Family Historian User Group

Hi
I am new family genealogy having just downloaded the software and putting on the little I know so far of our family on. I have been looking at the next step of being able to access census and parish records online? Not sure where to go!

I am based in NZ and all family will as far as I know be in the UK. Any info would be greatly received

Thanks[smile]

ID:6144

Welcome to FHUG.

There was a good thread a few weeks ago discussing the options for UK sources, so check out

http://www.fhug.org.uk/cgi-bin/index.cg ... y&num=5893

Hello Maureen,

There are free sites, subscription sites and pay-per-view ones. Personally I would steer clear of the PPV unless you are positive that the record is the one you want.

If you don't mind shelling out some cash, all-in-one sites like Ancestry.com, Findmypast (there are others) provide census images and transcriptions. For Scotland I think you need to use http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Ancestry has a free trial (14 days, but don't forget to cancel) and has region and worldwide variants. Look around for the cheapest way to pay - it does vary.

You may be lucky and find all the transcriptions done for free (the 1881 on Family Search, cornwall on http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.anc ... /cocp.html)

You might find county orientated sites your best bet for parish records. Cornwall has a strong example http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/  

Family Search also has masses of records but take care as some records are guesses - always check their source. If there isn't one treat it with suspicion.

Rootsweb and genealogy forums have been helpful to me.

Finally a good search engine may be your best friend. Only last week I found a NZ Treasure page regarding a branch who had become miners in the Thames region.

Hope this helps, and have fun.

With my version 4 brought as a boxed item I recived a 30 day trial of the Vital records website. Did you not get it with the download?

Welcome Maureen, happy researching.

There is a useful entry in the FHUG Knowledge Base under Family History Research.

From the sites mentioned you can obtain not only complete transcripts but also images of the actual Census Returns as downloadable images.

However the research sites only provide General Records Office (GRO) Index entries for Births/Marriages/Deaths (BMD).
The index gives the Quarter in which the event was registered, the Name of the person, and a District, Volume & Page reference to the Certificate.
The Quarters are Q1 = Jan-Mar, Q2 = Apr-Jun, Q3 = Jul-Sep, Q4 = Oct-Dec.
Note that the person may have actually been born or died in the previous Quarter.
You then have to order the actual BMD Certificate from the GRO currently for a fee of £9.25.

I would advise you also take a look at Ancestral Sources that is a free add-on to Family Historian.
It provides a more convenient way of entering Census, Baptism, and Marriage data, and in time will also support Birth, Death, and Probate data entry.

If you have any connections with the Isle of Man, then check out
http://www.iomfhs.im/lawsons/LawsonBMD/ ... n+BMD+Home

Many Thanks for the start [smile]

Will have a look over them over the next few weeks as the nights draw in.
M