Between 8th and 26th August 2017, family historians in Australia and New Zealand will have a unique opportunity to hear leading international genealogists Chris Paton and Dirk Weissleder explain how to research our British Isles and European ancestors.
I mentioned this briefly in a previous edition of UpdatesGenie and on my Facebook page, but here are a few more details.
Chris and Dirk will give a series of presentations in Brisbane, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth during Unlock the Past's genealogy roadshow entitled Researching Abroad: Finding British Isles and European Ancestors.
Every time I've heard Chris Paton speak about Scottish and Irish genealogy, I've learned a lot (and the learning process has been fun). Dirk Weissleder (from Germany) is new to me, but he comes highly recommended by colleagues whose opinion I trust, and I'm sure he will inspire me to resume work on my STEINKE and RIENECKER family trees. While Chris and Dirk catch their breath between talks, local speakers will briefly describe British and European resources held by libraries and societies here. In each Australian city there will also be an introductory talk about using DNA as a tool for genealogy.
In some cities it may be possible to simply arrive and pay on the day, but if you pre-book you will save money, and you will also go in the prize draw. The prize pool is expected to total at least $10,000 over all six Australian cities.
On the roadshow's main page, click on your preferred city to see full programme details and a booking form for that venue. There are also links to pages about the speakers, prizes, special offers, sponsors and exhibitors.
The roadshow starts in Brisbane, and I'm looking forward to catching up with friends and colleagues there. We don't often see such renowned international speakers here, so make the most of this opportunity!
(This post first appeared on https://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2017/07/no53-british-isles-and-european.html.)
UpdatesGenie has genealogy news and tips from all over the world (Queensland, other Australian States, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, USA etc.) Find out about indexes, Web sites, publications, discounts, events, research strategies and lots more. Explore all the options in the tabs below, in the sidebar and at the bottom of the page, and on my main Web site.
Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts
20 July 2017
23 June 2017
No.52 (genealogy news and tips worldwide)
Links open in new windows. If you share the tips below, the Creative Commons license requires that you acknowledge the source as http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2017/06/no52-genealogy-news-and-tips-worldwide.html.)
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- Asylum casebook: I've indexed another Goodna mental asylum case book, and the names are on my Web site.
- Council records: Local Government Records for Family History has been updated and expanded.
- Cooroy/Noosa: Cooroy-Noosa Genealogy Group has a new purpose-built building (the Heritage Centre) at 17 Emerald Street, Cooroy.
- E-book: Using Macs and iPads for Genealogy, by Nancy Loe, is available as an e-book (59-page PDF download).
- Parish registers: Many original parish register images for Cheshire, Devon, Hertfordshire, East Kent, Leicestershire, Rutland, Shropshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Wales, Westminster, Yorkshire North Riding and Yorkshire East Riding (with more coming soon) are online only at Findmypast and nowhere else; and for the next few days you can view them without a subscription, as explained below.
- Free British/Irish records: Until 11:59pm BST Monday 26 June 2017 (which is 8:59am AEST Tues 27 June), there's free access to over 1.1 billion British and Irish records on Findmypast.
- Recommended reading:
Common Latin Words for Genealogical Research. If your ancestors were Catholic, many of their church records will be in Latin.
Widen the Search: a Genealogy Success Story includes links to the online sources I used. - Document copies: If you want copies of the original records that I've indexed, or if you just want source references so you can do the work yourself, send a request soon, because I've temporarily reduced many of my fees. Follow links from the list of sources.
- Roadshow: If you have British Isles or German research, come to Unlock the Past's 'Researching Abroad' genealogy roadshow during August. Two top international speakers (Chris Paton and Dirk Weissleder) will be in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland. Pre-book if you want to save money and go in the prize draw (total value about $1500).
- Talks: I am giving free family history talks/workshops at Tully and Wongaling Beach on 11 July 2017 and at the Sunshine Coast on 24 Aug 2017.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2017/06/no52-genealogy-news-and-tips-worldwide.html.)
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06 May 2017
No.51 (genealogy news and tips worldwide)
Links open in new windows. If you share the tips below, the Creative Commons license requires that you acknowledge the source as http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2017/05/no51-genealogy-news-and-tips-worldwide.html.)
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- 10% discount: Until 11:59pm (BST) Sunday 7 May 2017 (which is early on Monday 8th Australian time) Findmypast is giving new and lapsed subscribers 10% off the cost of a 12 month World subscription if you use Findmypast.co.uk or Findmypast.ie or Findmypast.com. You can subscribe there even if you live in Australia/NZ. If two or more people share a computer and/or an email address, only one of you can take up this offer. If you need a separate email address, I recommend a free Gmail account.
- Queensland: Over 4,000 new records have been added to the Queensland School Pupils Index, which now has over 1.6 million names from 1,022 schools.
- UK parish records: Findmypast, through their exclusive partnership with the Federation of Family History Societies, has the largest online collection of UK parish records. Recent additions include records for Devon, Kent and Wiltshire. Find out how best to search them.
- 1861 source: Researching someone aged 14 or older in 1861? Try searching the British Army Worldwide Index 1861, which covers units serving in Britain and the British Empire.
- Missing records: Find out what records are missing from UK censuses (links are on the left side of the page).
- Catholic records: Scottish records have been added to the Catholic Heritage Collection. Most of the collection has never before been available to the public.
- Scotland: Viewing images on Scotland's People.
- Ireland: The Irish Genealogy website and workbook will guide you through the free online resources that exist.
- Evernote: Lisa Louise Cooke explains an innovative way to use Evernote for genealogy - create your own genealogy library for easy on-the-go reference.
- Giveaways: Prizes up for grabs here last week were a 12 month subscription to Findmypast (value: about $114) and a choice of five genealogy-related items (value: about $30). Winners' names are on the Prize Draws and Competitions page.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2017/05/no51-genealogy-news-and-tips-worldwide.html.)
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24 April 2017
No.50 (genealogy news worldwide)
Links open in new windows. If you share the tips below, the Creative Commons license requires that you acknowledge the source as http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2017/04/no50-genealogy-news-worldwide.html. The 'win' image is by Stuart Miles, freedigitalphotos.net.)
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- Prize draw: If you'd like to win a 12 month Findmypast subscription, this is your chance! Submit your entry by 8am (AEST) Wednesday 26 Apr 2017 in two easy steps on my Prize Draws and Competitions page. I'm grateful to Findmypast for allowing me to give away such a wonderful prize (RRP $114.50). I've had a Findmypast subscription for many years, and I love it!
- Free access: All Australian and New Zealand records on Findmypast are completely free until 25 Apr 2017 (AEST). Another 'free access' offer will be announced on Genealogy Discounts & Freebies later this week.
- Discounts: Genealogy Discounts & Freebies currently has more offers listed than ever before, but most of them end soon. One offer is NSW certificate transcriptions for just $18.
- New records online: Interesting records that went online last week include stage 1 of 'crew and passengers on ships arriving in New South Wales' (check this for anyone you can't find in the British 1881 census); parish registers for Christ Church Cathedral in Newcastle NSW; more Boer War records; and more NSW closer settlement and returned soldiers transfer files.
- UK records: Findmypast's United Kingdom parish records collection (already the largest of its kind online) is about to get a whole lot bigger. Records from six more counties (the list is on that Web site) will go online over the next 6 months.
- Books: During April, Gould Genealogy has the entire Unlock the Past guide books range on sale (25% off), and the Australian History and Genealogy Handbook is just $1.
- Finding death dates: My family history project for Easter started with a list of Australian relatives for whom I had no death date. I searched 13 million Aus/NZ deaths, burials, wills and probate records. If I didn't find the name, I searched individual Findmypast record sets and Ancestry databases. I also used the magnificent Ryerson Index to find recent death/funeral notices. There are many other resources available, but these are my usual 'first steps'.
