FamilySearch Volunteers Have Indexed Over 500 Million Records

New France, Italy, and Jamaica Projects Added to Start 2011

It is quite amazing to think it all started in 2006. That was when FamilySearch migrated its then CD-ROM based indexing program to the web. The rest is record-making history—literally. Fueled by growing numbers of record collections from which to choose, the convenience of contributing 24/7 from any PC with web access, and the contagious spirit of wanting to give back or contribute to something very meaningful, the work continues to expand. Volunteers worldwide continue to join the cause and donate time and talent to help index the world’s historic genealogical records.

In 2010, FamilySearch indexing posted the following milestones:

• 100+ projects in 11 languages
• Addition of Portuguese and Polish languages
• 40,000 new active indexers (completed a batch of work), for a total of 127,000 active indexers
• Volunteer indexers averaged 2,169 records each
• Arbitrators averaged 17,803 records each
• 186 million records were double keyed and arbitrated
• Over 500 million indexed records have been published since FamilySearch indexing’s inception in 2006

Since 2006, volunteers have indexed 548 million records! It has truly become a volunteer phenomenon and is the largest initiative of its kind. The records can be searched free of charge at FamilySearch.org.

New Projects Added in January 2011

·         France, Quimper et Leon, Brest, Saint Pierre—Registres Paroissiaux, 1772–1909
(France, Quimper et Leon, Brest, Saint Pierre—Parish Registers, 1772–1909)
(in partnership with Cercle Généalogique du Finistere)

·         Italia, Provincia di Vicenza—Registri Parrocchiali, 1597–1937
(Italy, Vicenza Province—Parish Registers, 1597–1937)

·         Jamaica—Church of England Parish Baptisms, 1664–1880

·         Mexico, Veracruz—1930 Federal Censo
(Mexico, Veracruz—1930 Federal Census)

·         U.S., Indiana, Elkhart County—Marriages, 1811–1959

·         U.S., Massachusetts—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Michigan—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Michigan—County Marriages, 1820–1956 [Part A]

·         U.S., New York—WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1942

·         U.S., North Carolina—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Vermont—Vital Records, 1760–1954 [Part B]

(See the chart below for a complete list and current status of all indexing projects.)

Recently Completed Projects

(Note: Recently completed projects have been removed from the available online indexing batches and will now go through a final completion check process. They will be published at familysearch.org in the near future.) 

·         Argentina, Cordoba—Registros Parroquiales, 1722–1924 [Parte B]

·         Canada, Ontario—1861 Census Records [Part 2]

·         France, Quimper et Leon, St. Louis—Registres Paroissiaux, 1772–1909

·         Italia, Napolia, Castellammare di Stabia—Atti di Morte, 1809–1936 [Parte B]

·         Mexico, Oaxaca—1930 Federal Censo

·         Mexico, Puebla—1930 Federal Censo

·         U.S., Arkansas—County Marriages, 1837–1957 [IX]

·         U.S., California—County Marriages, 1850–1952 [Part B]

·         U.S., District of Columbia—County Marriages, 1811–1950 [Part A]

·         U.S., Illinois—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Indiana, Bartholomew County—Marriages, 1811–1959

·         U.S., Maryland—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Mississippi—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Nebraska—1885 State Census

·         U.S., New Jersey—WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1942

·         U.S., Oklahoma—Allotment Records, 1899–1907

·         U.S., Pennsylvania, Philadelphia—City Probate Records, 1837–1865

·         U.S., Texas—1910 Federal Census [Part B]

·         U.S., Wisconsin—1930 Federal Census

·         Россия, Самара—Метрические книги церкви, 1869–1917 (часть 1)


Current FamilySearch Indexing Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion

