Free Databases on Ancestry.com

Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Yesterday’s mailbox spoke of the databases available free on Ancestry.com. Here is a list of the 260 databases, sorted from largest to smallest. Sometimes only the index is free; images still require a subscription. I believe the 1880 and 1881 censuses are this way.

Some (all?) require a free registration. You may be offered a free trial. Decline unless you wish to check out all Ancestry.com databases. If you accept a free trial, it will automatically become a regular subscription if not cancelled before the end of the trial.

Title	Category	Places	Record Count
Ancestry World Tree  FREE	Family Trees		467,671,004
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	England; Wales	62,795,416
1880 United States Federal Census  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	USA	50,480,997
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	England; Wales	38,334,193
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	England; Wales	32,698,349
1881 England Census  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	England	24,766,872
U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project)  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA	5,823,403
Slave Registers of former British Colonial Dependencies, 1812-1834  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Antigua and Barbuda; …	2,980,774
1881 Wales Census  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Wales	1,588,506
England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	England; Wales	1,556,259
U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	USA	1,264,505
WWI Civilian Draft Registrations  FREE	Military	USA; North America	1,231,099
Geographic Reference Library  FREE	Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs	USA	1,093,086
JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR)  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	United Kingdom; Ireland	1,062,951
Sydney and New South Wales, Sands Street Index, 1861-1930  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Australia; New South Wales; …	937,964
Nebraska State Census Collection, 1860-1885  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	USA; Nebraska; North America	851,345
Värmland, Sweden, Parish Records, 1661-1895  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Sweden	757,250
Jewish Given Name Variations  FREE	Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs	United Kingdom; Ireland	721,272
Poland: Jewish Records Indexing-Poland Vital Records Database (Births)  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Poland	562,515
U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project)  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA	507,325
Poland: Jewish Records Indexing-Poland Vital Records Database (Deaths)  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Poland	483,158
Alabama State Census, 1820-1866  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	USA; Alabama; North America	478,375
Michigan Passenger and Crew Lists, 1903-1965  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA; Michigan; North America	377,263
Ontario, Canada Census Index, 1871  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Canada; Ontario; North America	374,003
Varese, Lombardy, Italy: Civil Registration, 1866-1937  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Italy; Lombardia; Varese; Europe	363,489
Utah Cemetery Inventory  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Utah; North America	350,016
Holocaust: Records from Ten Ghettos  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Belarus; Latvia; Lithuania; …	339,488
England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	United Kingdom; Ireland	335,361
Belarus and Lithuania: Census & Family Lists from Various Districts, 1795-1900  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Belarus; Lithuania	331,059
New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Australia; New South Wales; Tasmania; Oceania	277,066
Poland: Jewish Records Indexing-Poland Vital Records Database (Marriages)  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Poland	252,990
Russia: Duma Voter Lists, 1906-1907  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Belarus; Latvia; Poland; Romania; Russia; Ukraine	212,249
Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire  FREE	Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers	Germany	201,829
UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	United Kingdom; Ireland	196,793
JewishGen Yizkor Book Necrology Database  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Germany; Belarus; Greece; Hungary; …	196,428
Germany: Dachau Concentration Camp Records, 1945  FREE	Military	Germany	168,116
Romania: Jewish Names from the Central Zionist Archives  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Romania	167,815
Holocaust: Refugees Evacuated to Tashkent (Soviet Union), 1941-1942  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; …	151,966
Lithuania: Tax and Voters Lists, 1839 to 1949, various years  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	Lithuania	148,571
Philadelphia Bank Immigrant Passage Records, 1890-1949  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA; Pennsylvania; Philadelphia; North America	139,003
Wuerttemberg, Germany Emigration Index  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Germany	136,195
Hungary: Jewish Names from the Central Zionist Archives  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Hungary	135,546
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Australia	122,459
