Free Genealogy Resources

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Canadian Genealogy Resource

Most of the resources I come across are for the US. Occasionally, I do come across a good site for other countries. Today's genealogy helper is Canadian Genealogy.

The site is filled with genealogical information for your research. On the left side of the page is links to information for each province in Canada. At the bottom of the list is a link to the Canadian Indians page. Even if you have Native American blood in the United States, you might want to take a look at this page. It includes the 1906 Handbook of American Indians, which documents tribes that traveled between the two countries.

On the right side of the homepage is links to other information. These include 22 of the 36 volumes of Chronicles of Canada, writings on the Jesuits in North America, Passamawquoddy Folklore and more.

One feature I really like about the site is that it includes both paid and free resources for your genealogy research. While Free Genealogy Resources is geared towards freebies, sometimes it becomes necessary to pay for the information you seek. The Canadian Genealogy website notes whether the links are for paid or free resources.

Freebie for Newfoundland Genealogy

Yesterday I was poking around on the internet and came across a great site for those tracing ancestors from Newfoundland. According to the Newfoundland's Grand Banks website, it offers "genealogical and historical data for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador." I'm still exploring to learn the true depth of the site, but from what I've found so far, it could be an invaluable free resource for those tracing their genealogy.

The site offers a message board for genealogists researching families from the area, a wide array of transcriptions and historical information on the area. Specific genealogical data you can expect to find includes

Cemetery Transcriptions
Census (Newfoundland, US, Canada and British
Directories
Family Bibles
Legal Documents
Newspapers
Photographs
Passenger Lists
Parish Records
Voter's Lists
Vital Statistics
Wills

On the historical side, the site offers

Colonial Office Records
House of Assembly Records
Historical information on some communities
Disasters
Military Records
Stories

If your family has a connection to Newfoundland and you haven't yet checked out this free genealogy resource, make sure to add it to your to-do list. You may be surprised what you can find.

Free Access to Historical Documents from the American South

While browsing at the local library, I came across a book that listed a large number of local and family histories that are available for viewing free online. The book, The Genealogist's Virtual Library: Full-Text Books Books on the World Wide Web, was an amazing find, especially since it wasn't anywhere near the history or genealogy section in the library.

One of the sites listed in the book was Documenting the American South, available through the University of North Carolina website. DocSouth in short, it is a gathering of fifteen collections. Part of the collections are specific to the state of North Carolina, while others cover the South as a whole. Collections include:

The Church in the Southern Black Community
The Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
The First Century of the First State University
First Person Narratives of the American South
Going to the Show
The James Lawrence Dusenbery Journal (1841-1842)
Library of Southern Literature
North American Slave Narratives
The North Carolina Experience
North Carolina Maps
North Carolinians and the Great War
Oral Histories of the American South
The Southern Homefront, 1861-1865
Thomas E. Watson Papers
True and Candid Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students at the University of North Carolina

Visitors to DocSouth can browse by collection, author, title, subject or geographic location. You can also search using the box at the upper right of the screen. In addition to books, the collections hold letters, diaries, government papers, posters, pamphlets and more. Even if you don't find anything specific to your family, it's really worth taking a look to get a better sense of the culture and history of the South.

Free Genealogy Resource for Revolutionary War Records

Many of us can trace one, if not more, ancestor back to the Revolutionary War, which was fought from April 1775 to September 1783. Because today's free genealogy resource is a volunteer effort, they have chosen to limit their information to those that fought in the Southern Campaign or to those living in the states of Virginia, the Carolinas or Georgia.

Southern Campaigns offers both Revolutionary War pension statements and rosters. These are provided by volunteers who have taken the time to transcribe the original documents for inclusion on the site. If you would like to participate in the project, information on the process is in a box near the top of the linked page.

You can search or browse for your ancestor. Once you find the name you're looking for, clicking on it will load a PDF file that contains the transcription of the document. You will need Adobe Reader (a free download) to be able to view the files.

One thing I like about the search feature is that it doesn't just search for your ancestor's statement. It also searches for them in all the transcriptions of the site. So even if no one has transcribed your ancestor's records yet, you still get results if they are mentioned in someone else's records.

Pension statements can offer a wealth of information, not just genealogy facts. In addition to dates and locations, the statement may also include information on their activities during the war, as well as after the war. It's really quite interesting to read, even if your ancestor isn't included in the records to date.

