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OXLADE FAMILY HISTORY
RESEARCH HINTS
LINK TO CONTENTS
While I have not used it myself, I understand that the FREE Personal Ancestral File Programme available at the LDS Site http://www.familysearch.org/ is an excellent programme to use. To download a copy, go to the above address, on the right hand side of the page Scroll down to Free Family History Software, which is printed on a pale yellow background, Click on Download PAF written in blue.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) have published many records which they make freely available to all researchers. Their best known set of records are the 1881 U.K Census and the International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.)
THIS IS AN INDEX AND IS NOT COMPLETE.
However, it does hold many records of Births and Marriages and a few Deaths. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONFIRM THESE ENTRIES WITH OTHER RESEARCH. This is because many of the entries are submitted by Church Members and Patrons who have varying degrees of research experience.
Family History Research is an ongoing process and many things which appear "set in stone" change as new records and information become available.
The I.G.I. is available on the Internet and at LDS Libraries in many countries. The Libraries are listed in the phone book under Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These Libraries hold lots of other information and they are able to order films of records from the LDS Salt Lake City Library in Utah. The films cost patrons very little to hire and are very worthwhile. The Internet Site Family Search has the Libraries Listed in easy to find format.
Other Internet resources for Family History research are:
1.RootsWeb – A very large free service which is provided by volunteers.
2.Ancestry.com – Access by subscription. It has a large database and is particularly useful for the 1841-1901 U.K. Census.
3.Family History Online – Fee for Service. Run by the Society of Genealogists which has gathered together records from many other Family History Societies.
4.1837 Online – Fee for Service. It has an Index of the U.K. Births Marriages and Deaths from 1837 – to present. The information contained in the Index is needed for the purchase of U.K. B.M.D. Certificates.
5.British Origins – Fee for Service. Many records which are not readily available elsewhere:
Marriage Licence Allegations Index - Faculty Office (1701-1850)
Boyds Marriage Index (1538-1840) Ongoing project
Bank of England Will Extracts Index (1717-1845)
Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills Index (1750-1800)
Archdeaconry Court of London Wills Index (1700-1807)
York Medieval Probate Index (1267-1500)
York Peculiars Probate Index (1383-1883)
London Apprenticeship Abstracts (1442-1850)
London Consistory Court Depositions Index (1700-1713)
Inheritance Disputes Index (1574-1714)
Boyd's London Burials Index (1538-1840)
England and Wales Census 1871
England and Wales Census 1841
Militia Attestations Index (1886-1910)
Trinity House Calendars (1787-1854)
Last name ONLY datasets
Marriage Licence Allegations Index - Vicar-General (1694- 1850)
OXON
* The following is a simplified summary of what is available where in Oxford for family historians. Sorry to frustrate you if you live beyond visiting distance of Oxford, but both places I am describing have e-mail addresses,so read on!
The "Oxfordshire Archives" (the OA), in County Hall, holds the primaryrecords, plus copies of such local records as have been microformed or transcribed. Entrance is free, onproduction of a CARN ticket.
The "Centre for Oxfordshire Studies" (the COS), in Oxford CentralLibrary, has a much larger area for public use, with plenty of microfilm and fiche readers, and is also free. They also hold copies of microformedor transcribed local records, plus other country-wide sources on fiche. Some other aspects of their holdings are Oxfordshire newspapers (onmicrofilm), a photographic archive dating from the 1850's, and an oralhistory archive.
Thus:-
+Parish registers - transcripts, mostly indexed, (many thanks to thevolunteers of the OFHS), are held at both and the OA has the originals and the Bishops Transcripts.
+Oxfordshire wills - many but not all are now on microfilm held at both,but the originals are at the OA.
+Court records including Oxfordshire quarter sessions (plus Oldfield'sindex to all names in the quarter Sessions1687 -1830) - held at OA
+Parish records (eg settlement certificates, bastardy bonds,
apprenticeship indentures) - are at the OA
+Maps - printed maps, both historic and Ordnance survey at a wide variety of scales, and copies of estate, tithe & enclosure maps are at the COS, and originals of estate, tithe & enclosure maps are at the OA.
+Censuses - Oxfordshire 1841 - 1891 enumerators' returns, and surname indexes for 1851, 71, 81 & 91, at both (microfiche, some indexes printed)
+1881 census surname index for England & Wales - is at the COS(microfiche)
+GRO index of B,M,D 1837 - 1992 - is at the COS (microfiche). They also have additional indexes for OVERSEAS and SERVICE births, marriages & deaths.
+Principal Probate Registry Calendar of
Wills 1858 - 1957 - is at the COS (microfiche)
+Oxfordshire Marriage Index 1538 - 1837 - is at COS & OA (microfiche)
+IGI - COS has 1992 edition, OA has 1988 edition.