Holocaust: Register of survivors printed in Pinkas HaNitzolim I & II, 1945  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Germany; Switzerland; Albania; …	118,654
New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Australia; New South Wales; Oceania	110,103
Hungary: Birth Records collected by Rabbis in Various Counties, 1791-1914  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Hungary; Romania; Slovakia	100,818
Louisiana Slave Records, 1719-1820  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Louisiana; North America	100,666
U.S.: Immigrants arriving at New York from Poland, Austria, and Galacia, 1890-1891  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA; New York; North America	96,699
US Historical Postcards  FREE	Pictures	USA	95,239
Hungary: Jewish Census, 1848  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Austria; Croatia; Hungary; Poland; Romania; …	93,321
Germany: Flossenbürg Concentration Camp Records, 1938-1945  FREE	Military	Germany	88,367
Hungary: All Citizen Census, 1869  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Hungary; Slovakia	88,020
1881 Channel Islands Census  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Channel Islands	87,037
Munich, Vienna and Barcelona Jewish Displaced Persons and Refugee Cards, 1943-1959 (JDC)  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Germany; Austria; Spain	85,148
Holocaust: Index to Testimonials for Victims, as listed in the Soviet Extraordinary Commission Records  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	Belarus; Russia; Ukraine	78,498
The Houston Jewish Herald-Voice Index to Vitals and Family Events, 1908-2007  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Texas; Harris; North America	78,470
New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia, Convict Pardons and Tickets of Leave, 1834-1859  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Australia; New South Wales; Tasmania; Oceania	74,662
Burleson Family Association Bulletin Name Index  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	74,599
Holocaust: Survivor List from the files of World Jewish Congress  FREE	Military	United Kingdom; Ireland	72,899
New South Wales, Australia Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1849  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Australia; New South Wales; Oceania	70,263
Holocaust: Survivor names printed in Sharit Ha-Platah, 1946  FREE	Military	United Kingdom; Ireland	61,388
Brandenburg, Prussia Emigration Records  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Germany	61,162
Jewish Transmigration Bureau Deposit Cards, 1939-1954 (JDC)  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA	59,396
Bessarabia (now Moldova), Birth Records, 1829-1910  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Moldova; Romania; Ukraine	57,466
JewishGen Belarus Databases Name Index  FREE	Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs	Belarus	55,390
1881 Isle of Man Census  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Isle of Man	55,144
The Boston Jewish Advocate Wedding Announcements, 1905-2007  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Massachusetts; North America	54,814
New York City Immigrants (Austria, Galicia, Poland), 1891  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA	52,647
Northern Michigan, Newspaper Surname Index  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	USA; Michigan; North America	52,145
Who’s Who in Australia, 1921-1950  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Australia	51,008
California, Mortuary and Cemetery Records, 1801-1932  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; California; North America	49,494
LeRoy Gazette (LeRoy, New York)  FREE	Newspapers & Publications	USA; New York; Genesee; North America	47,985
Fife, Scotland, Voters Lists, 1832-1894  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Scotland; United Kingdom; Fife; Europe	47,875
The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Obituary Index, 1887-2006  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Pennsylvania; Philadelphia; North America	46,478
Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1857  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Germany; Schleswig-Holstein; Lubeck; Europe	44,432
London, England, Land Tax Valuations, 1910  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	England; United Kingdom; London; Europe	44,374
New York City Immigrants (Austria, Galicia, Poland), 1890  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA	44,052
New South Wales, Australia, Tickets of Leave, 1824-1867  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	Australia; New South Wales; Oceania	42,668
Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1851  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Germany; Schleswig-Holstein; Lubeck; Europe	41,545
Lithuania: Internal Passports, 1919-1940  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Lithuania	40,998
Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1845  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Germany; Schleswig-Holstein; Lubeck; Europe	40,806
Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S. Penitentiary, Name Index to Inmate Case Files, 1895-1931  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	USA; Kansas; Leavenworth; North America	40,253
New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Australia; New South Wales; Oceania	40,222
Australian Convict Index, 1788-1868  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	Australia	40,217
Lithuania: Birth Records from Various Towns, 1822-1940 (not all years)  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Lithuania	39,692
