UPDATE! Absolutely Free Genealogy Resources and Records. Now Theres 82 Free Resources!
It's been two years since we first published the post reviewing the Top 40+ FREE Online Genealogy Websites Where You Can Start Your Ancestry Search. In those two years, interest in genealogy has continued to grow, and consequently many more resources are now available – many of them for Free!
To celebrate the Second Anniversary of this posting, we have added 40 More Absolutely Free Genealogy Resources to the list and updated the reviews on the previous 40+ links (which are now numbered 41 – 82). All of the resources in this post are absolutely free to use – No Strings Attached, No Hidden Costs, No Special Terms, just plain good old-fashioned FREE!
I also want to also take this opportunity to thank you for continuing to trust ObituariesHelp.org to provide you with the best in Genealogy advice, articles and resources, and hope to have you around for at least another 2 years! So without further ado – our 82 Absolutely Free Genealogy Resources!
1. 1911 Census of Canada Indexing Project
Everyone who lived in Canada in 1911 was recorded in this Census report, which has only been made available to the public this year, and is an ongoing project. It contains the personal data of each individual, and includes links to images of original documents and various other records for certain individuals. All of the transcribing, linking, and proofing is performed by volunteers and as such no registration or payment is required for viewing the index.
2. Census of Ireland 1901/1911
The National Archives of Ireland website hosts the Census of Ireland for the years 1901 and 1911. The returns for all 32 counties of Ireland have been digitized in conjunction with Library and Archives Canada, and the site features basic and advanced search capabilities as well as links to digital images and other illustrative material. Information that can be found regarding your Irish ancestor includes; name, relationship to the head of household, age, sex, occupation, marital status, religion, and county or country of birth, and its all completely Free!
3. The Victorian Military Society
Founded in 1974 by a gentleman named John Crouch RIBA, the Victorian Military Society was originally dedicated to all things military during the Victorian period. It has now been extended to include early 20th century campaigns and covers the period up until 1914. You can access much of the historical information they have on their website for free, yet have the option to subscribe as a member if you wish to avail yourself of even more than the wealth of information and articles that are already available to the public. The VMS publish both a Quarterly journal for members, a newsletter and is home to several specialist study groups – a great resource for researching military ancestors.
4. Alberta Family History Society
As its name implies, the Alberta Family History Society is based in Calgary, Alberta. It is a not for profit organization that seeks only to foster the growth and advancement of family history research, especially how it relates to Alberta. They house a database of Birth, Death and Marriage Records in their Newspaper Announcements database, and offer a wealth of resources and tutorials to help any genealogist.
5. The Genealogical Institute of South Africa
This organization was set up to gather and preserve genealogy related source material for those researching and publishing family histories of South Africa. They are home to a free to use database of over fifty thousand names stored in GEDCOM format for easy download and transfer. A must visit for anyone researching African or Boer ancestors. The home page is in the native language of Afrikaans but there is an option to switch to their English version.
6. Central Bureau for Genealogy – Netherlands
If you are researching Dutch ancestors there is no better place to begin than this website. The Central Bureau is the centre for the collection and storage of Dutch genealogy records, and features an online catalogue of names for which you can find corresponding entries in their various collections. Again, the website is in the native language, in this case Dutch, but they have an option to switch to the English version as well.
7. Polish Genealogical Society of America
Headquartered in Chicago, the PGSA was founded in Illinois in 1978. It exists as a non-profit entity designed to collect, distribute and preserve data regarding Polish and Polish-American family histories while helping and guiding its members in with their personal research. Anyone researching Polish ancestors is welcome, and the society provides a wealth of material including books, bulletins, a newsletter and online databases, as well as conducting workshops and regular meetings. The society has members from around the world and is an excellent resource for any genealogist researching Polish or Polish-American ancestors.
The value of this site is its specialized search engine which is designed to return only information that can be accessed online. You simply type in what you wish to search for as in any search engine, but the returns will be info that is available online.
A great place to locate free genealogy databases containing surnames is CousinConnect.com. It also provides a platform to post any genealogical queries you may have, allowing you to hook up with other researchers, and of course, cousins! Its foremost purpose is to help people connect with lost relatives –both living and dead – and provides a great deal of information and advice on how to get the most out of their research databases.
10. Interment.net
This site has free databases of cemetery records from selected churches from around the world. The records in the databases have been transcribed by family historians specifically with other researchers in mind, and consequently are carefully copied and indexed. Internment.net also has links to other resources such as BMD (Birth, Death and Marriage) indexes; the highlight however is the cemeteries database. Cemeteries from the UK, Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, other European and South American countries are listed here and they are absolutely Free to use!