Argentina, Balvanera—Registros Parroquiales, 1833–1934 [Parte B] (Argentina, Balvanera—Church Records, 1833–1934 [Part B])	Spanish	87%
Argentina, Santa Fe—Registros Parroquiales, 1634–1926 [Parte A] (Argentina, Santa Fe—Church Records, 1634–1926 [Part A])	Spanish	52%
Brasil—Registro Civil, 1852–1914 [Parte 2A] (Brazil—Civil Registration, 1852–1914 [Part 2A])	Portuguese	2%
Brasil, Florianópolis—Registros da Igreja, 1751–1954 [Parte A] (Brazil, Florianópolis—Church Records, 1751–1954 [Part A])	Portuguese	17%
Brasil, Pernambuco, Recife—Registro Civil, 1900–1920 (Brazil, Pernambuco, Recife—Civil Registration, 1900–1920)	Portuguese	4%
Brasil, Rio de Janeiro—Matrimonios, 1900–1910 [Piloto] (Brazil, Rio de Janeiro—Marriages, 1900–1910)	Portuguese	57%
Canada—Passenger Lists, 1881–1922	English	5%
Canada, Bas-Canada—Recensement de 1842 (Canada, Lower Canada—1842 Census)	French	60%
Canada, New Brunswick—Deaths, 1815–1938 [Part B]	English	94%
Canada, Ontario—Marriages, 1869–1927 [Part B]	English	9%
Chile—Registros Civiles, 1885–1900 (Chile—Civil Registration, 1885–1900)	Spanish	39%
Chile, Concepción—Registros Civiles, 1885–1903 [Parte 2B] (Chile, Concepcion—Civil Registration, 1885–1903 [Part 2B])	Spanish	51%
Colombia, Bucaramanga—Registros Parroquiales, 1649–1959 (Colombia, Bucaramanga—Church Records, 1649–1959)	Spanish	14%
Colombia, Marinilla—Registros Parroquiales, 1815–1959 (Colombia, Marinilla—Parish Records, 1815–1959)	Spanish	82%
Deutschland, Baden, Achern—Kirchenbücher, 1810–1869 [Part D] (Germany, Baden, Achern—Church Books, 1810–1869 [Part D])	German	54%
El Salvador—Registros Civiles, 1835–1910 (El Salvador—Civil Registration, 1835–1910)	Spanish	33%
España, Andalucía—Registros Civiles, 1837–1870 (Spain, Andalucia—Civil Registration, 1837–1870)	Spanish	10%
España, Lugo—Registros Parroquiales, 1530–1930 [Parte 1] (Spain, Lugo—Parish Registers, 1530–1930 [Part 1])	Spanish	43%
France, Cherbourg—Registres Paroissiaux, 1802–1907 (France, Cherbourg—Parish Registers, 1802–1907)	French	45%
France, Coutances—Registres Paroissiaux 1802–1907 (France, Coutances—Parish Registers, 1802–1907)	French	86%
France, Paris—Registres Protestants, 1612–1906 [Partie D] (France, Paris—Protestant Registers, 1612–1906 [Part D])	French	93%
France, Saint-Lo—Registres Paroissiaux, 1802–1907 (France, Saint-Lo—Parish Registers, 1802–1907)	French	62%
Guatemala, Guatemala—Registros Civiles, 1800–1900 (Guatemala, Guatemala—Civil Registration, 1800–1900)	Spanish	18%
Guatemala, Guatemala—Registros Civiles, 1877–1900 (Guatemala, Guatemala—Civil Registration, 1877–1900)	Spanish	41%
Ireland—Tithe Applotment Books, 1824–1840	English	10%
Italia, Provincia di Vicenza—Registri Parrocchiali, 1597–1937 (Italy, Vicenza Province—Parish Registers, 1597–1937)	Italian	(New)
Italy, Trento—Baptisms, 1784–1924 [Part 2A]	Italian	56%
Jamaica—Church of England Parish Baptisms, 1664–1880	English	(New)
Jamaica—Civil Births, 1900–1930 [Part C]	English	34%
Mexico, D.F.—Bautismos, 1536–1900 [Parte A] (Mexico, D.F.—Church Baptisms, 1536–1900 [Part A])	Spanish	4%
Mexico, Veracruz—1930 Federal Censo (Mexico, Veracruz—1930 Federal Census)	Spanish	(New)
New Zealand—Passenger Lists, 1871–1915 [Part 2A]	English	11%
Nicaragua, Masaya—Registros Civiles, 1879–1984 (Nicaragua, Masaya—Civil Registration, 1879–1984)	Spanish	3%
Norge—Tinglysningskort, 1640–1903 (Norway—Probate Index Cards, 1640–1903)	Norwegian	4%
Perú, Lima—Registros Civiles, 1887–1921 [Parte A] (Peru, Lima—Civil Registration, 1887–1921 [Part A])	Spanish	94%
