Question

Outside of the popular ancestry sites, what has worked for you?

Answer 1

Non traditional family history sites, Google and Google Books are indespensible.

Answer 2

In the UK I use the OPC websites (Online Parish Clerk) to assist me in my research, it is free to use, I also use Freebmd, Freereg and Freecen as a basis. In the county of my main research area there is a web site that provides copies of the original baptisms, marriages and burials well before the start of Civil Registration in 1837. If you are researching in the Lincolnshire area it is a wonderful free to use web site, providing you know where your ancestors were born, the link is www.lincstothepast.com 

I have found many records on this particular site which in turn has meant that I am able to go back at least a further generation.

There are many free to use web sites depending on where your area of research takes you, too many to list here (that I use), but at least the above named sites give you a 'heads-up'.

Answer 3

WikiTreer Kitty Smith keeps a list of free resources that other members find useful: Kitty's Library. 

I'm a big fan of archive.org's genealogy collection. In addition to censuses and military records, several universities and societies have donated thousands of out-of-print and out-of-copyright genealogical and historical books which have been scanned in, and are available to read. (If you are Canadian, or have Canadians in your tree, Our Roots is similar.)

Having my tree and historical research (minus living people) publicly available through WikiTree has been the best "cousin bait" I've used yet. People are seeing my tree up near the top on Google results, and bringing information to me. I've had photos, newspaper clippings, suggestions of books, offers of archives look ups, all sorts of good stuff. 

 

Answer 4

I thought this questions implies that Ancestry.com sites have worked for me.  I wouldn't know about that because whenever I encounter anything to do with Ancestry.com sites for the most part I am swamped by their desperate sales pitches to try to get me to sign on and send them money.  So if I see their name I move on.  There is plenty of information out there without using them, https://familysearch.org/search This link to Family Search could keep you busy for years for free.  Free, that's no money down, nothing per month, nothing per year.  You get tired of it.  Don't click on it.  You want it, it' s there.  Free. They don't ask for your name, bank account number, who your daddy is or anything, just Free!

Comments

I don't believe he/she meant the commercial Ancestry  (R) site.

I think this question refers to the general term ancestry/ancestor - ie.  where have you found good sources for your ancestry.

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HI all,

I have to admit I use a lot of genealogical sites, but let's not forget what resources we have here on WikiTree. Think of all the projects,categories, lists, G2g, etc that are here and being enlarged every day by Wikitree members and most of them are free.

Someone had to say it :)

All the best

Billy

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Well said, Billy Wallace.--GeneJ

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Can you please tell me, what resources on wikitree are not free, thank you?

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Hi Michael,

The links to external sites may not be free, e.g. Scotlands People & Irish Roots. links to WikiTree resources are free.

All the best

Billy

Answer 5

Hi,

A couple of less well known ones i have liked over the years are -

http://www.lostcousins.com - people link to each other through ancestors in the censuses, this it covers the UK and Canada

http://www.freeukgen.co.uk - which is a UK website made up of Freecen (census'), FreeReg (registrations) and FreeBMD (birth marriage and death record index)

http://www.immigrantships.net/ - volunteers transcripts of ship passenger lists

 

Happy hunting

Answer 6

Often when dealing with 17th century & earlier profiles you can Google great info & sources.

Answer 7

In Quebec, I use some commercial site as

BMS2000.org (database made by the Genealogy Clubs)

In France I use the websites from the regions who have records on the Internet. (french)

http://www.archivesdefrance.culture.gouv.fr/ressources/en-ligne/etat-civil/

Bibliothèque de France (french) at http://www.bnf.fr/

I am also a member of the genealogy club with good searching tools

Answer 8

In Australia - the National Libary has Trove a very big collection of digitised local and national newspapers which is free. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper?q=

You can also join as an online or distance member of the Library and that gives you access to a number of useful databases including; Oxford Dictionary of Biography, and Gale Newspapers database (mostly British newspapers) plus many others.

With British ancestry, I use many of the ones already mentioned and have found the Cornwall Online Parish Clerks (OPC) incredibly helpful. http://www.cornwall-opc.org/

Answer 9

I really like newspapers.com.  It's a subscription site which I have used successfully to find out quite a bit of detail about individuals in the 1800's.