Genealogy

Information helpful in finding and/or interpreting records of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or ancestors.

Resources in this category:

Afrigeneas
http://www.afrigeneas.com/

"Afrigeneas is a Website focused on genealogical research and resources in general and on African ancestry in particular. This page serves as a focal point for information about African-ancestored families and for pointers to genealogical sources worldwide." This site contains many links to web sources on African-American genealogy and genealogy in general, as well as links to musuems, a library, and a bibliography. One important resource is its "Surnames" Database. Updated often and users entries' encouraged.

AfriGeneas: African Ancestored Genealogy
http://www.afrigeneas.com/

"A site devoted to African American genealogy, to researching African Ancestry in the Americas in particular and to genealogical research and resources in general."

American Family Immigration History Center
http://ellisislandrecords.org/

This site provides free searches of Ellis Island passenger lists, offers free genealogy charts and family history materials.

AncientFaces
http://www.ancientfaces.com/

"AncientFaces has become the largest visual genealogy presence on the Internet by providing a free location for the exchange of photos. Thousands of photos are being scanned and then added AncientFaces by their owners so that others researching their family trees can place faces with the names of ancestors."

Australian Family History and Genealogy on the Internet
http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/genelist.html

Includes links to Australian family history and genealogy sites, Aboriginal family history, military records, etc. Part of the National Library of Australia Internet Subject Lists project.

Beginner's Guide to Family History Research
http://www.arkansasresearch.com/guide.html

"If you can't even spell the word g-e-n-e-a-l-o-g-y, this is the place for you to start. Everyone has ancestors, and if you're wondering who yours are, it's time to get involved in family history and genealogy research." This resource is divided into 13 short chapters that will take a beginner through the basics of genealogy research. There's a glossary of terms and a list of other genealogy resources.

The Carpathian Connection
http://www.tccweb.org/

"Premier independent genealogy and historial reference site for those researching ancestors from the Carpathian Mountain regions of Eastern Europe. A fantastic resource for students to gain information on the various heritages and cultures who inhabited these territories." Contains information on Eastern European villages, customs and folklore, immigration, settlements and neighborhoods in the US, along with research resources and a surnames listing.

Cemetery Do's and Dont's
http://pages.cthome.net/hirsch/dodont.htm

Information about how to care for gravestones, including cleaning basics, gravestone rubbings, reading inscriptions, and sealing or waterproofing gravestones.

Cemetery Records Online
http://www.interment.net/

"Here you will find online records from over 2,000 cemeteries all over the world." Browse by country, or search for burial records, cemeteries, or by ancestry.

Census Finder
http://www.censusfinder.com/

This site grants access to free census records from the United Stats, Canada, United Kingdom, Norway, and Sweden as well as Native American records. The site also directs searchers to genealogy sites that require payment. The site has many links with the potential to find some interesting information such as 1800’s prison records, various immigration records, and county maps. There are also links to genealogical societies and museums of interest.

Coats of Arms from Ireland and Around the World
http://www.heraldry.ws/index.html

"Over 2000 FREE coats of arms from Ireland and around the world in GIF format." Also "articles relating to Proto-Heraldry in Early Christian Ireland, Heraldry in Ireland, Gaelic Irish Heraldry and Heraldic Practice, The Coats of Arms of Irish Septs, The Meaning of Coats of Arms, Clans and Chieftains in Ireland, Mac and O in Irish Surnames, The Distortion of Irish Surnames, Irish Personal Names and Spurious Coats of Arms."

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
http://www.cyndislist.com/

A massive index of links to genealogy-related resources on the Web. The majority are categorized & cross-referenced in over 180 categories. No annotations and few descriptions, but a very comprehensive index to all sorts of genealogy-related Internet resources. Mailing list and blog are also available.

The DiCammilo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses
http://www.dicamillocompanion.com/

"The Database of Houses is a continuing effort to list every country house built in Britain and Ireland, standing or demolished.  The Database is updated daily and currently lists over 6,500 houses.  This undertaking will compile as many details as can be found about the houses, families who occupied them, and their estates, in a standardized format."

FamilyHistory.com: Society Hall
http://www.familyhistory.com/societyhall/

The Society Hall is the most comprehensive directory of genealogical and historical societies on the Web. It allows you to search for geneological associations by name and geographical location. The rest of the FamilyHistory.com site is a collection of message boards for genealogical researchers. The site has boards under three topics: surname, geographical area, and geneological project (e.g. adoption, passengerships from England, etc.) and each topic is searchable. Message boards include postings from people looking for and sharing genealogical information.

familyrecords.gov.uk
http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/

"Familyrecords.gov is a portal designed to help anyone wishing to carry out research on their family history using UK and Irish government resources. Resources of use to family historians are held by many different national and central government institutions in the UK and Ireland. Finding out which of the many institutions holds the information a researcher needs can be quite a complex process. This site aims to simplify that process by providing one point of access that will give researchers the information they need and direct them to the correct institution. Initially we are providing information on records, links to web sites (both of the member institutions and of other family history resources) and news of events and new services of interest to family historians. Where possible we have linked to web resources; where not we have given, or pointed to, details of how to access material. As more and more resources go online we will bring you news of these new developments. We also provide information about how researchers can make enquiries of the member institutions."

FamilySearch
http://www.familysearch.org/

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints provides this site, which lets you search their Ancestral File, International Genealogical Index, Pedigree Resource File, and web sites (by last name only). A free registration feature also lets you collaborate with other genealogists.

Find a Grave
http://www.findagrave.com/

Information about "Where everybody who was anybody is buried..." Includes photos. It's searchable by name, location, birthdates and death dates, and "claim to fame."

Finding Obituaries
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/77286

This IPL pathfinder provides a starting point for locating obituaries. This notices, generally appearing in newspapers, are difficult to find online. These resources will help you locate newspapers as well as genealogy resources online.

The Gathering of the Irish
http://www.irishclans.com/genealogy.html

This subsection of the larger "Gathering of the Irish" provides access to information to help conduct Irish-focused genealogy research. Contains a database of names, one of clans, and teh history of many clans and names. One can submit their own information to this sie and a link to a fee-based ancestral research service is provided.

GeneaBios: Biographies for Genealogy
http://www.geneabios.com/

A free website with a searchable database of biographies for genealogy research and links to biographies on other sites.

Genealogical Research at the National Archives
http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/

"Genealogists are the most numerous users of the Washington, DC, research rooms, and 13 regional records service facilities of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). This area provides many of the finding aids, guides, and research tools that can prepare you for a visit to one of our facilities or for requesting records from NARA." There are essays on different aspects of genealogical research and links to other sources of information.

Genealogy
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/48476

This IPL pathfinder is designed for people who are looking for information regarding genealogy and their family tree. It will help you find your way among the intimidating amounts of genealogy resources available in print and on the Internet.

Genealogy and Family History Internet Web Directory
http://www.academic-genealogy.com/

This comprehensive resources provides links to information on almost all aspects of family history research. The mission is to promote scholarly educational access to all key worldwide Internet genealogical and family history databases and resources. It is divided up by region as well as by topic. There is also a feature to search the website.

Genealogy Buff
http://www.genealogybuff.com/

Genealogy Buff is a free genealogy website designed especially for novice researchers of genealogical information. Its key features include a thorough surname search tool and an easily navigable homepage organized by topics that link to both free and subscription based genealogy websites.

Genealogy FAQ
http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/faqgene.txt

A FAQ from the U.S. Census Bureau. Answers many basic genealogy questions, particularly in the realm of government information sources.

The Genealogy Home Page
http://www.genhomepage.com/

An annotated listing of scores of Internet resources for genealogical information.

Genealogy Today
http://www.genealogytoday.com/

Genealogy Today monitors a variety of sources and search engines for new and updated genealogy information. The site contains articles, links to specific genealogy websites, and offers free seaching on the Genealogy Meta-Search. Resources are divided into the following groups: Getting Started, Family History, Research Tools, and Advanced Topics. Genealogy Today does offer links to for-fee services.