Hungary: Assorted Census Records, 1781-1850  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Austria; Hungary; Poland; Romania; Slovakia; Ukraine	38,979
Austria: Mauthausen/Gusen Concentration Camp Death Record Books , 1938-1945  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Austria	38,207
Hungary: Death Records collected by Rabbis in Various Counties, 1800-1914 (not all years)  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Hungary; Romania; Slovakia	34,721
New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Freedom, 1827-1867  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	Australia; New South Wales; Oceania	34,567
Bertie County, North Carolina Vital Statistics, 1700s-1920  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; North Carolina; Bertie; North America	34,544
France: Natzweiler-Struthof Concentration Camp Record Book, 1940-1945  FREE	Military	Germany; France	33,722
Holocaust: Survivor Names printed in Aufbau Newspaper, New York, 1944-1946  FREE	Military	USA; Canada; Germany; Switzerland; …	33,460
Woodford County, Illinois, Prairie District Library, Obituaries, 1887 to Present  FREE	Newspapers & Publications	USA; Illinois; Woodford; North America	31,936
American Biographical Library  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	31,755
Bessarabia (now Moldova), Death Records, 1858-1914  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Moldova; Romania; Ukraine	31,612
Hungary: Jewish Names in Property Tax Census, 1828  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Austria; Hungary; Poland; Romania; Slovakia; Ukraine; Yugoslavia	29,969
New Orleans, Louisiana, Slave Manifests, 1807-1860  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA; Louisiana; North America	29,875
U.S: Boston Arrivals of Jewish Immigrants from HIAS Records, 1882-1929  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA; Massachusetts; Suffolk; North America	28,959
Bessarabia (now Moldova), Marriage and Divorce Records, 1879-1915  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Moldova; Romania; Ukraine	28,472
Baden, Germany Emigration Index, 1866-1911  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Germany	28,342
The Cleveland Jewish News Obituary Index, 1964-2007  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Ohio; Cuyahoga; North America	27,858
Lithuania: Marriage and Divorce Records from Various Towns, 1855-1940  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Lithuania	27,394
Russian Empire: Grodno Gubernia Voters List, 1912  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Belarus; Lithuania; Poland; Russia	26,624
Canada Historical Postcards  FREE	Pictures	Canada	26,085
Ukraine: Lviv, Cemetery Records, 1941-1942  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Ukraine	9,170
Israel: Index to Records from U.S. Consular Posts in Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Haifa, 1857-1935  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA; North America	9,107
Belarus: Minsk City Homeowners Lists, 1889 and 1911  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Belarus	8,924
Belarus: Birth Records from Select Cities, 1837-1917  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Belarus	8,913
Perth, Scotland, Survey of Inhabitants, 1766, 1773  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Scotland; United Kingdom; Perthshire; Europe	8,894
Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont, Italy, Indexed Death Records, 1896-1936  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Italy; Piemonte; Verbano-Cusio-Ossola; Europe	8,278
Latvia: Jewish Family Lists from Dvinsk, c. 1876-1917  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Latvia	8,247
Germany: the Fate of Jews from Many Communities in Westphalia, 1933-1942  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Germany	8,177
Germany: Data on 7,400 North Bavarian Jews  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Germany	7,407
Belarus: Marriage Records from Minsk (1921) and Mogilev (1857-1891)  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Belarus	7,282
U.S. Naval Deaths, World War I  FREE	Military	USA	7,273
New South Wales, Australia, Convict Death Register, 1826-1879  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Australia; New South Wales; Oceania	7,176
Holocaust: Lódz (Poland) Transports to Chelmo (Kulmhof) Camp, 1944  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Poland	7,168
Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1815  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Germany; Schleswig-Holstein; Lubeck; Europe	7,075
History of the American Nation  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	6,848
Ireland, Famine Relief Commission Papers, 1844-1847  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	United Kingdom; Ireland	6,747
Holocaust: Krakow (Poland) Transport Lists, 1940  FREE	Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs	Poland	6,701
Latvia: Jewish Family Lists from Rezekne, c. 1896-1914  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Latvia	6,620
New South Wales, Australia 1828 - 1842: Bounty Immigrants List  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Australia; New South Wales; Oceania	6,473
Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1831  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Germany; Schleswig-Holstein; Lubeck; Europe	6,407
Missouri National Guard, the Mexican Border, 1916  FREE	Military	USA; Missouri; North America	6,274
Poland: Business Directories, 1926, 1930, 1932, and 1935  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Poland	6,264