This is very much the "tip of the iceberg" of each's holdings, and both have extensive card indexes to tempt the curious!
Each is contactable by e-mail or snail mail, but these are nevertheless
answered in order of arrival. They may be contacted by phone, but the types of queries they can offer over the phone are very limited. They bothrequest that you limit such enquiries togeneral information on theirholdings and the content of sources.
*Neither the COS nor the OA can do free research for you!*
They will check whether a particular item is in stock, and check whether they hold resources on a person, place, or topic. Beyond that, any further research is chargeable in advance, or they can let you have a list of professional researchers.
Addresses are:-
The Centre for Oxfordshire Studies
Central Library
Westgate
OXFORD
OX1 1DJ
open Mon,Tues, Thurs - Sat
Tel - 01865 815749
E-mail - cos.occdla@dial.pipex.com
Oxfordshire Archives
County Hall New Road
OXFORD
OX1 1ND
open Mon - Thurs
Tel - 01865 - 815203
E-mail – archives.occdla@dial.pipex.com
More details of the holdings of the COS are on http://www.earl.org.uk/familia/services/oxfords.html
If you intend to make a visit to either and hope to use a microfiche/filmreader, it is recommended to book in advance. There is a small fee. Ifvisiting OA, please book a seat in any event, and discuss your possiblerequirements. It may be going to be shut for part of a day, or material may need to be brought in from outside. Copying of paper, film, fiche, or original documents is available, subject to condition, at both COS & OA.
I hope this has given you an introduction to what is available. Both centres have very friendly & helpful staff, who are keen to help you make the most of their resources.
Although COS has more on microfilm than OA, where OA has microfilm copies they often hold the originals as well. The professional staff there havebeen specifically trained and have the skills to offer additional interpretations/advice on the nature of the original material that perhaps the staff at COS are not able to do.
The following is a very helpful guide to starting research :
"Ten Easy Steps Up the Family Tree " - "Your Great Great Great Granddaughter Is Looking For You " both by Kathleen Mirabella
If you are a beginner in family history research, this is a MUST READ.
Start with yourself and your immediate family, and find birth certificates, baptismal or other church records, marriage certificates, death certificates, and obituaries for your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. If some of these documents are unavailable, start with what you and your surviving family members know.
2. On a sheet of paper write your parents' complete names, including your mother's maiden name. (For the sheet of paper, try a Family Group Record printed out from your browser file print.) Record the middle names, but try not to use initials. Include any nicknames they may have used. List dates and locations of births, marriages, deaths, and burials. Stop and ask yourself, "Did I check those dates for accuracy?" And, record the truth. An illegitimate birth or a birth occurring six months after a marriage is a fact in family history research and should be recorded truthfully and accurately. When listing locations, include the city, county, state and country.(For the U.K go to the Genuki site for the correct abbreviations)
List dates as 3 Feb 1884 (the American style of recording dates can cause confusion) or February 3, 1884, not 2-3-1884 which could be interpreted as February 3, 1884 or March 2, 1884.
For your brothers, sisters, and yourself, list complete names inorder of birth, including dates and locations of events as you did for yourparents.
3. For your mother, list her parents and repeat step #2 for her family. Then do the same for your father's family.
4. Try to do the same for your grandparents and great grandparents, and so on for as many generations as you can.
5. Contact family members who may be able to help with missing information. Call ahead and tell your relative the reason for your visit. This will give the person time to search the attic for old pictures and other family treasures. Be prepared with questions to ask. Besides the missing dates and locations, ask them about their parents,grandparents, favorite vacations, earliest memories, childhood, etc.
To help in the recording of information, bring pencils, camera, and a tape recorder. Tape recorder? Caution! When you call for
that visit, ask if you can use the tape recorder.Don't offend the person and cause him or her to "clam up." If you are able to use a taperecorder, you will not have to stop in themiddle of a story to take notes. PLEASE make sure the recorder works and is loaded
with fresh batteries and a blank tape.
Ask if you can photocopy documents, letters, family Bibles, obituaries, pictures, etc. Copy everything. That old letter might not seem important but could hold the clue you need in the future.
Be patient! It might take several trips to the same home before you really get all the information.
Note: Some people, especially elderly ones, are very very protective of their old and treasureddocuments. They may not let you out of the housewith their papers to make xerox copies. It is nice if you own a portable copier, but if you don't, find out before hand where you can make copies if you're too far away from your home base. If you have aspouse, other relative, or friend with you, offer to leave thatperson at the house to guarantee the safe return
of papers.
