RootsBasic - Genealogy for Beginners

Recommended Websites for Beginners

www.ancestry.com / www.ancestry.ca / www.ancestry.uk (pay sites)
www.automatedgenealogy.com (Canada, free)
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/website/index-e.html (Canada Library & Archives, free)
www.cyndislist.com (Recommended: Detailed List of Genealogical Websites, free)
www.familyhistoryonline.net (England/Wales, pay)
www.familysearch.org (Recommended: Latter Day Saints Genealogy website, USA/UK/Canada/International, free)
www.findmypast.com (UK, some databases free, most pay)
www.footnote.com (Historical documents; free & pay options for additional services; U.S.A.)
www.freeBMD.org.uk (UK - birth/marriage/death, free)
www.free-genealogy-advice.com (general, free)
www.kindredkonnections.com (general, small fee)
www.lostcousins.com (UK plus, small fee)
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com (Recommended: many special topics/forums, free)
www.searchforancestors.com/utility/cousincalculator.html
(to figure out cousin relationships, free)
www.searchforancestors.com/utility/perpetualcalendar.html
(find exact day of week/month/year, free)
http://usgwarchives.org (USA, state by state, free)
http://webexhibits.org/calendars/year-countries.html (international use of Gregorian Calendar, details, free)
www.worldvitalrecords.com (USA plus, pay)

This further section contains a variety of interesting websites, many from UK, but including some for Canada, USA, Australia, NZ. These have been gathered from my own searches, plus magazines, genealogy websites, and others' personal website lists. Enjoy your searching!

Access to Archives (A2A) (UK Archives)
www.a2a.org.uk

Ancestors on Board (Passenger Lists, small fee)
www.ancestorsonboard.com

Ancestry Aid (free site)
www.ancestryaid.co.uk

Archives Canada
http://www.archivescanada.ca
also: Library & Archives Canada
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/website/index-e.html

Association of Genealogists and Record Agents
www.agra.org.uk (potential agents for hire)

Automated Genealogy - Canada (start here)
http://automatedgenealogy.com

British Genealogy (free resources)
www.british-genealogy.com

British History Online
www.british-history.ac.uk

British Home Children (excellent site)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~britishhomechildren

British Library
www.bl.uk/familyhistory.html

British Library (incredible library to get lost in)
www.bl.uk

British Library Newspapers Catalogue
http://prodigi.bl.uk/nlcat

Burke’s Peerage
www.burkes-peerage.net

Canada - Automated Genealogy (see listing above)

Cemetery Transcription Library
www.interment.net

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.cwgc.org

Cyndi’s List (#1 general information site)
www.cyndislist.com

D-Day Ancestors
www.ddayancestors.com

Diseases and medical terms for genealogists
www.sedgleymanor.com/diseases/diseases_front_page.html

Drouin Institute (400 years of genealogy history, Québec)
www.DrouinInstitute.com

Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter
www.eogn.com (excellent resource)

Ellis Island (start here if your ancestors came to the US)
www.ellisisland.org

Encyclopedia of Genealogy
www.eogen.com

English Handwriting 1500-1700
www.english.cam.ac.uk/ceres/ehoc

English Villages (part of RootsWeb forum)
www.eng-villages.co.uk

Family History Online
www.familyhistoryonline.net

Family Records (UK gov't site)
www.familyrecords.gov.uk

Familysearch
www.familysearch.org

Federation of Family History Societies
www.ffhs.org.uk (excellent resource)

Find a Grave
www.findagrave.com

Find My Past (some free, some fee databases )
http://www.findmypast.com

FreeBMD (birth, marriage, death; free)
www.freebmd.org.uk
Also: FreeCEN: (census) www.freecen.org.uk
Also: FreeREG: (parish registers) www.freereg.org.uk

Gazetteer for SCOTLAND
www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz

Gazetteer of British Place Names
www.gazetteer.co.uk

Gazettes Online
www.gazettes-online.co.uk

Genealogical Society of IRELAND
www.familyhistory.ie

Genealogical.com (CDs, books, etc.)
www.genealogical.com

Genealogists
www.genealogists.org.uk

General Register Office (UK)
www.gro.gov.uk

General Register Office (Northern Ireland)
www.groni.gov.uk

General Register Office for Scotland
www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

GENUKI (start here for searching the UK)
www.genuki.org.uk

Guild of One-Name Studies (check your surnames)
www.one-name.org

Historical Directories
www.historicaldirectories.org