No.35 (genealogy news and discounts worldwide)

One of several different types of Missing Friends records

Links open in new windows.

• Missing Friends:   Names from the first stage of my index to Missing Friends records are online (3 pages). Most of these people were born in the United Kingdom, Ireland, western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA or Canada. I expect to gradually add another 8,000 names.


• Beenleigh cemetery:   The Beenleigh (Qld) cemetery register for 1872-1961 is now at Qld State Archives (series ID 20515).


• FindMyPast discounts:   Until 30 Nov 2015, get 50% discount on any FindMyPast subscription by using discount code BLACKFRIDAY15 at Findmypast.com.au or Findmypast.co.uk or Findmypast.ie. (USA customers only get 75% discount on a FindMyPast 12 month World subscription by using discount code THANKSNOV15 on the USA site, Findmypast.com.)


• Asylums, Hospitals & Vanishing Ancestors:   Free download until 30 Nov 2015 via the link on Genealogy Discounts and Freebies.


• VIC BDM indexes:   Victoria's historical birth, death and marriage indexes are now FREE to search online.


• Clothing:   How World War 2 changed women's fashion (interesting for family history).


• Billion Graves:   'Billion Graves' cemetery indexes for Australia and New Zealand are now on FindMyPast (free to search, and updated regularly).


• British places:  A Vision of Britain Through Time has maps, statistics and historical descriptions between 1801 and 2001. Use the 'Places' page to research towns and villages where your ancestors lived.


• Site search:   For technical reasons, the search box for my main Web site (www.judywebster.com.au) is now (1) near the bottom of most pages and (2) on the page 'How to get the most out of this site' (and a link is at the top left of each page as shown below).

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.au/.)
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No.34 (genealogy worldwide)

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• Photos & Sketches:   I've added 1,132 names to the Web page 'Historical Photos and Sketches of People' (http://bit.ly/phqsa). The photos and sketches, which I found in various Archives records, are accompanied by biographical or background data that is superb for family history.


• Qld BDM source documents:   When you buy a certificate, you see details that were copied into a register from information in source documents. Transcription errors are therefore likely! The Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages has begun imaging source documents for births, marriages and WW1 / WW2 deaths. Some records have as many as 5 pages (statements by different parties, letters from parents, baptismal certificates, etc). All existing source documents should be digitised, indexed and available for purchase during 2016.


• GSQ has moved:   Genealogical Society of Qld's library has moved from East Brisbane and will re-open at 25 Stackpole St, corner of Mt Gravatt - Capalaba Road, Wishart, in Dec 2015.


• Old age pensions:   Copies of original records of old age pension applicants 1908-1909 (including people whose application was rejected) are cheaper if you order before 31 Dec 2015. The pension records description (http://bit.ly/oapJW) leads to lists of applicants' names.


• Victorian records:   FindMyPast has secured the rights to publish images and transcripts of two magnificent collections from Victoria that have never before been microfilmed or indexed: Victoria's Coastal Passenger Lists 1852-1924, and Victoria Petty Sessions records from 1851 to the 1970s. Details are on http://bit.ly/2cpsvic.


• Electoral registers:   Electoral registers for England and Wales 1832-1932 are now searchable (http://bit.ly/2Eelec), but note the crucial information and warnings in 'Learn More' and 'Discover More' on that page.


• Illegitimate children:   I've added more names to the page about illegitimate children whose father is identified in a document in Archives. Most of the mothers and children lived in NSW or Queensland, but a few were in other States, and one was in Scotland. This index is designed to help family historians and people seeking birth parents.


• Interesting reading:   9 ways underwear changed forever in 1939.

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2015/11/no34-genealogy-worldwide.html.)
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Genealogy Discount Offers

I'm currently away from home for work and family reasons, so this is just a quick post to tell you about two genealogy discount offers that expire soon.

1. A one-month World subscription to FindMyPast costs just $1 or £1 if you pay by midnight on 30 Sep 2015. This is a huge discount! I'm a big fan of FindMyPast and its billions of records for Australia, NZ, Ireland, the UK, USA and elsewhere. The indexes, transcriptions and images of original documents include millions of birth, marriage, death, parish and census records; the largest online collection of Irish family history records; millions of overseas newspaper pages; and many unusual sources. To join, use the button on the page explaining this offer (it opens in a new window).
   
