Use
www.myfamily.com for free family space
with many functions
2.
Get
help creating a society from www.familyhistory.com/societyhall/main.asp
©Copyright
1997-2002 by Alan E. Mann. All rights reserved. Written permission to reproduce
all or part of this syllabus material in any format, including photocopying,
data retrieval or any computer bulletin boards, must be secured in advance from
the copyright holder.