25 September 2008
Soundex to eventually return too
I forgot to mention in my previous post that Soundex capabilities will also eventually be coming to the new search interface at Ancestry.com. Yeah (again).
Labels: ancestry
Map of Databases at Ancestry.com
One of the things I miss in the new search experience at Ancestry.com is the map that allowed one to browse the databases geographically. Sources tell me this will return. No time frame, but it is in the works. Yeah.
Labels: ancestry
Soundex on New Search at Ancestry.com?
Is it just me? Or have they taken away the Soundex search at Ancestry.com?
I cannot see it on the newly released Washington Deaths 1891-1907.
Urgh.....
I cannot see it on the newly released Washington Deaths 1891-1907.
Urgh.....
Labels: ancestry
Exact matches on what is not there
Mark me down as confused, at least partially. And mark me fully down as irritated.
I searched on Ancestry.com in their new search for John Ufkes. I used a year of birth as 1838, plus or minus two years. The screen shot is as shown.
I did have the death year of 1924 listed as exact. Apparently that is why no census results were returned for John. When I searched for John Ufkes with only a year of birth as 1838, plus or minus two years, I obtained several results (mostly from census records)--as shown below.
I understand that my original search required the death year of 1924 to match. However, census records (sans mortality schedules) typically do not have a year of death with which to match. It seems to me that census results that match the year of birth should be included, regardless of whether an "exact" match on the death date is indicated.
It must be necessary to leave the death date blank to bring up census records. Urgh...now I have to search several different ways for one person. I thought new searches were supposed to be improved. (sometimes I think they should take a lesson from the "new Coke").
It seems logical to me that a search of records that do not include any death dates should not require the death date to match, even if I indicate a matched date in my searches. But then it has been nearly two decades since I had "sets and logic." Maybe the rules for logical have changed.
I still like the old search better.
Labels: ancestry
29 August 2008
German Topographic Maps At Ancestry.com
Ancestry has added German topographical maps from the 1860s to the early twentieth centuryThese are really nice maps. A sample image has been placed here. It is from the 1901 map for the Aurich area, but only Holtrop and the surrounding area is shown. This is where several of my families lived in the 1860s and before.
The "overview map" has also been scanned
We will be posting additional suggestions for using the maps, but I wanted to make blog readers aware of their availability on Ancestry.com. I'm hoping to have more time to really get into these maps over the next few days.
Blog readers who do not have a subscription can get a free trial at Ancestry.com and do some experimentation.
Ancestry.com also has Meyers -Orts on their site as well.
07 August 2008
1825-1865 Illinois Census
The 1825-1865 Illinois State Census
The images here are a quick shot of the entry for James Rampley in Hancock County, Illinois, in Walker Township in 1855.
The enumeration indicates there is one 40-50 year old male, 1 20-30 year old male, 2 males between 10 and 20 and 1 male under 10. There is 1 40-50 year old female, and two females between 10 and 20. This is consistent with what is known about the
The right hand side of the entry indicates James had a cooper's shop and that 4 in the household were eligible for the militia. The other numbers have to do with the amount of production from the family's farm.
Those with family in Illinois during the time period can search The 1825-1865 Illinois State Census for their own family. All of these census records are head of household enumerations only. They are also on microfilm at the Illinois State Archives and the Family History Library. ISA does have some indexes, but they are not available online.
21 July 2008
Navigating Ancestry.com
We've made some minor changes to our set of "quicklinks" to Ancestry.com. Anyone with suggestions for additions, etc. can contact me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com. As with many of our pages, we are focusing on content and "getting there," not wasting time on making it "pretty."
Suggestions are welcome and can be sent to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com
Suggestions are welcome and can be sent to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com
Labels: ancestry
1861 UK Census at Ancestry.com and Family Search
It always pays to know about about all possible ways to access a certain set of data. Not all search interfaces are created equally. The 1861 UK Census is a case in point.The screen shown first in this post is the search box from the 1861 English Census at Ancestry.com. Of course, to use this you either have to have a subscription to Ancestry's UK Census images of your own or use a subscription at a library.