- Updated index: Check out CQFHA's new Master Name Index (over 767,590 entries for people from many areas). I had unexpected success with this.
- My talk at Noosa: If you're interested in hearing my talk (11 May 2017) on Ancestors who Moved or Vanished, book now (free). When I checked today there were only 7 seats left.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2017/04/no50-genealogy-news-worldwide.html. The 'win' image is by Stuart Miles, freedigitalphotos.net.)
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04 September 2016
No.44 (genealogy news and discounts worldwide)
Links open in new windows.
- FindMyPast discount: Until 11:59pm on Tues 6 Sep 2016, new subscribers can pay just $1 (one dollar) for a 1 month FindMyPast world subscription. That's a saving of 95%! Un-tick 'Auto-renew' in the MyAccount section of the site. Read why I use and recommend FindMyPast.
- Passenger lists: I was excited to see that images of Victoria coastal passenger lists 1852-1924 are now online. They list people travelling locally as well as immigrants from overseas. For many people attracted by Australia's gold rush, including those who were on USA goldfields, this may be the only surviving shipping record.
- Recommended reading: Shadows of the Workhouse: The Drama of Life in Postwar London (Jennifer Worth). I couldn't put this book down!
- Hospital records: Hospital admission registers have superb data (usually better than a death certificate), and I index them. Many patients were from interstate and overseas, especially the UK and Ireland. For Croydon hospital 1888-1925, which includes the North Queensland gold rush era, I've combined two lists of patients into a single alphabetical sequence. To order copies of original records, see 'Copying Service' near the bottom of that page.
- Illegitimate children: Since 19th August I've added two batches of names to the page about illegitimate children whose father is identified in a document in Archives. Most of the mothers and children lived in Queensland or NSW but a few were interstate or overseas. This index is designed to help family historians and people seeking birth parents. See 'Copying Service' near the bottom of that page.
- Cemeteries: Toowong cemetery and South Brisbane cemetery indexes are on FindMyPast, but you currently can't find them with an A to Z search. You need to use links on the full list of Australian and New Zealand records on FindMyPast. (Thanks to Rosemary for pointing this out.)
- Western Australia: Uncertified copies of Western Australian birth, death and marriage certificates now cost just $20.
- Ancestry: Danny Barber explains how to sort Ancestry hints by collection. I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds useful.
- Photographs: See the tips in How to Relax and Rehumidify Old Rolled Photographs.
- Privacy: Judy Russell (The Legal Genealogist) shares her sensible advice about privacy.
- Genealogy on Facebook: You can read many genealogy pages on Facebook without joining. There is now a page for Toowoomba and Darling Downs Family History Society - and note my 'Saturday's Source' series of tips on Judy Webster: Queensland Genealogy.
- Copies of copies: This article has images showing how information was copied from a copy of a copy (etc) and neither the birth date nor death date remained correct in the copy on Ancestry.
01 May 2016
No.41 (genealogy news and discounts worldwide)
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Sketch found in Archives |
Links open in new windows.
- Photos/Sketches: Check the lists of names from my on-going index to historical photos or sketches of people. These are images that I've found in various sources in Archives. Most are accompanied by superb information for family history.
- Ancestry discount: Ancestry's annual UK Heritage Plus membership (with access to all their Australian, NZ, Irish and UK records) is cheaper until 11:59pm AEST Sunday 1 May 2016. The offer is not valid for members with current subscriptions, or with other offers or promotions including free trials. If you don't want your membership to automatically renew at a higher rate, cancel at least two days before your renewal date by visiting the MyAccount section (see their Terms and Conditions).
- QLD births to 1919: Indexes to Queensland births registered up to and including 1919 are now on FindMyPast! This is exciting, because on the Registry of BDMs Web site, which has a 100-year access restriction, you can currently only search up to early 1916. On FindMyPast the transcription shows the exact birth date, not just the registration year.
- QLD marriages: The quickest way to find the exact date of Queensland marriages 1829-1939 is to use the new indexes and transcriptions on FindMyPast.