   
2. LostCousins is a site that uses a clever system to work out (with a high degree of accuracy) which of its 100,000 members are related to you, then puts you in contact to exchange information about your ancestors. To get a free LostCousins subscription, with no obligation to continue and no credit card or bank details required, go to LostCousins (it opens in a new window) and at the bottom of the registration page, in 'Referral or offer codes', enter 65TH. Log in before midnight on 30 Sep 2015 to get the free subscription. (See my article Using LostCousins for genealogy: UK, Ireland, USA and Canada.)

Other offers are also listed on Genealogy Discounts and Freebies.

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2015/09/genealogy-discount-offers.html.)
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No.33 (genealogy worldwide)

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• Discounts:  Some exciting offers are currently listed on Genealogy Discounts and Freebies. The best one expires soon.


• Indexes:  I am indexing Missing Friends registers and Brisbane Prison Hospital admissions. Watch for links to be added to my 'indexes' page.


• 'Off The Record':  This highlights records that many family historians overlook (eg, plastic surgery archives!) Each fortnight's Off The Record has a different theme, with links to four series (one each from the UK, Ireland, USA and Australia/NZ). Recent themes include Death records, Local collections, World War I, Military records, Criminal records, and the (In)Justice system.


• 'In Time and Place':  The Queensland State Conference on local history, family history and social history is in Brisbane on the weekend of 3rd-4th Oct 2015. One of the speakers is Janis Wilton, whom I find quite inspirational.


• Placenames:  A useful site is Renamed places in Queensland.


• FindMyPast:  More Australian records are now on FindMyPast. Scroll down on the page that lists recent additions.


• Ireland's Catholic parish registers:  These are now online as free images. See Chris Paton's article with the link and extra advice.


• Free e-book:  Surnames: Family Search Tips and Surname Origins consists of five guides ('4 Keys to Surname Origins and Meanings', 'Seven Strategies for Surname Research', 'How to Construct Google Surname Searches, Step by Step', '10 Sources to Find Female Ancestors' Maiden Names' and 'Country-by-Country Guide to Naming Customs').


• WDYTYA? handouts:  Download speakers' handouts/slides from Who Do You Think You Are? Live in 2014 and 2015.


• Wednesday's Webpage:  This is a new feature on my Queensland Genealogy Facebook page, which anyone can read (no need to log in).

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2015/07/no33-genealogy-worldwide.html.)

Genealogy Freebies and Discounts

Here are three great offers for family historians.

1. Ancestry:   Up to and including 8 June 2015 there is free access to Ancestry's UK and Irish records.


2. FindMyPast for $1:   New customers can get a one-month World subscription to FindMyPast for just $1 or £1 or €1, depending on whether you join via their Australia/NZ, United Kingdom, Ireland or USA site.
   
   The subscription gives you access to over 2 billion records worldwide (indexes, transcriptions and images of original documents). They include millions of birth, marriage, death and census records; the largest online collection of Irish family history records; more than 10 million British newspaper pages from as long ago as 1710; lots of records for Queensland; and much more. You have until 23:59pm on Tuesday 30 June 2015 to take up this offer. Terms and conditions are on the Web pages. You can un-tick 'auto-renew' on your My Account page.
   
   Some of the reasons why I like FindMyPast are listed here.


3. Genealogy seminar in Atherton, Qld:   There is free admission to my talks at Atherton Library on Friday 19 Jun 2015. The topics are 'Not Just the Patient: How Hospital and Asylum Records Tell the Story of a Family' and 'Ancestors who Moved or Vanished'. Get more details or make a booking.

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/genealogy-freebies-and-discounts.html.)
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No.32 (genealogy worldwide)

Links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page. If you share these tips, please say that you saw them on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.au.

This is at the top left of most pages

• Website changes:   My main Web site, www.judywebster.com.au, is best viewed on a laptop or desktop computer, but this week's changes made it more mobile-friendly. I had to remove the top search box, but a link ('Search this site') at the top left of most pages leads to a search box plus tips on using the site.


