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	<title>Obituarieshelp.org/Blog &#187; Free Genealogy Resources</title>
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	<description>This is a blog dedicated to genealogy</description>
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		<title>I’ve Been Working on the Railroad! Finding Your Ancestor in Railway Company Records</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=751</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=751#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jul 2013 08:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[melanie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Millions of Americans have been involved in the construction and operation of the massive rail system that transverses the country; from the time construction began in the early nineteenth century to present day. The period from 1900-1945 was known as “The Golden Age of Railroads”, and during that time railroads were the premier mode of long-distance transportation. By the early 20th century, it is said that 5% of all Americans were employed by the railway industry in some capacity. It &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=751">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Millions of Americans have been involved in the construction and operation of the massive rail system that transverses the country; from the time construction began in the early nineteenth century to present day. The period from 1900-1945 was known as “The Golden Age of Railroads”, and during that time railroads were the premier mode of long-distance transportation. By the early 20<sup>th</sup> century, it is said that 5% of all Americans were employed by the railway industry in some capacity. It is no wonder then that railway records can reveal valuable information about our ancestors.</p>
<p>I began researching one of my own ancestors in the area in which they lived at the time of their employment. I found out what lines operated in the area at that time by consulting some <a title="free genealogy resources at Obituarieshelp.org" href="http://obituarieshelp.org/free_ancestry_reports_how_to_use_maps_in_free_ancestry_reports.html"><strong>historical maps</strong></a> and <a title="free genealogy resources at Obituarieshelp.org" href="http://obituarieshelp.org/ancestry_tree_charts_more_sources_for_ancestry_tree_charts.html"><strong>local histories</strong></a>. From that point I began digging through the histories of specific railway companies to find out if they were still in operation, who the present owners were, and then what records they had for the time period of my ancestor and where I could find them. I discovered that the individual records of many railway workers have not survived, but the historical collections of many railway companies still retain some. There are also various archives scattered across the country that contain databases of various sizes, including: railway museums, university libraries, and state archives.</p>
<p>I didn’t find much information on my ancestor unfortunately, and am now looking in a different direction. I did come across many resources that could lead you to yours however, and so I thought I’d share them here. They are extremely interesting records, especially if you are a history buff, and you may even find your ancestor in them. What’s more, they are free genealogy resources, so why not take advantage of them!</p>
<p><a title="free genealogy resources at the National Archives" href="http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1997/spring/railroad-records-1.html"><strong>The National Archives</strong></a></p>
<p>This section of the National Archives provides excellent advice on researching railway records in the National Archives, including annual reports of railroad companies, railroad valuation records, patent application files, railroad accident reports, and other railroad-related records.</p>
<p><a title="free genealogy resources at US Railroad Retirement Board" href="http://www.rrb.gov/mep/genealogy.asp"><strong>United States Railroad Retirement Board</strong></a></p>
<p>The United States Railroad Retirement Board oversees a Federal retirement benefits schedule for the nation&#8217;s railroad workers which is essentially the Social Security Administration for railway employees. They can provide copies of records for deceased persons who were employed in the railroad industry from 1936 to present.</p>
<p><a title="free genealogy resources at Railroads in North America" href="http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/m/c/mch/railroad/"><strong>Railroads in North America -Their Evolution and Family Structure by Milton C. Hallberg</strong></a></p>
<p>The database available through Milton Hallberg’s web page is designed as a compilation of all existing mainline, switching, and terminal railroads, as well as of all operational railways that have existed in the United States and Canada since the Granite Railway &#8211; the first railroad &#8211; was authorized in Massachusetts in 1826. Presently the database includes over 6,900 railroads and is specifically constructed so that genealogists can generate informative railroad family histories.</p>
<p><a title="free genealogy resources at Rootsweb" href="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sponholz/erie.html"><strong>Erie Railroad Internet Employee Archives</strong></a></p>
<p>This is an excellent online resource for anyone researching ancestors who were employed by the Erie Railroad. The Erie Railroad linked Chicago with Jersey City and New York. The Archive contains employee rosters, historical news articles, photographs, reports and other related data. The information dates back to circa 1851, and additional information has been submitted by former Erie Railroad workers, the Salamanca, NY Railroad Museum and fellow researchers.</p>
<p><a title="free genealogy resources at Department of Transportation" href="http://ntl1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&amp;site=dot_railroads"><strong>Department of Transportation Historical Railroad Investigation Reports</strong></a></p>
<p>This is part of the Online Special Digital Collections of the U.S. Department of Transportation and includes detailed transcriptions of investigations into railroad accidents that occurred between 1911 and 1994. It can be viewed as both text and PDF.</p>
<p>These are some of the best free genealogy resources for tracing ancestors who worked for the railroad companies. Railway records are just one of the secondary resources that can lead us to primary records of our ancestors. They are well worth looking through, especially if your ancestor lived in areas where railways were built during the nineteenth century.</p>
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		<title>How to Research Genealogy at the Library of Congress</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=747</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=747#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jul 2013 08:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[melanie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=747</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Library of Congress maintains one of the world&#8217;s most comprehensive collections of national and foreign genealogical and local historical publications. Although the primary purpose of the Library of Congress is to serve Congress and help them to execute their Congressional responsibilities, the library also has many resources for researchers, both on-site and online. The Library of Congress contains over 141 million items in its collections, including over 21 million catalogued books in its classification system, and over 100 million &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=747">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Library of Congress maintains one of the world&#8217;s most comprehensive collections of national and foreign genealogical and local historical publications. Although the primary purpose of the Library of Congress is to serve Congress and help them to execute their Congressional responsibilities, the library also has many resources for researchers, both on-site and online.</p>
