Wednesday, July 28, 2010

101 Best Free Websites for 2010

101bestwebsites2010 Family Tree Magazine’s September 2010 issue announced their choices for the 101 best websites of the year. This year magazine editors chose to highlight free websites—or at least those that don’t charge for the website’s primary offering.

As the size of the World Wide Web grows boundlessly, I don’t envy the job Family Tree Magazine’s editors face each year. Here’s a brief zip through their categories, with some comments and a couple of additions of my own. Click on the category name to see all the sites on their list.

Best Big Genealogy Sites

Best Records Resources

  • Did you know that not all the free Google newspapers are accessible via the Google News Archive Search webpage? I don’t think that page returns results for the Salt Lake City, Utah Deseret News historic archive, even though it is powered by Google. It contains images of issues from 15 June 1850 to 30 December 1988. The archive includes The Church News insert, which included ministerial appointments for Latter-day Saint congregations (wards and stakes).

Best US Government Sites

Best Sites for Eastern US Research

Best Sites for Western US Research

Best Canadian Resources

Best Sites for African-American Roots

Best History Sites

Best Sites for Immigrant Research

Best for Great Britain and Ireland

Best Sites for Continental Europe

Best Social Networking Sites

Best High-Tech Tools

  1790* 1820* 1850 1880* 1910
  1800* 1830* 1860 1890* 1920
  1810* 1840 1870 1900 1930
          *Not yet available
  • The Ancestry Insider – Wow! This is an honor. Or a typo. Probably the latter. Seriously, Family Tree Magazine editors provided me early encouragement. Their continued support means a great deal.

As does yours.

Monday, July 26, 2010

The Insider Going Outside (Corrected)

Oops! The correct address for the example website is http://claytonraymond.blogspot.com.


2010 Salt Lake Family History Expo Kind readers,

Some of you wrote about the lack of articles last week. No, I haven’t been sick. No, your spam filter did not eat my newsletters last week. But thank you for your concerns. I prepare my articles the weekend before they are published. If I’m booked solid all weekend, you may not hear from me.

Such was the case last week. I was working hard to meet the syllabus deadline for the 2010 Salt Lake Family History Expo. The expo is 27-28 August 2010 at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah.

I am presenting “Blog Your Way to Genealogical Success.” This class is aimed at the super-beginner. It isn’t really about blogging; it is about creating a website to publish information about your genealogy. You will walk out of the class with instructions detailed enough that you will have your own website by the end of the day. In fact, one lucky attendee will have one by the end of the class!

For an example website, I collaborate with Robert Raymond, a coworker at FamilySearch. You can check it out to see if you’d like to attend the class. It is Ancestors of Wickliff Clayton Raymond at http://claytonraymond.blogspot.com.

Look over the presentation schedule and register for the conference.

The Insider Going Outside

2010 Salt Lake Family History Expo Kind readers,

Some of you wrote about the lack of articles last week. No, I haven’t been sick. No, your spam filter did not eat my newsletters last week. But thank you for your concerns. I prepare my articles the weekend before they are published. If I’m booked solid all weekend, you may not hear from me.

Such was the case last week. I was working hard to meet the syllabus deadline for the 2010 Salt Lake Family History Expo. The expo is 27-28 August 2010 at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah.

I am presenting “Blog Your Way to Genealogical Success.” This class is aimed at the super-beginner. It isn’t really about blogging; it is about creating a website to publish information about your genealogy. You will walk out of the class with instructions detailed enough that you will have your own website by the end of the day. In fact, one lucky attendee will have one by the end of the class!

For an example website, I collaborate with Robert Raymond, a coworker at FamilySearch. You can check it out to see if you’d like to attend the class. It is Ancestors of Wickliff Clayton Raymond at http://claytonraymond.blogspot.com.

Look over the presentation schedule and register for the conference.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Links to Individual Collections

Dear Ancestry Insider,

How can a specific database (e.g., "Scandinavia Vital Records Index") be accessed directly without having a link like you have provided in the examples?