Portugal, Setúbal—Registros da Igreja, 1581–1910 (Portugal, Setúbal—Church Records, 1581–1910)	Portuguese	27%
República Dominicana—Nacimientos Civiles, 1828–1906 (Dominican Republic—Civil Births, 1828–1906)	Spanish	1%
Russland, Sankt Petersburg—Kirchenbuchduplikat, 1833–1885 (Russia, Saint Petersburg—Parish Register Duplicates, 1833–1885)	German	44%
South Africa, Cape Province—Church Records, 1660–1970	Afrikaans, Dutch, English	71%
Sverige, Södermanland—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1] (Sweden, Södermanland—Church Records, to 1860 [Part 1])	Swedish	81%
Sverige, Uppsala—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1] (Sweden, Uppsala—Church Records, to 1860 [Part 1])	Swedish	83%
Sverige, Örebro—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1] (Sweden, Örebro—Church Records, to 1860 [Part 1])	Swedish	33%
U.K., Essex—Parish Registers, 1538–1900 [Part A]	English	17%
U.K., Manchester—Parish Registers, 1813–1925 [Part B]	English	92%
U.K., Warwickshire—Parish Registers, 1538–1900 [Part 2 Adv]	English, Old English	46%
Uruguay—Registros Civiles (Nacimientos), 1879–1930 (Uruguay—Civil Registration (Births), 1879–1930)	Spanish	12%
U.S.—Naval Enlistment Registers, 1855–1891	English	61%
U.S., Alabama—County Marriages, 1809–1950 [Part A]	English	74%
U.S., Arkansas—WWII Draft Registration, 1942	English	50%
U.S., Illinois—County Marriages, 1810–1934 [Part A]	English	93%
U.S., Indiana, Elkhart County—Marriages, 1811–1959	English	(New)
U.S., Iowa—County Births, 1880–1935 [Part A]	English	25%
U.S., Iowa—County Marriages, 1838–1992 [Part A]	English	73%
U.S., Massachusetts—1930 Federal Census	English	(New)
U.S., Michigan—1930 Federal Census	English	(New)
U.S., Michigan—County Marriages, 1820–1956 [Part A]	English	(New)
U.S., Minnesota—County Marriages, 1860–1949 [Part A]	English	83%
U.S., New Jersey—County Marriages, 1682–1956 [Part 1]	English	29%
U.S., New York—1892 State Census [Part 2]	English	67%
U.S., New York—Marriage Licenses, 1908–1938 [Part A]	English	46%
U.S., New York—Marriages, 1908–1935 [Part A]	English	47%
U.S., New York—WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1942	English	(New)
U.S., North Carolina—1930 Federal Census	English	(New)
U.S., North Carolina—County Marriages, 1762–1959 [Part B]	English	39%
U.S., North Carolina—Freedmen Letters, 1862–1870	English	32%
U.S., Oklahoma—County Marriages, 1891–1959 [Part B]	English	91%
U.S., Oklahoma—Land Allotment Records, 1899–1907 [Part B]	English	9%
U.S., Puerto Rico—1910 Censo Federal (U.S., Puerto Rico—1910 Federal Census)	Spanish	25%
U.S., Puerto Rico—Nacimientos Civiles, 1836–1930 [Parte B] (U.S., Puerto Rico—Civil Births, 1836–1930 [Part B])	Spanish	8%
U.S., Tennessee—County Marriages, 1790–1950 [Part B]	English	29%
U.S., Tennessee—County Marriages, 1790–1950 [Part C]	English	62%
U.S., Texas—Birth Records, 1903-1934 [Part D]	English	79%
U.S., Texas—County Marriages, 1837–1977 [Part B]	English	70%
U.S., Vermont—Vital Records, 1760–1954 [Part B]	English	(New)
Venezuela—Nacimientos Civiles, 1873–1909 (Venezuela—Civil Births, 1873–1909)	Spanish	3%
Venezuela, Mérida—Registros Parroquiales, 1654–1992 [Parte 2] (Venezuela, Merida—Parish Registers, 1654–1992 [Part 2])	Spanish	39%
Österreich, Wiener Meldezettel, 1890–1925 (Austria, Vienna—Population Cards, 1890–1925)	German	40%
Украина, Киев—Метрические книги русской православной церкви, 1843–1845 [Часть B] (Ukraine, Kiev—Orthodox Consistory Church Books, 1843–1845 [Part B])	Russian	50%

