Free Civil War Records: Find Your Ancestors with These 4 No-Cost Resources | Family History Daily May 9th, 2017 marks 152 years since the U.S. Civil War ended, but the numerous records created by the War Between the States still provide a glimpse into the lives of those who served. If you had family in the US in the mid-19th century than there is a very good likelihood that some of your own ancestors served in this pivotal conflict. Before searching for a Civil War ancestor in the following free record collections, ask yourself: –What do I know about the Civil War? –What age would my ancestor have been when the Civil War started in 1861? –What was my ancestor’s full name (not a nickname)? Advertisement –Are there common misspellings of the first name or surname I should search for (ie Anderson, Andersen or John, Jon)? –What state did my ancestor live in? –Could I have had a female family member who served in some way? –Do I have any other information that could help me? Once you have some basic facts to start with, take a look at the sites below to start your research. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Free Genealogy and Family History Online - The USGenWeb Project Documenting the Lineage for Eligibility in DAR or SAR The FamilySearch.org collection includes hundreds of free databases for the United States containing vital records, census records, probate records, military records, and court records. Many of these databases are linked in this tutorial under Vital Records and Probate Records. It is usually best to search specific databases based on where and when your ancestors lived. However, if you are unable to find a record by searching specific databases, try searching all of the FamilySearch databases containing historical records at once. Usually, the best way to find a record is to search using a first name, a last name, and a place of residence (county and state OR just a state). If you cannot locate a record by searching on a name and place of residence, the next strategy is to remove the place of residence and search using a first name, a last name, father’s first name, and mother’s first name. Next, try searching on a first name, a last name, wife’s first name, and wife’s maiden name.
Genealogy Today | Family Tree History, Ancestry, Free Lookups Google Power Search: How to Search by a Date Range and Why You Might Want To | Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter There’s a lot more you can do with Google than just searching the entire Internet. For instance, you can search for web pages added to Google’s indexes within a range of dates. The most common use for this is to look for pages added within the past 30 days or perhaps within the past week. For instance, I have an elusive “brickwall ancestor” that I have been trying to identify for years: Washington Harvey Eastman. Since I have already searched for him before, I have already seen all the “hits” that have been available for some time. Method #1: Search from the main Google search page Go to and enter the words or phrase that you wish to search for. “Washington Harvey Eastman” The quotes indicate that I want to search for those exact words in that exact order. When the results appear, look slightly above the results and click on “Search Tools.” Next, look just above the first “hit” and notice the words “Any time.” Method #2: Use Google’s Advanced Search Page Like this:
Archives Summary Guide to Local Records--Introduction From its inception as a state, South Carolina has generated local government records that are among its most valuable historical resources. Records of local governments and the courts make up the department's second largest collection of records and are among the most heavily used materials at the South Carolina Archives. Local records serve as a rich source for genealogical research; local history; the court system; and the history, development, and activities of South Carolina county and municipal governments. Local records comprise 28 percent of the department's paper records, mostly original documents and volumes, as well as transcripts of original records. The department holds the collection of transcripts of public records completed during the Depression-era Historical Records Survey, one of the projects sponsored by the Civil Works Administration and continued by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
Ask Ancestry Anne: 5 Tips for Researching the Females in Your Tree With Mother’s Day right around the corner, it might be a good time to focus on the female side of your tree. But let’s face it, women can be harder to track because they didn’t leave as many records behind. I have a few things I try with every female in my tree when I get stuck on maiden names and finding parents: Search for her married name in other people’s obituaries. You might find her in a sibling’s obituary that has that maiden name you are looking for. Even if you don’t find the name you are looking for, make sure you research the names in the obituary. Do you have a question that you would like to see answered? Happy searching! Anne Gillespie Mitchell is a Senior Product Manager at Ancestry.com.
Millions of Free Records on FamilySearch Can't Be Found via Search: Here's How to Access Them | Family History Daily It’s an often overlooked fact that a vast amount of FamilySearch’s collections cannot be found via the search on their site. Millions of free family history records are waiting to be discovered but have not yet been indexed and are, therefore, somewhat hard to find. These records are invaluable tools for genealogists and cover a wide range of locales and time periods so we thought we’d offer a quick rundown on how to access them. But first a note about searching collections individually. One of the most commonly overlooked tactics for successfully locating ancestors in online databases is to search collections individually. It’s natural to want to check a site’s entire database with one quick search–and many places do make this incredibly easy and quite accurate–but the truth is, no search function is perfect. Luckily, FamilySearch makes the process pretty painless. Here’s one: Or perhaps you’re looking for immigration information for your ancestor James Marshall. Here it is: