Posts Tagged ‘family research’

A civil war hero, a pirate, an African tribe, or an Indian Princess all of these people of the past could be in your family tree. For those who know all about where their family comes from or has a written history, you are very lucky. The truth is, that most people only have an idea of where their ancestors came from and don’t know much about any of them. Knowing where your ancestors came from and who they were is a great way to help you learn more about your family tree and some of the hereditary conditions that you might face later in life. No matter if you are interested in genealogy or not, then the time has never been better for you to search out your long-lost ancestors. Due to the popularity of genealogy sites on the Internet, you can find all your ancestors and family without leaving your home.

Before the Internet, people who wanted to research genealogy had to go down to the library and spend hours upon hours of sifting through old microfiche forms and old newspapers to find traces of their ancestors and family tree. They would listen to the stories that their parents and grandparents told and then see if they could find any trace of those people in death records, birth records, and land records. It was a long and tedious process that most gave up on pretty fast.

But, now, you can search out your family tree from generations past by sitting at home in your spare time. There are thousands of great websites out there who can help you search through millions of databases that will help you find your relatives, no matter where they are or where they came from. You can search through: the death records, birth records, land records, marriage records, ship logs, immigration logs, and even through personal records that have been kept by millions of people. These great searches can turn those long hours of work into a few short minutes to find every branch in your family tree.

Some sites are free, and some are pay sites, so you should look at each one carefully before agreeing to any type of fee. You need to know if they are free, and if not, do they charge per search or as a monthly membership fee. So, it doesn’t matter how much you do or don’t spend on these sites if you are finding the information that you need. If you find that you cannot get any information, you can always email their support department for help or tips on what you might be doing wrong. Most of these web sites offer great email support to help you find your whole family tree.

So, if you want to know about your past, the best way to do it is to get into genealogy and seek out your ancestors. Search around several different Internet sites and see what you can find, no matter what, you will always find something interesting that you didn’t know before. Who knows, you might find a long-lost member of royalty or a great hero in your past!

Jerry Cahill authors articles related to personal family trees. He publishes an interesting website on family genealogy related topics at: http://www.familygenealogytreesite.com/

The following article is from Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2007 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com

In a major turnabout, the New York Times is making its archives from 1851 to 1922 and from 1987 to the present available on the web at no charge.

The material from 1851 to 1922 has long been out of copyright and was available elsewhere for modest fees. However, the Times used to charge to access those editions as well as the newer ones since 1987 on the Times’ own web site. Other sections of the site have also been behind a “pay wall,” generating more than $10 million a year in revenue. Now the paper is opening up most of its web site, although not everything.

The announcement says there will be charges for some material from the period 1923 to 1986, and some will be free. However, the announcement does not give details of what remains available only to paid access.

Details may be found at http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/18/business/18times.php.

The following article is from Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2007 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com

The following announcement was written by Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec:

MONTREAL, Oct. 12 – Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) is pleased to announce a new Web site dedicated to genealogical research. Launched by BAnQ in partnership with Library and Archives Canada (LAC), www.thatsmyfamily.info, also available in French at www.voicimafamille.info, provides the public with a user-friendly and innovative federated search engine free of charge.

Uncovering one’s roots and family history is increasingly popular with people of all ages. Though genealogy enthusiasts abound and dedicated Web sites are numerous, genealogical research remains an interest that requires some knowledge of search techniques. Until now, a number of different sites had to be consulted in order to pursue one’s research successfully. This long and tedious process was enough to discourage a great many. Designed to respond to the growing public interest in genealogy, www.thatsmyfamily.info features a set of search tools that even beginners can master rapidly. Maintained by BAnQ, the new search engine allows genealogists to conduct searches against several databases at once.

Most of the interface-compatible databases brought together at www.thatsmyfamily.info are hosted by federal, provincial or territorial Canadian libraries or archives centres. The project’s leading partners are BAnQ, LAC and the Council of Provincial and Territorial Archivists of Canada.

Accessible at all times, free of charge: www.thatsmyfamily.info and www.voicimafamille.info.

About BAnQ

BAnQ’s mission is to acquire, preserve and disseminate the publications, archival documents and films constituting Québec and Québec-related documentary heritage. It also offers all Quebecers free access?on site, on the Internet and through interlibrary loan?to vast universal collections and to the services of a major public library. BAnQ encompasses nine archives centres in Montréal, Québec City, Gatineau, Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Saguenay, Sept-Iles, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières, as well as a preservation centre (Centre de conservation) and the Grande Bibliothèque.