Across the Generations – Websites offer quick links to many important records

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/07/2010 (5812 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every once in a while the saying "my cup runneth over" is not adequate. That is exactly the way I felt when the June/July, 2010 copy of the magazine "Internet Genealogy" arrived.

The headline on the cover screamed "130 best genealogy websites". To find a listing of the websites which researchers working in the genealogical field felt were worthy of mention in this kind of an article all together in one magazine was enough to give a family researcher a gift which covered birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas all in one.

The question that went through my mind first off was how can I possibly use this in my column.

Well, I’m going to try. You certainly will not get all 130 but I will try to give you some that I feel will be of use to the majority.

If you wish to see the full list, I would advise going to the public library and making copies of the several pages in the magazine; then very carefully filing the list away for future use.

You may not be up to using them right now, but having this kind of a list filed in your genealogical store house can give you more places to look when you hit one of the infamous "brick walls".

Please Note: Many of the sites listed are free, but some could require you to register with a username and password. The symbol ($) indicates there may be a fee to access or join in order to receive benefits or to view specific content.

The list is broken down into several sections so I will deal with each section on an individual basis. This week it will be Western European and immigration websites.

* German Roots

www.germanroots.com

Don’t miss this site even if you don’t have German roots as immigrant ancestors could be listed in the "Emigration & Immigration records" section. Here is a list of ports and their records with links to online sources and instruction on how to access offline sources.

* Castle Garden Passenger Arrival Lists

www.castlegarden.org

Has lists from 1839 to 1892 and although not complete does have records for about 10 million people. Clicking on a name will lead you to a transcribed list. Actual lists aren’t yet available.

* Genline ($)

www.genline.com

This database boasts a nearly-complete collection of Swedish parish records, the most important genealogical source in Sweden. Subscriptions are required to access the records.

* Digital Archives of Norway

http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebFront.exe?slag=vis&tekst=meldingar&spraak=e

Free site where the Norwegian National Archives are doing their best to make it easier to trace Norwegian ancestors. Includes several censuses, parish records, photos of farms and tutorials on Norwegian research. More to come.

* WorldGenWeb

www.worldgenweb.org

This site is run by volunteers. From the homepage, choose any country in the world – Western Europe sections tend to be well covered. Contents vary but many contain maps, information on sources, research tips, queries and histories.

* Italian Genealogy

http://daddezio.com

Original records are not what you are going to find here but what you will find are links to articles on doing Italian research or on the history and culture of Italy, addresses for archives, websites for Italian genealogical societies, books, maps and other things you can purchase to aid you in your searching. Access to the site is free.

* FamilySearch

www.familysearch.org

Another free site where you can search for ancestors in the databases or click on "Get started with research guidance" where help is available for doing research in any Western European country. It also includes a site to check out what new original records from around the world are now online.

* Cyndi’s List

www.cyndislist.com

We would be most remiss if we did not include this particular site. It is well known to most family researchers and has been an aid to countless genealogists round the world.

* Ancestry ($)

www.ancestry.com

This site is an excellent source for tracing immigrant ancestors’ original records. Passenger arrival lists and departure lists are one of their strong points.

* WorldVitalRecords ($)

www.worldvitalrecords.com

This site continues to expand. Currently you can click on "Search", then "Browse by Country" to see what is available for your place of interest. They have a solid collection of English census records and some immigration records. Also you will find miscellaneous sources from family histories to gazetteers.

The above is the beginning of the listing of websites that can be of help to readers of this column. Next week we will look at the best websites for researching in Eastern Europe. Just remember to record these sites somewhere that you will be able to find them when you get to a place where you can go no further. There is a pot of gold at the end of rainbow and sometimes it can be found in a website.

Happy hunting!!!