No.14 (genealogy worldwide)

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• Qld State Archives:  In the Public Search Room at Qld State Archives, records retrieval staff now collect request slips every half hour, on the half hour.


• Genealogy Expo:  At next week's History and Genealogy Expo in Brisbane, I am speaking about 'Black Sheep and Vanishing Relatives' at 3:30pm on Tuesday. I will be an exhibitor on all three days, but I will also go to some of the talks. If you want to see me, please note that my booth (near the Research Help Zone) will be unattended on Tuesday afternoon, and for up to an hour at various other times.


• Genealogy and the Law:  Lots of great advice from a genealogist with a law degree.


• Genealogy cruises:  Unlock the Past invites you to do a quick survey about genealogy conferences on cruises. I have previously written about my experience on their first cruise.

No.13 (Free Access to LostCousins)

The Lost Cousins site is completely free for all members, new and old, until midnight on Wednesday 6 June 2012. (That would be UK time, so Thursday morning in Australia.) When this 'free full membership' period ends, standard membership will still be free.

LostCousins is a great site for finding your living relatives. The automated matching means that nobody sees your information, but when you do find a 'lost cousin', you can be certain that it is a genuine match. You do not waste time corresponding with people who are not related to you!

To use LostCousins you need to find your relatives in the census for England & Wales 1841, 1881 or 1911; Scotland 1881; United States 1880; Canada 1881; or Ireland 1911. Then you enter the source/page details at LostCousins. Requirements for each census are different, so read the instructions carefully before gathering and entering data ('Information - Read this first'). If you prepare well, entering the data is a lot quicker.

On your My Ancestors page, be sure to enter your direct ancestors' brothers and sisters too, because it is their descendants who are likely to have letters and photos sent by your family.

After completing your My Ancestors page, click 'Search'. The system checks whether anyone else has entered data for the same people. If they have, you can contact them at no cost during this free period until 6 June 2012.

I am a big fan of LostCousins, so please give it a try.

No.12 (genealogy worldwide)

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• History and Genealogy Expo in Brisbane:  Mon. 25th to Wed. 27th June 2012, including Monday evening. Special presenters include Audrey Collins from The National Archives in the UK. I will be there as an exhibitor and presenter. My talk will be 'Black Sheep and Vanishing Relatives'. You can now get more details and book tickets.


• England & Wales:  Changes to certificate prices.


• The British in India:  A new book, Tracing Your British Indian Ancestors, looks at British Indian history and sources for research (British Library India Office Records, The National Archives, records of the armed forces, civil service and railways, religious and probate records, etc).


• Paintings:  Are there paintings of your ancestors or places where they lived? At Your Paintings, search by artist's surname or what's in the paintings.


• Dutch Genealogy:  Genealogy advice from an archivist at the Dutch National Archives. Articles include 'English versions of Dutch first names and last names'.


• Genealogists for Families:  Wondering whether to join 'Genealogists for Families'? Right now (for a limited time) you can join Kiva with a 'free trial loan' to see how it all works.


• Family history talks in Townsville & Cairns:  On 28 Apr 2012 I am giving two Family History talks in Townsville ('Black Sheep and Vanishing Relatives' and 'Using Indexes: Tips and Traps'). On 3 May I am speaking in Cairns ('Who else is Researching Your Family?' and 'Black Sheep and Vanishing Relatives'). Attendance is free, but seats are limited so you need to book by contacting the libraries.


• 'Recommended Reading etc. (Reader GeneaMeme)':  My recommendations for books for family history and recreational reading.


• Next week I am travelling to South Australia to attend the 13th Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry in Adelaide.

No.11 (genealogy worldwide)

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• The Christmas Letter: did you file a copy with your genealogy documents? You should!


• Climbing The Spiral Staircase. Whether you are an experienced family historian or a beginner, you will appreciate the tips/reminders in this great article.


• The Big Genealogy Blog Book by Amy Coffin. I downloaded this and can recommend it.


• Ancestors in Bohemia, Moravia or Silesia? See Czech Genealogy for Beginners.


• SAGHS have permission to put South Australian birth, death and marriages indexes on the Internet.


• Online surveys from which I earn money. You can too!


