Any Genealogists on NSC ?

[coach03]

Been thinking about doing this ancestor search bit for years but have been bitten by the Who Do You Think You Are series on BBC2 (Shoulda been called Who Are Ya?).

Anyway, question is, if you do this ancestral sleuthing, what's the best software to get? There's tons out there, but I figure the best way to choose is get some recommendations. And so David, it's over to you.......

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

You could try http://www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ for nowt.

 

[coach03]

Thanks TCoPB, that's a good link.
But I was really thinking of some application that I could use to draw up a tree and store photos, copy / scanned paperwork and other stuff to build up the picture of someone.
Any ideas on that?

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Useful Sites

Ok. I've done quite a bit of research on the net, and a good selection of sites are:

Ancestry.com

Family Search

Another useful site

There are many others, but the 1st 2 are pretty good.

Papa

 

[Papa Lazarou]

If it's family tree software, there's so many different applications out there. If you want freeware or shareware, just do a net search for 'Family Tree Software Free' for example and you'll get a few hits.

I use GSP

GSP Website

 

[coach03]

Marvlious P L, I'll give 'em a try, thanks for that.

How far have you got back and what sort of detail have you been able to put together?

 

[Cian]

You could try http://www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ for nowt.

Due to the Civil War here, our version of that (Ireland) has virtually nothing - 95% of the records from the 1841-1911 censii were destroyed in fires, as well as thousands of other public records

The only information we have on my Great-Great-Grandfather are documents from the RIC and the Scottish Police Force - he even sucessfully managed to live in Scotland for the ten year interval between censii and hence never got counted there...

EDIT:

Just looked at that site - they CHARGE to use it?

Thats disgraceful. Its public domain information collected by the state, with taxpayers money, over a hundred years ago. It should be totally free, even when digitised as the taxpayer paid for that digitisation

I also see Companies House searches cost money in the UK

And this is after Blair said that the UK would "Lead the way in Internet Government". Me arse you will.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I've been trying for years to work out what the best software is. In the meantime, I've been storing all of my data on Personal Ancestral File, which is available as a free download from the Mormon website

So far, PAF has coped perfectly adequately as a place to store all the information I've gathered and provide me with most of the print-outs that I've wanted to produce. It's from the people who developed the GEDCOM standard, which means that data transfer can be achieved into any of the other major genealogy programmes that are on the market.

So far, I've managed to fit about 1400 individuals into my family tree. It's a fascinating pursuit.

The most recent information I've dug out has been the coroner's report into my great great great grandfather's death. He fell down the stairs on New Years Eve 1872 and bashed his head in.

I think we can learn important lessons from our ancestors.

 

[Yorkie]

My cousin on my Mum's side of the family has done research into my maternal Grandad's line. He's managed to go back about 300 years.

We have a lot of skeletons in the cupboard.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Just looked at that site - they CHARGE to use it?

Thats disgraceful. Its public domain information collected by the state, with taxpayers money, over a hundred years ago. It should be totally free, even when digitised as the taxpayer paid for that digitisation

I also see Companies House searches cost money in the UK

And this is after Blair said that the UK would "Lead the way in Internet Government". Me arse you will.

If you want free census data. the 1881 records are available without charge from the Mormon website

The National Archive site charges for access to the online 1901 data for England and Wales, and you have to pay for 1901 Scottish census data as well.

1891 and 1871 census data can be accessed by people who pay a subscription to Ancestry.com (well worth the money, imo).

There is a huge project going on to provide free online census information. But that is concentrating on the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses and relies on volunteer transcribers from local Family History Societies - so progress is patchy, and depends on which part of the country you are interested in.

A lot of Irish church records are available at local (county) record repositories. Some of them are very helpful, although the quality of the information that is available varies from place to place. Most of them make a charge for doing the research.

And there are a huge number of Family History message boards that can be used to seek out information about particular surnames or localities. Fantastic if your ancestors are called Roskrow and come from Redruth. Not so good if they are called Smith and come from London.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

My cousin on my Mum's side of the family has done research into my maternal Grandad's line. He's managed to go back about 300 years.

We have a lot of skeletons in the cupboard.

That's about as far back as most people can realistically get. And then only with a great deal of luck. In fact, most non-gentry family lines get stuck when you get back to the eighteenth century.

For some reason, though, a lot of Americans seem to believe that they can trace their ancestry back to William the Conqueror's stable boy or Robin Hood. Trust me, they can't.

 

[coach03]

Thanks Lord B. I've saved those to my favourites.

Rattle, Rattle, Yorkie ?? Hope I find something interesting.... and myself at the end of a line of rich peeps !