Free Genealogy Resource for War Letters

Today's free genealogy resource is an interesting one. Most of us have ancestors that served in some military conflict in their lifetime. While historical records help us piece together their lives, nothing quite brings to life these individuals like their own words.

This morning I came across a collection at The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History called Battle Lines: Letters from America's Wars. This collection contains thousands of wartime letters from not only the soldiers that served in battle, but also their loved ones that stayed at home praying for their return. The letters span from the Revolutionary War to the more recent war in Iraq.

The collection is divided into five sections referred to as chapters. Chapter one is enlisting, chapter two comforts of home, chapter three love, chapter four combat and chapter five the end of war. Clicking on a chapter brings up the first of the letters in the chapter.

On the left side of the page, you will find the names of the writers. Below the names, you will find information on the author of the pictured letter on the right side of the page. At the bottom of the left hand column is a picture that relates to the letter in some way.

The letters are scanned in. There is a moveable bar that overlays part of the letter. Moving it down the letter shows you a transcription of what is written. This can be helpful in some of the harder to decipher letters.

Some letters have multiple pages. If you look below the letter's image, you can navigate to the other pages. Also below the image is a button that allows you to navigate to the next letter in the chapter.

One nice feature about this free genealogy resource is it doesn't just include famous names. Letters to and from ordinary soldiers are included as well. Even if you don't find your ancestor's name in this collection, it's worth reading the letters to help you better understand the challenges they and their family members faced at the time.

South Carolina Resource

While researching some of my family from South Carolina recently, I came across the Online Records Index for the South Carolina Department of Archives & History. This free genealogy resource offers a number of great tools to help you with your family tree research.

At the time of this post, there are over 300,000 items available in eight record groups. These records groups are Records of Confederate Veterans 1909-1973, Criminal Court Records, Index to Multiple Record Series ca 1675-1929, Legislative Papers 1782-1866, National Register of Historic Places, Plats for State Land Grants 1784-1868, School Insurance Photographs 1935-1952 and Will Transcripts 1782-1855. Each of these main eight record groups contains or or more series within them. For instance, the index to Multiple Record Series has a plat collection, judgment rolls, memorial books, petitions to practice law, a militia enrollment and more.

To search this free genealogy resource, just scroll down and click on Enter On-line Records Index. The search screen allows you to search by record group (can also search all at once), up to two individuals, location, topic, document type and date range. You also have the option of using Soundex for name search, which can be helpful if your ancestor's name may have been spelled more than one way.

Clicking the show advanced search functions button doesn't really offer much more search options. Instead, it adds an additional field where you can choose the series and a selection box to choose whether results are sorted sequentially or chronologically. You also have the option of selecting a second location or topic for your search.

When typing in an individual's name (surname first), you will notice that a drop down appears with names. You can either type in the individual that you are looking for or select the name from the drop down. Both the location and topic boxes will provide a drop down as well.

The results screen has four columns. The first column lists information about the record such as the series, reel, film and item. The second column provides a description of the item. the third column has the date. The final column is where the images are linked. Not all results will have online images available.

For those results that do have online images, they are free to download or print, provided they're not for commercial use and you cite the source when you use them. Results without online images can be ordered from the archives. There is a limit of ten documents per request. A price quote will be given once your request is received.

More Native American Resources

Continuing our honoring of Native American Month, here are some more free genealogy resources for your Native American research.

The US Army Center for Military History has a page for Native American recipients of the Medal of Honor. Names are organized by conflict, which include the Indian Wars, World War II and the Korean War. Most names have basic information such as rank, organization, date and place of service, place and date they entered service, birth information and citation information. Some entries, mostly those from World War II and the Korean War, have more detailed information about their citation.

If an ancestor is rumored to have Native American blood, but you are not sure what tribe they were part of, your first step will be to determine that. The American Indian Resource Directory can help with that. Simply pick the region where your ancestor lived, either on the map or through the links below the map. This will take you to a page that lists the tribes found in specific states, along with contact information for those. Keep in mind that this only lists federally recognized tribes.