11. The University of Florida African Heritage Project
The USF project was initiated in order to assist genealogists with researching their African heritage. It is dedicated to developing free genealogy databases that will contain the records of slaves, freedmen and their descendants. The free genealogy database they have begun is called AfriQuest, and it has made available a number of records that were previously difficult to find for researchers. The free genealogy database AfriQuest contains records such as the Camden County Georgia Deeds, which identifies African Americans from 1786-1881, and is in the process of having additional records transcribed and uploaded.
12. The Freedmen's Bureau Online
The free genealogy databases of the Freedmen's Bureau contain mostly labour and indenture records of former slaves. These labour contracts contain terms of employment, while the indenture records provide dates, names of the indentured people, names of the officers who officiated, and the names of the guardians to whom the indentured were given over. There are also free genealogy databases of freedmen marriages for several states including Arkansas, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
13. The Scottish Genealogy Society
The Scottish Genealogy Society has developed a Family History Index 2,500 files donated by researchers within the Society covering a period of nearly fifty years. Every file contains data on either a specific family or a number of families and may include numerous files for a particular family. These files can range in size from one page to substantially researched family histories containing hundreds of pages. They take original documentation, transcripts, newspaper clippings, photos or complete histories. A must visit for anyone searching their Scottish ancestry
14. BBC Archives
The BBC Archives host a wealth of historical items ranging from photos to fact sheets for every decade of its existence. If you're looking for historical photos, and especially World War related material, you might just find them here.
Digital collections held by the British Library include;
- Newspaper Collections from 1800 – 1900
- Festival Books from 1475 – 1700
- Manuscripts
- Endangered Archives
The Endangered Archives Collection is extremely exciting, as this organization had dedicated itself to preserving historical documents from around the world, especially societies where such documents are in extreme danger of disappearing and their history being lost. So far the project has compiled archives of endangered documents from Cuba, Tuvalu and Ghana.
Founded in 1917, initially the museum served as a memorial to those who had died and suffered in during World War I. It has since expanded to include all conflicts, specifically those of British and Commonwealth involvement from 1914 to the present day. Some of the digital collections one can access online are:
- Guides for Tracing Specific Personnel
- Photographs
- Honour Rolls
17. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum – America's first presidential library is quite unique in that it was also the only one ever used by a sitting president. Conceived and constructed under the direction of President Roosevelt's they have an online collection consisting of Historical Documents, Historical Photographs – many from the Great Depression era, Biographies and Historical Narratives.
The Canadian War Museum's Military History Research Centre contains both the George Metcalf Archival Collection and the Hartland Molson Library. These are comprehensive national collections of primary and secondary research material that document Canada's military history from colonial times till present day.
The Military History Research Centre's catalogue is accessible via the internet. Users can search the library and archives collections belonging to the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Available for online research is Democracy at War: Canadian Newspapers and the Second World War which is a full-text searchable collection of nearly 150,000 contemporary newspaper clippings reporting on events of World War II as it unfolded.
19. Government Record Services of Hong Kong
This organization specializes in managing recorded information for Hong Kong's Special Administrative Regional Government. It is primarily responsible for developing and maintaining a record-keeping program that effectually manages and makes records available in an efficient format. Their electronic services include an archived records collection, photos, and a free search of their entire catalogue. A must for those searching Asian ancestors!
20. Italian Genealogical Group
This organization is dedicated to furthering Italian genealogy and Family History. Most of its members are from New York City but they embrace members from around the world. They have been transcribing and indexing collections of records held at local and regional archives in conjunction with other genealogical groups, and these indexes are free to search on their site. Some of what their collection contains is: Naturalization Records, BDM Indexes, and a Surnames Database.
Here you will find an online archive of military and historical photos that can be accessed free of charge. There are also historical interviews such as those of the Channel Islanders of Guernsey who were cut off from their families and Britain when the island was occupied by Germany during WWI, interviews from those who served in the Red Cross during the war, and photos of the Changi Quilt. The Changi Quilt contains names of those who were imprisoned in the internment camp at Changi prison by the Japanese army in 1942. The names are those of service personnel and civilians including women and children.
The Archives of Indian Labour was established in 1998 by V.V. Giri National Labour Institute and the Association of Indian Labour Historians. It is devoted to preserving and making accessible the rapidly disappearing documentation of India's working class. The archive also builds collections and generates research in the field of Indian labour history. It contains documentation regarding labour movement and memoirs, personal narratives, and video and audio material.