Virginia Colonial Soldiers  FREE	Military	USA; Virginia; North America	6,141
Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Birth Records Index, 1876-1885  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Italy	5,998
U.S. Consular Posts, Emergency Passport Applications, 1915-1926  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA	5,939
U.S.: Marriages performed by three Rabbis in Boston, Chicago and Massachusetts,1861-1956  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Illinois; Massachusetts; North America	5,840
Fairbanks, Alaska Cemetery Records  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Alaska; Fairbanks North Star; North America	5,673
U.S: Papers of Rabbi Samuel Langer, 1929-1969  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA	5,650
Holocaust: Lodz Ghetto Hospital Illness Records, 1940  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Poland	5,636
Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1812  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Germany; Schleswig-Holstein; Lubeck; Europe	5,624
Poland: Residents of Auschwitz (Oshpitsin), 1919-1941  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Poland	5,511
Holocaust: Ukraine, Borislav Utility Records, 1941-1942  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	Czech Republic; Ukraine	5,483
Lithuania: List of Donors to Charity from HaMagid, 1871-72  FREE	Newspapers & Publications	Lithuania	5,466
Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1807  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Germany; Schleswig-Holstein; Lubeck; Europe	5,386
Holocaust: Auschwitz Forced Laborers  FREE	Military	Poland	5,310
Jewish Community Locator  FREE	Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs	Germany; Switzerland; Algeria; …	4,766
Iosco County, Michigan Paupers, 1869-1934  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	4,594
Scots-Irish  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	United Kingdom; Ireland	4,557
Lübeck, Germany, Marriage Banns, 1871-1875  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Germany; Schleswig-Holstein; Lubeck; Europe	4,328
Aiken County, South Carolina Cemetery Inscriptions: Graniteville  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; South Carolina; Aiken; North America	4,294
Gateshead, Durham, England, Roll of Honour, 1914-1920  FREE	Military	England; United Kingdom; Durham; Europe	4,279
Russian Empire: Jewish Religious Personnel, 1853-1854  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	Belarus; Russia	4,191
Nebraska Extracted Family History  FREE	Newspapers & Publications	USA; Nebraska; North America	4,176
Louisiana Freed Slave Records, 1719-1820  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Louisiana; North America	4,064
Houston Chronicle Obituaries, 1901-1905  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Texas; Harris; North America	4,023
Biographical Cyclopedia of U.S. Women  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	3,834
James Madison, Journal of the Federal Convention  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	3,792
Belarus: Jewish Surnames in Minsk Vital Record Collections  FREE	Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs	Belarus	3,435
Iosco County, MI, Iosco County Gazette Index, 1900-1910  FREE	Newspapers & Publications	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	3,352
Holocaust: Minsk Yizkor Book Index  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Belarus	3,279
Iosco County, Michigan Plat Book, 1903  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	3,174
Australia - Convict Savings Bank Books, 1824-1886  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	Australia	3,110
New England Irish Pioneers  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA	3,064
Iosco County, Michigan Early Land Owners, 1841-1896  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	3,038
Kansas Territorial Census, 1855  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	USA; Kansas; North America	3,008
Iosco County, Michigan Glass Negatives, 1892-1905: East Tawas  FREE	Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	2,989
Ontario, Canada Marriage Registers by Clergy, 1896-1948  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Canada; Ontario; North America	2,988
Poland: Warsaw Death Notices from Nasz Przeglad, 1923 & 1937-1938  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Poland	2,762
Kankakee City, Illinois Directory, 1876  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	USA; Illinois; Kankakee; North America	2,676
Iosco County, Michigan, 1892-1949: Tawas Herald Obituaries  FREE	Newspapers & Publications	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	2,617
Iosco County, Michigan Obituaries, 1978-90  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	2,586
Grantsville, Tooele County, Utah Cemetery, 1846-1999  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Utah; Tooele; North America	2,424
Susquehanna County, Silver Lake Township, Pennsylvania, 1878 -79 tax rolls  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	USA; Pennsylvania; Susquehanna; North America	2,411
New York Marble Cemetery Records, New York City, NY, 1830-1937  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; New York; New York; North America	2,410
Germany: West Prussia, Jewish Citizenship Register, 1812  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Germany; Poland	2,382
Irish Canadian Emigration Records, 1823-1849  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Canada	2,219
Poland: Jewish Survivors from the Keilce District, 1945  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Poland	2,179