GENUKI
http://www.genuki.org.uk/

Links to genealogical information and resources for Ireland and the entire United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man). Information on accessing public records (divided by county). Help on getting started with genealogical research.

Graveyards of Chicago
http://www.graveyards.com/

Information and photographs of over six hundred Chicago tombs, organized by cemetery.

Guide to Researching the History of a House
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/76687

The purpose of this IPL pathfinder is to introduce sources for researching the history of a house. Included here are resources for discovering architectural facts as well as historical facts. Print and Internet resources are listed.

How to Find an Obituary
http://www3.sympatico.ca/bkinnon/find_obits.htm

Lists steps, suggestions and hints, and provides resources for anyone searching for an obituary that is not online. The author also provides a list of links to sites that offer free obituaries online.

Immigration in the United States
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html

This IPL pathfinder is a starting point for research on immigration in the United States. This page is designed for history students of all ages, educators, and anyone who wants to explore current immigrations issues. Both print and Internet resources are provided.

Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930
http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/

Photographs, books and pamphlets, maps, manuscripts, and other archival material drawn from the collections of Harvard University that document voluntary immigration to the United States "from the signing of the Constitution to the onset of the Great Depression," and related quantitative data and contextual information.

Irish Genealogical Society-International
http://www.irishgenealogical.org/

"A non-profit organization dedicated to the study and advancement of genealogy in Ireland, North and South, and around the world." Website includes items of interest to Irish genealogists, including church records, census substitutes, cemetery lists, and Irish surname info.

Italian Genealogy Online
http://italiangenealogy.tripod.com/

"Hand-picked Italian genealogy links, surname boards, links to Italian and Italian-American sites, plus plenty of general interest items on Italy. The best genealogy tools to help those of you research your roots including information on various genealogical techniques for finding your family."

JewishGen: The Home of Jewish Genealogy
http://www.jewishgen.org/

Jewish genealogical information and contacts. Includes databases of meetings, Websites, families and publications, plus an FAQ and other useful information. Additionally, visitors to the site are capable of creating identities and engaging in special interest and discussion groups with other members of the site.

JNUL Kettubot Database
http://jnul.huji.ac.il/dl/ketubbot/

"The Jewish National and University Library's unparalleled collection of ketubbot is one of the largest in the world (over 1200 items). It contains ketubbot from dozens of different countries, covering a time period of over 900 years and is a major resource for research in Jewish history, law and art. For over 2000 years Jewish law has required that every husband present his wife, at the time of their marriage, with a marriage contract or ketubbah, guaranteeing the wife's financial rights in case of the husband's death or divorce. Over generations, various local customs found their way into the legal text of the ketubbah and ketubbah decorations reflected the Jewish art of each locality and period. Ketubbot are therefore a rich source of material on Jewish history, customs and art. The fact that, as legal documents, ketubbot always contain exact dates and place names allows their absolute identification with specific communities and periods." Users can browse the collection by country, or use the search facility.

Joan's Royalty in History Site
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvenjb/kings.htm

The facts about "non-Royal behaviour of Royals in history." Articles detail some of the strangest and most notorious European rulers on record. Also, find a genealogy of Dutch royalty and suggestions for further reading.

Louis Kessler's Genealogical Program Links
http://www.lkessler.com/gplinks.shtml

An organized and annotated list of web sites with a comprehensive selection of computer software programs for genealogists. Included is the author's subjective opinion about each program.

Caleb Johnson's MayflowerHistory.com
http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/

"The complete Internet site for Mayflower history and genealogy." Includes passenger lists, documents and other writings, genealogical information, and a FAQ. The page also offers books and Mayflower-related artwork for sale through a digital "gift shop."

Online Searchable Death Indexes & Records
http://www.deathindexes.com/

This website gathers links to online death indexes by state and county. Included are death records, death certificate indexes, obituaries, probate indexes, and cemetery and burial records. Information about searching the Social Security Death Index online is also included.

