No.45 (genealogy news / discounts worldwide)

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• Discount:   Until 21 Nov 2016 (11.59pm BST) one of my favourite Websites, FindMyPast, is offering new customers 30 days of access to 8 billion records worldwide (a monthly 'World' package) for just $1, £1 or €1. This is a huge saving compared to the usual $19.95, £12.95 or €14.95. (The 1939 Register is only included in a 12-month World or Britain package.) You can untick 'auto-renew' in the My Account section of the site.


• Qld BDMs:   From 5 Dec 2016, the Brisbane Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages will move to Level 32, 180 Ann Street, Brisbane. Their other contact details won't change.


• Crematorium records:   Search names on 95,000 memorials in Mount Thompson Crematorium memorial gardens (Brisbane).


• England/Wales births/deaths:   The General Register Office has released online indexes for England/Wales births 1837-1915 and deaths 1837-1957. They show mother's maiden name for births even before 1911, and age at death even before 1865. These new indexes are different from (and maybe more accurate than) the existing ones. Warning! If the death index says 'age 11yrs', it may really be 11 days, 11 weeks or 11 months. It's best to search without specifying the age. Index searches are free after you register and confirm your email address. For a short trial period the certificates cost just £6. (NOTE! I wrote this in November, and the trial period only lasted for a few weeks.)


• Wills:   The National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) is an essential source for English and Welsh family history. Indexed images of the books for 1858-1966 and 1973-1995 are now on Ancestry. They often show the testator's exact death date, address, occupation, and details of relatives.


• Photos:   See 5 Must-Have Photo Identification Tools by Maureen Taylor.

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2016/11/no45-genealogy-news-discounts-worldwide.html.)
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No.43 (genealogy news and discounts worldwide)

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• 50% discount:   FindMyPast (one of my favourite sites) has a half-price offer that ends 15 Jul 2016.


• Proof:   Read Else Churchill's delightfully simple and sensible explanation of how we can apply the Genealogical Proof Standard.


• Queensland:   A new index on the Qld State Archives Web site is 'Monthly and Half Yearly Returns for Moreton Bay 1829-1837'.


• New South Wales:   Learn how to use the new Web site for State Records NSW (the NSW equivalent of Qld State Archives).


• Western Australia:   Western Australian birth, death and marriage certificates are now cheaper. See Australian Genealogy and History Snippets.


• Ireland:   Ireland's wills and administrations 1858-1920 can now be searched on Ancestry.


• Canada:   FindMyPast now has links to images of the original 1911 census for Canada.


• USA:   Naturalisation and passport records are among new USA records added to FindMyPast.


• Scotland:   The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History by George F. Black is free online. Below the 'Viewability' sub-heading, click 'Full view'.


• Recommended reading:   'You can think that if you want, but it's wrong'.

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2016/07/no43-genealogy-news-and-discounts.html.)
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No.42 (genealogy news and discounts worldwide)

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Examples of letter S (image:Wikipedia)

• German handwriting:   Ten Tips for Deciphering Old German Handwriting.


• Discount:   Until midnight Sat. 28 May 2016, get 20% off any new 12 month World subscription at Findmypast. Untick 'auto-renew' in the MyAccount section of the site. A full list of records available on FindMyPast is at http://bit.ly/2worldlist.


• English & Scottish research:   'Lost in English and Scottish Research' is a Society of Australian Genealogists webinar. Listen live on the weekend of 18/19 Jun 2016, or listen to the recordings after the event.


• Cheaper copies:   For many of the State Archives records that I've indexed (including old age pension records), I've reduced my fee for supplying copies of the original documents. I've also changed the wording on some Web pages to make it easier to see how to order copies.


• Northern Territory:   Looking for wills? Try the Northern Territory probate index 1911-1994.


• Google Books:   There are interesting family history examples in Google Books (52 Weeks to Better Genealogy) and Google Books Finds: Including an Article with Four Photos.


• Epidemics:   The epidemics timeline may explain some deaths in your family tree.


• Lookups:   The Legal Genealogist sets us straight on the issue of genealogy lookup requests.


• When you're gone:   Amy Johnson Crow describes 5 ways to preserve your genealogy research.


• Indigence cases:  A new index on the Qld State Archives Web site is Indigence Cases 1899-1948. Many Chinese, Islanders etc are included.

(This post first appeared on http://updatesgenie.blogspot.com/2016/05/no42-genealogy-news-and-discounts.html.)
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No.41 (genealogy news and discounts worldwide)

Sketch found in Archives

I've just realised that yesterday was this blog's fifth anniversary. How time flies!

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• 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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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.

• 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:
  
  • Men's fashion in 1939
  • Rationing in Britain during World War 2


• 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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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.)

No.31 (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.

• Rockhampton, Qld:  There is a family history beginner's course in Rockhampton on Sat. 13 Sep 2014 (9am to noon).


• (Updated Nov 2014)  NSW wills:  New South Wales will books 1800-1952 are back online. This magnificent resource includes wills for thousands of people from interstate and overseas, including Queensland! Search the index, then view the images of the original records (not just the transcriptions). My search tips are in 6 Genealogy Sources You May Have Overlooked.


• BDM index (NSW):  The new index on the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages site is rather challenging to use. Joy Murrin's tips make it easier.


• Postems:  Postems on FreeBMD describes a strategy that has worked brilliantly for me. If anyone in your family tree was born, married or died in England or Wales from 1837 onwards, try it!


• Congress 2015:  The Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry is in Canberra (ACT) next March. I'll be there! Register by 31 Oct 2014 to get the cheaper 'early bird' rate.


• Online trees:  You can now attach records to your family trees at FindMyPast.


• Discounts:  This week more offers were added to the Discounts and Freebies page. You can use ChangeDetection to monitor the page (look for the button 'Click here to receive email...'), but sometimes the email is delayed. To avoid missing last-minute offers that only apply for one weekend, check the page every Saturday.


• Although I don't agree with all the suggestions in the free downloadable e-book Family Tree Tips: 23 Secrets to Organize Your Genealogy, some of the ideas are good.

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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.

• 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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