Lithuania: Kelme Records, 1816-1944  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Lithuania	2,034
Holocaust: Schindler's Lists  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Czech Republic; Hungary; Poland; Turkey	1,980
Iosco County, Michigan, 1901-99: Esmond-Evergreen Cemetery  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	1,948
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Third Fleet, 1791  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Australia	1,924
New South Wales, Australia, Applications and Admissions to Orphan Schools, 1817-1833  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	Australia; New South Wales; Oceania	1,702
Women of the Century  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	1,678
History of the American People  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	1,647
New York City, Ellis Island Oral Histories, 1892-1976  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA; New York; New York; North America	1,587
Alcatraz, California, U.S. Penitentiary, Prisoner Index, 1934-1963  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	USA; California; San Francisco; North America	1,576
Aiken County, South Carolina: Cemetery Records  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; South Carolina; Aiken; North America	1,465
Kansas Post Offices, 1880  FREE	Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs	USA; Kansas; North America	1,432
Perthshire, Scotland, Militia Survey, 1802  FREE	Military	Scotland; United Kingdom; Perthshire; Europe	1,378
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Second Fleet, 1789-1790  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Australia	1,253
Germany: Lists of Jewish Families from Five Cities in Northern Germany  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Germany	1,200
Historical collections : containing I. The Reformation in France, the rise, progress and destruction of the Huguenot Church : I  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; France	1,159
Ellis County, Texas World War I Veterans  FREE	Military	USA; Texas; Ellis; North America	1,102
Storia dei conti e duchi d'Urbino  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Italy	1,099
Philadelphia German Immigration, 1700-75  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA; Pennsylvania; Philadelphia; North America	1,072
La Nuova Italia, Vol. II: F-Q  FREE	Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers	Italy	1,047
Sweden Historical Postcards  FREE	Pictures	Sweden	1,035
La Nuova Italia, Vol. I: A-E  FREE	Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers	Italy	948
La Nuova Italia, Vol. III: R-Z  FREE	Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers	Italy	878
Tableaux de la parenté de mes enfants  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; France	845
The Descendants of Louis XIII  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; France	829
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – First Fleet, 1787-1788  FREE	Immigration & Travel	Australia	827
Iosco County, Michigan WWI Veterans Index  FREE	Military	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	738
The registers of the Protestant Church at Caen (Normandy).  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	France	737
R.L. Polk & Co.'s Pueblo city directory, 1899-1900  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Colorado; Pueblo; North America	710
Belarus: Minsk, List of Deaths, 1889  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Belarus	701
Les Canadiens-Français : origine des familles émigrées de France, d'Espagne, de Suisse, etc., pour venir se fixer au Canada, de  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Canada; Switzerland; France; Spain	642
Memoirs of the Sansons : from private notes and documents (1688-1847)  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; France	609
William Shaw, Trip from Australia to California, 1849  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; California; North America	578
Mexico Historical Postcards  FREE	Pictures	Mexico; Mexico	535
Utah Cemeteries  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	USA; Utah; North America	522
The historical writings of the late Orsamus H. Marshall relating to the early history of the West  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Canada	519
The Northwest under three flags : 1635-1796  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Canada	478
Pennsylvania Biographical Sketches, 1868  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Pennsylvania; North America	474
Australia Historical Postcards  FREE	Pictures	Australia	472
Législation héraldique de la Belgique, 1595-1895 : Jurisprudence du Conseil héraldique, 1844-1895.  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Belgium; Luxembourg	462
Indagini storiche, artistiche e bibliographiche sulla Libreria Visconteo-Sforzesca del Castello di Pavia  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Italy	451
Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812  FREE	Military	USA; Kentucky; North America	443
Chronique des quatre premiers Valois (1327-1393)  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	France	413
The house of Cromwell and the story of Dunkirk : a genealogical history of the descendants of the Protector, with anecedotes an  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	United Kingdom; Ireland	411
Washington County, D. C., Indentures of Apprenticeship, 1801-1811  FREE	Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills	USA; District of Columbia; North America	400