- QLD deaths: The FindMyPast record set that's misleadingly called 'Queensland Deaths' only has names from a few cemetery records, not official death registrations. Click 'Learn more' and 'Discover more' on this page (but the explanations are not as clear as we might wish).
- LostCousins: The LostCousins site is completely free until Monday 2nd May.
- Photos/Images: Read Judy G. Russell's superb article showing how to save source information so that it appears on an image.
- Will Books: Family historians may not realise that local Archives often hold wills for people in other States and even other countries. Regardless of where your ancestors lived, you should search indexes to NSW Will Books 1800-1952. Although only a few of my families were in NSW, I've already found fifteen wills in these books.
- Victoria: Law Making and Breaking in Colonial Victoria shows tools and resources for finding out about lives of crime and justice in Victoria and Port Phillip.
- Maps: Almost 3,000 titles have been issued in a major series of reprints of Old Ordnance Survey Maps of towns throughout Britain and Ireland.
- WDYTYA handouts: Speakers' handouts from this year's Who Do You Think You Are (Live) can be downloaded (free).
- Epidemics: This timeline for disease epidemics may explain some deaths in your family tree.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2016/05/no41-genealogy-news-and-discounts.html.)
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11 February 2016
No.38 (genealogy news and discounts worldwide)
Links open in new windows.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2016/02/no38-genealogy-news-and-discounts.html.)
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- Genealogy Discounts and Freebies: Two new offers were added today, including one from FindMyPast that ends at midnight Monday 15 Feb 2016. This is your last chance to beat next week's 20% price rise.
- Current electoral roll: It is once again possible to visit Australian Electoral Commission offices to use the current electoral roll for genealogical research. Electronic recording of data is not allowed.
- Seminar in Brisbane: Judy Russell ('The Legal Genealogist') and Carol Baxter are two of the speakers at the Unlock The Past seminar in Brisbane on Sat. 5 Mar 2016.
- Ships & Passengers: A new Web site, Passengers in History, brings together a database of 250,000 passengers to South Australia between 1836 and 1961, and a list of ships' logs/diaries (Log of Logs).
- Searchable books: On MyHeritage you can search the text of many books that are useful for genealogy. It covers an amazing variety of publications.
- Google maps: Step-by-step guide to using Google Maps and creating personalised maps for your family history.
- One-place studies: Check the list of one-place studies to see whether there's one for an area where your ancestors lived.
- Irish R.C. parish records: FindMyPast will soon release indexed transcriptions of 10 million records from over 3,500 Irish Roman Catholic parish registers (baptisms and marriages) for all 32 historical counties (Irish Republic and Northern Ireland), with links to images.
- USA marriages: FindMyPast is releasing what will be the largest online collection of USA marriages 1650-2010 (60% of which have never before been published online). The first 33 million records are free to the public until 15 Feb 2016. When complete, this collection in its entirety will only be found on Findmypast.
- Client records: I am updating my client records. If I've done research for you, or if you are/were on my mailing list, I invite you to contact me to confirm your preferred/alternative email addresses. Use the address in the sidebar here or the one on my main Web site.
- Interesting historical background:
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2016/02/no38-genealogy-news-and-discounts.html.)
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14 January 2016
No.36 (genealogy news and discounts worldwide)
I hope you all enjoyed Christmas and New Year. Here are some ideas for family history in 2016. Links open in new windows.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2016/01/no36-genealogy-news-and-discounts.html.)
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- 50% off FindMyPast: Until 11.59pm (GMT) Thurs 14 Jan 2016, get 50% discount on any new FindMyPast World subscription (1 month or 12 month). I put the discount code and page links for this unexpected 2 day 'flash' sale on Genealogy Discounts and Freebies yesterday.
- National Library card: E-resources: Getting Started shows how to use your National Library card (Australia) to explore online databases.
- 'The Queenslander': See examples of pages in The Queenslander. The complete contents of the paper are in Trove.