<p>The Library of Congress contains over 141 million items in its collections, including over 21 million catalogued books in its classification system, and over 100 million items in their special collections. Their special collections include over 62 million manuscripts, 16 million plus microforms, and over 14 million visual materials. Their 5 million plus maps can be of invaluable help to genealogical researchers. Of special significance are their more than 15 million files which are available to researchers online.</p>
<p>The Library&#8217;s genealogy collection was started in 1815 with the purchase of Thomas Jefferson&#8217;s personal library of between nine and ten thousand volumes. Jefferson’s library replaced much material that was destroyed or vandalized by the British, and he allowed Congress to pay whatever they thought was fair and affordable. Today family historians can best take advantage of these wonderful resources in the Local History and Genealogy Reading Room.</p>
<p>The Reading Room was opened in August of 1935, and is housed in what is appropriately named the Thomas Jefferson Building. The Reading Room was developed to make it simple and easy for genealogists to conduct research in what is literally a mountainous stockpile of genealogical and historical resources. You can familiarize yourself with their collections and procedures on the <a title="how to research genealogy at Library of Congress" href="http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/"><strong>Reading Room Webpage</strong></a>. In addition to information about their own resources, the library also provides a wealth of links to other genealogy resources.</p>
<p><strong>Library Genealogy Record Collection </strong></p>
<p>The genealogy record collection at the Library of congress is compiled of over 60,000 genealogies from around the world, and over 100,000 local histories. The collections are particularly strong in North American, British Isles, Irish, German, and Scandinavian sources. Keep in mind that the Library of Congress is not an <a title="free genealogy resources at Obituarieshelp.org" href="http://obituarieshelp.org/free_ancestry_reports_using_archives_compose_free_ancestry_reports.html"><strong>archive</strong></a>, so does not house records such as census records or BDM certificates and such. The Local History and Genealogy Reading Room is one of nine such rooms throughout the Library of Congress, but it is a small, specialized room with a staff of around nine or ten.</p>
<p>The staff at the Library of congress are well-trained are happy to answer questions about Heraldry, Biography, Naval or Maritime History, and any other genealogy-related subject. Staff are not researchers, you should not expect them to do research for you, but they are well versed in instruction and are happy to oversee your efforts and to instruct you in strategies that will help you to find your family members.</p>
<p>The Library also offers a wealth of webcasts that are designed to guide you through your research and to familiarize you with accessing and using their resources.  One such example is their <a title="how to research genealogy at library of congress" href="http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/journey/amish.html"><strong>Amish Resources Webcast</strong></a>.</p>
<p>The Reading Room for genealogists also offers online <a title="how to research genealogy at library of congress" href="http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/tours.html"><strong>O</strong><strong>rientation classes</strong></a>, generally on every other Wednesday morning. The classes are taught by reference librarians and are designed to familiarize genealogical researchers with the Library of Congress collections. Each class includes an introduction to genealogical research and how to use the resources and facilities of the Local History and Genealogy Reading Room.</p>
<p>The sessions in the Genealogy reading Room are well organized and extremely comprehensive. They cover a huge amount of genealogical ground such as; compiled family histories, city directories, local histories, telephone books, how to search the Library&#8217;s online catalog, locating published census schedules and indexes, military lists and registers, military service and pension records, ship passenger lists, church records and registers, cemetery records, land records, court records, and registers of births.</p>
<p>The Library of congress is a goldmine of genealogical resources. If you are currently researching your family tree or thinking about doing so, it is well worth taking a trip to Washington D.C to avail yourself of their expertise. It’s a great way to begin your genealogical quest, and to take in a bit of the nation’s capitol at the same time.</p>
<div id="crp_related"><h3>Related Posts:</h3><ul><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=853" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Sifting Through City Directories to Find Your Urban Ancestor</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=724" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">The Ultimate Resource Collection for Tracing Irish Genealogy Online</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=678" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">More Free Genealogy Resources &#8211; Historical Books Online</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=434" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Are you the Son (or Great-Great Grandson) of a Preacher Man? (Part 2)</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=654" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">The Polish Genealogical Society of America</a></li></ul></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Don’t Let Opportunity Pass You By – Take Advantage of These Free Genealogy Courses!</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=707</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=707#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[melanie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=707</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s no reason anyone should struggle with genealogy issues anymore. I recently decided to put one of my New Year’s Resolutions into practice and take a genealogy course. I jumped on Google, and as frugal as I am typed “free genealogy courses” into the search window. You wouldn’t believe how many courses I found, many of them taught by college professors and professional genealogists! I couldn’t believe that such quality instruction was for free, so I started investigating! Lo and &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=707">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There’s no reason anyone should struggle with genealogy issues anymore. I recently decided to put one of my New Year’s Resolutions into practice and take a genealogy course. I jumped on Google, and as frugal as I am typed “free genealogy courses” into the search window. You wouldn’t believe how many courses I found, many of them taught by college professors and professional genealogists! I couldn’t believe that such quality instruction was for free, so I started investigating! Lo and behold, they deliver what they advertise. I found so many that I thought I had to share the ones I thought best with you. It would really be a shame not to take advantage of these excellent free genealogy resources.</p>