23. National Archives of Japan
The National Archives of Japan website is fully translated into English and their entire catalogue can be searched online. Contents of their collection include documents, maps, scrolls and photographs. There is complete instruction (in English) on how to search the archive which contains a wealth of historical and administrative records.
24. National Library of New Zealand
Te National Library of New Zealand is a favourite of mine as they make research dead easy! There is a Quick Links menu on the right hand side of their homepage that includes a section especially for researchers. Clicking on "for Researchers" takes you to a webpage that is clearly and efficiently laid out, separating their online resources from those of their brick and mortar establishment. There are three sections; Online Resources, Collection Guides and Advice and Services, and each section contains a wealth of valuable info. Their online resources include; their own catalogue, newspaper collections, manuscripts, photos and lots of other historical documentation and articles. Truly a 5 Star website for researchers!
25. Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance
This organization was founded in 1963 by ex-fighters from the Austrian Resistance in conjunction with anti-Fascist historians. It contains a wealth of important and interesting historical information, but of most interest to Family Historians may be the database of over 60,000 names of Austrian victims of the Holocaust. There is also a database of more tan four thousand photos taken from Gestapo records which includes biographical details of prisoners as well as information regarding their arrest, and unfortunately in many cases their deaths.
26. The National Library of Russia
The National Library of Russia has a small digital library available to users in English. It contains archived documents, rare maps, books, manuscripts and other valuable research materials.
The absolute highlight of the National Library of Russia would definitely have to be the link to Meeting of Frontiers – a bilingual, multimedia English-Russian digital library telling the story of the American exploration and settlement of the West, the parallel exploration and settlement of Siberia and the Russian Far East, and the meeting of the Russian-American frontier in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
This is a website dedicated to educating researchers about specific archives around the world. Volunteers have posted specific tips about particular archives that can save you time, money, and frustration if you will be visiting an archive. An example of how valuable this sight is can be demonstrated in the advice given by a volunteer for anyone visiting the French National Archives. After giving directions on how to get there and the procedures you must go through upon arrival, he even 'makes a suggestion for lunch…" you are in a great neighbourhood for cafes and sandwich shops, but I love to go down to the little square just near Maubert Mutualité metro stop. There is a fruit and veg stand, a cheese shop, a bakery, and traiteur/delicatessen. You can make your lunch and then walk over to the park near Shakespeare and Company to relax and eat while looking at the Notre Dame. "
The European Library is basically a vast super-search engine that browses the National Libraries of just about every country in Europe. It is a completely free service that offers access to the incredible wealth of resources contained in the 48 national libraries of Europe in 35 languages. Resources are both digital (posters, books, sound recordings, maps, videos, etc.) and bibliographical, making this an awesome research tool to have in your arsenal. To top tings off, the quality and reliability of all material is guaranteed by the forty eight collaborating national libraries of Europe.
30. Archives Wales
Archives Wales is a member of the UK National Archives Network. This is an initiative designed to provide access to all of the online catalogues of the UK archives. All member websites allow cross-searching of entire catalogues of groups of repositories for particular record types or regarding specific areas. Besides the wealth of information regarding where to look for what records, they have an excellent section on Non-Conformist Records – Birth and Baptismal records of people who were not members of the Church of England but rather Methodists, Baptists etc.
31. Welsh Mariners
Welsh Mariners is an on-line index containing the names of 23,500 Welsh captains, mates and engineers who were active between 1800 and 1945. The index is a work in progress and is being compiled and overseen by Dr. Reg Davies. The value of the website is best summed up in the words of Dr. Davies himself. He states "Mariners represent a difficult group to research from the point of view of the family historian. I wanted to make information about our Welsh maritime ancestors more easily available to anyone researching their family and Welsh heritage, and so it seemed appropriate to develop this website and make the information on it freely available to all."
The Crew List Index Project (CLIP) was developed to assist family historians more easily access records of British merchant seaman from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. They have amassed a huge database and include lots of information to help researchers find their seafaring ancestors.
33. Coal Mining History Resource Centre
This is the UK's largest and most complete website regarding the history of coalmining. It includes a huge searchable database containing more than 164,000 names of those killed or injured in recorded accidents. The site was established by Ian Winstanley, a retired science teacher and published author, hailed as Lancashire's leading mining historian.