- Saving Trove articles: Kylie Willison shows how to save a copy of a newspaper article in Trove so that source details are included. For the 'take a screenshot' step, I use PrintKey to capture and save a selected area.
- Ancestor profiles: Brandy Heineman's 5-step plan for creating profiles of your ancestors is simple, sensible and can be adapted to suit your own needs. Step 1 works for Britain and North America but not Australia!
- Irish soldiers' wills: Wills of Irish soldiers who died while serving in the British Army have been digitised and are free online.
- Devon parishes: An interactive map shows the location of Devon's historic parishes.
- Free online course: 'Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree' will discuss how to find and analyse sources; record and communicate your findings; add historical context to your family history; and explore the potential of DNA testing for genealogy.
- Interesting historical background:
- Starting soon: 'Wednesday's Webpage', a weekly series coming soon to Genealogy Leftovers.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2016/01/no36-genealogy-news-and-discounts.html.)
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28 November 2015
No.35 (genealogy news and discounts worldwide)
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One of several different types of Missing Friends records |
- 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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26 July 2015
No.33 (genealogy worldwide)
Links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page.
(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2015/07/no33-genealogy-worldwide.html.)
- 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.)
28 April 2015
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 post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2015/04/no32-genealogy-worldwide.html.)
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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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16 August 2014
No.30 (genealogy worldwide)
Links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page. If a link won't work, try a different browser (I checked them with Chrome). If you share these tips, please say that you saw them on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.au.
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- Discounts & freebies: Take advantage of the many genealogy discounts and freebies currently available. Some are only offered during August (National Family History Month).
- Mental asylum patients:
- I have started indexing three new sources. One includes people who were mentally ill but not actually sent to an asylum. When I've indexed the new records, links will be added to the 'Insanity' page on my Website, so you may want to use the ChangeDetection bar there.
- I've added more names of escaped mental patients to my Police Gazettes index.
- Illegitimate children: Archival records often identify the father of an illegitimate child even if the birth certificate doesn't. I've added more names (some babies and some mothers) to the 'Illegitimate' page on my Web site.
- Dropbox: I use the free version of Dropbox for sharing documents and images, and as an additional off-site backup.
- Banana Shire: Records recently deposited at Qld State Archives include rate books and valuation registers from Banana Shire Council. (My 'Genealogy Articles' page has a link to Local Government Records and Family History.)
- State Library info-guides: State Library of Queensland has free family history Info-Guides on many topics.
- Moreton Bay history: Peel Island - Paradise or Prison? (the history of the Quarantine Station and Lazaret/Leprosarium) and Moreton Bay People: the complete collection are now available as e-books.
- CuriousFox: Tips on using CuriousFox, a genealogy message system and gazetteer for the United Kingdom, Ireland and USA.
- NSW prison records: Many interstate folk were in NSW prisons. NSW gaol description and entrance books 1818-1930, which include descriptions of prisoners and some photographs, are now on Ancestry.
- South Australia: South Australian passenger lists 1847-1886 have been added to FindMyPast. Some of these immigrants moved on to other States.
- Victoria: 55,000 images have been added to Ancestry's lists of assisted and unassisted passengers arriving in Victoria from the United Kingdom, New Zealand and other foreign ports.
- West Yorkshire & Cleveland: Over 28,000 new baptism records from West Yorkshire and 150,000 National Burial Index records from Cleveland are now online.
- Prisoners of war: Records for 1914-1918 & 1939-1945 prisoners of war are online.
- Treble Almanac (Ireland): The Treble Almanac 1818, with transcripts and images of 17,870 records from all 32 Irish counties, has recently gone online.
- Church of Ireland parish registers: Download a table showing what baptism, marriage and burial registers exist, where they are, and dates covered.
- Recommended reading:
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15 August 2014
FindMyPast's World Records discount offer
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FindMyPast's logo |
The world subscription gives you access to more than 1.5 billion family history records for Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Ireland, the USA and Canada.
If you do not want your subscription to automatically renew at the normal price after your initial period, un-tick the 'auto-renew my subscription' box in the My Account section of the site.