The Native Languages website has a more detailed map. Just click on the state that your ancestor lived in to get a map showing the various tribes and areas of the state they inhabited. To the right of the map, many of the tribes are hyperlinked, which takes you to a page that offers more information on them, including websites, traditions, language, culture and more. I really like this free genealogy resource as it allows you go beyond just locating potential tribes your ancestor may have been part of and actually offers the opportunity to learn more about that specific tribe.

If your ancestors were Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida or Tuscarora and served in the War of 1812, you may find them on this page from the NYGenWeb Project. The data was compiled from claims on file with the Bureau of War Records. Names are organized by tribe. The data for the Seneca Nation is further organized by reservation. The first column lists the claim number, the second the individual's name, the third the claimant and the final column the amount of tte land grant awarded for service.

In Honor of Veterans Day: Freebies for Tracing Ancestors in the Military

Today is Veteran's Day. If you are tracing ancestors that served in the US military, these free genealogy resources may be able to help.

Subscription genealogy site Ancestry.com is offering a free peak at their US Military records from November 11th through the 14th. This includes Revolutionary War rolls, Civil War soldier listings, World War I and II draft registration cards and a wide variety of other military records. You have to register to view these records, but registration is free and allows you the opportunity to talk to other genealogists and family historians on the message boards as well.

The US Department of Veteran Affairs offers a free nationwide grave locator on their website. You can search with as little as a partial surname. Adding a first name, date of birth, date of death or cemetery can help narrow the results down. Not all veterans are listed, but you may find family members of veterans in the database.

The National WWII Memorial Registry has compiled the names of those servicemen and women who are buried in American Battle Monument Commission (ABMC) overseas cemeteries, memorialized on ABMC Tablets of the Missing, listed on official War and Navy Department Killed in Service rosters or honored by public enrollment in the Registry of Remembrances.

The search is simple. Just put in the surname of the individual. Adding a first name and state can narrow the results. The results will give you the individual's name, hometown, service unit and source of information. Clicking on the person's name will open a new screen with a printable certificate.

One free genealogy resource that's lesser known is the Library of Congress Veterans Oral History Project. The project collects stories a memorabilia from veterans as well as civilians that play a role in wars (USO workers, medical volunteers, etc). These include photographs, documents, transcriptions of interviews, videos and sound recordings. It is an ongoing project.

The project database can be searched or browsed. You can search by name, service location, service unit or ship, highest rank, notes, name of interviewer or donor, contributor or interviewer affiliation, collection ID number, conflict, service branch, whether the individual was a prisoner of war, gender, whether the collection is digitized or if a transcript is available. You can browse by surname, war and military branch, state of residence or race/ethnicity.

The results screen gives you the individual's name, rank, branch, conflict and service location. Some also have an indicator that the collection includes digitized material. Clicking on the name takes you to another page with information which may include date of birth, place of birth, gender, race, home state, conflict, status, service dates, branch, location of service, whether they were a prisoner of war, whether they received a service-related injury and information on the resource(s). Many entries also include photographs.

If digital material is available, there will be an icon to click on. It will show an abbreviated version of the prior page with the addition of all digital material associated with that person. You will be able to view photographs, transcripts, documents or videos, or listen to sound recordings.

Another subscription genealogy site, Footnote, also has some military freebies. If you haven't visited it yet, check out their WWII Hero Pages. These include enlistment records for the men and women that served in World War II as well as user-designed hero pages. Hero pages are tributes to these servicemen and women and may include photographs, documents and personal stories.

Last, but not least, be sure to check out the previously posted military resources here at Free Genealogy Resources. These include several state and location specific military resources which may offer additional information not found in the bigger databases.

Nice South Central Virginia Resource

While researching my VA/WV roots, I came across a free genealogy resource that will be of use to those researching ancestors from south central Virginia. This includes the counties of Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Pittsylvania and Prince Edward.

The South Central Virginia Genealogical Society has a nice database with lots of information including cemetery transcriptions, census data, marriage records and even other miscellaneous data with some counties. I was pleasantly surprised to find so much information available online as some genealogical societies I've found require membership or payment to access their databases.

For Amelia County, the free genealogy resources include cemetery transcriptions and marriages. The cemetery transcriptions give you the individual's name, dates, and, in some cases, notes. Some of the cemeteries have directions or addresses if you would like to visit it yourself. The marriages include the years 1756 through 1767. Judging by the other dates that aren't hyperlinked, it appears that the SCVGS may be planning to add more later.