Dear Direct and Specific,

The good news is, it is easy to figure out. The bad news is, FamilySearch has never said whether the links will continue to work in the future. Because of the beta and pilot labels, I am not counting on it.

Regardless, here is how you do it.

Record Search Pilot

  1. Start at http://pilot.familysearch.org .
  2. Click on Search or Browse our record collections. (Sorry, there is no direct link to this page.)
  3. Click on Browse Collections or click a continent on the map.
  4. Find the collection of interest and click on its name.

The address bar of your browser now contains a link to the target collection. You can now:

  • Search just that one collection.
  • Add the link to your favorites or bookmark it. (Different browsers use different terminology.)
  • Drag the icon from the address bar onto your desktop.
  • Select the address. Right click on it. Copy it to your clipboard. Paste the address into an e-mail, document, or web application such as Twitter, Facebook, blog, etc.

Beta FamilySearch.org

  1. Start at http://fsbeta.familysearch.org .
  2. Click on All Collections.
  3. Find the collection of interest and click on its name.

The address bar of your browser now contains a link to the target collection and you can do the same things as listed for the RecordSearch Pilot.

So, Direct and Specific, I hope this information is helpful. However, who knows how long the addresses will last.

Ancestry.com

No extra charge for this… Here’s how to get addresses on Ancestry.com.

  1. Click on Search on the menu bar.
  2. Click on Go to the Card Catalog.
  3. At 29,868 databases, Ancestry.com has gone way past listing databases by continent. Use the features of the card catalog to find the database of interest. Click on its name.

The address bar now contains the link to the target database. Do with it what you will.

Incidentally, I notice that the addresses look different than I observed two years ago. Addresses used to look like this:

www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=31500

These addresses still work, but the card catalog now uses addresses like this:

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=31500

As before, I’m probably the only one interested by such trivial technicalities. But in my upcoming series on citations, address changes will be of interest to us all.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Reporting Ancestry.com Indexing Errors

Record view - links for report or fixing errorsDear Ancestry Insider,

I am in the FamilySearch indexing project, and am very worried about the incidence of errors in indexing. PLEASE, tell me how I can report the great number of indexing errors I find while using my Ancestry.com account to search U.S. censuses?

I see the link to "report problems", which refers only wrong images or unreadable images - but I need to report obvious errors in indexing as compared to the information easily read on images!

Thanks, M. A. Farrell

 

Dear M. A.,

You are correct. “Report Problem” (in the image viewer, below) and “Report Image Problem” (in the record view, above) are used to report missing, wrong, or unreadable images.

To report errors in indexing use “Add Update” (below) or “Add Alternate Information” (above). Enter your interpretation of what is written. Yes, Ancestry.com expects you to provide your idea of the correct information. Handwriting interpretation can be a matter of opinion. While it may be obvious to you, keep in mind that it has already been misread by Ancestry.com once. And just in case your opinion is wrong, Ancestry.com will keep both the old and the new values.

I hope that helps.

-- The Ancestry Insider

Image view - links for reporting or fixing errors

Monday, July 12, 2010

IGI on FamilySearch beta/pilot Websites

Randy Seaver recently asked if records from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) are available on the beta FamilySearch.org website. The answer is: partly.

As Randy pointed out, two types of records are present in the IGI.

1. “Records submitted by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”1

These records have all been loaded into the New FamilySearch Tree. This tree will ultimately become part of the new beta FamilySearch.org website and will be available to the general public.

2. “Many names in the index come from vital records from the early 1500s to 1885.”2

These records are typically called “Extracted Records.” These records are being loaded onto the RecordSearch Pilot or the beta FamilySearch.org website or both, as processing is complete. Extracted records published as “Vital Record Indexes” CDs and on the current FamilySearch.org website are or will also be included.

