NEW AND UPDATED RECORD COLLECTIONS ON FAMILYSEARCH.ORG AND ANCESTRY.COM

The following record collections are shown as new or updated on FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com.

Happy ancestor hunting.
 
FamilySearch.org Record Collections

Find A Grave Index	143,638,443	*16 Mar 2016
Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915	3,831,485	*15 Mar 2016
Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915	4,175,664	*15 Mar 2016
Rhode Island Marriages, 1724-1916	208,653	*15 Mar 2016
Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910	1,324,801	*15 Mar 2016

Ancestry.com Record Collections

	South Dakota, State Census, 1945	Census & Voter Lists	570,085	Updated
	Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910	Wills, Probates, Land, Tax & Criminal	3,852,784	Updated
	New Hampshire, Wills and Probate Records, 1643-1982	Wills, Probates, Land, Tax & Criminal	195,087	Updated
	Essex, England, Select Church of England Parish Registers, 1518-1960	Birth, Marriage & Death	2,220,120	Updated
	Derbyshire, England, Select Church of England Parish Registers, 1538-1910	Birth, Marriage & Death	3,309,988	Updated
	Baden, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1502-1985 (in German)	Birth, Marriage & Death	24,390,923	New
	Mexico, Select Marriages Index, 1556-1989 (in Spanish)	Birth, Marriage & Death	20,282,313	Updated
	Isle of Man, Select Parish Registers, 1598-1936	Birth, Marriage & Death	764,286	Updated
	Iowa, Select Marriages Index, 1758-1996	Birth, Marriage & Death	5,026,461	Updated
	Yorkshire, England, Quarter Session Records, 1637-1914	Wills, Probates, Land, Tax & Criminal	331,599	New

WHEN TO CONDUCT MANUAL SEARCHES ON INDEXED RECORDS

SEARCHING INDEXED RECORDS
This summer I have spent a great deal of time indexing and arbitrating digitized records for FamilySearch.org.  This experience has taught me that when we are searching indexed records we need to remember that the indexing was done by another individual.  No matter how experienced and conscientious the indexer is there are still errors that are going to be made in interpreting the records.

If you are fairly certain that your ancestor is on a set of records for a certain location and time, you will need to search manually for the individual either line by line or page by page.  This is true whether the records are census records, obituaries, land deeds or any other type of record that has been indexed.  You may not only find your ancestor but other relatives as well.

Happy ancestor hunting.

 

FAMILYSEARCH'S RECORD DIGITIZATION PROGRAM

Each time I do a presentation about FamilySearch, I mention that they have 200 teams that are collecting and digitizing records from all over the world. This link is an article on the FamilySearch Blog that explains this process in more detail and shows where they are presently working. They are doing a great service for genealogists/family historian and I personally thank them for doing this.
Happy ancestor hunting.

FAMILYSEARCH INDEXING - READING EARLY AMERICAN HANDWRITTING

I have just started back indexing for FamilySearch after a long break and am having a great time.  Sometimes the handwriting on some of the records can be very hard to read.  The screen shot below shows part of a marriage record from Tennessee in 1884.  The two names shown are the names of the groom and bride.  I know the groom's name is J. Goodloe from looking at surrounding documents and census records(even though it does not look like it).  The brides first name is Sarah, but I have no idea what her maiden name is other that it starts with B.  How about some help - you can send a comment by clicking on "no comment" at the bottom of this blog post.  Hint - remember the groom's surname is Goodloe.

Happy ancestor hunting.