Appomattox County only has cemetery transcriptions at this time. Brunswick County gives cemetery transcriptions, a partial 1850 census transcription and a list of Civil War soldiers from the area. The census records only give the individual's name, sex and age. Household releationships aren't noted. The Civil War soldiers list gives the individual's name, date of birth (approximate in some cases), date of death and rank. Unfortunately, it doesn't note whether they are Union or Confederate soldiers.

Buckingham County free genealogy resources gives cemetery transcriptions, some marriages, the Tillotson Parish Petition and one War of 1812 discharge certificate. The marriage records cover various dates. Some are in the 1800s; others are within the last few years. One nice feature is that it includes the parents' names in addition to the bride and groom.

Cambell County has only one cemetery transcription, the one for Candlers Cemetery in Lynchburg, and some marriages. The marriages span the late 1700s to early 1800s. In Charlotte County, there are some cemetery transcripts and a partial listing of the 1810 Census. The census is very brief, giving only the name. A few entries have notes such as occupation, relationship information or the Free Negro designation.

Cumberland County appears to have more information available than the other counties. As with other counties, they have cemetery and marriage records. Marriage records are partial. Most appear to be from the 1700s, but there are a couple from the 1600s. One nice find in this county's information is a partial listing of Cumberland County residents prior to the formation of the republic in 1789. It currently only covers surnames beginning with A, B and E. Other info includes a 1787 tax list for surnames beginning with A, a muster roll of the Civil War Cumberland Greys and a couple deeds.

Free genealogy resources for Halifax County include cemetery transcriptions and obituaries. The transcriptions are organized by both surname and cemetery, which is handy if you don't know exactly which cemetery your ancestor is buried in. The obituaries are for Afro-Americans who passed away in the 1970s through the early 2000s. You can expect to find the individual's name, birth and death dates (when known) and other information.

Lunenburg County has only one cemetery transcription, the Roberts Family Cemetery, and marriage data. The marriages span 1746 to 1853 and are organized by the first letter of the surname. Unlike some marriage record transcriptions that require you know the name of the groom, this one also allows you to look up the marriage by bride's name. Each entry has the names of the bride and groom, date of marriage and notes. In most cases, the notes give the name of the individual who performed the ceremony, but in some cases there may be other data as well.

Mecklenburg County has a couple cemetery transcriptions, the 1850 census and some marriages from 1765 through 1810. The census gives the name, sex and age. In some cases, occupation is given as well. Currently, the marriage records are only for surnames beginning with A and appears to be only in the groom's name. Entries give the groom's name, date of marriage bond, date of marriage, bride's name, individual giving the surety, parents' names and, in some cases, additional notes. Not all entries have everything.

Nottaway County only has two cemetery transcriptions; no other data is included. Pittsylvania County has a couple cemetery transcriptions and a list of 1857 deaths. The death list gives only the individual's name and death date. The last column appears to be finding information for the archive.

Prince Edward County is another that has a lot of free genealogy resources to offer. These include cemeteries, church histories, the 1785 census, a partial death listing from 1862, a deed, a partial marriage listing for the late 1700s to early 1900s and a single marriage bond. The church histories are both for Briery Presbyterian Church. The first includes a brief description of the forming of the church in the mid 1700s and a listing of the 72 original subscribers. The second is taken from a reprint of the church directory from December 1828. This one is nice because it gives the name and some information on the individual.

The census is organized alphabetically by head of household. In the notes column, the first number refers to the number of whites in the household, the second number indicates the number of dwellings and the last number gives the number of other buildings. The death listing is very limited and only includes 5 names. It does give cause of death for all but one though. The marriage listing gives the name of the bride and groom, date of marriage and notes which can include relationship information, conflicts with other records, etc.

Sorry this post ended up being so long, but I wanted to make sure you knew all the free genealogy resources the South Central Virginia Genealogical Society had to offer.

Beloit, Wisconsin Resource

Today's free genealogy resource is the Beloit Historical Society. Clicking on the Beloit history tab will yield several items of interest to genealogists. It is broken down into four sections-about Beloit, wars, people of Beloit and photos.

