9 Responses for "What is the best Genealogy website to use when researching family history?"

1. miatalise12560 January 10th, 2009 at 3:33 am 1

   ancestry.com
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2. noony January 10th, 2009 at 4:02 am 2

   I think ancestry.co.uk is the best.
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3. GrannyToad January 10th, 2009 at 4:34 am 3

   "Best" is subjective – what do you need at the moment?

   ancestry.com can be BEST, so the annual subscription is worth it. Censuses are historical documents, as are military records, draft cards, what have you. Others' family tree research accuracy varies. Even mine have been found to have typos.

   rootsweb's resources are free to the user, excellent. Local histories and biographies are not always accurate but for the greatest part they're meant to be. The message boards are searchable, as are the email list archives.

   familysearch.org. The collection of filmed historical documents is excellent and if found online, still free. I understand that will be changing in some cases. The user-submitted family history databases can be gems, or rife with outlandish errors – caveat freebie.
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4. Shirley T January 10th, 2009 at 4:47 am 4

   I like Ancestry.Com for its records. Now information in family trees on any website must be viewed with caution. A lot of it is not documented and there are lots of errors.
   You might see the same information over and over by different submitters. That is because a lot of people are copying and what they are doing in many cases are copying errors.

   In viewing family trees on Ancestry.Com, the Ancestry World Tree has more. The new Public Member Trees are the best to start off if you want to put your tree on line. You can easily go to their records and document information in the Public Member Trees. I don't think they have had a chance to build up as many trees in it as Ancestry World Tree which is their oldest program. People born 1930 or later that are still living will only show up to members of the public as "Living Smith, " for instance. This is protect privacy.

   Their One World Tree they should ditch altogether. What they have done is take liberties with the information people have put into Ancestry World Tree. They will put a single individual with all the different information people have submitted. But I have seen at least twice where they have made 2 people into 1. I have complained and I am sure a lot of other people have.

   You can get a full membership or you can pick out certain resources they have on line and just subscribe to it.

   Some people don't think people should have to pay for public records. But Ancestry.Com has paid people to obtain those records and they have paid people to program a computer system and input all the information they have into their system.
   They are a profit making company. I am sure they not only have to pay salaries but benefits.

   They have all the censuses through 1930.
   The 1940 is not available to the public yet.
   They have indexed the censuses. You can also view the original census images. The indexing has some errors in it, but you have to have pity on those people when you look at some of the census pages, and the different handwritings. I had an uncle whose first name was Onis and they have him as Inis. When I look at the original image I can see full well it was Onis but that is probably because I know what is name was. If a person didn't know the O might have looked like an I.

   FamilySearch.org is free and has a lot of information. Rootsweb is also free. Both are very good.

   Ancestry.Com, Rootsweb and Genealogy.Com have message boards. You can put a message under a location or a surname. When you put one on Rootsweb it will also appear on Ancestry.Com's and vice versa. It will also go out on their mailing list. I have had some very good results using the message boards.

   I assume you have already used other resources like your family members,particularly your senior members.
   That is where everyone should start. Also I assume you have checked with your public library and a Family History Center at a Mormon Church. Those Family History Center have records on people all over the world, not just on Mormons. They won't send their missionaries by to ring your doorbell just because you utilize their resources. They have very nice and helpful.
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5. wendy c January 10th, 2009 at 5:20 am 5

   hey, MM.. Research is wherever you find information that relates to your family history, and that will include sites that are not even classified as "genealogy" (like, Library of Congress, Texas state archives, just to give some samples). Topozone is a map site… it can locate forgotten cemeteries.
   I just personally cringe at the concept that there is (or should be) ANY best site… I lean towards the idea that the more you use, the better your odds. And my own favorite might not offer your family at all. Never mind that I have never used a fee based site in over 25 yrs of research. Does that mean that they are "bad" and have nothing to offer? No.
   I'll suggest 2 sites for you. http://www.rootsweb.com has a lot, including a guide to beginning research. ALL INFORMATION is not public, nor is it all online. Thus, if the popular site does not include your family, you still know the tools to find out. After all, people traced family history before computers. How?
   The other site is http://www.cyndislist.com. What Cyndi does is open your thinking to how many sites are out there. She also has a beginner's area, with some solid articles on quality research.
   My parents insisted that all of us kids learn to drive on a stick shift vehicle… actually a 5 speed on the column. The theory is that if we started the "hard" way, then automatic transmissions would be gravy. I apply the same thought to research.. know how to find a courthouse, how you can find cemetery records when no one has transcribed them, why you won't find birth certificates in the 1800's (and what replaces that info). Then you will know how and when the internet is gravy, and not the only way to find family.
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6. Tulio G January 10th, 2009 at 5:25 am 6

   The cheapest and best that I have found is the ICDTS (http://www.icdts.com) website, which is based in Italy. They have conducted a family search for me in Census records, immigration records, and Ellis Island, as well as obtained two certificates for me. They are very thorough and very good for the money they ask. I would definitely recommend them
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7. genealogist84 January 10th, 2009 at 5:31 am 7

   The best way is simply to start with your own family. If you want to do it on the computer, you can download PAF (Personal Ancestral File), which is free genealogy software at http://www.familysearch.org under Order/Download Products. I imagine you can pick it up pretty quick because it is very user-friendly. Then talk to your parents (and grandparents if still alive) and get as much information as you can from them including names, dates, and places.

   As for websites, it depends on where you are researching but here are a few general ones:

   http://www.familysearch.org – Probably the best free online resource.

   http://www.ancestry.com is one of the best but has a hefty subscription fee (for most of its databases).

   Also, you can check the surname message boards for your surname at:

   http://genforum.genealogy.com
   http://boards.ancestry.com

   For links to helpful sites, you will want to take a look at:

   http://www.cyndislist.com

   And finally for a lot of different resources:

   http://www.rootsweb.com

   For grave records:

   http://www.findagrave.com

   It won't all be free but it's worth it.

   Good luck,
   Dave
   –
   Create a family tree website at http://www.familypulse.org
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8. Ted Pack January 10th, 2009 at 6:12 am 8

   There are 250,000 web sites devoted to Genealogy. It is the most popular hobby on the Internet for us geezers, who don't chat, download awful music or look at naked women.

   Which one is best for you depends on you. If you are a Italian Catholic, the one run by the Huguenot Society isn't going to help you much. Free BMD is invaluable for Brits; Americans could care less, unless they have UK Roots.

   You got some good suggestions. The resolved questions have other links and tips.
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9. 69Cherokee January 10th, 2009 at 6:26 am 9

   My personal favorites that I use daily are:

   http://www.ancestry.com — has some free features, some paid features
   http://www.rootsweb.com — is free
   http://www.familysearch.org — is free
   http://www.genealogy.com — has some free features and some paid features. Great message boards
   http://www.findagrave.com — free
   http://www.cousinconnect.com — some free and some paid.

   Beyond that, I use whatever I find on a google search for a specific individual.

   Accuracy is dependent on the validity of the researcher who posted the information in the first place. That is why I use many sites so I can compare and contrast information before I add it to my tree. Most sites allow you to email the person who posted the information so you can inquire about their resource for their information.
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