The nice thing about Ancestry's 1861 English Census search is that it does allow you to search on a variety of search terms besides just the name. Personally, when I was looking for my wife's Spanish born English ancestor, the place of birth was helpful.
The search interface at FamilySearch.org does not allow for quite as many search parameters. However, it is free--a huge plus for many.
A screen shot of the search interface for 1861 at FamilySearch labs is shown second in this post.
There are some advantages to using Family Search as well. Personally I like to use both sites because of the differences in the search interfaces. Labels: 1861 census, ancestry, familysearch
14 July 2008
Formerly Pea Soup 1870 Census
The microfilmed copy of part of the 1870 Census for Northeast Township, Adams County, Illinois, is like looking at pea soup fog. One cannot make out anything.
FamilySearch now has added their own 1870 census images to compliment those at Ancestry.com. This image (the one with the grayer background) comes from FamilySearch.
The image from Ancestry in the 1870 census is also shows on this post.
Both are significantly better over the microfilm, which I gave up reading many years ago.
Family Search's image and indexes will be free when they are posted in their entirely. Ancestry's require a subscription. However, one may read names differently or "catch" someone the other does not.
Labels: 1870 census, ancestry, familysearch
07 July 2008
More "Ancestry Family Tree" attaching
The "hints" in your tree at Ancestry.com can be helpful. The screen shot to the right shows the three hints that appeared for my grandpa Neill's brother, Ralph, born in 1905. The SSDI reference was dead on and the 1910 census record was the right one too, even though it is indexed as "Mill" instead of "Neill"
Bear in mind when attaching these to your tree make certain you choose "alternate" fact where appropriate and always view the advanced options as mentioned in our preceding post.
I normally don't attach from the trees, but that is just my personal preference.
Labels: ancestry
Ancestry "My Family Tree" sources
I've been experimenting with the "Your Family Tree" section of the Ancestry.com site. Ancestry will give you hints in the hopes that you have overlooked records and will allow you to attach images (and source information) directly to your database. This is nice.
But be careful.
I was attaching a 1900 census citation to Samuel Neill--the basic screen that came up is shown here. Note the "show advanced options" link in the upper right hand corner.
When I clicked on it, the next screen appeared. The way it originally appeared, the 1900 census entry was "checked" as "add source" to the date and place of birth. However, the census enumeration was not as precise as the birthdate and place it was sourcing. The "add source" box comes up checked by default, meaning if you don't think to view it you may accidentally indicate the census says something it does not.
My best option here would have been to check the "add as alternate" fact. While technically not inconsistent with the information I originally had, I do NOT want to indicate the census said something it did not. Adding an alternate fact would allow me to use the census as a source for Samuel's birth and track EXACTLY what it said.
I wish this screen came up by default.
03 July 2008
Ancestry's Redesigned Pages
Ancestry.com redesigned some of their pages. I'm not certain what my opinion is, but if it keeps them getting subscribers and digitizing more things, then that's a good thing. Finding things on Ancestry.com occasionally frustrates me, I did like the census links on the main page.
So I did what I did before...made a really cheesy page with links to Ancestry.com databases that I use the most often. It is NOT fancy, it is not eye appealing, but it gets me where I want to go without going through the navigational structure. Saving time is my goal...not getting an award for web design or being "pretty." I'll add more links to it, but only to things I actually use. You can partially customize links on the Ancestry.com page, but I have too many things I use on a regular basis to make that practical. And besides, I like CONTROL. And making my own pages gives me that. Consider doing it for yourself.
No more real opinion on the pages---there's work to be done.