You may want to read why I use and recommend FindMyPast.
(This post also appears in Genealogy Leftovers.)
20 July 2014
No.29 (genealogy worldwide)
Links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page. If you share these tips, please acknowledge the source as http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.
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- British Newspaper Archive discount: Today is the last day to get a 1 month subscription to the British Newspaper Archive for just 1 pound (use the discount code SUMMER01).
- Land Records in Queensland: On Monday evening, 21 July 2014, Nola Fulwood is speaking on this topic at the Genealogical Society of Queensland's Southern Suburbs branch. Nola is one of only a handful of people who understand the complexities of land records at Qld State Archives.
- Illegitimate children: I have added more names to the page about illegitimate children whose father is named in archival records.
- Wills: 10 tips for wills, intestacies and probate (and related documents in unexpected places).
- Origins.net: Record sets from Origins.net will be added to FindMyPast. With the National Wills Index from Origins, and collections currently on FindMyPast and those in development, FindMyPast will become the largest online resource for UK wills and probate (and those records include material for many people from other countries including Australia). The Origins website will continue to run as usual.
- Searching at FindMyPast: The site has changed again, and more improvements are coming. Read the latest tips on how to use FindMyPast's new search tools.
- Recommended reading:
- 'Name Variations: Tips and Tricks', by Dan Lynch, author of the brilliant book Google Your Family Tree.
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© Copyright,
Judy Webster
07 June 2014
No.28 (genealogy worldwide)
Links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page. If you share these tips, please acknowledge the source as http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.
- Free access to British records: Until 11.59pm on Monday 9th June 2014 there is free access to many British records on Ancestry. You can see images of original records such as UK outward passenger lists; 1911 census; and the magnificent England & Wales Probate Calendar 1858-1966 where you will also find death dates/places, addresses, next of kin etc for thousands of people from other countries including Australia. Use 'sign in' on Ancestry for a free account.
- Research Tip: In the British Newspaper Archive, look for clues about family members who emigrated (for example, a death notice saying "NSW papers please copy"). The BNA now offers very affordable one-month subscriptions.
- Land Records in Queensland: On 21 July 2014 Nola Fulwood is speaking on this topic at the Genealogical Society of Queensland's Southern Suburbs branch. Nola is one of only a handful of people who understand the complexities of land records at Qld State Archives.
- Lifeline Bookfest: The Brisbane Bookfest runs until 10th June. See my tips for family historians looking for bargains in books and stationery.
- Free family history seminars in North Qld: Between 13th & 28th June 2014 I will be speaking at Cairns, Atherton and Townsville. Admission is free, but you need to book because space is limited. Each seminar consists of two talks ('Court Records' and 'Look Beyond the Border'). For dates, times, venues, and how to book, see www.judywebster.com.au/talks.html.
- NSW Public Service Lists: More than 630,000 records have recently been added to the online collection 'NSW Public Service Lists 1858-1960'.
- NSW certificates: NSW certificate transcriptions are cheaper ($18) if you order them on any Saturday in June 2014.
- 'Brick wall' tips: 'Widen the Search: a Genealogy Success Story' includes links to online sources that I used to solve a family history mystery.
- Recommended reading: 'Finding genealogy data in an unexpected country'.
10 February 2014
No.27 (exciting improvements online)
The introduction of a one month subscription is the first of several exciting changes at FindMyPast.
The cost of a World subscription has already been reduced, and we can also look forward to the addition of new records every month; a new family tree builder; a new way to search; and a forum where you can vote for features and give feedback to improve the site.
I am a big fan of FindMyPast for genealogy research. For records that are on both FindMyPast and other sites, FindMyPast's indexes and transcriptions are usually (in my experience) more accurate. This is particularly obvious with British census records.
Although a 12-month subscription is the best value, you may want to start with the new one month subscription. This is now available for each of FindMyPast's regional collections (Australia/NZ, UK, Ireland, USA) and also for the World collection.