These records are not being published as one conglomerate database called the IGI. Rather, they are being published by locality. Some examples are:

  • Canada Marriages, 1661-1949 (available on fsbeta)
    • “Name index to marriages from Canada.  Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and Family History Centers.  This set contains 268,014 records.  Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed.  The year range represents most of the records.  A few records may be earlier or later.”3
  • England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
    • “Index to selected England births and christenings.  Only a few localities are included and the time period varies by locality.  This collection contains 65,943,614 records.  Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed.  The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.”4
  • England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991 (available on fsbeta)
    • “Index to selected England burials.  Only a few localities are included and the time period varies by locality.  This collection contains 16,560,984 records.  Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed.  The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.”5
  • England Marriages, 1538-1973
    • “Index to selected England marriages.  Only a few localities are included and the time period varies by locality.  This collection contains 18,173,712 records.  Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed.  The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.”6

Many (all?) of these collections can be recognized because they follow the naming scheme shown in the examples.

Be careful using these collections. As noted in some of the descriptions, extraction projects did not comprehensively cover the locality or date range.


Notes

     1.  Various authors, “International Genealogy Index (IGI),” FamilySearch Research Wiki (http://wiki.familysearch.org : accessed 12 July 2010).

     2.  Ibid.

     3.  “Canada Marriages, 1661-1949,” RecordSearch Pilot (http://pilot.familysearch.org : accessed 12 July 2010).

     4.  “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” RecordSearch Pilot (http://pilot.familysearch.org : accessed 12 July 2010).

     5.  “England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991,” RecordSearch Pilot (http://pilot.familysearch.org : accessed 12 July 2010).

     6.  “England Marriages, 1538-1973,” RecordSearch Pilot (http://pilot.familysearch.org : accessed 12 July 2010).

Friday, July 9, 2010

Go Vote… Today!

National Archives Website

The NARA website is getting a new look. Want to give your input? Voting ends this week! For more information or to cast your vote, click here.

Click a thumbnail to see a larger PDF image of the design.

Design A
NARA website redesign proposal A
Design B
Design C
Design D

FamilySearch Wiki

Speaking of new designs, as the FamilySearch Wiki prepares to move into the beta FamilySearch.org website, it also is getting a new look. Give feedback on a forum or on the wiki.

Click a thumbnail to open the page in your browser.

Old state design
Old state design
New state design
New state design
Old country design
Old country design
New country design
New country design

National Archives Wiki

Speaking of wikis… and speaking of the National Archives… The National Archives has started a wiki “for researchers, educators, genealogists, and Archives staff to share information and knowledge about the records of the National Archives and about their research.” Their wiki is located at:

http://www.ourarchives.wikispaces.net

For more information, click here.

Ancestry.com Wiki

Not to be outdone, Ancestry.com has launched their own wiki. This is one of the many NGS conference news items I’m trying to get to. Blame David Rencher. His NGS session inspired my evidence management series, which has kept me busy. But I digress…

In its wiki, Ancestry.com has released two powerhouse genealogy references that together list for over $100: The Red Book and The Source

Wow! The only thing better would be if they were free.

Oh! Wait! The wiki is free! Check it out at:

www.ancestry.com/wiki

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Serendipity in Genealogy: The Lighthouse

The Dutch Island Light Station
The Dutch Island Light Station2

It is as though our ancestors want to be found. Uncanny coincidences Olympian luck. Phenomenal fate. Tremendous intuition. Remarkable miracles. We call It, “Serendipity in Genealogy.”

Fog Shrouds the Lighthouse

“When my father was a young boy, he knew his grandmother,”  said Warren Porter. “And he knew her first name was Catherine and she had a connection in Maine.” But that was all they knew. A thick fog hung about Catherine, wife of Albert H. Porter.1

In the 1910 census,3 Warren discovered a tantalizing, albeit confusing clue.

Albert H. Porter in Fort Greble in 1910

Warren found his great grandfather then lived at Fort Greble in Jamestown, Rhode Island. There, he was practicing the traditional family profession: Albert was the lighthouse keeper on Dutch Island.4

Confusingly, Albert’s wife was not the elusive Catherine, but an Irish woman named Mary. Less than two years after the enumeration, Warren’s grandfather was born. Could Mary be his real mother? Did she pass away soon after the enumerator’s visit? Were Catherine and Mary the same person? Was the Maine connection a North Atlantic red herring?