6. Begin to identify photos. Use a soft lead pencil, never harder than a #2 lead. In the margins onthe back of pictures, write complete names, location, date, and occasion. Never use a pen
or write in the center of the photo. Bring your pencil when visiting relatives and ask them to label their photographs.
With luck you might inherit their photographs.
7. When requesting information by mail, always include a LARGE self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and offer to pay
copying and mailing costs. Quoting a researcher about requests by mail, "You would be surprised how many times I have received a small envelope for me to return pages of material."
If someone sends you information, even if it is not your family, send them a thank you note along with stamps to cover their postage.
8. The most common mistake beginners make is not documenting where they found information. PLEASE, documentyour sources. Ten years from now you will wonder, "Where did I find Aunt Rita’s birth date?"
9. Visit the genealogy section of your public library. Ask the reference librarian where the genealogy section is located.
10. Join a genealogical or historical society in your area. Even if you have no ancestors from the area, you will find others interested in the same hobby, and you can learn from them. If you need assistance in locating a society, please contact Kathleen Mirabella.
"Your Great Great Great Granddaughter Is Looking For You" by Kathleen Mirabella
The year is 2060. Your great grandson John, and his wife, Elizabeth, are in their small two bedroom apartment preparing for
the arrival of their first child. There is barely enough space in the second bedroom for a crib and small dresser. The closet is stuffed with boxes of old notebooks and books that Johnhad received from his grandfather. John hadnever looked in the boxes. His grandfather had told him the boxes contained family research done by his father and mother. John and Elizabeth considered it junk, they needed the closet space for the baby,so on recycling day your work of 30 years was thrown away.
The year is 2110. Your great great great granddaughter, Catherine, at age 25, has begun to trace herFamily History. She had heard stories that one of her ancestorshad traced the family backsixteen generations. No familymember knew where these
research records might be. Her grandparents, John and Elizabeth, had died before she was born. Her Aunt statedthe family had come to America on the Mayflower. There was also the story about the family being in Macoupin County, IL, for five generations. Utilizing the Macoupin County, IL Home Page she decided to visit the Staunton Public Library. She looked through all the index
cards and files. Nothing! She did not give up.
She drove to the Carlinville Library. Nothing! She searched the Macoupin
County Historical Library. Nothing! She could not comprehend how someone could do years of research and not leave copies of their work at a library. She left Macoupin County disappointed.
The year is 1999. You can change the ending of Catherine’s trip to the Staunton Public Library. Round up your bible records,
birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, military records, pictures, handwritten notes, typewritten notes, computer generated notes, family group sheets, and anything else you have. Make a copy of everything for Catherine. She does not need a professionally completed book. We all know our research is never done. Place everything in a binder and send it to the Macoupin County Genealogical Society.
If you listen carefully, you can hear Catherine’s scream of excitement when she finds your gift to her.
Send Catherine’s gift to:
Macoupin County Genealogical Society
PO Box 95
Staunton, IL 62088-0095
Note: Each year send an update of your research to the Macoupin County Genealogical
Society for Catherine.
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Macoupin County, Illinois Homepage
Last updated Wednesday, 10-Feb-1999
15:42:44 PST
Macoupin County ILGenWeb© Climbing the Family Tree
copyright 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data and images maybe used bynon-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or for other presentation without express permission by the contributor.
If you are new to Genealogy you might find the following helpful:
Family Treemaker OXLADE Home Page http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/
r/o/g/Susan-M-Rogers/index.html (Free)
OXLADE Tree at ROOTSWEB http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=oxladefamhist (Free)
Good quality Family History Programme at http://www.familysearch.org/ (Free)
Ancestry.com http://ancestry.com/search/
Very Good for U.K.Census: 18411851 1861 1871 1881189 1901 (Subscription)
Civil Registration Index 1837 http://www.1837online.com/Trace2web/ (Fee for Service)
Durham Research http://www.durhamrecordsonline.com/search.php
Family History Online https://www.familyhistoryonline.net/login/login.html (Fee for Service)
Family Search http://www.familysearch.org/ (Free)
Free BMD http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/( Free)
GENUKI http://www.genuki.org.uk/ (Free)
Historical Directories http://www.historicaldirectories.org/ (Free)
I.G. I. http://www.familysearch.org/ (Free)
National Archives http://www.nationalarchivist.com/genealogy/nav/title.gif (Free)
Origins http://www.originsearch.com/index.aspx (Fee for Service)
Parish Chest http://www.parishchest.com/ (Fee for service)
Parish Locator http://www.britishislesgenweb.org/location.html (Free)
Public Records http://www.documentsonline.pro.gov.uk/ (Free )
Rootsweb http://www.rootsweb.com/ ( Free)
1901 Census (Fee for service) many errors in spelling so you need to look in a round about way i.e. Christian name,d.o.b. and place of birth leaving out surname.Not easy unless you have less well used surnames
EXTRACTED From Australian Net Guide September 2004
PAGES 74-83
THE OMNIPAGING HASN'T BEEN COMPLETELYSUCCESSFUL BUT CAREFUL READINGSHOULD REVEAL ALL.
WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
Is an L.D.S. Site which is very useful,probably the best for beginners
DON'T REINVENT THE WHEEL
WORLDCONNECT.
ROOTSWEB.COM
There are 324 million names on this database - 'must look at' site if you think you're the only one out there with an interest in your particular family. But use theinformation carefully - lots of enthusiastic people have loaded information without checking their facts as thoroughly as we'd like.
GATEWAY SITES
These are the sites you go to when you don't know where else to look
WWW.CYNDISLIST.COM
The best-known gateway site in the world. USbased, but certainly the place to go if you're looking for leads on'slightly off the beaten track' genealogy sites. Use the subject search feature or just browse the alphabetical list. Over 235,000 links
WWW.CORAWEB.COM.AU
Cora Num's hugely popular site is designed for Australian family historians. Use the topic search or sort by state.Num's published version, Websites for Genealogists, is also availablefrom genealogical booksellers and societies if you'd prefer to doyour surfing offline.
BIRTHS, DEATHS &MARRIAGES IN AUSTRALIA
NSW.GOV.AU
The NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages has free online indexes to NSW birth records
from 1788 to 1905 and deaths and marriages from 1788 to 1945. You can order certificates online for $22.50 ($29 if you order without the index number). But don't rely on the indexes to build your family tree - you need to see the full certificate to determine if the person you've found is really yours.
WWW.JUSTICE VIC.GOV.AU
The Victorian Registry is the first to offer online electronic delivery of documents, but their indexes aren't free.You pay to search the indexes, then you can order a copy of the record online and have it sent to you by email. This costs $17.50 (the same price as having a print copy posted to you).
WWW.RGO.ACT.GOV.AU
A little-known listing of all the deaths that have occurred in the ACT from 1930 to 1973 is available under'Historical Deaths Indexes' on this site. Free to search and set out like an Excel spreadsheet, it isn't very user-friendly,but it might help you find a few more ancestors.
OTHER AUSTRALIAN STATES
Not all States have searchable online records, but their sites are still very helpful and you can download application forms.
W W W.NT.GOV.AU/JUSTICE/ GRAPHPAGES/BDM
The Northern Territory government's Web site gives information on obtaining certificates, prices and so on.
WWW.JUSTICE.OLD.GOV.AU/BDM
The Queensland Registry has specific requirements for anyone wishing to obtain a BDM certificate, so it is a good idea toread the guidelines here before applying.
WWW.JUSTICE.TAS.GOV.AU/BDM/
The Tasmanian site shows examples of certificates, has downloadable forms and more.
WWW.JUSTICE.WA.GOV.AU
From the main site, you can downloadapplication forms and check fee.
ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF AUSTRALIAN BIRTHS, DEATHS & MARRIAGES
WWW.ROOTSWEB.COM/-NSWSDPS/
One of the most impressive cooperative ventures to be found on the Internet. Volunteers from
the Dead Persons Society have worked to make available online indexes to the death notices
of The Sydney Morning Heraldand other newspapers from the current day - and they are working backwards
at a great rate. This is a good way to collect a few more dead relatives to add to the family tree. Almost 750,000 entries to
search.80
WWW.FREEBMD.ORG.UK******I HAVE EXTRACTED ALL OXLADEs 1837-1942 from EnglishB.M.D. Records ***************
The biggest cooperative venture by family historians to be found on the Internet,this site contains the indexes to births, deaths and marriages (BDMs) in England and Wales which have been rekeyed by genealogists to help others track down an entry of interest. Not complete, but a useful graph of 'progress to date' will quickly help you see what has been done. Coverage is for indexes to BDMs for
England and , Wales 1837 to 1983
WWW.SAG.ORG.AU
This is a good example of the type of onlinehelp you can get from family history societies. Beginners can get guidance with researchoutlines on a variety of topics, and cataloguescan be searched for items held in the collectionas well as databases of convict records, Sydney street names, British regiments in
Australiaand more. There's also an onlinebookshop and free monthly electronicnewsletter to keep you up to date with everything happening in family history in Australia and around the world.
CLASSIFIEDS.NEWS.COM.AU
A similar listing for the News Corporation papers, includingThe Australian, The Courier Mail and
The Adelaide Advertiser.
-- CLASSIFIEDS.FAIRFAX.COM.AU/
II Keep up to date with recent BDM announcements from Fairfax-published newspapers - The Sydney Morning Herald and The Melbourne Age included. Online database of personal notices for the
last week.
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ARCHIVES & LIBRARIES
The state libraries and archives have excellent Web sites that are well worth the visit. Here are a few to look at.
-- WWW.NLA.GOV.AU
The National Library of Australia - search its catalogues, visit its help pages on tracing family history and use its Web linksfeatures.
WWW.NAA.GOV.AU
One of the gems of government sites for family historians - use Record Search' to find entries of interest. Especially good for WWI personnel records and for researching post-W W II immigrants.
WWW.SL.NSW.GOV.AU
The NSW State library Web site will help you track down books, newspapers and pictorial collections it holds.
WWW.ARCHIVES.QLD,GOV.AU/ RESEARCH/INDEXES.ASP
The Queensland State Archives has some useful online indexes, including probate,teachers, divorce and inquests.
WWW.ARCHIVES.TAS.GOV.AU
This Web site has online indexes to convictrecords, divorces, naturalisations and
census records.
WWW.PROV.VIC.GOV.AU
The Public Record Office of Victoria has recently revamped its Web site and now includes new online databases as well as digitised images of historical records. These include immigration,education, divorce, gaol and asylum records.
- WWW.SRO.WA.GOV.AU
Click on 'The Collection' to view handy guides to various topics that also indicate if material is available on CD or microfiche.
W W W.ARCHIVES.SA.GOV.AU
State Records of South Australia - online research guides are listed by topic under'Family History'.
FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETIES
WWW.AFFHO.ORG
The Australasian Federation of Family History Societies Inc has links for all its member societies - you can search by region or by society name.
WWW.FFHS.ORG.UK
The UK Federation of Family History societies has links to all its member society Web sites available.
WWW.FEEFHS.ORG
The Federation of East European Family History Society - includes links to all its member societies.
WWW.ONE-NAME.ORG
Search the online database of registered surnames to see if there is a society for the name you are researching. It might stop you reinventing the wheel.
77
WWW.AAGRA.ASN.AU
Online directory of members of the Australasian Association of Genealogist and Record Agents - a good way to track down those who can help do work for you.
WWW.AGRA.ORG.UK
Need someone who can read 16th-century Latin manuscripts, or who knows 18th-century British military records backwards? This site will help you locate the researcher you need in the UK.
SHIPPING
-WWW.RECORDS.NSW.GOV.AU/ INDEXES/SHIPPING.HTM
Includes online indexes to assisted immigrants arriving in Sydney from 1844 to 1896 and to
Port Phillip (Melbourne) from 1839 to 1851.
MARINERS.RECORDS.NSW.GOV.AU
4
Hosted by the State Records Authority of NSW, this site contains indexes and images
of selected passenger arrivals in NSW, mostly for the 1870s.
WWW.ANMM.GOV.AU/LIB/PICTURES.HTM
The Australian National Maritime Museum site includes guides provided by its Research Library. PDF versions of indexes to ship illustrations taken from The Illustrated London News from 1842 to 1891 and The Illustrated Sydney News from 1853 to 1889 are among the offerings.
CONVICTS
WWW.RECORDS.NSW.GOV.AU/
INDEXES/CONVICTS/CONVICT
RECORDS.HTM
The best site to visit for NSW convictresearch is the one belonging to the State Records Authority of NSW - the custodian of the most important original documents. On this site, you'll find access to various databases leading to tickets of leave, passports, bank accounts, and all sorts of listings for your criminal ancestors.
- = WWW.CONVICTCENTRAL.COM/
INDEX.HTML
Hosted by Perth Dead Persons Society, this is a good place to start if you want to get a grasp
of the convict system in Australia and learn about online records.
-4 WWW.NATIONALARCHIVES.IE/TOPICS/TRANSPORTATION/SEARCH01.HTML
The online index to the Irish Transportation Database, this listing is useful for finding
Irish ancestors sentenced to transportation to the Australian colonies from 1791 to
1868.Especially good for Western Australian and Tasmanian convict research.
.WWW.OLDBAILEYONLINE.ORG
If your ancestor was sentenced at the famous Old Bailey Court in London, this site is a must-and it is worth looking at in case your person appeared as a victim of crime, or even a witness. Current coverageis from 1674 to 1799.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Don't forget to illustrate the family history and to put those family members into context. Use these sites to help.
WWW.PICTUREAUSTRALIA.ORG
Over 1 million images online! A great way totrack down that photograph to add contextto your family history. You can download a viewable image and order a print copy online.
- WWW.SL.NSW.GOV.AU/PICMAN
The State Library of NSW's photographic and manuscript collection catalogue.