So I did what I did before...made a really cheesy page with links to Ancestry.com databases that I use the most often. It is NOT fancy, it is not eye appealing, but it gets me where I want to go without going through the navigational structure. Saving time is my goal...not getting an award for web design or being "pretty." I'll add more links to it, but only to things I actually use. You can partially customize links on the Ancestry.com page, but I have too many things I use on a regular basis to make that practical. And besides, I like CONTROL. And making my own pages gives me that. Consider doing it for yourself.
No more real opinion on the pages---there's work to be done.
Labels: ancestry
23 June 2008
Another item for my wish list at Ancestry.com
One of the neat databases at Ancestry.com is the 1925 Iowa state census, which includes names of parents, including maiden name of mother.
The database allows for searches on parents' names. The only drawback is that soundex searches are not possible on the names of the parents, only on the name of the enumerant.
The database allows for searches on parents' names. The only drawback is that soundex searches are not possible on the names of the parents, only on the name of the enumerant.
Suggestions for Ancestry.com's Newspaper Collection
I love the newspapers on the Ancestry.com site. There are some improvements I would like to see in the site that I think would make it more userfriendly for genealogists and other searchers:
- the ability to "mark" hits that have already been viewed. I don't always have time to get through all the hits on a search before I have to do something else. It would be nice to "mark" those that have already been looked at.
- the ability to make "notes" about a hit. I would settle for marking a hit as something I had already looked at, but adding a quick little note--even just 100 characters--that I could view later would be really nice.
- the ability to search all papers in one town (or one state) at once, without having to search the entire set of newspapers. Ancestry.com has several Davenport, Iowa, newspapers on their site. UPDATE: This can be done--you just have to be in the right place.
Just my 2 cents.
Labels: ancestry, newspapers
19 June 2008
Pictures in the Paper?
A continued search of the newspaper on the Ancestry.com site located a picture of a relative of my wife. George K. Freund appears in the 20 July 1924 issue of the Davenport Democrat and Leader extolling his belief in the paper and the fact that he has been a long time subscriber and a long time democrat.Of course newspaper pictures are not as good as having actual photographs--the quality is not as high. However, if family does not have pictures, something is better than nothing.
George K. Freund is a first cousin of George A. Freund, my wife's 2nd great-grandfather. Both men were Scott County, Iowa, natives born in the 1850s.
Labels: ancestry, newspapers
16 June 2008
Finding a Cousin on Ancestry.com
I had just a little time to kill this evening and in a search at Ancestry.com (in their free section), I found a picture of Trientje Habben Nelk, first cousin to my great-grandfather Fred Ufkes (1893-1960). I am going to have to do a little more searching of the trees on Ancestry.com. I have a suspiscion there are more relatives lurking there then I expected.
17 April 2008
Droin Collection At Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com recently released the Droin Collection 
on their website. The indexing is not yet complete, but the project is quite impressive and a nice addition for those with French-Canadian ties.
The image that is a part of this post comes from the Droin Collection and is the baptismal entry for Cesarie Robidoux. The entry is from St-Constant and is from the year 1827. Her parents are Alexis Robixoux and his wife Rosalie Rheume. Those wishing to use these records will need to brush up on their Latin. When time allows we will post a translation here on our site.
Cesarie is my wife's 3rd great-grandmother. Cesarie's family settled in Clinton County, New York where she died.
Labels: ancestry, droin, robidoux
14 February 2008
Google Pulls Up Ancestry.com Search
This was discovered totally by accident--which is how most things are discovered.A search on google just now for "bernard geissler" brought up numerous hits, including search results on Ancestry.com-the 6th result on the image shown in this post.
This is the first time I have noticed Ancestry.com search results coming up on a Google search. Has anyone else noticed this?
01 February 2008
California Voter's Registrations at Ancestry.com
Ancestry recently released a database of California Voter's Registration lists 1900-1968. This is a good thing.