<p>It is no surprise that the LDS-run <a title="free genealogy resources at Brigham Young University" href="http://is.byu.edu/site/courses/free.cfm" target="_blank"><strong>Brigham</strong><strong> Young University</strong></a> offers a variety of genealogy courses. The courses are courtesy of their Independent Study department, a non-profit branch of the school. The study department’s courses range from beginning genealogy to courses specializing in individual record types (military, vital, and family records), and also regional and ethnic focused courses such as French and German research. The University has its own Center for Family History and Genealogy which hosts links to a number of online tutorials and helpful websites.</p>
<p><a title="free genealogy resources at MIT" href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/#history" target="_blank"><strong>MIT</strong></a> (Massachusetts Institute of Technology doesn’t offer genealogy-specific courses, but some such as American History to 1865, The Places of Migration in United States History, and the Economic History of Work and Family can be very useful to family historians.</p>
<p>Similarly, Yale University offers genealogy-relevant courses covering topics such as; The American Revolution,  African American History: From Emancipation to Present, and European Civilization, 1648-1945 can all be of immense value to genealogical researchers. The courses are offered through the <a title="free genealogy resources at Yale University" href="http://oyc.yale.edu/courses" target="_blank"><strong>Yale Open Courses</strong></a> program, which provides materials and lectures from variousYaleCollege courses to anyone with a computer and internet access for free.</p>
<p>There is a group known as <a title="free genealogy resources at Coursera" href="https://www.coursera.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Coursera </strong></a>which is a conglomerate of 62 Universities which offers a huge amount of course that are of interest to genealogists. Many of the courses are led by qualified instructors that are scheduled to begin and end at specific times, so you’ll have to sign it on time to “attend” them. There is plenty of pre-recorded material however, and many of the courses are graded and offer certification. Some of the genealogy related courses on offer are Immigration and US Citizenship, Useful Genetics, Women and The Civil Rights Movement, and The Camera Never Lies.</p>
<p>Another site that also offers excellent, high-calibre learning resources is <a title="free genealogy resources at Evidence Explained" href="https://www.evidenceexplained.com/tags/quicklesson" target="_blank"><strong>Evidence Explained</strong></a>, developed by Elizabeth Shown Mills to assist researchers and historians of every kind. In the Quick Lessons section of the website you can find tutorials on a number of relevant topics such as; Census Instructions, Who Needs Instructions?, Chasing an Online Record into its Rabbit Hole, and What Constitutes Proof? All of the subjects are presented in tutorial form, so can be taken at your leisure.</p>
<p>At the <a title="free genealogy resources at Canvas network" href="https://www.canvas.net/" target="_blank"><strong>Canvas Network</strong></a> website you will find a catalogue of free online courses that cover a number of topics. Many of them are of little use to the genealogist, but there are courses such as U.S. History: First Peoples to the Civil War and Reconstruction, and US History which may be of benefit to historical researchers.</p>
<p>There are definitely many additional free online learning opportunities out there, but I thought these were some of the highest quality. You can even tell your friends and family you’re taking a college course! Have a look for yourself at each of them, browse through the courses, and if you decide to take one, come back and tell us your thoughts and how you made out in our comments section!</p>
<div id="crp_related"><h3>Related Posts:</h3><ul><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=693" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Want More Free Genealogy Resources? Join a Genealogical Society</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=644" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Nine Nifty New Years Resolutions for Genealogists</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=166" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Who Do You Think You Are Lisa Kudrow? The Top 7 Jewish Genealogy Webistes</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=853" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Sifting Through City Directories to Find Your Urban Ancestor</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=250" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Traditional Genealogical Sources #1</a></li></ul></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>The Polish Genealogical Society of America</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=654</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=654#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:00:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[melanie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=654</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For those with Polish ancestors, there is no better place to begin your research than the Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA). The society was founded in 1978 and is based in Chicago. They are completely dedicated to the preservation and sharing of Polish and Polish-American ancestral history, and in helping its members to apply that information in their research. If you are researching ancestors from the old Commonwealth of Poland, the society has a plethora of books, bulletins, newsletters, &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=654">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For those with Polish ancestors, there is no better place to begin your research than the Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA). The society was founded in 1978 and is based in Chicago. They are completely dedicated to the preservation and sharing of Polish and Polish-American ancestral history, and in helping its members to apply that information in their research. If you are researching ancestors from the old Commonwealth of Poland, the society has a plethora of books, bulletins, newsletters, workshops, and a variety of printed information that can help. This is a genuine genealogical society that perpetuates a genealogical attitude of sharing resources, leads, and communication among members.</p>
<p>Although the society provides information to help with research, they hold no repositories of records other than the ones published in their own books and periodicals, and in the databases of their members. The staff are all volunteers who are not able to research for you, but are only too happy to assist with pointing you in the right direction or pairing you with someone who can. Keep in mind that the society has no permanent address; they use the main offices of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America as their mailing address and telephone contact point. There are PGSA volunteers available one day per week to answer phone calls and enquiries. The best way to contact them is via post or email.</p>
<p><strong>The Rodziny</strong></p>
<p>The Rodziny is the quarterly publication produced by the PGSA. It provides a wealth of information designed to help those researching their Polish ancestors. There is an extensive amount of material covered in the publication, but its emphasis is on items not usually available to researchers and well written and researched articles. Some of those items include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Translations of rare materials by European experts</li>
<li>An information Exchange where members can post inquiries and have them answered for free by other members or volunteers</li>