34. James E. Walker Library (Middle Tennessee State University)
The James E. Walker Library as some valuable digital collections that you can access online, but two that are of utmost interest to Family Historians are the Discovering American Women's History Online – a database providing access to an array of digital collections of primary sources (diaries, letters, photos) documenting the history of women in America, and the Volunteer Voices Collection- The State of Tennessee's digitization program encompassing its archives, repositories, libraries, museums and historic homes. Its aim is to develop digital collections that comprehensively document the history and culture of Tennessee.
35. The Hawaiian Collection (University of Hawaii at Manoa)
The Hawaiian Collection is a comprehensive assortment of retrospective and current materials relating to Hawaii. Most of the material is held onsite at the school library; however they offer a vast array of digital material as well, including:
- Assignment Guides and Bibliographies
- Manuscripts and Archives
- Various Collections
- Indexes
- Databases
36. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (Yale University)
Another researcher's dream website, here you can search and view online: historical photographs, documents, manuscripts, historical maps, works of art, and rare books from the Beinecke's collections. Especially interesting to family historians might be the collection of historical maps – one hundred in total – detailing early New England and North America.
37. Smithsonian Institution (Collections Search Centre)
Known and loved by all for preserving much of our history, the Smithsonian generously makes a huge database of online material available for researchers. Of special interest to family historians would be the massive collection of historical photographs, biographies, articles, books and electronic documents.
Nearly seven million records can be accessed through Missouri Digital Heritage, including records held by the Missouri State Archives, the Missouri State Library and more than 50 other smaller institutions throughout the state. Their Family and Faith section is geared especially towards genealogists, and the records they have made available online include resources that include BDM records, church registers, cemetery records and family papers.
39. The National Archives of Hungary
The Government of Hungary is definitely pro-genealogy as is evidenced from their website. Not only do they have an option to view the site in English, but they have developed an entire section with excellent information designed to assist you in locating your Hungarian family members. On top of that they maintain an online database of Paris Registers. This is a great starting point if you are tracing Hungarian ancestors. For your convenience the link above goes directly to their Family History section.
40. The Miriam Weiner Routes to Roots Foundation Inc.
Miriam Weiner is a celebrated Jewish Genealogist and syndicated columnist of Roots and Branches which is published in over a hundred Jewish periodicals and newspapers. She has developed a fantastic website for those researching their Jewish family history, and offers a vast searchable database of archive inventories for towns and villages in Poland, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, and Lithuania. Once you locate the documents you seek for the town that interests you, you simply click on “archive name” which directs you to a page where you'll be able to locate the archive addresses and corresponding contact information. There is however a wealth of other valuable information, especially for those searching ancestors from Eastern Europe including a Guide to Russian research terminology, and foreign language alphabets such as Yiddish, Hungarian and Romanian to name a few.
41. Family Search
Family Search is a favourite and trusted site of many genealogists. Maintained by the Latter Day Saints (LDS), who are committed to keeping genealogy free, it is home of the International Genealogical Index, a collection of millions of records from the 16th century to present. Records to be found here include; Census Lists, Birth, Death and Marriage Indexes, Probates, Wills, Church Records and much more, which one can search by place, date, or record type. It is run entirely by volunteers and as such there are no hidden fees or costs involved in accessing their collections.
Since we first posted this list, Family Search has developed a new, reportedly more efficient website. There is a "Try the updated site" banner on the page to which the above link brings you, or you can access it directly Here. You can try the new site out (reactions are mixed in the genealogy community – some like it, some don't) and if you aren't happy with it you can continue using the old one. New features of the updated site are:
- An online film ordering system (available in selected areas)
- Updated and improved search engine
- New Online Learning Center
- New Twitter Handle – @FamilySearch
- Newly Updated YouTube Channel
- New Filtering Features
- New Records
42. Our Timelines
Ever wondered what historical events your ancestors might have witnessed, or even been involved in?? If so, a trip to this website will reveal the answer. At Timelines you can find out what was happening historically during the lifetime of one of your ancestors or yourself. You simply enter a person's name and their years of birth and death and the online software generates a timeline of historical events that happened during that person's lifetime. This is an excellent tool for Family Historians, as you are able to see exactly how your ancestors fit into history, allowing you to better focus your research efforts. If you like to create web pages, you can display these Timelines on your personal website, adding to it an interesting and very personal touch.
43. Archive.org – The Way Back Machine
Searching for a website you once visited regularly but can't seem to find online now? Perhaps it has moved or been taken offline, but don't despair – you'll find it at Archives.org. Here you can search for such websites; in fact they have over 150 billion cached copies of them. To search for Genealogy websites you simply click on "Texts" in the Toolbar, and then click on "Additional Collections" in the Sub-Bar, then type "Genealogy" in the Search Box.