The first section, about Beloit, doesn't offer a wealth of genealogical data, but is still worth taking a look if your family is from the area. There are names mentioned in some of the articles, especially the physician history.

The wars section offers more information to fill in your family tree. Cannongate, Lincoln Conspiracy and the Underground Railroad offer some names, but focus more on the historical aspect. The real find, though, is the service records for the Civil War and World War I. The Civil War records give the soldier's name, place of burial (if in Beloit), service information and death information. If the individual's name is on the memorial at the Logan Museum, that is noted as well.

The WWI Service Records are for casualties between April 6, 1917 and November 11, 1918. Entries give the individual's name, rank, unit and cause of death. A couple of the names have additional information such as military honors or siblings who also served.

If your ancestor is one of the ones named in the people of Beloit section, it could be a nice free genealogy resource for you. This section includes Albert Wirz, Johnny Watts, Roy Chapman Andrews and a couple names in Beloit's aviation history.

The photos section currently only holds four photographs. The first two are of the town. The third photo appears to be an old map of the town. The last photograph is of an unidentified individual with an early automobile in front of a home (also unidentified).

Arkansas Resources

Today's free genealogy resource is another state archives. The Arkansas State Archives has a number of online collections that can be helpful to genealogists. These include land records, Confederate pensions, Confederate home records, 1911 Confederate veterans reunion registration forms and questionnaires and World War I discharge records.

Land records are searchable by first or last name. It does appear that you need the full name, not a partial one so if the name can be spelled multiple ways, you may have to go through searching each spelling variation until you find the record you are looking for. The results screen gives a list of names matching your search criteria. Clicking on the name will take you to another screen that offers a bit more information, including name, date, box, file, record type, notes and location.

The Arkansas Confederate Pensions database is also searchable by name. Once you find the name you are seeking, click on it to be taken to the record page. There you will find the individual's name, application number, widow's name, company, regiment, state served, division, pension county, death date, application date, widow's death date and comments. Not all entries will have the widow's information. In the comments, you can see if the application was approved.

The Arkansas Confederate Home was built in 1890 to house indigent veterans and their widows. Over the years, it was moved to new facilities a few times before finally closing in 1963. This database is searchable by surname only. Selecting a hyperlinked name will give you the name of the individual, county applied from, date of admission and comments.

Two things occurred in 1911 that are of interest to today's genealogists tracing Arkansas Confederate soldiers. The first was the 21st annual reunion of the United Confederate Veterans. Registration forms were filled out by not only Confederate veterans, but also some Union veterans and other family members. The database can be searched by surname, given name or regiment. The initial results screen gives the individual's name, city and regiment. Click the name to get additional information, which may include address and service details.

The second thing that occurred in 1911 was the approval of Act 353, which called for a census of Confederate soldiers living in Arkansas, in order to provide payments to these individuals. You can search by name or military service. The first screen will give you the name and military service. The screen following your click on a name will give you the person's name, city and county at the time, birth date and location, military service information, wife's name and quality of information.

The quality of information is rated as poor, average or excellent. Poor means the index has most, if not all of the available information. Average means most of the information requested on the questionnaire was given. Excellent denotes the questionnaires that offer the most information and may have been appended.

Last, but not least is the World War I Discharge database. Again, you can search by first or last name and clicking on the name takes you to more information. From the database, you can get the individual's name, county, birthplace and reason for discharge.

There are also two photographic databases, the Shrader negatives and the Thomas Harding photographs. The first can be browsed by name; the second searched by name. Even though you don't get to see the actual photograph, it will give you information on the photo, including where it can be found in the archive.

The databases are all free genealogy resources, but there is a possibility of finding more information for a fee. You will find most entries have a buy now button. Clicking this will take you to a PDF which can be printed and filled out to request a copy of the actual record. If you are fairly sure you have the right person, it might be worth paying the fee for the copy since it can offer more information than you find in the index.

Free Genealogy Resource for Alabama & the Civil War

If you have Civil War soldiers from Alabama in your family tree, you will want to check out the Alabama State Archives. Like many archives, this one offers a free genealogy resource for online visitors. The Alabama Civil War Service Database allows you to search in a variety of ways. You can search by first or last name, service branch, unit, company (or ship name) or company unit name. All search fields allow for partial entries, which is handy since names aren't always spelled the way you expect.