Thumbnail images available online andcopies can be ordered. -
WWW.IMAGESOFENGLAND.ORG.UK
More than 370,000 images available online of England's listed buildings. Remember, the 17th-century cottage your ancestors lived in may well be classified -and a n image may be available to view right here!
MAPS & PLACE NAMES
11 W W W.LPI.NSW.GOV.AU/MAPS
View all available historic parish,town, county, pastoral and municipal maps for NSW. There are 35,000 to choose from.
-WWW.OLD-MAPS.CO.UK
This site helps you find historic maps of areas of interest, and then plot that place on a modern ordinance survey map. You can even download an aerial image.Great if you are planning a visit
to the area!
W W W.GA.GOV.AU/MAP/NAMES/
This Geoscience Australia site allows a search of 310,000 Australian place names from The Australasian
Gazetteer.
WWW.NRME.QLD.GOV.AU/PROPERTY/PLACENAMES.HTML
Queensland place names.
WWW.VICNAMES.VIC
.GOV.AUVictorian Government
Web site showing place names.
CEMETERIES
WWW.OZGENONLINE.COM/ AUST_CEMETERIES/
Want to know if a cemetery has its records online? This alphabetical list of cemeteries gives links to onlinedatabases and volunteer look-up services.
WWW.ESMP.NSW.GOV.AU Eastern
Suburbs Memorial Park, formerly known as BotanyCemetery, and the Crematorium, both have online databases that allow you to pinpoint where a gravesite is before visiting.
CEMETERYINDEX.HTML
Hawkesbury district cemeteries, include transcriptions, photographs
and maps available online.
WWW.MCB.WA.GOV.AU
An online database provided by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board in Perth to a number of its cemeteries,including Karrakatta.
;= WWW.ENGLISHORIGINS.COM
This site gives access to the online collections of the Society of Genealogists in London for a fee.
Index is free to search; access is £6 for seven days.
-> BOOTH.LSE.AC.UK The Charles BoothArchive. Online access to the work of Charles Booth, who between1886 and 1903 conducted inquiries into the living conditions of the labouring poor of London. Maps and reports help discover what kind of a life your ancestor may have lived .
Ancestry.com
81
W W W.CAMBRIDGESHIRE.GOV.UK/SUB/
REGISTER/CAMBSINDEX.HTM
This is a wonderful example of work being done at the county level in the UK to make records available. BDMs from 1837 to 2003 online - more than 1 million records indexed already. Other counties are doing similar work.
SCOTLAND
WWW.SCOTLANDSPEOPLE.GOKUK
This is the official Web site of the Scottish government authorities responsible for births, deaths and marriages and also for census records. You can search the index for free, but then 'pay to view' the image. This costs £6, which allows you to view 30 credits over a 48-hour period. Includes parish register
material dating from pre-1855.
WWW.SCOTSFIND.ORG
Databases of Scottish records, which includes Edinburgh apprentices from 1583 to 1800, Edinburgh marriage registers from 1595 to 1800 and many other Scottish parish registersand historical records. Not asslick as some sites, but worth a look.
WWW.SCAN.ORG.UK
Access the catalogues of 52 Scottish archives and libraries through this site.
WWW.SCOTTISHDOCUMENTS.COM
Free searches of 520,000 Scottish wills and testaments from 1500 to 1901 available here. You can then
purchase a digitised image for £5.
WWW.SCOTTISHHANDWRITING.COM
A free site provided by the Scottish Archive Network, this one gives online tuition in reading Scottish documents for the period 1500 to 1750. Not for the faint-hearted!
IRELAND
W W W.GRONLGOV.UK
The General Record Office for Northern Ireland site provides an online application service for births, deaths and marriagesin Northern Ireland, but there are no online indexes forsearching.
WWW.NATIONALARCHIVES.IE
This site helps provide useful fact sheets and background information on Irish research. A growing list of useful links is also worth exploring.
W W W.PRONLNICS.GOV.UK
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) Web site provides general information on its services, together with online indexes including lists of microfilmedChurch of Ireland and Presbyterian
Church records.
' WWW.IRISHORIGINS.COM
A'pay to view' site giving free searches on the indexes. Includes Griffith's Valuation 1847 to 1864.
WWW.OTHERDAYS.COM
Another pay to view' site, this one offers access to Griffith's Valuation as well as directories, clergy lists and maps. An upfrontsubscription is required to view the full record, but you can search the index for free.
OTHER SITES OF INTEREST
ABORIGINAL RESEARCH
WWW.AIATSIS.GOV.AU
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Web site includes handy fact sheets on how to trace Aboriginal ancestry and establish links with lost family members.