44. U.S. Board on Geographic Names
Here you can search documents relating to over 2 million geographic locations in the United States and from around the world. Inconsistencies and contradictions among names, the spelling of them, and applications for them can cause serious problems for map-makers, scientists, surveyors, and of course, genealogists. The Board on Geographic names was founded to eradicate that problem by standardizing names and their spellings, all of which can be confirmed using this website. One can search for any federally recognized location, National Park or geographic coordinates, by state, or by county.
45. Access Genealogy
What started out as a small family run website of 50 State pages has blossomed into the largest website for Native American records on the internet. Consisting of over a quarter million pages now, the site is well maintained, and records collections are added on an almost daily basis. Their collections contain Biographies, Cemetery Records, Census Lists, Military Records, Native American Rolls and Tribal Histories to name a few.
AfriGeneas was developed to provide resources and guidance for those who are researching African related ancestry. The website contains a database of transcribed records regarding African-Americans including marriage records, directories, family histories, newspaper articles, slave records and more. Recently they have added, thanks to their army of full time staff and dedicated volunteers; Birth Records for Negroes and Mulattoes for Fayette County, Philadelphia for the years 1788 – 1820, Death Notices and Obituaries from Monroe County, Alabama for the years 1891 – 1914.
This is a free, practical website featuring thousands of databases, valuable research tools and miscellaneous other resources designed to assist anyone with Jewish ancestry with tracking down ancestors. The databases include Ancestral towns, Jewish surnames, Holocaust database, Gazetteers, Ellis Island database and various religious records. JewishGen currently holds over 20,000,000 records, all collected, compiled and transcribed by a staff of tireless volunteers from a variety of countries from around the world. There is an option to donate should you choose to do so, but the site is entirely free for anyone to use.
48. Japanese Immigrants to the United States 1887-1924
Maintained by Brigham Young University, this website allows you to search records of first generation Japanese immigrants to Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho. The records have been transcribed from census, cemetery records, obituaries and local histories, and the site operates on a name search basis; so you will have to know your ancestors name to search for them here.
49. Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records
This government website provides access to Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land States, which also includes image access to over 5,000,000 Federal land title records that the Federal Government issued from 1820 to present. There are also some images relating to survey plats (part of the official record of a cadastral survey) and field notes (the narrative record of the cadastral survey) that date back to 1810. This site is very useful if one of your ancestors at anytime purchased or received land from the Federal Government, as those records will be included here. You will however have to pay for a certified copy of any original documentation you might wish to order.
50. Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
This website has two sections; The ISTG Compass, and The Adoption Experience. The ISTG Compass is designed as a guide to assist you in your research of immigrant related data. Up-to-date information is available regarding ships, ship images and descriptions, passenger lists, ethnic and emigrant databases, and various resources such as libraries, archives and museums both on and off-line. There is a thorough descriptive of each site, and some additional international maritime records and information.
The Adoption Experience is geared towards those whose lives have been somehow touched by adoption. This section is relatively new, in fact it is still under construction, but there are already ample resources for anyone wishing to reunite with long lost relatives, whether a birth parent or an adoptee.
51. Ellis Island Free Port of New York Passenger Records Search
The free Ellis Island Free Records Database allows you to search immigrants who entered the U.S at Ellis Island or the Port of New York between 1892 and 1924 with links to transcribed records and digital images of those documents. You can search by names, year of arrival, year of birth, town of origin and the ship name.
52. Bremen Passenger Lists 1920-1939
The Bremen Chamber of Commerce established an Information Office for Emigrants in 1851 where all ship captains had to deliver their passenger and cargo lists. The lists for the period 1875 – 1908 were unfortunately destroyed because of a lack of filing space, while more for the period 1920 – 1939 were lost during the Second World War. Fortunately the ones hosted on this website were stashed away in a salt mine with some other archives for protection, and were given over to the Moscow Archives at the war's end. In 1987 and 1990 they were returned to the Bremen Chamber of commerce who has graciously made them available for searching online.
53. Civil War Soldiers and Sailor System
This website hosts a computerized database which contains basic information about servicemen who served for both the Union and Confederacy in the Civil War. There are presently 6.3 million names in the database, and other information to be found here includes Regimental Histories and information on particular battles during the Civil War. The site plans to add additional data regarding soldiers, sailors, regiments, and the battles they took part in, as well as POW (Prisoner of War) and Cemetery Records.
54. Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Anyone looking for ancestors who my have been killed while serving in the armed forces of any Commonwealth nation – Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Scotland or Wales – during the two World Wars will appreciate this excellent website. The database (“Debt of Honour Register”) contains the names of the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth nations who were killed or died during World Wars I and II as well as the names of the 23,000 cemeteries, memorials and other international locations where they are remembered. You can also search the register for info on the 67,000 Commonwealth civilians who were killed due to enemy action in World War II.
55. DAR Genealogical Research System
The DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Genealogical Research System is a collection databases that was created in recent years with a view to organizing the vast quantity of data that the DAR has gathered since its was founded in 1890. One of the highlights is the Ancestor Database containing the names of Revolutionary War Patriots whose identities and service records have been verified by the NSDAR. The information includes birth dates, birth places, places of residence, names of spouses, type of service, rank and the state served in. Previously you had to request them to do a look up for you in order to find out if your ancestor was included in their database, but now you can do the search yourself, and for free!
56. Free Genealogy Lookups – One per Day
The Ancestral Findings website of North Carolina allows you to request one free search per day. Follow their rules and be nice about it and they will search birth, marriage, census, military, state and other historical records for you, absolutely free.
57. National Archives Genealogy
This is the online catalog of the U.S. National Archives. There are thousands of resources available online, scanned documents, transcribed documents and where to find the originals. These records include birth, death, military, maps and more, and there is an exclusive section especially for Family Historians containing a wealth of resources such as Immigration and Naturalization records, Land records, and even Bankruptcy records.
58. Australia's World War Two Nominal Roll
The World War Two Nominal Roll was developed in order to honour and commemorate the brave men and women who served Australia during this conflict either in her defence forces or the Merchant Navy. This site contains data from the service records of those one million individuals. Records can be searched by specifying name, place of birth, place of enlistment, service number or honours. If you find your ancestors record here, you can print out a certificate on your own printer, but keep in mind that this is not an original document. Another thing to consider is that individuals and their families were given the opportunity to be excluded from the online database if they wished.
59. Free Genealogy Translations
This website is part of FranceGenWeb and provides free translations. If you are in need of having a foreign document translated into your language this is the place to come to. The text is all in French, but it is easy enough to use. You simply choose the language you need translated and you'll be taken to a form that's in both French and English.
60. Library and Archives Canada Genealogy and Family History
This is the Family History section of Collections Canada, and is well laid out and especially geared towards genealogical research. You can search for your ancestor in their huge databases composed of; Birth, Death and Marriage records, Census and Enumerations, Immigration and Citizenship records (Passenger lists, naturalization records etc.), Land records, Military records, Directories, Police records, Post Office records, Local histories, Church and Cemetery records, and, believe it or not, more! You can search for records by typing a name in their search box after which you can view the record online.
61. GeneaBios
GeneaBios is a small website where researchers have posted biographical information about particular individuals. To date their records include free biographies that have been posted by visitors to their site as well as links to free biographies at other websites. This isn't a particularly large database, but it is constantly growing. If you can find an ancestor here, you're in for a treat because there is lots of detail included in most bios.
62. National Archives of Norway
Digital Archives of parish registers, real estate registers, photos, and tips on how to trace your ancestors in Norway. This website is available in English or Norwegian and information dates back to 1801. Other highlights of the site include digital image and sound files as well as the Digital Inn – a section housing sources and documents which have been digitised by institutions, associations or persons other than the National Archives of Norway.
63. British Columbia Archives Genealogy
This website contains summaries or scanned copies of original documents in the archives. If you need to see the original document, download a price list. But you can access a lot of data without having to pay for it. The data dates back to 1872 when BC became a province.
The website also contains a Genealogy section that features published material such as Family Histories, Biographies, Clergy Lists, Telephone Directories, Military Records and Voter's Lists. There are also Government Records such as Birth, Death and Marriage Registrations and Land Grant Records, while they also have an excellent collection of Newspapers, Sound Recordings, Digital Images, Paintings, Drawings and Cartographic (Map Related) Records.
64. Canadian County Atlas Digital Project
Here you can see digital images of maps created between 1874 and 1881 for Ontario Counties. Included with the maps are the names of subscribers and their businesses and in some cases their portraits.
Started in July 1998, the County Atlas pilot project originally contained a mere ten atlases. There have since been two developmental phases which saw the completion of the Ontario map, and now totals forty-three atlases. The website has a searchable database with the property owners' names appearing on the township maps located within the county atlases. All of the maps have been scanned in, and feature links from the owners' names contained in the database.