Archives de la maison de La Trémoïlle : (chartriers de Thouars et de Serrant, papiers Duchatel)  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	France	385
NARA Collections on Ancestry.com  FREE	Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs	USA	366
Genealogical record of the Le Van family : descendants of Daniel LeVan and Marie Beau (Huguenots), natives of Picardy, France,  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; France; Netherlands	356
The history of the Alison, or Allison family in Europe and America, A.D. 1135 to 1893 : giving an account of the family in Scot  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	351
The Russells of Birmingham in the French Revolution and in America, 1791-1814  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	United Kingdom; Ireland	338
Vite degli Sforzeschi  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Italy	319
A Huguenot family in the XVI century : the memoirs of Philippe de Mornay, sieur du Plessis Marly  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	United Kingdom; Ireland	313
Histoire de Belgique  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Belgium; Luxembourg	312
Nuovo Dizionario Geografico, Statistico, E Biografico Della Sicilia Antica E Moderna  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Italy	305
Nuovo Dizionario Dei Comuni Del Regno D'Italia  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Italy	274
Mississippi Territory in the War of 1812  FREE	Military	USA; Mississippi; North America	247
Les Montmorency de France et les Montmorency d'Irlande, ou, Précis historique des démarches faites : à l'occasion de la repri  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	United Kingdom; Ireland	245
Iosco County, Michigan Naturalization Index, 1885-1910  FREE	Immigration & Travel	USA; Michigan; Iosco; North America	244
Kentucky in the War of 1812  FREE	Military	USA; Kentucky; North America	234
Annals and legends of Calais : with sketches of émigré notabilities, and memoir of Lady Hamilton  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	United Kingdom; Ireland	232
Salem Witches  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	217
Le baron de Saint-Castin, chef abénaquis  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Canada; France	213
Généalogie de la maison de Grimouville : faite sur titres originaux et autres pièces authentiques, en l'an 1788  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	France	210
Hamilton College, New York Graduates, 1879  FREE	Schools, Directories & Church Histories	USA; New York; Oneida; North America	194
Kitchener, Ontario German War Graves  FREE	Birth, Marriage & Death	Canada; Germany	188
The General Society of the War of 1812, 1976 Bicentennial Supplement to the 1972 Register Robert Glenn Thurtle Editor  FREE	Military	USA	179
Dizionario Corografico Della Svizzera Italiana Compresevi Le Frazioni Italiane Dei Grigioni  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Italy	176
U.K. Census Free Sample  FREE	Census & Voter Lists	England	157
Kentucky Pension Roll for 1835  FREE	Military	USA; Kentucky; North America	156
La chatellenie suzeraine d'Oissery : son terrier, ses coutumes, son histoire d'après les archives de la commune d'Oissery du  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	France	151
Gay, Cushman, Vickery genealogy  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	137
Genealogie des familles Laboissiere ou Labossiere et Claude ou Glaude-Labossiere  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Canada; France	132
Revolutionary Soldiers in Alabama  FREE	Military	USA; Alabama; North America	130
Louisiana Soldiers in the War of 1812  FREE	Military	USA; Louisiana; North America	129
Report to the Brown Association, U.S.A.	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	126
Louisiana Troops 1720-1770  FREE	Military	USA; Louisiana; North America	114
Canada, Selected Service Records of Soldiers, 1914-1918  FREE	Military	Canada	102
Canada, Selected Service Records of War Dead, 1939-1945  FREE	Military	Canada	100
A history and lineage of descendents of a Scottish family by the name of Sinclair  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	96
De Libertat : a historical and genealogical review comprising an account of the submission of the city of Marseilles in 1596 to  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	France	94
The descendants of Richard Kimber : a genealogical history of the descendants of Richard Kimber, of Grove, near Wantage, Berksh  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	91
Louisiana Colonials  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Louisiana; North America	89
Notes on Kentucky Veterans of the War of 1812 by G. Glenn Clift  FREE	Military	USA; Kentucky; North America	60
Whiteside(s) names in England, Scotland and other European or African or Asian countries  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	56
Alessandro Scarlatti, "il Palermitano" : (la patria & la famiglia).  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Italy	44
Index to the previous three reports on Whiteside(s) names found outside of the United States, ca. 1230-1959  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA	43
Gli Uberti in Bologna durante il primo dominio visconteo  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	Italy	26
La famiglia degli Allighieri in Ferrara : breve memoria con documenti e note.  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Italy	25
Tableau généalogique et raisonné de la maison des Sires de Montfaucon comtes de Montbéliard  FREE	Stories, Memories & Histories	USA; Switzerland; France	17
WWII United News Newsreels, 1942-1946 (Free)  FREE	Military	USA	5