JEWISH GENEALOGY
WWW.JEWISHGEN.ORG
A great starting point if you are looking for sites to help you researchJewish genealogy. This one draws
together every imaginable site that might help.
BRITISH IN INDIA
WWW.MEMBERS.OZEMAIL.COM.AU/-CLDAY
This personal Web site will help Australians tracing theirancestry back through India,Burma, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It focuses on the British in India.
CANADA
W W W.GENEALOGY.GC.CA
Online databases for BDM records, census, land and immigration records hosted by the Canadian Archives and Library.
UNITED STATES
WWW.ELLISISLAND.ORG
Between 1892 and 1924, more than 22 million people entered the US through Ellis Island, its famous
immigration depot. Search the database on this site to see if your family name is listcd.
WWW.GENGATEWAR.COM
This site provides links for various topics. It is particularly good for tracking down online US census and military records, but some of the other topics will be worth browsing as well.
BOOKSHOPS & PUBLISHERS
WWW.GOULD.COM.AU
Gould Genealogy has been one of the big players in the family history market formany years, and stocks a huge range of CDs and book titles. Visit its Web site,subscribe to its free newsletter andbrowse the online catalogue - a greatway to source your own copy of an English census record or a specific book.
WWW.FAMILY-TREE.CO.UK
Family Tree Magazine is the most popular monthly magazine written for family historians. This Web site not only offers an online bookshop where you can buy a wide variety of books, but it also includes an online index to all the articles that have appeared in Family Tree Magazine over the years.
So, if you are looking for short articles or advice on topics as diverse as asylums in the UK or nurses in the Crimea, this might be the one for you to check.
FINDING PEOPLE - DON'T FORGET ABOUT LIVING FAMILY MEMBERS
WWW.INFOBEL.COM/TELDIR
A great way to find living descendants. Check the online phone books for hundreds
of countries through this site.
SOFTWARE
What program should you use? These sites might help you make up your mind.
W W W.GENEALOGY-SOFTWAREREVIEW.COM
This site does the work for you, comparing 10 of the top programs available.
WWW.LKESSLER.COM/GPLINKS.SHTML
This Web site aims to provide links to all types of useful information on software products, including online reviews, product pages and mailing lists.
WWW.LEISTERPRO.COM
Provides a free downloadable test version of Reunion software for the Macintosh computer.
FAMILYTREEMAKER.GENEALOGY.COM
FamilyTree Maker is one of the biggest-selling programs in the world.
W W W.LEGACYFAMILYTREE.COM
A full version of this software is availablefor download free of charge.
OURWORLD.COMPUSERVE.COM/ HOMEPAGES/
BROTHERS KEEPER
A downloadable version of this popular program is available here.
WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
This is the most talked-about site in family history circles -
the Web site of the Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(often known as the Mormons). Here you can access the Church's database of millions of names in its International GenealogicalIndex (mostly baptism and marriage records) and itsAncestral File records, which draws together the research done by church members on specific
families. Check out what records have been microfilmed and might be available for viewing in your local area by looking at the Family History Librarycatalogue. The 1881 English andCanadian census and the US 1880 census are also indexed on this site.
NEWSPAPERS & JOURNALS
b -W W W.NLA.GOV.AU/NPAPERS/
Want to find out if there is a local paper in your area of interest? Use this site to find out.
WWW.NLA.GOV.AU/FERG
Brings together digitised imagesof avariety of early colonial journalsand newspapers, mostly for
the 1840s.
WWW.BODLEY OX.AC.UK/ILEJ/
! Digitised images of 18th and 19th century journals such as Gentleman's Magazine and The
Annual Register are worth browsing for mention of family members and world events.
SOLDIERS & WAR MEMORIALS
WWW.AWM.GOV.AU/DATABASE/
BIOGRAPHICAL/ASP
The Australian War Memorialsite gives access to enlistments of soldiers for the Sudan, the
Boer War and WWI, through tothe Gulf War.
WWW.WW2ROLL.GOV.AU
The Department of Veterans Affairs has an online database of all Australian service personnel who
served in W WII Searchable online by name, service number and place,this site leads to place of
enlistment, date of death or return to Australia if relevant,next of kin and much more. A good
way to track down missing branches of the family, too, as it containsover 1 million entries!
WWW.CWGC.ORG
Commission Web site lists 1.7 millionservice personnel from 23,000 cemeteries throughout the Commonwealth.
NEW ZEALAND
DOWNTOWN.CO.NZ/GENEALOGY/
This site claims to search over 2,500 pages of NZ genealogy information, including passenger lists and family trees.
WWW.AUCKLANDCITYLIBRARIES.COM Follow the Genealogy links to online listings of passenger arrivals, electoral rollsand 25,000 children who signed a petition for Queen Victoria in 1897!