<li>Book reviews on important polish genealogical publications and tips on how to get the most out of them</li>
<li>Articles on specific Polish research related subjects written by professional and expert amateur genealogists</li>
</ul>
<p>Additionally the society hosts translated historical documents on their website. One section I found most interesting and could have spent hours reading was the one regarding Polish life in the late 1800’s. There is also a searchable database of Polish troops who served in France during WWI and many links to other databases and important resources for Polish genealogical research.</p>
<p>The PGSA also has an online store which is used to support the efforts of the volunteers. Some of what you can purchase online from them is:</p>
<ul>
<li>Books and CD’s</li>
<li>Research Services</li>
<li>Obituary Indexes</li>
<li>Military Record Indexes</li>
<li>Insurance Records Index</li>
<li>Instructions on Requesting Polish Records From Specific Towns</li>
</ul>
<p>The web page of the PGSA is well maintained and updated on a regular basis. You can find information on events, workshops, research advice and instruction, Polish history, heraldry, Polish culture, and there are even some Polish songs if you’re feeling especially celebratory! The PSGA is closely affiliated with The Polish Museum of America Library, also in Chicago, which houses over 60,000 books of Polish interest, including genealogical research and reference materials. If you’d like to join the PSGA, you can fill out their online <a title="genealogy resources at PSGA" href="http://pgsa.org/mm2.3/register.php"><strong>membership application</strong></a>.</p>
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		<title>The New National Archives of Ireland Website</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=609</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=609#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:00:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[melanie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=609</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the most important free genealogy resources – the Irish National Archives – has recently updated and improved their website. The improvements have made the site a genealogists dream. I was really excited to visit it and noticed that it is especially designed to make genealogy research faster, easier, and more comprehensive. The new layout is exceptionally clear and concise, navigation is painless, and there are especially written guides to help researchers with their expanded records collections and genealogy &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=609">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of the most important free genealogy resources – the <a title="Free genealogy resources at the Irish National Archives" href="http://www.nationalarchives.ie/"><strong>Irish National Archives</strong></a> – has recently updated and improved their website. The improvements have made the site a genealogists dream. I was really excited to visit it and noticed that it is especially designed to make genealogy research faster, easier, and more comprehensive. The new layout is exceptionally clear and concise, navigation is painless, and there are especially written guides to help researchers with their expanded records collections and genealogy research in general. If you have Irish ancestors, your research can be now taken to another level.</p>
<p>Some of the new features are the document of the Month, and an entire section on Women’s History and Transportation resources. The women’s history section consists of two major databases – the Directory of Sources for Women’s History inIreland, and Women in Twentieth centuryIreland. They are accompanied by the Ireland-Australia database, all of which are searchable online. In addition they have provided a link to the Chief Secretary’s Office Registered Papers website which contains records for the years 1818-1822. The records contain a variety of information on people and places inIrelandfor the years listed with plans to extend the collection up until 1852.</p>
<p><strong>Irish Archives Online Catalogue </strong></p>
<p>The real heart of the new website is their updated online catalogue. An online catalogue is the nucleus of any archival website, as even if entries are limited to scraps of information such as descriptions and titles of records, users can search more widely and accurately. The search criteria for the catalogue have been expanded so that full text searches can be executed, and adjusted to just about any theme or category.</p>
<p>Most of the records are of the twentieth century, and though the website stipulates that many may be unsuitable for genealogy research, they have underestimated in my opinion the tenacity of genealogists! We don’t discard any type of records, and as an experiment I did a search of my surname. Lo and behold, I found several will papers and a dispute with the early Irish Department of Finance with one of my ancestors over land annuities. My advice would be to ignore the warning and continue to search everything as a good ancestor detective does!</p>
<p><strong>Record Holdings of the Irish Archives </strong></p>
<p>The Irish National Archives actually hold a wealth of records that may prove valuable to your ancestors search. If you are looking to <a title="find Irish ancestors at Obituarieshelp.org" href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/free_ancestry_research_records_finding_irish_family_free_ancestry_research_records.html"><strong>find Irish ancestors</strong></a>, the archives are a great place to start. The departmental records they manage are a supreme source on their own.</p>
<p>They include; Agricultural records, Records of the Attorney General’s Office, Department of education records, Finance records, Social welfare records, Judicial records and more. The other governmental records amount to archives of early governmental agencies that existed in the nineteenth centuries and twentieth, but some go back as far as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. There are also court and probate records maintained by the archives, some dating back to the fourteenth century.</p>
<p>Besides government records you will also find:</p>
<ul>
<li>ChurchofIrelandrecords</li>
<li>Trade Union records</li>
<li>Business records</li>
<li>School records</li>
<li>Hospital records</li>
<li>Estate Records</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Irish Census Records</strong></p>
<p>Some of the most popular records held by the Irish National Archives and used by genealogists are the Census records from 1901 and 1911. These records are a valuable part of the Irish heritage, and are currently being digitized in conjunction with Library and Archives Canada.</p>
<p>The1901 and 1911 returns are organized by townland in rural areas or by street in cities. Every member of a household is listed according to their name, sex, sex, religion, marital status, occupation, and their relationship to the head of the household at the time. Also recorded are whether or not an individual could read and/or write, and if they spoke the Irish language. The 1911 census contains the same information with the important addition that married women needed to state how long they had been married, how many of their children were born alive, and how many were still living at the time of the census.</p>
<p>In addition to households, asylums, prisons, military barracks, hospitals, colleges, workhouses, and trade schools were all enumerated, so the chances of finding your Irish ancestor are accordingly increased. As a bonus, descriptions of houses are given in both census returns. The descriptions include the overall condition of the dwelling, the number of rooms it had, how many windows, and even the type of roof they had, all making for additional interesting genealogical data. These census reports are an excellent source for those seeking their Irish family, and serve as a principal source for understanding the Irish economic and social structure in the early twentieth century.</p>