The results screen has columns for the name, branch, regiment, company unit, unit name and other info. Clicking on the individual's name will take you to a more detailed entry. This page includes full name, date and information of birth, date and information of death, date and information of discharge, branch, regimental unit, company unit and name, pension record, authority, marital status, occupation, date and information of enlistment, engagements, remarks and other information.

As with most databases, some entries have more fields filled than others. You may notice that some entries have only the surname for the soldier. While this can make things difficult if your ancestor is one of these individuals, hopefully the other information in the entry will be sufficient to identify them.

Florida Resource

If your Florida ancestors fought in the Civil War in the Confederate forces, today's free genealogy resource is for you. In 1885, the first Confederate pensions were authorized in the state. Civil War veterans and their widows that met certain requirements were able to receive a small monthly pension.

These pension applications can be an invaluable resource for genealogical information. Information you can expect to find include service information, residency, date and place of birth. Widows applications may also include place and date of their birth and information on the veteran's death.

The Florida Archives have digitized the Confederate Pension Files. It is searchable by surname or application number. The results screen gives the application number, surname, given name, service unit, reference information, wife's name and application year and county. Clicking on the application number will take you to another screen which has hyperlinked pages to the file.

If official copies of the file are needed or wanted, they can be ordered for a small fee. Currently as of the date of this post, the fee is $7.50 per file. Applications for both the veteran and widow are filed together so there is only one fee even if there were two separate applications.

Revolutionary War Resources

In honor of Independence Day, today's collection of free genealogy resources focuses on the Revolutionary War. Many of us can trace our roots to soldiers who fought from 1775 to 1783 to gain America's independence from England.

Colonial Ancestors has several resources that may be helpful for tracing Revolutionary War era ancestors. The first is a list of officers who took oaths of allegiance at Valley Forge in 1778. This list spans ten pages. Unfortunately, it is not searchable so you will have to browse each page until you are able to find your ancestor. However, it does give the rank of the individual and, in some cases, the regiment they were with.

There are seven pages that give a chronological record of the battles and engagements fought during the Revolution. As with the officers' lists, these aren't searchable, but you can read through to see if your ancestor's name is mentioned.

If you have ancestors from Pawlet, Vermont, which was previously part of the New Hampshire Colony, there are two resources of interest. The first talks about the area's Revolutionary War history. About halfway down the page is a list of veterans who settled in the area with their age and the year they died. Part of the names are hyperlinked to another website that has a brief biography of the individual, which may include genealogy information. The second resource contains extracts. Some names from the area are mentioned.

The final free genealogy resource offered by Colonial Ancestors is the Women of the Revolution page. This page talks about notable women of the era, including Deborah Samson, who disguised herself as a man and fought alongside the soldiers during the war.

The American Merchant Marine at War website has two resources you will want to check out. Just scroll about a third of the way down the page and you will see both in the left hand column. The first, Privateers and Mariners in the Revolutionary War, talks about the forces on water during the war. Several names are mentioned.

The second resource, American Prisoners of the Revolution, lists the British ships at Wallabout Bay used as hospitals or prisons. A little further down the page is a long list of the men imprisoned on the Old Jersey. Most of these names were found in papers of the British War Department, but there are some names that were added after descendants or others noted the individual was imprisoned there. The added names are noted by an asterisk (*).

Olive Tree Genealogy has several free genealogy resources for finding Revolutionary War ancestors. These include several muster rolls, a list of men from Pennsylvania who joined the British Army and information on several brigades. Also on the site, you can find links to other websites that have information on the war and its participants.

Missouri Resource

Today's free genealogy resource was suggested by Joyce on our Facebook page. Like many state archives, the Missouri State Archives can be a boon for genealogists. There are quite a few databases that can be helpful when tracing family that lived in the state.

The Missouri Judicial Index contains a wide variety of abstracts from court cases ranging from the county level all the way through the supreme court. These include criminal and civil cases. You can search by party name, year or record group. You will taken through a couple screens that request additional information.

The results will then be shown with a brief overview of the case including date, party name, subject, cause of action and case summary. Clicking on the view record detail button will give you more information such as the court, case disposition and identifying information to help locate the records.