Current FamilySearch Partner Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion

België—Burgerlijke Stand, 1851–1900 [Deel 3A] (Belgium—Civil Registration, 1851–1900 [Part 3A])	Dutch, Flemish	10%
Belgique—Registres Civile, 1851–1900 [Partie A] (Belgium—Civil Registration, 1851–1900 [Part A])	French	78%
Brasil, Minas Gerais—Church Records, 1706-1952	Portuguese	1%
Canada, Ontario, Toronto—Trust Cemeteries, 1826–1935	English	22%
Deutschland, Westfalen, Minden—Volkszählung, 1880–1900 (Germany, Westphalia, Minden—City Censuses, 1880–1900)	German	12%
España, Avila, Barroman—Registros Parroquiales, 1550–1930 (Spain, Avila, Barroman—Parish Registers, 1550–1930)	Spanish	47%
España, Malaga—Registros Civiles, 1846–1870 (Spain, Malaga—Civil Registration, 1846–1870)	Spanish	54%
France, Quimper et Leon, Brest, Saint Pierre—Registres Paroissiaux, 1772–1909 (France, Quimper et Leon, Brest, Saint Pierre—Parish Registers, 1772–1909)	French	(New)
Norway—1875 Census [Part B]	Norwegian	78%
Philippines, Lingayen, Dagupan—Registros Parroquiales, 1615–1982 (Philippines, Lingayen, Dagupan—Church Registers, 1615–1982)	Spanish	87%
Polska—Księgi Metrykalne—Diecezja Lublin, 1902–1945 (Poland, Lublin Diocese—Church Books, 1902–1945)	Polish	54%
U.K., Norfolk—Parish Registers, 1538–1900	English	67%
U.S., Colorado—1885 State Census	English	3%
U.S., Ohio—Tax Records, Post 1825 [Part 4]	English	36%
U.S., Utah, Salt Lake County—Birth Registers, 1890–1908	English	69%
U.S., Utah, Salt Lake County—Death Registers, 1848–1940	English	33%

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. FamilySearch is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 126 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mark Your Calendars - UVPAFUG Meeting!

UTAH VALLEY PAF USERS GROUP MEETING *

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley PAF (Personal Ancestral File) Users Group will be on Saturday, 12 Feb 2011, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. Information about the Users Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on the Group website http://uvpafug.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvpafug.org/ . The main presentation for this meeting will be by Ron Tanner on THE FUTURE OF NEW FAMILYSEARCH. This will be a description of what is happening lately on the new.familysearch.org website and the planned integration of new.familysearch.org into www.familysearch.org. We will also discuss the vision of new.familysearch.org and how we are working to achieve this vision. The vision works to resolve some of the frustrations experienced by all users such as fixing or removing bad data, fixing relationships, sourcing, combining and separating, and recovering when someone messes up the data.

Ron Tanner is a Product Manager for the Family History Department of the LDS Church and assists in the research and design of new FamilySearch and companion products. Currently Ron's assignments include overall product delivery for new.familysearch.org, the Asia rollout, and future product direction for FamilySearch. Ron has a Master's Degree in Computer Science from BYU and has previously worked as a product manager and engineer at Novell, Citrix, and Bell Laboratories. Ron and his wife CheRee live in Provo and have four children.
Following the main presentation there will be several classes about family history and technology with something for everyone at any level of expertise. The teachers and classes presently scheduled for this meeting are as follows: 

1. Techniques & Tools for Streamlining Your Research, by Laurie Castillo
2. MAC: Uploading to Ancestry and Creating a Web Site, by Ron Snowden
3. Personalized Help, by Claudia Benson & Finn Hansen
4. Q&A: The Future of New FamilySearch, by Ron Tanner
5. Video of last month's main presentation: ePublishing, by Barbara Renick
6. Ancestral Quest, by Merlin Kitchen
7. Legacy, by Joel Graham
8. RootsMagic, by Diana Olsen.

