Free Databases at Ancestry.com

When most people hear Ancestry.com, they automatically think subscription genealogy site. While it is primarily a subscription site, it's a little known fact that a number of databases on the site are available for free to the public.

The free databases cover a variety of categories from census to christenings to naturalizations, and everything in between. It's not just records from the United States either. The databases cover multiple locations around the globe including Poland, Prussia, Norway, France, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Lithuania and Australia, just to name a few.

To check out these free genealogy resources,  go to Ancestry.com and look at the card catalog (found under the search button dropdown in the main toolbar). In the keyword box, put in the word free and then hit search. At the time of this post, it returned 449 results.

One thing to remember is that these free databases may or may not include the actual image of the document. Some will only search the database index for your ancestor's name. 

You may be asked to register before you are can view the results of your search. Registration is free and also gains you access to the message boards where you can submit queries about your research interests.

A free trial may be offered. It's up to you whether you take it. If you plan to use the trial, I would suggest first making a list of what you want to research before starting the trial so you can make the most of your free access. If you don't plan to subscribe, make sure to mark on your calendar when the trial ends so you can cancel before you get charged.

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In Honor of Family History Month: A Freebie from Free Genealogy Resources

If you didn't know, October is Family History Month. To celebrate, Free Genealogy Resources is offering visitors to the blog a freebie. From now through the end of October, I will research one of your ancestors in Heritage Quest.

For those not familiar with Heritage Quest, according to ProQuest, it is "a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids." It includes US Census records from 1790 to 1930, digitized genealogy and local history books, the Periodical Sources Index (PERSI), Revolutionary War records, Freedman's Bank record and the LexisNexs US Serial Set.

To get your free lookup, click on the Contact link at the top of the page and fill out the form to send me an email with your information. Please provide as much information as possible, especially if the individual has a common name. The more information you give, the better chance I have of locating the individual. Requests are limited to one per person and will be fulfilled in the order received.


Results will be delivered to the email provided as a PDF file. If you don't have a PDF reader, you can download Adobe Reader for free. If I am unable to locate your ancestor, I will advise you of this via email.

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Free Access to Ancestry.com's Immigration Database

Today's free genealogy resource comes courtesy of Ancestry.com. Normally, I wouldn't promote a paid site, but Ancestry is offering free access to their US Immigration Database from now through Labor Day. You do have to register with the site, but it's free.

The Immigration Database includes passenger lists, naturalization records, border crossings and passport data and other immigration data. The other data may include published records, registers and other immigrant-related records. One newly added feature you will want to check out is the Ellis Island Oral History Collection, a compilation of over 1700 recorded oral histories by immigrants.

This is really a great opportunity to trace ancestors that emigrated to the United States. The Ellis Island Oral History Collection will remain free even after the free weekend access concludes. For more information, you can check out the press release here.

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Limited Time Free Genealogy Resource for England

Find My Past, one of England's leading genealogy sites, is offering a limited time offer for those researching British ancestors. Every time England competes in the World Cup, they are offering free access to their site. You can see everything a paying member can see with the exception of Living Relative Searches and Memorial Scrolls. The free access begins thirty minutes before the match begins and ends three hours later.

The site has birth, marriage and death records dating back to 1538. Census records span the years 1841 to 1911. Migration information such as passenger lists, passport applications and others, are available from 1793. Their military records go back to 1656.

You can learn more about the offer on the Find My Past website. The schedule for the 2010 World Cup matches can be found here. Make sure to mark this down on your calendar. The next opportunity to take advantage of this offer is Friday, June 18th at 2 p.m. EST.

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Civil War Resource: Limited Time Free Genealogy Resource

I normally don't talk about subscription sites because the goal of the Free Genealogy Resources blog is to promote resources that cost little or no money. However, it just came to my attention that one of the subscription sites is offering an amazing resource at no cost for a limited time. Footnote, a large database of historical documents, has partnered with the US National Archives to bring us Civil War Documents. Through the end of June, anyone can access the collection for free.

Documents available include service records for soldiers, the 1860 US Federal Census, pension records, amnesty papers, survivor's certificates and more. A large number of photographs (over 6,000) can be searched or browsed. Maps are also available. The collection includes a section on Abraham Lincoln, which contains photographs and documents.

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