Mailbox Monday: Ancestry.com FHC Edition

Dear Ancestry Insider,

I believe there are quite a few databases hosted on Ancestry.com for which Ancestry.com is not allowed to charge. And I believe this has something to do with the copyrights of each of the databases. Of course, Ancestry.com does NOT publicize that many of their databases can be searched without a paid membership. Nor do they make it easy to figure out how to search these databases. (Hint: on Ancestry.com, navigate to 'Help' and typing in "free databases".)

Please correct me if I'm wrong. It's my theory that these free databases are the databases available through the FHC Edition of Ancestry.com. I think the general public can access these databases from any internet connected computer FREE OF CHARGE on the Ancestry.com website; I don't think users have to be in a FHC to do so.

Signed,
S*

Dear S,

You are essentially correct that legalities require that Ancestry.com offer some databases without charge. To be precise, this is required by contracts, whether the database is copyrighted or not. (See “Can I Freely Copy Public Domain Documents” for a little insight into the difference.)

It was when they introduced New Search 2008 that they started hiding which databases were free. Thanks for the hint about clicking on help and searching for “Free databases.” The help article explains how to use the old card catalog to see a list for free databases. Be careful; not every database listed is free. Only those marked are free.

The number of free databases is not large. Of their nearly 30,000 databases, less than 400 are free.

Per your request, I have one correction. Oddly enough, databases that are free at Ancestry.com are not available in the FHC edition of Ancestry.com. Access the free databases at home; access the free FHC edition databases at a FHC.

Thanks for your insight,
-- The Insider

The Inside Scoop on RootsTech Open Panel Discussions

Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Since the RootsTech website doesn't have the skinny, you're lucky you read the Ancestry Insider. Five open discussions or panel discussions are included in the RootsTech schedule. These ought to add some pizazz to your conference experience. Audience participation is a must.

 

Exploring Cemetery Solutions

Thursday 10th 11:00 AM

A panel of companies offering current or future cemetery solutions will take a few minutes to share their offerings. The moderator will then put questions to the panelists, mixing audience questions with his own, such as:

• How is cemetery data common with genealogical source data?
• How should volunteers transcribe tomb stones?
• How can cemetery data be associated with Family Trees?
• What role should geo-coding play in cemetery surveys?
• Can smart phones be used to digitize and transcribe tomb stones?

LEVEL: All Levels
TRACK: Interactive Open Discussions
MODERATOR: Gordon Clarke
PANELISTS:

• AncestralHunt (www.ancestralhunt.com)
• AppTime (www.apptime.com)
• FamilySearch (new.familysearch.org)
• Names In Stone (www.namesinstone.com)
• RF Memorial (www.rfmemorialtechnology.com)

 

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Value and Use of APIs

Thursday 10th 3:00 PM

A panel of companies offering APIs will take a few minutes to share there API offerings. The totally awesome moderator will then put questions to the panelists, mixing audience questions with his own, such as:

• What is the value of Application Program Interfaces?
• Do you have a preferences regarding SOAP, REST, or other protocols?
• What do you think about XML, JSON, or AMF?
• What should an API provider offer? ( sample code, discussion boards, support)
• What structure do you like for API documentation?
• Whats the difference between proprietary and open APIs?
• Can the industry benefit from common APIs?