<p>The Irish National Archives obviously appreciate the importance and the popularity of genealogy today. The valuable records they are making available online show their dedication to the promotion and preservation of Irish heritage and history. If you find information on your Irish ancestors in any of their valuable genealogical sources, make sure you record it in one of our <a title="genealogy forms downloads at Obituarieshelp.org" href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/genealogy_forms_downloads.html"><strong>Free Downloadable Genealogy Forms</strong></a>. Doing so will ensure your family history is preserved in an accurate and organized way that will benefit your relatives and other genealogists for years to come.</p>
<div id="crp_related"><h3>Related Posts:</h3><ul><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=724" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">The Ultimate Resource Collection for Tracing Irish Genealogy Online</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=587" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">British and Irish Census Records – Their History and How to Use Them</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=603" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Searching Irish Surnames from the 17th Century – Sir William Petty’s Census of 1659</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=670" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">5 Fantastic Resources for Finding Irish Ancestors</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=630" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Irish Directories to Enhance your Ancestor Hunt</a></li></ul></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Ethnic Cleansing (Traditional Genealogy Source #2)</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=280</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=280#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Nov 2010 17:23:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mark Rabideau]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Rabideau]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=280</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the &#8216;forgotten&#8217; aspects of recent world history involves the Ethnic Cleansing of Eastern Europe by the Allies after World War 2.  Reports and numbers vary with regards to the numbers of people impacted by this horrific, involuntary expulsion.  Generally, it is believed that more than 10 million people were involved and as many as 4 million people were lost, killed, or died through the process of ethnic expulsion. If your family is of East or West Prussian, Silesian, &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=280">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of the &#8216;forgotten&#8217; aspects of recent world history involves the Ethnic Cleansing of Eastern Europe by the Allies after World War 2.  Reports and numbers vary with regards to the numbers of people impacted by this horrific, involuntary expulsion.  Generally, it is believed that more than 10 million people were involved and as many as 4 million people were lost, killed, or died through the process of ethnic expulsion.<img class="alignright size-full wp-image-282" src="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/3417__320x240_european-expulsion.jpg" alt="european-expulsion" width="320" height="226" /></p>
<p>If your family is of East or West Prussian, Silesian, Pommeranian, Russian ethnic German or Polish ethnic German descent, and if they were living in what eventually became the Soviet Bloc, then they likely experienced some aspect of this Expulsion.</p>
<p>In an effort to share information regarding the Expulsions, the European Community has established a group intended to serve as a platform to enhance communication and interaction between European refugees, expellees and people who support their rightful aims.</p>
<p>You may learn more about this subject here:</p>
<ul>
<li><a title="Ethnic Cleansing Discussion Groups" href="http://www.many-roads.com/libraries/prussia-histories/deutsche-vertriebenen-german-expulsions-history/">Ethnic Cleansing Discussion Groups</a></li>
<li><a title="Expulsion Histories" href="http://www.many-roads.com/libraries/prussia-histories/deutsche-vertriebenen-german-expulsions-history/">Histories of the German Expulsions from the East</a></li>
<li><a title="Expulsion Photos" href="http://www.many-roads.com/photo-galleries/flucht/">Photo Galleries of the German Expulsions</a></li>
<li><a title="Vertreibung Archive" href="http://www.many-roads.com/key-topics/vertriebenen/">Blog Entries and Posting on Die Vertreibung (the Expulsion)</a></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: right">copyright 2010 Mark F. Rabideau – <a title="ManyRoads" href="http://many-roads.com/" target="_blank">ManyRoads</a></p>
<div id="crp_related"><h3>Related Posts:</h3><ul><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=290" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">YouTube (Traditional Genealogy Source #3)</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=250" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Traditional Genealogical Sources #1</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=253" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Introducing Mark Rabideau&#8230;</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=733" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Where to Find German Ancestry Records</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=788" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Use Ethnic and Foreign Language Newspapers to Uncover Ancestors</a></li></ul></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Now You Don&#8217;t Have To Be a Professional Genealogist to Access Free Ancestry Records</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=276</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=276#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:01:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[melanie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=276</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This has been a long time coming, but finally, the first pages of Free Ancestry Records and Resources are online with more to come in the next few days! We all know what it&#8217;s like, you buy a subscription to an ancestry website with the hope that you will find every document you need to prove your genealogy.  But a few hours or days into it, all you have is a pile of printouts that may or may not be &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=276">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This has been a long time coming, but finally, the first pages of <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/free_ancestry_record.html">Free Ancestry Records</a> and Resources are online with more to come in the next few days!</p>
<p>We all know what it&#8217;s like, you buy a subscription to an ancestry website with the hope that you will find every document you need to prove your genealogy.  But a few hours or days into it, all you have is a pile of printouts that may or may not be proof positive of your ancestry.</p>
<p>I suspected there was a better way when I first started my own genealogy research.  I mean, really think about it for a minute and ask yourself, how did the subscription site get all those records?  Someone had to have found it, transcribed it, or scanned it and uploaded it to their digital database or website, therefore all of those ancestry records have to be free somewhere.</p>