• FindMyPast discount:   Until 30 Apr 2015 you can get 50% discount off 12-month FindMyPast subscriptions. If you're in Australia or NZ, the best link is http://bit.ly/2aapr15. In the UK it's http://bit.ly/2apr15, and in the USA use http://bit.ly/2usapr15. Those links apply the discount automatically - then select the 'World' tab if you want access to absolutely everything on FindMyPast. Remember to un-tick the 'auto-renew' box in the My Account section of the site. I appreciate the fact that FindMyPast adds free days to World subscriptions whenever they give the general public 'free access' days.


• QSA indexes:   Qld State Archives have begun putting indexes on FindMyPast. Check the list of records sets added recently (scroll down).


• Will books:   Wills for thousands of people from interstate and overseas, including Queensland, are in New South Wales will books 1800-1952. My search tips for this magnificent source are in 6 Genealogy Sources You May Have Overlooked.


• Cracking the code of the GRO Marriage Index:   Enter the General Register Office (England/Wales) index reference to find out the name of the church where the marriage took place. If you don't get a result, maybe the church is not yet included in the database (the project is on-going). Read the explanation before you use the UK marriage locator.


• The 3 Rs of genealogy:   Revisit, Record, Revise has superb advice from Pauleen Cass, an experienced family historian.


• Census records:   I confess that I haven't always done the five things listed on Analyzing Census Records: Context Matters, and I need to rectify that.


• Printing on paper:   If you are printing family history books or document copies on paper and want them to survive for future generations, read All Papers are Not Created Equal.


• Warning:   Important information about photos and handouts at genealogy lectures (read the comments there too).


• Video:   Free video (from a webinar presented earlier this year) with tips on what to do when you hit a dead end in your research, and how to get the most out of online records.


• Movement and migration:   The articles in Exodus: Movement of the People - migration to, from and within the British Isles have apparently been removed from the Website now. Luckily I'd printed the ones that interested me.

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2015/04/no32-genealogy-worldwide.html.)
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Free Access to FindMyPast and LostCousins

Image by Stuart Miles freedigitalphotos.net

FindMyPast

FindMyPast is completely FREE until 10pm AEST on Monday 9 March 2015. This gives you access to billions of historical records and newspapers from many parts of the world, plus the new Family Tree 'Hints' feature.

You may want to start by reading the latest tips on using FindMyPast's new search system, which has improved since it was first introduced.

Apart from the obvious sources like censuses and parish registers, I suggest that you search these four FindMyPast record sets, all of which include people from many countries (links open in a new window):

• Trade union records (includes railway staff, carpenters, joiners, cabinetmakers, woodworkers, lithographic artists/printers, designers, engravers, boilermakers, iron shipbuilders, etc).
• Great Western Railway shareholders (death dates, places, wills, relatives, executors etc).
• British India Office collection (records of the East India Company, military personnel, civil servants, surgeons, planters, entrepreneurs, missionaries and others).
• New South Wales will books (including wills for many people in other States and overseas, as explained below).

With the New South Wales will books, don't be put off by the 'NSW' heading. This source includes wills for many people in other States and other countries. Click 'Learn' above the search boxes to find out more about the collection. Searches are free, but if you find a relevant entry you need a subscription or pay-as-you-go credits to see an image of the original book. These are my personal search tips:

1. Start by searching for a name in 'Who'. You can use asterisks as wildcards. 'Death year' is optional, and you can select 'give or take' (+/-) up to 40 years. For now, ignore the 'Residence' field.
   
   
2. There is a separate field called Heirs' or executors' last name. Enter a surname here (you can use wildcards), leaving the Who fields empty.
   
   
3. If you use the Residence field, use wildcards. You'll understand why if you search for *Brisbane*, with asterisks before and after, and note the residences shown in results! Data in the Residence field is not entered in any set format. It may be just a town, or just a State, or just a country, or town+State, or State+country, etc (with or without punctuation, which makes a difference to the results). Sometimes places are abbreviated (eg, Queensland / Qld).
   
   
4. Experiment with other variations and combinations. Keep a list of the search criteria that you use, because you may later think of other ways to search.
   
   
5. It is essential to view images of the original Will Books, because a 'transcription' does not include the will itself.

LostCousins

LostCousins is free until midnight (GMT) on Tuesday 10 March 2015 (which gives you extra time to enter the census data you've collected from FindMyPast during the free access period there).

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2015/03/free-access-to-findmypast-and.html.)