LEVEL: Technical Users and Programmers
TRACK: Interactive Open Discussions
MODERATOR: Ancestry Insider
PANELISTS:

• Kendall Hulet (Ancestry.com)
• Noah Tulak (Geni.com)
• Gordon Clarke (FamilySearch)
• Alan Eaton (One Great Family)
• Scott Huskey (Photoloom)
• Scott Mueller(AppleTree)
• Dovy Paukstys (SharingTime)

 

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How Should We Handle Sources

Thursday 10th 4:15 PM

Open discussion is invited from genealogists, software vendors, and users about the value of sources, how to best obtain evidence, and how to best save and share it. Ground-rules for the open-meeting and consensus building will be explained as the discussion begins. Possible discussion questions:

• What is the definition of and the difference between a source and a citation?
• What are the pros and cons of source templates and wizards?
• How should the "Genealogical Proof Standard" be used?
• What is the value of linking to an online representation of a source?
• How important is indexing (transcribing) sources?
• Should source images be made available without indexes?

LEVEL: All Levels
TRACK: Interactive Open Discussions
MODERATOR: Rick Laxman

 

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How Do We Define a Person

Friday 11th 1:45 PM

Open discussion is invited among genealogists, software vendors, social media advocates and users about how to identity and describe a person, living or dead, and how do you share information and protect privacy. Ground-rules for the open-meeting and consensus building will be explained before the discussion begins. Possible discussion questions:

• What are the commonalities between the identity of an internet person and a genealogical person?
• How should we profile a contributor?
• Can or should Open Connect be used for the genealogical industry?
• How can you communicate with a person without knowing their identity?
• What is different about profiling and protecting the identity of a living person and a deceased person?
• What rights or controls should a person and the descendants have regarding the person’s history ?

LEVEL: Technical Users and Programmers
TRACK: Interactive Open Discussions
MODERATOR: Phil Windley

 

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Genealogical data standards

Saturday 12th 9:45 AM to 12:00 PM (2 hours)

Open discussion is invited from genealogists, software vendors, and users about the need for standards for saving and sharing genealogical information about persons, families, events, places, citations, sources, unique identifiers, persistent URLs, etc. Focus will be more on the standardization/consensus building process than reaching any detail conclusions. Ground-rules for the open-meeting and consensus building will be explained as the discussion begins. Possible discussion questions:

• How are standards formed? (popularity or standards bodies)
• Do we have person focus OR records focus OR both?
• What's the difference between a data model and a file format?
• Why do we need standardize file formats?
• What are the concerns about models for persons? Family relationships? Events? Sources?
• What are the pros and cons of getting support by major software/website vendors?

LEVEL: All Levels
TRACK: Interactive Open Discussions
MODERATOR: Ancestry Insider

 

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I think a casual glance at the moderators will disclose the source of my inside information. These should be fun. I hope to see you there!

RootsTech Two Weeks from Today

I’m getting pretty excited! RootsTech is only two weeks away! If you’ve been putting off deciding about the conference, now’s a good time to decide to come.

I mentioned before that one challenge I saw for conference organizers was the combination of classes for the general public and for technology creators (academics, software developers, and product managers). The conference schedule doesn’t appear to indicate which classes are for which audience.

Well I’ve just noticed there is a “course schedule listing option” for listing only the classes for “Tech Users” (the general public) or for “Tech Creators.” I don’t know if the option has always been present. Since links to the schedule scroll this important feature off the top of the page, I suspect it was added after the fact.

As you work with the listing options, there are some other problems you should be aware of (unless FamilySearch fixes them before you read this).

If you set the listing option to “Keynotes/Luncheons,” you won’t see all the luncheons. Check out the Luncheon page to see them all.

If you set the listing option to tech users or creators, you won’t see the panel discussions:

• Best Uses of Mobile Devices
• How Should We Handle Sources
• Define a Person
• Genealogical Data Standards

The RootsTech website needs a page about the panel discussions, an indication of the intended audience (users or technology creators), a blurb about the subject, and a list of the panel members. The presenter column in the schedule should say “Discussion Panel” and include a link to the discussions page.

Fortunately, I have Insider information on the panel discussions. Tomorrow I’ll spill the beans. Stay tuned…