We spend a lot of time letting you know of new record releases on Findmypast. Why? Because they are where you go if you have ancestry from the British Isles. They have records that are exclusively from the United Kingdom’s National Archives and The British Library. Yet, if you have ancestors from England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales they also have an extensive parish and church records collection. But, did you know they also have a free records portal?
On Findmypast free records portal you can search over 830 million records in many of their key collections. Unlike other large genealogy sites that may charge you to see the actual transcripts or images, Findmypast gives full access to the following collections once a free registration is created. You can start with the World Records Search, which spans many areas such as birth, marriage, death, probate and much more. So even if you do not want to purchase it you can see what is available.
Over one million pages of Findmypast Newspaper Archives are completely free to search
The more than one million pages of Findmypast Newspaper Archives are completely free to search and include British and Irish newspapers. You can search for specific names, years, places, and article types. The 1881 Census for England, Wales and Scotland can help you track down your ancestors, and you can search by names or location. Maybe you had an ancestor who served in the British Military? The British Military Records are another completely free collection where you can find your ancestor rank, where they served, and even any medals they were awarded. There are also Royal Navy lists from 1827 to 1946 included.
40 million Americans have Irish ancestry
Did you know it has been estimated that 40 million Americans have Irish ancestry? Well, Findmypast has 10 million Catholic Parish records that covers more than 1000 parishes and includes birth, marriages, burial and confirmation records. If after looking at these parish records you find an ancestor you could head over to Findmypast free Travel Records. These records can help you find where your ancestors left from, where they landed, maybe even if someone accompanied them on the journey. Finally, the U.S. Census Population Schedules from 1790 to 1940 are also available. Some of these may not be free to view, you are free to search by either first or last name, census year, year of birth and year and year of death.
In our hunt for our ancestors and a bit of our history it is always nice to be able to find places you can go that are free to utilize. Not all people are able to travel to the area their ancestors come from. In some cases like in my family, being able to use free online resources can help you find the area your ancestors came from. We wish you luck in your search for your family!
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If you need any help finding your ancestors, just let us know.