But, I'm not thrilled with the search box. There is no soundex option, nor can I search for a specific year. Using a keyword will bring up that year and any person who has that "year" as a part of their address. Still too much to wade through for some names. I had several descendants of my third-great-grandmother I was hoping to locate, but the current search interface is weaker than most on the Ancestry.com site.
Complaining here probably won't make a difference, but I feel better.
Labels: ancestry
14 January 2008
BLM Database at Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com released a version of a database of land patent data 
from the land patent database at the Bureau of Land Management. The Ancestry.com Land Patent Database currently does not contain information on as many states as the database at the Bureau of Land Management does.
I was excited however as the Ancestry.com version allows users to search based upon keywords. That search apparently does not function in the way I think or it does not function. Searches of keywords for "smith" and "johnson" resulted in no hits, yet there are obviously names such as those in the actual database.
The Bureau of Land Management contains more states, is free to use and contains a Visitor's Center that provides a background on the patents and the land description process followed in federal land states. Understanding how land is described is crucial to searching effectively.
Some time ago I made an extended post about using the Bureau of Land Management site.
I was excited however as the Ancestry.com version allows users to search based upon keywords. That search apparently does not function in the way I think or it does not function. Searches of keywords for "smith" and "johnson" resulted in no hits, yet there are obviously names such as those in the actual database.
The Bureau of Land Management contains more states, is free to use and contains a Visitor's Center that provides a background on the patents and the land description process followed in federal land states. Understanding how land is described is crucial to searching effectively.
Some time ago I made an extended post about using the Bureau of Land Management site.
16 December 2007
My wish list for Footnote's new search
I am glad that Footnote.com is making improvements to their search. However, here are two things I would like:
- the ability to perform soundex and wildcard searches
- the ability to "flag" records I have already viewed and located and for those "flags" to show on my search results. I wish Ancestry.com would do this as well.
19 March 2007
Searching the Iowa State Censuses at Ancestry.com
The Iowa State Census search interface at Ancestry.com gives the user many options. It is important to note that not all of these search options are applicable to all the census years in the database. Many of the advanced search options (particularly those related to parents ) are only available for the 1925 census. Earlier census (such as the 1856) may not even give the relationship to the head of household--in fact the households may not even be clearly distinguished on the census. Searchers are encouraged to browse censuses for years they are searching to become familiar with the schedules and the information they contain.
Of course, for 1925, take full advantage of all those questions that were asked. The images of the search interface follow. Those with an Ancestry.com account (either US or World) can access the Iowa State Censuses (and the images) at Ancestry.com as a part of their account. Those without an account can search the database as part of a free 14-day trial (read our free trial "suggestions" before signing up.)
Of course, for 1925, take full advantage of all those questions that were asked. The images of the search interface follow. Those with an Ancestry.com account (either US or World) can access the Iowa State Censuses (and the images) at Ancestry.com as a part of their account. Those without an account can search the database as part of a free 14-day trial (read our free trial "suggestions" before signing up.)
Labels: ancestry, iowacensus
Michael's suggestions if you get a free trial at Ancestry.com
Michael's suggestions to getting a free trial at Ancestry.com .
I have Ancestry.com at home and like it and get a lot of use out of it. I've been known to use it on my lunch hour at work. These suggestions are based upon our experiences and the experiences of other users. Following the directions at the link below will allow you to get a free 14-day trial at Ancestry.com. Before getting the trial, remember to:
1) Get the free trial when you will have time to actually use it.
2) Write or print out any toll-free numbers Ancestry.com gives you.
3) Write the day your 14 days expires.
4) Make a decision about cancelling your free trial BEFORE the 14th day. If you are going to cancel, do so on or before day 13.
5) Consider joining the Gen-Newbie list at Rootsweb if you are new to computers or genealogy--there are many on the list who can help if you have difficulty using Ancestry, the image viewer, or the indexes.
6) If day thirteen is on a weekend, call the Friday before.
Free Trial - Ancestry.com US Deluxe Membership can be had by clicking here.
Labels: ancestry