If you have no Australian research but need access to United Kingdom records, get your subscription via findmypast.co.uk.
Searches on FindMyPast are free. You only need pay-as-you-go credits or a subscription if you want to see transcriptions or images of original records. There is a 10% loyalty discount for renewing a 12-month subscription.
Follow the links below to see (for each region) a full list of categories and all the record sets currently available within them, with descriptions of what each record set contains and what detailed information you can expect to find... and watch for more to be added each month.
I have been using FindMyPast's census records and parish registers for many years. Recently other data sets (including passenger lists, Police Gazettes, Royal Household records and East India Company and civil service pensions) have provided some exciting discoveries. For example, I was surprised to find that two of my British families went overseas (one to South Africa, the other to Canada) for a short time - because they were back in the UK before the next census!
If you only get time to do research during your holidays, the new one month subscription to FindMyPast may suit you perfectly.
Postscript, 14 Feb 2014: One of my clients signed up for the new one-month subscription and had huge success on day 1. She said (I quote), 'It has already paid for itself ten times over. I had no idea so many new records had been added since I looked a year ago! I found brilliant problem-solving stuff in Passengers leaving the UK, Convict records, and deserters and missing friends notices in Police Gazettes. Also lots of clues to follow up in electoral rolls, expats in New Guinea, wills, monumental inscriptions etc.'
Revenue from ads goes to Kiva
The cost of a World subscription has already been reduced, and we can also look forward to the addition of new records every month; a new family tree builder; a new way to search; and a forum where you can vote for features and give feedback to improve the site.
I am a big fan of FindMyPast for genealogy research. For records that are on both FindMyPast and other sites, FindMyPast's indexes and transcriptions are usually (in my experience) more accurate. This is particularly obvious with British census records.
Although a 12-month subscription is the best value, you may want to start with the new one month subscription. This is now available for each of FindMyPast's regional collections (Australia/NZ, UK, Ireland, USA) and also for the World collection.
If you have no Australian research but need access to United Kingdom records, get your subscription via findmypast.co.uk.
Searches on FindMyPast are free. You only need pay-as-you-go credits or a subscription if you want to see transcriptions or images of original records. There is a 10% loyalty discount for renewing a 12-month subscription.
Follow the links below to see (for each region) a full list of categories and all the record sets currently available within them, with descriptions of what each record set contains and what detailed information you can expect to find... and watch for more to be added each month.
I have been using FindMyPast's census records and parish registers for many years. Recently other data sets (including passenger lists, Police Gazettes, Royal Household records and East India Company and civil service pensions) have provided some exciting discoveries. For example, I was surprised to find that two of my British families went overseas (one to South Africa, the other to Canada) for a short time - because they were back in the UK before the next census!
If you only get time to do research during your holidays, the new one month subscription to FindMyPast may suit you perfectly.
Postscript, 14 Feb 2014: One of my clients signed up for the new one-month subscription and had huge success on day 1. She said (I quote), 'It has already paid for itself ten times over. I had no idea so many new records had been added since I looked a year ago! I found brilliant problem-solving stuff in Passengers leaving the UK, Convict records, and deserters and missing friends notices in Police Gazettes. Also lots of clues to follow up in electoral rolls, expats in New Guinea, wills, monumental inscriptions etc.'
Revenue from ads goes to Kiva
20 October 2013
No.26 (genealogy worldwide)
Links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page. If you share these tips, please acknowledge the source as http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.
- Qld BDMs - major changes: On 16 Oct 2013 there were major changes to the Qld Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Web site. Read my tips on how to benefit from the changes. I've already heard several success stories.
- FamilySearch & FindMyPast: 13 million genealogy records from FamilySearch.org (including major collections of births, deaths and marriages for Australia, Ireland and America) were added to FindMyPast this week. About 600 additional collections (millions of records) will follow. We now have the convenience of searching treasures from FamilySearch at the same time as existing collections at FindMyPast.
- Genealogy mini-guides: The first two to be made available are 'Researching Illegitimate Children' and 'Researching Queensland Mental Asylum Patients'.