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. *The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. 

Meet Thomas MacEntee - Speaker at RootsTech Conference

As you may have noticed on my blog I'm an official blogger for the RootsTech Conference being held in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Salt Palace next week, February 10-12, 2011.

What a great opportunity I had to interview Thomas MacEntee who is one of the presenters/ speakers/ facilitators at RootsTech! Just in case you have always wondered, he pronounces his surname with the emphasis on the EN. (mac-EN-tee). It's kind of like spa-GE-tee!  I hope he likes the association!

Thomas, you are the mind behind GeneaBloggers, an internet blog that helps other bloggers throughout the genealogical community. Can you tell us about yourself, your blog purpose, and why you have an interest in presenting at RootsTech?

·         I started blogging in late 2006 to capture family stories as my mother’s early on-set Alzheimer’s Disease progressed. At that time I became aware of other bloggers also memorializing their family members and ancestors with a focus on genealogy.

·         Up until late 2008, I worked in the information technology field so I was quite adept at the Internet and various computer programs.  But working for global law firms never allowed me to use some of the newer 21st century technologies including blogs and other forms of social media.

·         In mid-2008, when more and more genealogy and genealogy blogging folks got on Facebook, I realized there was enough of a momentum to start GeneaBloggers. I did so in January 2009 and it has flourished ever since. While we had 400 genealogy and family history blogs at that time, we now list over 1,600 from around the world.

·        When I was laid off in 2008, I decided to “repurpose” myself by converting my hobby – genealogy – from passion to a business. With my certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University which I earned in 2010, I decided to start my own business High-Definition Genealogy.

·        One aspect of my business draws from my many years’ experience as a technical trainer – I now travel all over the United States and Canada teaching genealogists and genealogical societies how they can leverage technology to improve the genealogy experience.  I also teach online webinars from the comfort of my home in Chicago using virtual presentation technology.

·       I’m presenting three panel discussions at RootsTech so attendees can learn more about the issues involved with certain technologies currently being used by the genealogy community. 

  As you mentioned you are presenting three different sessions or panel discussions at RootsTech, one each day. Your Thursday session is "Self-Publishing for Genealogists and Genealogical Societies". Who might benefit from this session and why? Are you focusing on publishing your own genealogy or on writing skills?

The focus for the self-publishing panel is not on how to write or how to acquire those skills but more on how to take a finished work and produce a published book. The publishing landscape has really changed in the past five years and now authors can self-publish, offer print-on-demand services to their customers, and even create “e-books” for platforms such as the Kindle or the Nook. Genealogical society leaders will want to attend so they can learn how to convert their current publications over to a more efficient publishing model.

In your Friday session on “Genealogy Blogs” you will be facilitating a panel discussion  with other bloggers. Is this session strictly for current genealogy bloggers? If not, why should others attend? Are you teaching attendees how to blog, why to blog, or how to utilize blogs?

The actual title is “Genealogy Blogs: Impact and Influence in the Genealogy Community” and there will be a panel of several leading genealogy bloggers including DearMYRTLE. Given that most RootsTech attendees are of the “techie” type and have a knowledge of blogs, the discussion will focus on why a genealogist or genealogical society should have a blog among other topics. The main focus will be discussing how the presence of genealogy blogs have influenced the genealogy industry over the past three years and what the future holds for the partnership of blogging and genealogy.

Your Saturday session is "Virtual Presentations Roundtable." Can you explain what a roundtable is and why attendees might be interested in this format?

I am very excited about this session not only because it will feature genealogists currently using virtual presentation technology, but the entire session will be broadcast as a live webinar by Legacy Family Tree Webinars. If you’ve ever wondered how you could deliver genealogy educational content to people all over the world, this is the session where we explain the technology and also use it at the same time – talking the talk and walking the walk!

With all your expertise in the genealogical community, I'd like your opinion about attending RootsTech. There are people out there who cannot attend RootsTech this year but want to, while others may be questioning whether they might benefit from attending. Why should a genealogy beginner attend RootsTech? Why should experts still plan to attend?

A genealogy beginner should attend RootsTech to understand that this is not your grandmother’s genealogy – meaning we won’t be donning presentation gowns, opera gloves and discussing pedigrees. The new genealogist knows how to use all the latest technology not only to improve the “hunt” but also to make the entire search for ancestors a 3-dimensional experience.