Australian War Memorial is an excellent place to locate information about the part Australia played in the world wars. This is the official website of the Australian War Memorial Museum, so you have access to documents and artefacts online. There is a description and a transcription of each document online but if you want to see the actual document up close, you have to pay for a reprint.
They have recently added Family History section which the above link will take you to. Their collections contain lots of information relating to the military service of various individuals. If you are looking to locate information about relatives who may have served in any of the wars in which Australia has participated in since the mid nineteenth century, you will find a host of links that will direct you to valuable resources on this site.
Their collection includes the Roll of Honour which commemorates and records those who were killed during the war, Personal Service Records, the Commemorative Roll which memorializes Australians who died as a result of or during wars or other warlike operations in which Australians were on active service but who were ineligible to be included in the Roll of Honour.
66. National Archives of Australia
Here you can search and view records online and there are over 8 million of them to choose from. Searchable records include posters, photographs, documents, maps, and sound and film recordings. A valuable part of this website is their Record Search Forum where you can collaborate your records search with other researchers. In the Name Search section you can search particular groups of records such as Military Records, Immigration Records, and even Aboriginal Tribal Records. You can further hone your search by looking only in sub-categories such as Court Martials, Civilian Service Records, Security and Intelligence Records, Copyrights, Patents and Trade Marks and many, many more.
67. Library of Virginia Online Catalog
The digital collection of the Library of Virginia includes; Photo collections, Map collections, Public Works Records, Court Records (Chancery Records Index), Cohabitation Registers (a register of African Americans living together as Husband and Wife in 1866), Confederate Disability Applications, Revolutionary War Bounty Warrants and much more. A very interesting collection of records for sure!
68. Le Dictionaire Genealogique
This is a seven volume French Canadian Genealogy published by the Reverend Cyprian Tanguay. His work includes the genealogies of early French Canadian families dating from 1608 to about 1760.
This compilation of state records includes the Kentucky Death Index for 1911 – 1986, Kentucky Marriage Index for 1973-1993, and the Kentucky Death Index for 1987- 1992. The information has been taken from the State of Kentucky's Office of Vital Statistics, albeit funding has not been made available to update the database so it remains as is. Another thing to keep in mind if using their search engine is that the number of returns for each search is limited as their search engine cannot process a high volume, so you'll want to search as specifically as possible to minimize the number of matched returns.
Several free genealogy databases are available for search online here, including; Births, Death and Marriage indexes, Census Reports, Military Records, Immigration and Citizenship Papers, Land and Employment Records. The most recent addition is the 1871 Canada Census Report. This website also serves as a gateway to other genealogy websites containing Canadian Genealogy Search Information.
71. German Military Grave Registration
This free database contains the names of missing and dead soldiers from both World War I and World War II. You will be required to register before you can search and view your results. Registration is free. Oh and you'll have to be able to read German. Don't be intimidated however as the link above takes you right to their search engine – there at least you can type in your ancestor's name, and if you get a return or two it might be worth using Google Translate. I would recommend only translating two or three words at a time, as Google Translations of phrases are not always so accurate. It might take a bit longer, but the translation will be more accurate, which might be worth the while if it helps find a lost relative.
72. Utah Cemetery Burials Database
This database is housed at the Utah State History website and contains records of over 650,000 in over 350 cemeteries. You can search by name, by location, or search the State Archives for Death Certificates. Other online sources here include a digital photo collection, manuscripts, markers, and monuments.
73. Index to the Enciclopedia Heraldica Hispano-Americana of Alberto and Arturo Garcia Carraffa
This work totals 88 volumes and is supplemented by ongoing updates carried out by an army of tireless volunteer genealogists. The first two volumes outline Spanish Heraldry, but the Diccionario Heráldico y Genealógico de Apellidos Españoles y Americanos, (a compilation of over 15,000 names and respective genealogical histories) begins in Volume Three. You can do a comprehensive search of the list of Spanish and Spanish-American names to find out exactly where in the work the article about your Spanish heritage exists, and also view the corresponding Heraldic Crests or histories.
74. Distant Cousin
DistantCousin contains an online collection of genealogy records and images of scanned historical documents from many different sources. Here you will find data from obituaries, census records, city directories, school yearbooks, ship lists, military records, and much more. There are more than 6 million records in total sourced from over 1,500 collections. The site is free to use and there are no fees or memberships required. Recently they have added the 12th Infantry Collection which contains, photos, rosters and other information on that particular military division, the 1921 Rhode Island Directory, and the 1924 Nashville Tennessee Directory to name a few.
