Geneology sites

[amber]

Does anyone know of a good site to look up birth, and marriage records? I'm looking for a free site. I've tried Rootsweb, and ancestry. I can find death records easily, but cannot find birth and marriage records (for free).

Thanks for any help you all can give me

 

[Ishbel]

You haven't said the timescale of the records you are looking for - or the country. Here in the UK, records are protected for a couple of generations, unless you can prove you have the right to find info....

 

[The Z]

I used a site called geneology.com... I don't know if what you're looking for is there, but there are message forums where you can ask questions in sections based on the surnames you're interested in.

 

[bethzaring]

I am not aware of any birth and marriage records being online. You must procure them from the appropriate court house or vital record office, and you must pay to receive them. You can either go to these offices yourself or pay a local person to do this for you, usually through the local genealogy organization.

 

[amber]

You haven't said the timescale of the records you are looking for - or the country. Here in the UK, records are protected for a couple of generations, unless you can prove you have the right to find info....

I'm looking as far back as I can go, but for the time being, I am looking at late to early 1800's. Late 1800's being my grandfather, and early 1800's being my great grand father.

 

[amber]

I used a site called geneology.com... I don't know if what you're looking for is there, but there are message forums where you can ask questions in sections based on the surnames you're interested in.

Thanks Z, I will check that out.

 

[amber]

I am not aware of any birth and marriage records being online. You must procure them from the appropriate court house or vital record office, and you must pay to receive them. You can either go to these offices yourself or pay a local person to do this for you, usually through the local genealogy organization.

On webroots.com it says something about finding people based on birth, death, marriage records. It says that it's best to start with birth records, then marriage, and then death. So far I have found death records to be the easiest to obtain. I was hoping to get info for free, but it doesnt seem like that is possible unless it's a death record.

Thanks for you help

 

[Raven]

Amber, I just PM'd ya

~ Raven ~

 

[bethzaring]

Hey Amber, I have another idea. Try googling the place you are researching, the town, county, local genealogical society. I know that Hamilton County Ohio is in the process of putting early 1800's probate court records online, so maybe the place you need is also doing that.
Also, you mention already finding death records online. If you are referring to the Mormon, FamilySearch website, please take the information found there with a grain of salt. Even though there are millions of pieces of data found there, most of it in not documented. Two people have submitted my dad's death information and both of them contain errors, one has the incorrect date and the other has the wrong state of death. These are not true death redords, just information submitted by well intentioned folks. True death records can only be obtained at the court house at the place the death took place.

Good luck in your research......and I am about to take off for a week of genealogy research myself, so I will be offline for a while.

 

[buckytom]

just an fyi for those of us with irish ancestry.

if you can find out what county in ireland your family has come from, you should have some success tracing back your roots, often hundreds of years. contact the genealogical society for that county (usually associated with their local libraries), and they will do the research for you.

irish churches were excellent at keeping records of ancestry, but it is localized to each county.

 

[SizzlininIN]

Hi Amber! I'm a huge fan of genealogy and have been researching my family tree going on 7 years now. I warn you its highly addicting. I've listed a great source for storing your information and also sites that I frequently go to. Once you find where a person was born or died google the County/State and add Genealogy or Historical Society to the search. Example: Benton County, OH + Genealogy .
When you have a date and place and your searching before 1930 then there is a great deal of information available through the census'. If your not a member of ancestry.com then you can go to the message boards on www.rootsweb.com (County/State your researching) and request a look-up.
If I can be any help please feel free to PM me.
Oh........a side note: I went to a genealogy conference when I started and was adviced that your research is only as good as your proof. Be sure to document all your resources. Also, when you do find where someone else has researched an ancestor don't assume that their information is accurate. Follow up on it and be sure that names, dates and places are accurate. Personally, I love to collect marriage license, obits, death certs, tombstone pics, etc.... to support my research. I keep all my information in a huge binder that has plastic page protectors.
Good Luck!

Here's a great site where you can download a free program that stores your research.

www.familysearch.org
click on order/download products
click on software downloads free
click on the first download for 5.2
Then follow all the prompts. When its all downloaded you will find the icon on your desktop. Click on open new file. Once your into this start filling in your information (I only give the minimal). Then your ready to begin entering your families information. There is a help tab ..... click on this and it will explain how to use this program. I love it. I am the only one that can access the information. If I choose to share the information with others I can decide to and what I want to share. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3693
http://www.findagrave.com/
http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/databases.html ..... if your researching in Illinois
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/
www.familysearch.org

 

[Swann]

just an fyi for those of us with irish ancestry.

if you can find out what county in ireland your family has come from, you should have some success tracing back your roots, often hundreds of years. contact the genealogical society for that county (usually associated with their local libraries), and they will do the research for you.

irish churches were excellent at keeping records of ancestry, but it is localized to each county.

Hummmm.... That was a maybe. I was in Ireland and went to the genealogy library in Dublin to talk to them as I have much info. They said I needed the exact town and parish to get much info. THey were not able to help me at all. One also finds that the famillies have named their children all the same names so sorting out families can be a chore! I have record of a GAunts bapt. but none of the other 8 family members could be found with certainty. My GGF was the only child born in Canada. I have a maybe cousin living in Aust. Our GGGFs are from the same place within 2 miles and many names the same but we cannot connect the James and Hugh as brothers? Cousins? James went to Canada and Hugh went to Aust. about 1840. They were married to girls from the same village with the same last name but not sure if sisters? or cousins? Or no relation but that is not likely. Many of my family I cannot find in Ireland at all since I do not have a good point of origon. Being born in Dublin or Limmerick or Cashel or ???? is just not enough.

Genforum.com is a helpful bulliten board. I have found members of my family there. In some families there seem to be many members doing genealogy and others no one seems to be. Maybe you will be lucky to find just the piece you need.

 

[Ishbel]

The records in Southern Ireland (Eire) have been sketchy, due to fire, flood and invasion...

Northern Ireland has more complete records at GRO, ditto Scotland and also England/Wales.

I'm lucky, my ancestors are buried nearby or less than 200 miles away from me. Many are in the same 3 graveyards.

 

[amber]

It's been a huge chore for me trying to get definate information. I've spent three hours today researching online and dont know anything more than I did before. My ggf suposedly was born in Ireland, but try to look up John Sweeney and you find too many results. Dont know his birthdate or death date either. I'm finding it hard just to find info on my grandfather (fathers side of the family) other than death date if that truly is him that I've seen in the SS index. However, like Sizzlin said, it is fun and addictive!

 

[Dove]

I have been trying to find a classmate of mine since 1962..we were in Jr. and High school and Graduated in 1952. By the time i found her ( through her grandparents) she was on her third marriage...with 44 years gone by I wonder how many more she has had..LOL..
Dove

 

[Dove]

PS..
California won't let you view SS, Birth or Death records so I don't even know if she is alive.

 

[buckytom]

sorry to hear of your difficulty in your quest swann. i know lots of irish americans who've had success, but ishbel is quite right. the more southern parts of the republic have less accurate info. my father's family was from a town and county just outside the old border with the occupied counties of the north.
it helps to know exact names and relations, including the middle names, approximate birthplaces, etc., but there are gaps and confusion. and to add to the confusion, many westerners have cork or limerick or dublin as their families' place of origin, when it actually was the port of their departure.

 

[SizzlininIN]

PS..
California won't let you view SS, Birth or Death records so I don't even know if she is alive.

Hey Dove try these sites:

http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/

http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/caldeaths