Genealogy experts need to attend to be able to keep their ear to the rail and learn what others are using as they work with clients or with societies and organizations.  It is so easy these days – especially with telecommuting – to exist in a vacuum which can lead to a technology knowledge lag. For me, the networking opportunities and the ability to share ideas is the most promising aspect of RootsTech.

What do you want attendees of your sessions and RootsTech in general to take with them from their experience at RootsTech?

I want attendees – as well as those following RootsTech from afar via live blogging and other social media – to understand that we are at a critical juncture in the genealogy industry. We have to be ahead of the curve on current and developing technologies instead of traditionally being behind that big tidal wave. The next few years are critical. Genealogists and genealogical societies can no longer afford to ignore the technology that can help extend their reach and improve their research methods.

Thanks Thomas and we look forward to hearing from you at RootsTech!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now back to my original comment about the pronunciation of Thomas' surname... Thomas told me that there is a genealogy story behind the pronunciation: the original surname was McEntee (which is why he pronounces it that way). The story goes that his great-grandfather Elmer McEntee changed it to MacEntee around 1900 so he could get work. At that time there was quite a bit of anti-Irish sentiment in New York so he decided to make the surname look like a Scots surname.

This is a prime example of why I tell people to never rely on the spelling of a name to determine who your ancestors might be! 

If you haven't already done so, give some serious consideration to attending RootsTech next week. You won't be sorry!

Disclosure: I have been designated as a RootsTech Official Blogger which entitles me to free registration and other perks.  Follow this blog and Twitter for updates live from the conference.

Browsing Historical Microfilmed Records

By now most of you know that you can search MILLIONS of historical microfilmed records online for FREE at FamilySearch.org. These records have been indexed and you can search by name, dates, and places.  But did you know that you can SEE many more historical records online that have not yet been completely indexed? They have been WAYPOINTED!

So what is waypointing? Waypointing is a new tool being used by FamilySearch that allows approved users to "markup" or "waypoint" a microfilm digitally. The name of the database, the type of data, and the date ranges are all marked or indexed for that particular film. Then the database is uploaded to FamilySearch. You can't SEARCH on these images but you can BROWSE through them, find your ancestor and copy the images. You might have to scroll through hundreds of images, but all the images are for a certain record type, location and time frame. Just think, you don't have to order the film, wait for it, and then go to a Family History Center to view it. You can search these films right from your computer at home, any time of the day. Eventually, these records will be completely indexed and searchable by name.

To find these records go to https://www.familysearch.org/ and locate the "Browse by Location" link. This will allow you to filter your search by Place, Date or Category. Or you can simply Search for the record type.

Filtering down to specific location collections you will see a list of the record sets that are available in FamilySearch for that area.

Further scrolling will reveal  collections that say "Browse Images". Selecting one of these will display the actual images from the record set. These records are not searchable by name, but can be browsed to find your ancestors.

So don't rely just on the indexed records, try the "Browse" images, too! Remember that the more we all index and waypoint the faster we will have MILLIONS more records available to us for free! Happy hunting for your ancestors!

If you want to get involved with FamilySearch indexing, click here.

Free Ancestry.com Data

I know, you wish that everyone could afford their own subscription to Ancestry.com but we know that's not possible. Even when visiting your local Family History Center you can access some data from Ancestry.com, but not all. Currently you have to use a subscription at your local library or one of the Family History Libraries for more complete access to the Ancestry.com databases.

However, there are over 260 FREE databases with information that might help you with your genealogical research and you can use them from the comfort of your home. You have FREE access to the indexes and in just a few cases you have the images. Then you ask, "What will indexes tell me when I can't see the images". Typically you get more clues and some direct evidence to help you piece together your jigsaw family history puzzle. But the trick here is to maximize your time and energy BEFORE you travel to your local library or Family History Center. Spending some time making your way through the free indexes and documenting what you find will help you do some final searching of the databases later, in less time.

The Ancestry Insider has put together a terrific spreadsheet of all the free databases on Ancestry.com, complete with links to each database. Check out the AI's list here. Utilize the data and then take your trip.