75. Danish Emigration Archives
This is the National Collection of Books and Documents on Emigration History in Denmark. It was established in 1932 with a few to recording the History of Danish people who immigrated to other countries. Their collection consists of diaries, manuscripts, private letters, photos, newspaper clippings and biographies. These lists hold the name, age, year of emigration, last residence, and the original destination of the emigrant. The records span the years 1869 to 1908 and contain over 394.000 names.
76. Greenville County Government Historical Records Online
This collection is a result of collaboration between the Greenville county Library System and the Greenville County Government. They have indeed done well to provide an awesome center of high-resolution digital resources that will be appreciated by genealogists and other historical researchers alike.
They plan to continue their efforts at making historical records accessible online, and have plans to eventually include; Will Books, Jail Records, Minute Books and more, so it is well worth bookmarking this site and checking back regularly.
It is an exceptionally well organized online database of records that go way beyond the usual birth, death, marriage records, and presently also includes ; deeds, district court records, wills and probate records. Most are scanned and viewable online, but others are transcribed or their indexes are searchable.
77. FreeREG Search UK Parish Registers
This website provides a free online search of burial, baptism, and marriage records transcribed from UK non-conformist and Parish registers. There are also two companion sites accessible from this site; FreeBMD – where you can browse birth, death, and marriage indexes dating from 1837, and FreeCEN – where you can search Census indexes. The FreeREG database contains over 16 million records, FreeBMD has a total of 261,403,593 records, and FreeCEN contains the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, and 1891 census reports. Oh, and they are always looking for volunteers to help with the transcriptions!
78. GenCircles
This site features the Global Tree a project designed to build a vast searchable database of genealogical data. The uniqueness of this site is that you can interact with your own data as well as with other genealogists. You simply upload your GedCom file and connect with others researching other branches of your family tree. If you don't have a GedCom file, you can still register for free and contribute information and find information about your genealogy. They guarantee the integrity of your data, and through their Matching technology can help you to find others who are pursuing a similar line of research.
This is a website containing a collection of photographs and historical information about cemeteries and gravestones in colonial New England. Cemeteries from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont are featured in this free database, which is an extremely interesting historical collection. Within their pages lie the stories and histories of merchants, doctors, lawyers, judges, sea captains, governors, clergy , Revolutionary Patriots and Loyalists, pirates and privateers, British soldiers, slaves, Civil War generals and more. Donations are welcome, but use of the site is free.
80. Pennsylvania State Archives
Scanned or transcribed card files of veterans and service medal applications for; National Guard, Civil War, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I, Spanish American War, Revolutionary War and Militia Officers are featured on this site, compliments of the State of Pennsylvania. Names, ranks, ages, birth places, physical descriptions, marital status, causes and places of death (if applicable), dates served, and much more can be found in their records.
Historical Directories is a digital library of trade and local directories for Wales and England dating from 1750 to 1919. The collection consists of excellent quality reproductions of relatively rare books which can be valuable tools for researching both local and genealogical history. They have also incorporated material from a variety of institutions, making this quite a comprehensive collection of historical data. You can search the database by location, decade, or by entering a keyword.
82. The Olden Times
This website has scanned images of actual newspaper clippings of announcements of births, deaths, and obituaries. Recommended searches are by Place Name, Topic (Court, War, Ship etc.), Dates (year only), and Newspaper Names. The website is constantly being worked on with a view to improving it (it is run by a solitary individual) so may be another one worth bookmarking and checking back regularly. There is a lot of extra stuff that is interesting too like vintage recipes, cartoons, old advertisements and postcards.
Make sure that you don't overlook offline sources such as your local Provincial or State Vital Records and libraries, as well as Genealogical Societies and Family History Centers. They will not only give you a place to start your genealogy search, but can provide valuable assistance in locating published family histories and information on your ancestors.
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 – I'm always looking for free information available online because I want everyone to get started without investing a dime.
Leave your comments below to let me and others know what you think of these resources.
There you have it, 40 more websites with Absolutely Free Genealogy Resources and Records –we'll try not to wait another two years before we do it again! Happy Ancestor Hunting!
Hi Melanie, Thanks for these awesome list of free genealogy service, I really appreciated
This is a great site for people researching New Brunswick heritage. archives.gnb.ca
Will spend lots of time on this site. Hate the sites that say you can have a xx# of days free but insist you sign up first and give financial arrangements. They are just hoping you forget to disconnect after xx# days.
Thank you for all the work…
EXCELLENT LIST…I HAVE SENT THIS VALUABLE LINK TO 20 FRIENDS.
I’m testing the spam comment system.