PeopleSpot.com
http://www.peoplespot.com/

"PeopleSpot.com simplifies the search for the best and most useful information about people on the Web. We hope that our site will enable you to quickly and easily connect with others, reunite with friends and family, find people who share your interests, learn about notable individuals, discover ways to help others and much more... From PeopleSpot.com, tap into biographies, vital records, population and demographic statistics, e-mail, phone, reverse and professional directories, newsgroups, chat rooms, family and military networks, missing person data, genealogy resources and much more. "

Researching Russian Roots
http://www.mtu-net.ru/rrr/index.htm

Genealogy website that offers information about how to obtain information from Russia.

RomanyGenes
http://romanygenes.webeden.co.uk/

Genealogical information about the Romany people, or Gypsies, in Britain. Includes Census, civil registrations, and parish records, as well as many galleries of photographs. Also includes message board and chat room.

Roots Surname List Name Finder
http://rsl.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/rslsql.cgi

The Roots Surname List (RSL) is a list of surnames with associated dates and locations that is intended to help genealogical researchers locate others interested in sharing and comparing data about the same families." This is a searchable front end to the RSL database. Be sure to read the README file first, so you'll understand the output.

Roots Television: Where History Meets Heritage
http://www.rootstelevision.com/

A website featuring a variety of shows that will interest genealogists and family history lovers of all types, including kids.

ROOTS-L Home Page
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/roots-l/

"ROOTS-L is a LISTSERV mailing list for people who are interested in genealogy." Besides information about the listserv, there is a searchable archive of list traffic, and a large collection of files and databases, including the impressive ROOTS-L library.

RootsWeb
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

"The Internet's Oldest and Largest Genealogy Community" RootsWeb offers a host of genealogical resources, including search engines and databases (surnames, county and state records, the Social Security Death Index), a listserv, discussion groups, and related links.

San Francisco Genealogy
http://www.sfgenealogy.com/

Find a wealth of information at the San Francisco Genealogy web site! Get links and full text for vital records, census information, historical texts, maps and much more. Check out the information on how to begin genealogical research, or share your memories of San Francisco and its surrounds.

Soc.genealogy.* - Genealogy Meta FAQ
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/genealogy/meta-faq/

A guide to various FAQs and other regular postings from genealogy-related Usenet groups and mailing lists.

Social Security Death Index Search
http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3693

"The Death Master File (DMF) from the Social Security Administration (SSA) contains over 50 million records created from SSA payment records. This file includes the following information on each decedent, if the data are available to the SSA: Last name, First name SS# (State issued) b. Birth date d. Death date lr. Last residence lp. Lump sum payment." Includes extensive data description and searching tips. For United States only.

Surnames
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/48533

This IPL pathfinder is designed to help find information on the origins of surnames. This is also a starting point for finding more information on specific family names. Both print and Internet sources are provided.

Treasure Maps
http://amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/

A guide to doing genealogy research, both on- and off-line. Includes tutorials on deciphering old handwriting, the U.S. Census, and how to use the LDS research outlines.

The USGenWeb Project
http://usgenweb.org/

Non-commercial, free access to genealogical research organized at state and county levels. Provides county and state histories, maps, family history projects, research tips.

The Valley of the Shadow
http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/

The Valley of the Shadow Project is a hypermedia archive of thousands of sources of information created during the period before, during, and after the Civil War in Augusta County, Virginia and Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Sources include diaries, newspapers, maps, photographs, church records, populations cenuss and official records, all transcribed for use on the web. " Students can explore every dimension of the conflict and write their own histories, reconstructing the life stories of women, African Americans, farmers, politicians, soldiers, and families. The project is intended for secondary schools, community colleges, libraries, and universities. " There is a good tour of the site to orientate users to the wealth of information available on this site.

Vital Records Information
http://vitalrec.com/

"This page contains information about where to obtain vital records (such as birth, death & marriage certificates and divorce decrees) from each state, territory and county of the United States. See the guidelines for information on how to order vital records. If you are looking for vital records from a foreign county, see [the] links to foreign vital records web sites."

Wolfram|Alpha
http://www.wolframalpha.com/

Wolfram Alpha quickly locates facts, graphs, definitions, tables, numbers, formulas, and other data. Use the "Examples" page to browse and see all the different topics covered.