<p>So I did a lot of digging into the depths of the Internet and spoke to professional genealogists.</p>
<p>Turns out, I was right&#8230;there are <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/free_ancestry_record.html">free ancestry records</a> online!</p>
<p><span id="more-276"></span>
<p>I&#8217;m so tired of seeing people get taken advantage of with high priced resources that don&#8217;t have much value for the money. Especially for the hobbyist who is not able to research and use those paid subscriptions everyday.  It just adds up to an incredible amount of money for something you&#8217;re not using all the time. ﻿</p>
<p>﻿Through genealogy reseach for my own ancestry, I discovered ancestry resources and vital records available for free.  I&#8217;m sharing these free ancestry records, resources, articles and advice with anyone interested in researching their family tree for free.  ﻿This section of the website gives a lot of helpful information and points ancestry researchers in the right direction to finding <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/free_ancestry_record.html">free ancestry records</a>.</p>
<p>Genealogy research can be overwhelming so I&#8217;ve tried to keep the information easy to follow by making each article only cover one topic.  You can keep coming back for more information as you need it.  Start by choosing an article and apply all the tips you learn from that article, then come back for more.</p>
<p>And of course, access to this information is absolutely free so anyone can research their family ancestry without spending any money.   ﻿And you don&#8217;t have to rush to finish before your subscription runs out!</p>
<p>Have a look at the <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/free_ancestry_record.html">Free Ancestry Records </a>section and let me know what you&#8217;d like to see, more how to articles, more advice, more records, more, more, more?</p>
<div id="crp_related"><h3>Related Posts:</h3><ul><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=164" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Who do You Think You Are Emmit Smith? The Top 6 African American Genealogy Resources Online</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=47" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Review of The 6 Top Paid Subscription Online Genealogy Websites</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=738" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">How to Research Genealogy Online and Find Records Fast</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=160" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Who Do You Think You Are?</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=178" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Family Tree Templates!  Big News at ObituariesHelp.org</a></li></ul></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How to Put a Face to the Names on Your Family Tree Using Newspaper Obituaries</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=233</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=233#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Oct 2010 22:37:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[melanie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=233</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A while ago, I told you about Google News Timeline to help you with your genealogy research.  You can research specific events in history and all the related information in a timeline.  While the Google News Timeline is an excellent tool, sometimes you just have to go to the source itself.  Newspapers are valuable tools for filling in your family tree. Here’s how they help: ﻿Using Newspapers for your Genealogy Research Often overlooked in favour of more fashionable genealogy related &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=233">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></p>
<p>A while ago, I told you about <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=67">Google News Timeline</a> to help you with your genealogy research.  You can research specific events in history and all the related information in a timeline.  While the Google News Timeline is an excellent tool, sometimes you just have to go to the source itself.  Newspapers are valuable tools for filling in your <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/free_printable_blank_family_tree.html">family tree</a>. Here’s how they help:</p>
<p><span id="more-233"></span>
<p><strong>﻿Using Newspapers for your Genealogy Research</strong></p>
<p>Often overlooked in favour of more fashionable genealogy related resources, newspapers are in fact unsurpassed in genealogical value. Most newspapers have a contribution to make in our family search, from the <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/sunday_obituaries.html">larger national newspapers</a> with their vast archives of events both national and international, to the small local papers which evolved during the nineteenth century. Newspapers have much to offer the family historian, but as with any genealogical resource, a bit of preparation is necessary to get the most of them.</p>
<p>There will be long hours of fruitless searching that can prove frustrating, but having some information to go by will alleviate much of that. Searching at random would be an exercise in futility; the chances of coming across a story with information on your relative in that way are zero to nil. If you have a specific event in mind however, and even better have a date for that occurrence, the possibilities are endless.</p>
<p><strong>What Useful Info a Newspaper May Contain</strong></p>
<p>The smaller local papers can be of the most valuable, as they featured local news, and often recorded births, deaths and marriages as well as less tasteful events such as court cases and law suits. In Victorian times, they would publish birth and death notices for a small fee. This was often the luxury of the upper classes however, and these sorts of findings may not reveal too much anyway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You may though stumble across an announcement of an ancestor who had died overseas after emigrating; this was a common practice in many Old Countries. Newspapers of the time gave much more coverage to marriages though. Some of them published detailed reports, including a guest list, and these types of discoveries can be of immense value.</p>
<p>The reporting of deaths is where newspapers are the most valuable, however. Especially in Victorian times, people were fascinated by reading reports of the inquest, which was normal for newspapers to publish. If you ever come across the words “coroner” or “inquest” on a death certificate, it would be a good idea to search the relevant local paper if it’s available.</p>
<p><strong>Newspaper Obituaries and Funeral Reports</strong></p>
<p>Of course if your ancestor was a local <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/famous_people_obituaries_hub.html">dignitary</a> or <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/celebrity_obituaries_hub.html">celebrity</a>, the chances of finding published information on them are even higher. If you know the time of their death, checking the source published a week or two after may reveal further info on them. <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/newspaper_obituaries.html">Newspaper obituaries</a> can be a rich source of genealogical worth, you may find out where they went to school, what organisations they were members of, if any, even if they were in the military or a local sports star.</p>
<p>If you do find such information, don’t stop at this point, following an obituary, there may be coverage of the funeral. The funeral report will contain a list of mourners which could reveal further relatives. Besides introducing you to other family members, the funeral report will reveal where your ancestor was buried, opening up yet another avenue of adventure!</p>