The death certificate index contains information on deaths that occurred in Missouri from 1910 to 1958. These are searchable by name, county or year. The results screen will give you the name, date of death, city and county of death, and the certificate number. The last column contains a link that takes you to the image of the certificate which can be saved to your computer or printed.

A third database, the Missouri Birth & Death Records Database, is actually two databases accessible from the same page. It searches events that occurred prior to 1910. You can search by name or county.

For births (which includes stillbirths), the results screen will give you the child's name, place and county of birth, date of birth, father and mother's name, and in some cases, the mother's maiden name. The right-hand column has a details button you can click on for additional information on the birth. For deaths, the results screen gives you name, age, sex, color, date of death and county. As with births, you can click on the details button for more information.

The Civil War Provost Marshall Index is another nice free genealogy resource found in the online archives. It can be searched by name, keyword or county. The results screen gives the name, county, city, subject, date and reel number. Subjects vary, but may include oaths, statements, prisoner records and more. If one of the results seems likely, you can look it up on microfilm with the given reel number to get more information.

The Coroner's Inquest Database covers inquests ranging from the early 1840s to the early 1930s. You can search by record group, name of deceased, cause of death or year range. The results page gives you the deceased's name, county, date of death and cause of death. Clicking on the view details hyperlink will take you to another page which gives a few more details as well as information on what box, folder and reel you can find the actual inquest papers at the archives.

The Land Patents Database cover the years 1831 to 1969 and can be helpful in locating where an ancestor lived. You can search by name, county or year. The results screen gives the record number, purchaser's name, location of the land and the year purchased. Clicking on view in the far right column will take to a screen which may offer additional information including where to find the land patent entry, type of land, size of property and price per acre. Some entries offer more information than others.

Other helpful databases include the Local Records Inventory, Missouri Supreme Court Historical, Naturalization Records, St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records and Soldier Records: War of 1812-World War I.

When it comes to free genealogy resources, the Missouri Archives has quite a bit to offer.

Ohio Resource

If you are searching ancestors in Preble County, Ohio, I have a free genealogy resource for you. The Genealogical and Historical Records of Preble County, Ohio is a large database provided courtesy of the Preble County District Library. The database includes records from Bibles, births, cemeteries, censuses, churches, courts, deaths, directories, estates, guardianship papers, local histories, maps, marriages, military, minutes, newspapers, obituaries, schools and wills.

To search for a record, simply type in the surname you are seeking information on and click the search button. The database will also search the given name as other parts of the name, including first name, middle name or maiden name.

The database is capable of searching partial names, a nice feature since spelling variations can sometimes make it difficult to find the person you are researching. It will search the given letters in all parts of the name. Searching for Smith, for instance, will return records on people named Smith, Arasmith, Goldsmith, etc.

The results screen will give you the name, year of the record, record type and record ID #. Clicking on the hyperlinked text in the ID# column will take you to a page with the actual image. The image can be saved or printed. To save, right click on the image and click on save image as. To print, right-click on the image and select view image. Once the page loads, you can either hit Ctrl+P or click on file in your browser toolbar and go down to click print.

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.

Texas Resource

They say everything is bigger in Texas. The State Library and Archives is no exception. It offers a wide variety of historical records and documents. The jewel of the library is the genealogy collection. It features several databases, many of which are available online.

The Vital Statistics Indexes covers births, deaths, marriages and divorces. Births are available from 1903 with a few delayed births dating back to 1880. Deaths are also available from 1903. Marriage indexes begin with 1966. Divorces begin in 1968. Like most states, more recent vital statistics aren't available.

The indexes are not available online. However, you can submit a request via mail or email for a librarian to check the index for a specific name. They ask that you limit your search to five names at a time and provide a specific name rather than a general surname search. Information from the index can be used to order the actual certificate from the Department of State Health Services or the clerk of the county where the event occurred.

The Confederate Pensions Database searches the index of over 50,000 pension applications submitted by Confederate veterans or their widows. It includes both approved and rejected ones. It is searchable by name with the option of narrowing the search by county. The search results will give you the applicant's name, application number (unless rejected or home designation), county, husband's name (if applicable) and in some cases will link the husband's application.

Once you have located your ancestor in the database, you can request a copy of the application and any supporting documents from the library. Requests can be made over the telephone or through the mail or email. Requests are limited to ten pension applications per week. There is a fee for copies and you will receive an invoice with the copies.