Utilizing the clue from the census, Warren and father contacted the Dutch Island Lighthouse Society. They traveled to the island several times. “We toiled for years to try to find any record of Catherine,” Warren related. They searched for a decade with no luck.

It was fitting that a visit to the lighthouse illuminated Catherine’s story. By chance, Warren’s uncle visited the lighthouse while the local paper was publishing a series about the keepers of the Dutch Island Light. By chance, he was there for the last in the series. By chance he noticed the article began with a name: “Albert Henry Porter.”5

The article contained the sad story of the years between the census and the birth of Warren’s grandfather. In the spring of 1911 Albert’s father died suddenly. It was perhaps during his travels to settle his father’s affairs that he learned of Mary’s. He confronted her when he returned and she confessed. She admitted to Albert “that before she married me she lead a fast life in New York for ten years.” She left the island in shame.

Albert took in his newly widowed mother and received permission to hire a housekeeper to help her. He turned to a domestic working for the fort’s doctor, Catherine Lyal of Maine.

The military soon lodged a complaint: “For some time Porter has been living in the lighthouse [with] a woman known as Catherine C. Lyal… During the time the woman has been at the Lighthouse with Porter she has had a child and the situation has become notorious.”

No wonder the family had been kept in the dark.

After the discovery, Warren noticed that Catherine Lyal had been hiding all along on the 1910 census, just three households away from Albert.

There she was, listed as a cook at the [Enders] residence and unbeknown to my father and I all these years, she had been the great-grandmother that we had struggled to find.  It seems sort of eerie to look at that form and know that infidelity would soon befall the lighthouse keeper of Dutch Island light.

 

(Special thanks to Warren Porter for sharing his story. Thanks, Warren! Do you have a story of serendipity that you can share? Send it to AncestryInsider@gmail.com.)


Notes

     1.  Warren Porter, [address withheld for privacy], “Anomalies & Serendipity,” e-mail to Ancestry Insider, AncestryInsider@gmail.com, 24 February 2010.

     2.  “Dutch Island Light Station,” historic photograph, undated, “Dutch Island, RI,” LighthouseFriends.com (accessed 3 July 2010); crediting U.S. Coast Guard.

     3.  1910 U.S. census, Newport County, Rhode Island, population schedule, Jamestown Town, Army Post at Fort Greble, enumeration district 32, sheet 8-A, lines 30-1, Albert H Porter household, also line 21, Catherine L Lyal; digital image, Ancestry.com (accessed 3 July 2010); citing National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll 1437.

     4.  Wikipedia contributors, “Dutch Island (Rhode Island),” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.com : 25 March 2010 at 15:39); a search for “Fort Greble” places Fort Greble on Dutch Island.

     5.  Sue Maden and Rosemary Enright, “Keepers of the Dutch Island Light: The light is Re-lit,” The Jamestown (Rhode Island) Press, 29 October 2009, online edition (www.jamestownpress.com : accessed 3 July 2010).

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

FamilySearch Launches Indexing Newsletter

FamilySearch launched a newsletter for indexers FamilySearch International launched a monthly newsletter last week for indexing volunteers. According to FamilySearch,

This inaugural edition of a monthly newsletter demonstrates an increasing desire to better communicate with the volunteers who participate in this wonderful cause of providing access to the world’s records online.

The newsletter included these statistics:

  • Total Records Indexed: 339,782,331+
  • Total Records Indexed in 2010: 100,795,360+
  • Total Registered Indexers: 340,041+

Among other items, the newsletter pointed out the “FamilySearch Indexing Updates” page on the FamilySearch Wiki. The page highlights new projects and recently completed projects. It includes a table showing the progress of all active projects. It appears similar to the “Latest News” page of http://indexing.familysearch.org.

Rumor has it that the product manager for FamilySearch Indexing is a top notch man who worked for a company I cofounded. I can neither confirm nor deny this rumor (but he is top notch).

To become a volunteer indexer for FamilySearch, click here. To volunteer for Ancestry.com indexing, click here.