WWW.GENUKI.ORG.UK
You can't go past this one, whether you need to find an archive in Devon or want to find out about Englishcircus performers. Beware of its'layered' effect - you can search
by country, by county or right down to an individual parish - and you'll get different results, depending on the level you visit.
WWW.GENEALOGY.ORG.NZ
The NZ Society of Genealogists Web site has tips for beginners, an online library catalogue and much more.
W W W.ARCHIVES.GOVT.NZ NZNational Archives site
WWW.NATLIB.GOVT.NZ
National Library of NZ - includes 19th-century NZ newspapers and images online.
THE 'BIG ONES' IN ONLINE
GENEALOGY RESEARCH
W W W.ANCESTRY.COM
One of the biggest sites in US research and with an important sibling www. ancestryco.uk for England, Wales and Ireland, Ancestry is one of the main online publishers of familyhistory information. Only
available on a subscription basis, you can see how many 'hits' there are for specific names before
you sign up.
WWW.ROOTSWEB.COM
Rootsweb is the place to go to find a mailing list for the subject you're interested in there are over 28,000 of them! Need help with Danish research?
- there'll be a Danish mailinglist. Want to know about tracing coalminers in Wales? - then join their mailing list. This is genealogy cooperation at its very best and a great way to share your problems
and triumphs with fellow `genies'. From the Home page, choose MailingLists then Index.
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ENGLAND
~ WWW.FAMILYRECORDS.GOV.UK
A portal for government agencies in the UK that can assist with family history information. It will link
through to well-known meccas of familyhistorysuchas the Family Records Centre and the National
Archives. 4
WWW.1901CENSUS.
NATIONALARCHIVES.GOV.UK
The Web site of The National Archives of the UK (formerly the Public Record Office) where you can search the 1901 English census. A free index is available to all 32 million people, then
you can download a transcript of the census image or view the original folio record by paying
a fee. Vouchers to payfor these downloads can be purchased in Australia through the Society of
Australian Genealogists and someother family history societies. -}
WWW.FAMILYHISTORYONLINE.NET
Don't be turned off this site because it is 'pay to view' -the charges are incredibly cheap and you can play for hours for £5! This is where lots of English societies are placing their records online, so you'll find census entries, parish records, monumental inscriptions, stray indexes andmuch more. Like the 1901 Census (see above),vouchers can be purchased in Australia through the Society of Australian
Genealogists and some otherresellers.
WWW.FAMILYRECORDS.GOV.UK/FRC
The Family Records Centre in London is home to the BDM indexes, census records and much more.
The site has a useful newsletter, plus information on visiting the centre and using its records.
WWW.DOCUMENTSONLINE.
NATIONALARCHIVES.GOV.UK
Here you'll find the Index to Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) Wills for England from 1348
to 1858 - all 1.5 million of them. You can search the index by name,place or occupation. If you find
an entry of interest, you can download a copy ofthe will for 3.50pounds.
WWW.FREECEN.ORG.UK
A sister project to the well-known free BMD site, this one aims to leadyou to census records you can search!online for free. Coverage is patchyfor some counties,t it is definitely worth a look.
M~ WWW.18370NLINE.COM
A rival to the free BMD site, this one has images of the actual microfiche entries online for you to search, right to the present day. The site is 'pay to view', but its advantage is that all the indexes are there, so you aren't waiting for someone to get around to keying in what you want. If you don't have access to the
microfiche indexes (which a number of societies and libraries do hold in Australia), then this site can be useful.
W W W.NATIONALARCHIVISLCOM (NOW AMALGAMATED WITH
A new player in the English genealogical scene, some records are free to search, but most are 'pay toview It's worth looking at the range of records that are available - probate, divorce,
emigration and British army records - because much of this material is only available in the UK and a few hours spent on this site is still cheaper than the airfare to London!
; WWW.A2A.ORG.UK
You can play on this fascinating site for hours! A cooperative venture between archives throughout
the British Isles, this site helps you locate papers relating to your family hidden away in 350 country archives and libraries. Select a specific repository to visit, limit the search to a region of England and a time period, or just be brave and put in your - hopefully unusual - surname for the whole country. You can then explore each of the 'hits' and often read a transcript of the entry in which the name occurs.
You might unearth a manorial deed from the 1700s, a will from the 1650s or a marriage settlement document.
AND FINALLY, SITE # 101
W W W.000GLE.COM.AU
Never miss the opportunity to do some 'googling' or 'ego surfing' on the Net if your name is relatively uncommon. You'll be surprised how often this will bring you into contact with another researcher who has that name intheir family tree.
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