<p><strong>Advertisements</strong></p>
<p>If your ancestor was a local businessman or tradesperson, they may have advertised their services in the local newspaper. Besides being valuable as information sources, ads of the time were usually very decorative, and can add a tasteful visual aspect to your documentation.</p>
<p>Legal announcements by solicitors looking for surviving heirs to a deceased person were also common at the time. People sometimes died leaving substantial amounts of money or property, and ads were placed asking for anyone related to that person to come forward. If your motives for this type of ad are monetary however, prepare to be disappointed, the line at the solicitors door would have been a long and winding one!</p>
<p>Comment below to tell me how Newspapers have helped your genealogy research.</p>
<p> </p>
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		<title>Family Tree Help! Free Research Guide Makes it Easy to Trace Your Genealogy</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=224</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=224#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:30:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[melanie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=224</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you ready to meet your ancestors? My new free family tree research guide is about how to find your ancestors, where to look, who to ask, what records are available, and how to fill in your family tree template. Download Family Tree Help! The Basics of Tracing Family Genealogy to get step-by-step instructions on how to research your genealogy. Once I finished with all those family tree templates, I got a ton of email asking me for advice on &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=224">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are you ready to meet your ancestors? My new <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/free_printable_blank_family_tree.html">free family tree research guide</a> is about how to find your ancestors, where to look, who to ask, what records are available, and how to fill in your <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/free_printable_blank_family_tree.html">family tree template</a>. Download <em>Family Tree Help! The Basics of Tracing Family Genealogy</em> to get step-by-step instructions on how to research your genealogy. </p>
<p>Once I finished with all those family tree templates, I got a ton of email asking me for advice on how to find ancestors, and where to research genealogy.  </p>
<p>As I was answering those emails, I realized that there are lots of people out there who don&#8217;t know where to start and haven&#8217;t got the resources to find their ancestors. So I put it all together in this step-by-step guide for beginner genealogists.  </p>
<p><span id="more-224"></span>Just go to the <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/free_printable_blank_family_tree.html">Free Printable Blank Family Trees</a> page and it&#8217;s the first download on the page.  It&#8217;s a PDF so you&#8217;ll need Adobe Acrobat of course and you can download it and start you ancestry search.  You can go through the e-book chapter by chapter or use just the chapters you need to get your research underway. </p>
<p>Now, you have no excuses, you can start filling in that family tree template right away.  So the only question left is: Are you ready to meet your ancestors? </p>
<p>Download the e-book and let me know what you think by commenting below or send me an email. Happy researching! </p>
<div id="crp_related"><h3>Related Posts:</h3><ul><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=194" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Family Trees are Online Now!</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=135" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Family Trees: A Guide to Getting Started</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=178" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">Family Tree Templates!  Big News at ObituariesHelp.org</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=742" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">How to Research Jewish Genealogy</a></li><li><a href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=303" rel="bookmark" class="crp_title">New Years Resolution: More Genealogy Research!</a></li></ul></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>The Top 10 Coat of Arms Websites with FREE Resources</title>
		<link>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=204</link>
		<comments>https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=204#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:25:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[melanie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coat of Arms/Heraldry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Free Genealogy Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=204</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Often when genealogists are researching their family history they become interested in their family’s Coat of Arms. We’ve all seen the gorgeously varnished plaques emblazoned with colourful crests featuring lions, weapons and other medieval type decorations, and one can’t help but be drawn by their romantic allure. Coats of Arms are a means of identification used to verify official documents and ascertain ownership of property. The unique design painted on a family’s Coat of Arms identifies a particular family or &#8230;<br /> <a class="linkRead" href="https://obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=204">Read the rest of this entry &#187;</a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Often when genealogists are researching their family history they become interested in their family’s Coat of Arms. We’ve all seen the gorgeously varnished plaques emblazoned with colourful crests featuring lions, weapons and other medieval type decorations, and one can’t help but be drawn by their romantic allure. Coats of Arms are a means of identification used to verify official documents and ascertain ownership of property. The unique design painted on a family’s Coat of Arms identifies a particular family or individual, and can be very useful to genealogists researching their family history. Finding your family Coat of Arms on a document can lead you to as yet unidentified ancestors.</p>
<p><strong>What are Coats of Arms?</strong></p>
<p>Coats of arms were initially used to identify individuals who had a right to bear arms. Eventually these rights were transferred from generation to generation and finally became a means of identifying a family or clan, depending on the geographical location. Original designs were sometimes altered slightly to distinguish particular branches of a family, consequently increasing its genealogical worth. </p>
<p><strong>What is Heraldry?</strong></p>
<p>The study and identification of Coats of Arms is known as Heraldry. Family historians are often mesmerized by its splendour and charm, and possibly a bit by the promise of being part of an aristocratic blood line. The particular design of each heraldic symbol tells a story in itself, and can lead you to a deeper understanding and knowledge of your genealogical roots. </p>
<p><strong>FREE Coats of Arms and Heraldry Resources</strong></p>
<p>Following is a list of FREE Heraldry resources for the genealogist who wants to dig a little deeper into their family history. As with our list of the <a href="http://www.obituarieshelp.org/blog/?p=42">Top 40+ FREE Online Genealogy Websites</a>, the same care has been taken to ensure these resources are absolutely free. If you want to order a plaque or other item decorated with your family crest, you will have to purchase it and pay a shipping fee, but the research oriented info and searches on these sites are absolutely FREE. Some even offer free downloads so that you can print off your family tree at home. Whether you’re interested in your Coat of Arms for genealogical or aesthetic reasons, here are our selected sites containing FREE Heraldry and Coats of Arms resources.</p>