- NSW Deceased Estates: Index to NSW Deceased Estate Files 1923-1958 (new on Ancestry).
- Toowoomba Chronicle: Toowoomba Chronicle newspaper index 1921-1925 (births, marriages, deaths, accidents and other events such as maintenance cases, transfers, lost, missing etc.)
- England/Wales probate indexes: The probate search facility at High Holborn (London) is moving to the Strand.
- Alcohol? Do terms on death certificates really suggest that it was alcohol-related?
- Digitised newspapers: 8 Ways to Overcome OCR Errors when Searching Newspapers.
- Does time matter? Yes! Many 'dead ends' in research can be overcome if you think about your family in the context of local, national and world events.
- Green: 17 things our grandparents did when green was just a colour.
- Hospital records: I have found more hospital admission registers to index!
- ChangeDetection: I can see from the statistics that very few of you updated your ChangeDetection settings when my Web site moved. Many pages (including What's New, Indexes, Tips, Hospitals and Publications) have a 'Receive email' bar (an image is below). Don't worry - you will only receive an email when there is a significant change to the page!
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This ChangeDetection option is on many pages of my Web site |
11 September 2013
No.24 (genealogy worldwide)
Links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page. If you share these tips, please acknowledge the source as http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.
- Maiden names missing from Qld death indexes: I received a reply from the Queensland Registry of BDMs after I sent examples of maiden names that are missing from death indexes online but shown in the corresponding indexes on fiche or CD-ROM.
- 20% discount: In August, Findmypast added 10 new data sets (2 million records) for Australasia. Until 30 Sep 2013 you can get 20% discount off a world subscription to FindMyPast, which allows you to search billions of records for Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, USA and Canada (including British newspapers).
- Innisfail (Geraldton) burials: Do you have a death certificate or other details for someone buried at Geraldton (now Innisfail) in North Qld?
- Victoria: Passenger lists (Victoria) 1846-1899.
- NSW: NSW Registers of Coroners' Inquests 1796-1942.
- Recommended reading: Artificial 'brick walls' in family history.
09 June 2013
No.22 (genealogy worldwide)
Links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page. If you share these tips, please acknowledge the source as http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.
- Queensland certificates: You can now save money by downloading some Queensland birth, death and marriage certificates as images.
- Free family history talks (North Qld): Details of my six free family history talks at Atherton, Innisfail, Tully and Wongaling Beach (20-24 June 2013) are on my Web site.
- British newspapers: More years and more newspapers have been added to the searchable collection of digitised British newspapers (now 1710-1953).
- 'Queensland Genealogy' categories: There are now quick links to articles in certain categories (BDMs, Hidden treasures, Indexes, People, Places, Sources, Tips, Warnings, Websites) in my 'Queensland Genealogy' blog. At the bottom of that page there is also a complete list of keywords.
- Visiting historical societies & museums: Tips on what to do before you visit a local historical society or museum.
- Recommended reading: A Hobbyist Genealogist's Manifesto. I like the bit about 'Pirates of the Caribbean philosophy of citation'.
17 October 2012
No.18 (genealogy worldwide)
Some links open in new windows. If you share these tips, please acknowledge the source as http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com.
Revenue from ads goes to Kiva
- Queensland Births, Deaths and Marriages: Digital images of historical registers.
- Gazetteer of British Place Names: This exhaustive Place Name Index to Great Britain, with more than 50,000 entries, lists the historic county and the main administrative areas in which each place lies. Read the notes before using the Gazetteer.
- Society of Australian Genealogists manuscripts index: It is worthwhile checking this online index periodically. In the Primary Records Collection I found handwritten genealogical notes provided by my great-great-grandfather's sister in about 1900. Without those notes I would still be stuck on 'Thomas WEBSTER, born London c.1824'.
- FindMyPast: (UPDATED) It is now possible to buy a Worldwide subscription to FindMyPast through any of their sites.
Revenue from ads goes to Kiva
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