• Australia's Missing Newspapers: Libraries need your help. Is there a pile of old newspapers under your bed, in your shed or under the floorboards?

No.10 ('Genealogists for Families' project)

Since it was highlighted in 'Geneabloggers', Geneapress and Dick Eastman's newsletter, the 'Genealogists for Families' project has grown very rapidly. Genealogists worldwide are working as a team to help families and small businesses in low income areas. This began as a way for me to honour my father's memory by continuing his tradition of 'good deeds'. Now others are joining in and thus establishing the tradition in their own families.

The project's motto is, 'We care about families (past, present and future).' For more information see the 'Genealogists for Families' blog and Web page.

Join the project to make a difference to families now and in the future!

No.9 (genealogy worldwide)

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• Keeping the Memory Alive:  Genealogists for Families is a story about family history, good deeds and continuing the work of our loved ones via Kiva. Be sure to read the comments.


• Generous Genealogists:  Quoting from the article Generous Genealogists: 'It would be lovely if this team could grow to include genealogists from around the world and to become a family tradition for all of our families.' Again, be sure to read the comments.


• Free Ancestry searches:  From 1st-15th Oct 2011, a different collection will become available for free each day, and remain free until 15th October. The collections are for Australia (electoral rolls), England and Wales (1901 census and 1916-2005 birth index), Ireland (Griffith’s Valuation), USA, Canada, Germany and Sweden. For full details see Ancestry's blog.


• Multiple searches:  Audrey Collins explains why you must use all versions of what appears to be the same index or database.


• Timelines:  To understand your family history in the context of local, national or world events, use timelines such as those at Timelines of History.


• Queensland news is in today's edition of Queensland Genealogy.


• Interesting reading:  Britain's first Railwaywomen.

No.8 (Certificates; genealogy worldwide)

This edition is all about certificates. Links open in new windows so you won't lose your place on this page.

• Free certificates:  Before buying a certificate, read the advice in my article Free Certificates in Archives Files.


• Europe:  The July 2010 edition of Proformat News has a table showing how to obtain civil registration certificates for births, deaths and marriages in European countries.


• Queensland prices:  From July 2011, the price of certificates purchased from the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages has risen to $37.


• Queensland tips:  Problem-solving and money-saving tips re Queensland certificates are in my book Tips for Queensland Research.


• Warning:  The registry has issued a warning about an online 'Certificate Express' service.


• England / Wales prices:  UK residents - please consider signing this petition for cheaper birth, marriage and death certificates in England & Wales.


• England / Wales tips:  You may be lucky enough to find details from a certificate, or contact someone who has a copy, via postems on FreeBMD.


• Parish registers:  Even if you have bought a civil registration certificate, it is a good idea to look for a parish register entry, as it may give extra information. I have seen this in my own research in both New South Wales and England. A parish register entry may also be more accurate than the notoriously unreliable typed certificates issued in Queensland for events after 1889.


• Transcription Agents:  I have personally used the services of two of the certificate transcription agents for NSW, and I can recommend them both: Marilyn Rowan and Joy Murrin. As yet there is no similar service available in Queensland.

You are welcome to share your tips about certificates by adding a comment below.

No.7 (Queensland State Archives survey)

If you have used Queensland State Archives' Web site or Public Search Room, or if you have emailed, phoned or written to them, be sure to do the anonymous Client Satisfaction Survey. It closes tomorrow (Friday 26 Aug 2011).

No.6 (genealogy seminars, Coffs Harbour)

Provided that I recover from jet-lag quickly, I will be at Helen Smith's genealogy talks at Coffs Harbour on Fri. 19th and Sat. 20th Aug 2011.

No.5 (report from London)

If you are waiting for a research report or a reply to an enquiry, I apologise for the delay. I am having a very busy time in the UK, attending seminars and other genealogy events, doing some research, and visiting relatives and friends. Right now I am in London. We expected our suburb to be safe, but on Monday night we had a police helicopter overhead until about 2am, spotlighting rioters and looters at our local shopping centre (four blocks away). We could smell burning rubber and hear shouting in the main road that runs parallel to our street. Overall, though, it is much safer here than in many other areas. Last night there were no helicopters here, but police cars with sirens blaring were zooming past on the main road at about one minute intervals from 8pm until I fell asleep around 10:30pm.