<p><span id="more-204"></span>1. <a href="http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/">The College of Arms</a></p>
<p>It’s appropriate to begin our listing with a site originating from one of the homes of Heraldry, the United Kingdom. If your ancestors are of English, Welsh, Northern Ireland, or any other country in the British Commonwealth, you should find information on your family Coat of Arms here. The repository at the College of Arms includes both registers of grants of arms and funeral certificates, an added bonus to the genealogist. The official collection also includes a register of name changes which can be of value to family historians, as well as an extensive library of genealogical works.</p>
<p>This is a site for serious genealogists. If you’re looking for a free family crest search, you won’t find it here. The website is full of information designed to assist genealogists in identifying and understanding the history of their family Coat of Arms. If you find a Coat of Arms on a document while conducting your family search, you are encouraged to photograph it and send it on to the college. They do however charge a small fee for identification, but the true value of this site is in the FREE heraldic and genealogical education they offer.</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://www.heraldica.org/">Heraldica</a></p>
<p>Heraldica answers common questions about Heraldry and contains a pictorial glossary of over five hundred coats of arms ant heraldic emblems. Browsing through the pictures you are introduced to the many emblems used in decorating Coats of Arms and their names. The site also offers over two hundred articles on Heraldry and boasts a section specific to American, British and French heraldry. A must see site for budding heraldry enthusiasts and genealogists alike.</p>
<p>3. <a href="http://www.heraldsnet.org">Heraldsnet</a></p>
<p>An explanation of every imaginable heraldic term imaginable is contained in the online glossary compiled and maintained by Jim Trigg. The glossary is based on the original book by James Parker published in 1894. The website also contains over 1,000 illustrations of Coats of arms, family crests and every conceivable symbol with they can be decorated. FREE to use, and full of valuable information.</p>
<p>4. <a href="http://www.lyon-court.com">The Court of the Lord Lyon</a>  </p>
<p>If you are of Scottish ancestry you’ll find information on Tartans, Flags, Crests, Clans, and coats of arms on this website. At the moment of writing the website is under review pending the establishment of an official Registrar of Tartans, but you can still find useful FREE genealogical and heraldic information here. </p>
<p>5. <a href="http://www.scotclans.com/whats_my_clan/">Scottish Clans</a></p>
<p>This is another site that although commercial in nature offers free no-strings-attached heraldic and genealogical resources. If you want to order your family tartan after finding out what it is, you can, but you’re not forced to sign-up, register or pay to research it. The link I’ve provided will take you directly to their What’s My Clan page where you simply type in your surname to reveal what clan you’re a part of. I typed in my last name, Walters, and found out that I’m a member of the Forbes clan from Aberdeenshire. This could be important information that could help me to trace my family history back farther than I ever imagined. Rather than searching for the name Walters, I could search the surname Forbes to uncover further leads.</p>
<p>6. <a href="http://www.luz-herald.net/free/lettres.html">Burke’s General Armory  </a></p>
<p>This site has the largest assortment of Arms, which arranged alphabetically under surnames. The register contains Armorial Bearings for England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales registered up to 1884. The 1500 blazons (the design on a coat of arms) are available completely fro FREE, and the site offers Coat of Arms design for those whose family doesn’t already have one. Be the first of your clan to register your family Coat of Arms and go down in history!</p>
<p>7. <a href="http://www.heraldryclipart.com/heraldry-symbolism.html">Heraldry Symbolism</a> </p>
<p>Heraldry Symbolism is home to the most extensive heraldry symbolism and heraldry dictionary on the internet, and it’s FREE! On the right side of their homepage you will see a menu. Clicking on the Heraldry Dictionary option will take you to the heraldry dictionary which is based on the works of Charles Elvin. Elvin’s works have been corrected and updated, and additional information has been added. The dictionary is offered as a free reference tool, with no strings attached!</p>
<p>8. <a href="http://www.thepeerage.com/surname_index.htm">Peerage</a></p>
<p>Peerage is, in its own words, “A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe.” This translates to being an index of European surnames, but it’s no ordinary index. I can only encourage you to experience this website. Clicking on the link provided will take you to the front page of the surname index. The names are indexed alphabetically, so click n the appropriate letter, and you will see what I mean. This index is massive, and if you think the list of surnames is huge, click on your surname to view the vast array first names sub-categorized. This is an incredible genealogical resource that contains a lot of historical data.</p>
<p>9. <a href="http://www.ngw.nl/">Heraldry of the World</a></p>
<p>If you want a time out from your research and just want to have a little fun, this site will give you an escape. Coats of Arms from practically, if not every, country in the world are displayed here. The arms are categorized by country, so if you want to view German Coats of Arms you simply click on Germany. The author of the site provides as much information as he can find on each Coat of Arms and all of his information is sourced always credited. The site is quite large, and addition to being a pleasant distraction, it also provides useful family and historical info about many of the Coats of Arms displayed.</p>
<p>10. <a href="http://www.americancollegeofheraldry.org/">The American College of Heraldry</a></p>
<p>As well as its free resources, the American College of Heraldry offers you the opportunity to commit to the study of Heraldry by becoming a member. Annual membership at the time of writing was $39.95, but you’re not forced to join to make use of their many resources. They are in fact, a non-profit organization simply dedicated to the perpetuation of Heraldry. There is tons of FREE information on this website. If you want to know the significance of the Heraldic Eagle, you’ll find it here. Common questions about heraldry are addressed and competently answered here, and the website, whose purpose is to “educate the public regarding the history and meaning of heraldry”, does a fine job of it indeed.</p>
<p>I hope you find these links to Heraldry resources entertaining, educational, and fun, after all, that’s what family history research is meant to be!</p>
<p>If you know a really good website out there that didn’t make it on this list, email me (melanie at obituarieshelp.org) so I can include it, but make sure it is completely free – for this post, I’m not interested in sites that have lists of links to subscriptions sites or lists of indexes that you have to pay to see the document. I want free information available online.</p>
<p>Leave your comments below to let me and others know what you think of these resources.</p>
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