The Texas Adjutant General Service Records span the years 1836 to 1935. Information available in these records can vary widely. In some cases, the file consists of little more than a scrap of paper. In others, you may find details such as pay records, oaths of allegiance, discharge records, general orders and more.

The database is searchable by name. If known, you can narrow the search by selecting the organization the individual served in. The results screen gives you the name, organization served in, call number and in most cases, a link to a PDF image of the record.

If your ancestor lived in Texas when it was a republic, you may want to check out the Republic Claims Database. These records hold claims for payment, restitution or reimbursement submitted to the Republic of Texas between the years of 1835 and 1846 by citizens. There are also a few claims available after 1846. The database is searchable by name. The results screen gives you the claimant's name, other names mentioned in the claim, type of claim, claim number, microfilm location, a link to images and the ID number

Another free genealogy resource found in the archives is the Confederate Indigent Families lists. These lists contain the names of Confederate families that were eligible for relief from the Texas government. Not all counties are represented and the amount of information varies between entries.

You can browse the database by name or county. The results screen gives only the person's name and county. The actual records have been transcribed and are available by requesting the book Confederate Indigent Families Lists of Texas 1863-1865 by Linda Mearse through interlibrary loan.

If researching property owned by a Texas ancestor, the County Tax Rolls may be helpful in your search. The rolls begin at each county's formation and go through 1921. The rolls are incomplete; some counties have missing years. They are not available online, but can be viewed at the archives. It isn't stated, but you may be able to request a lookup by the library staff.

County records, including vital statistics and other records, are available at the archive, but not online. You can use the website to determine the correct microfilm. Interlibrary loan of microfilms is available so you may wish to request it through your local library.

City directories are available for viewing at the archive. If visiting the archive is not an option, you may be able to request a lookup or copy from the library staff. Telephone directories are now part of the collection at the Center for American History.

Voter registration for the year 1867 is available on microfilm at the archives. The library website can help you determine the correct microfilm. You can view it at the archives or request it through interlibrary loan.

If one of your ancestors was the black sheep of the family, the Convict Record Ledgers and Indexes may be helpful in your genealogy research. The ledgers cover the years 1849 to 1954. Information in the ledgers may include name, aliases, convict number, age, physical characteristics, marital status, birthplace, residence, information on crime committed, birthdate, birthplace of parents, and military service. Indexes are available for the years 1849 to 1970.

If you don't know the convict number, your best bet is the indexes. They are organized by name. The ledgers, on the other hand, are organized by convict number. Both ledgers and indexes are on microfilm at the library with the the information needed to locate the correct film on the website. You can view the microfilm at the archives or request it through interlibrary loan.

Another Civil War Resource

Today I have another free genealogy resource for those researching Civil War era ancestors. Bits of Blue and Gray is the name of this one. It does not appear to have been updated recently, but it still offers some good information.

In the archive, you will find a variety of information. There are biographies on some individuals including Thomas Nast, stories about battles, Civil War trivia, information on genealogy research into Civil War ancestors, picture tours through various Civil War sites and more.

The letters section contains correspondence from soldiers to family members. Many of the letters are from the Levi McCormick family, but there are others as well. They talk about the soldier's exploits, thoughts and feelings. Some also reference the family members waiting at home.

The main free genealogy resources on the site are the DE Roster of Union Soldiers and the Fourth Delaware Regiment Infantry. The roster lists the name, alternate name, regiment, company and rank when available. Some entries also have additional information in the misc column such as birth and death information. A few names are hyperlinked. Clicking on the name will take you to a page with photographs and sometimes information on the individual.

The Fourth Delaware Regiment Infantry lists the officers and soldiers in the companies. Some names have a letter to the right of them which indicates whether they were killed in action, died of wounds, wounded, died of disease or died of accident. Again, you will find a few hyperlinked names.

The Nicknames section doesn't offer much genealogical information, but it may come in handy at some point. It gives the nicknames for some of the regiments and brigades. So if you come across a reference to an ancestor being part of the Fighting Three Hundred, you will know that means they were in Indiana's 20th Regiment.

If you have time and are interested, poke around the site a little. There's a lot of great stuff to find.

Free Spanish-American War Records

Colorado Volunteers in the Spanish-American War-This database is organized by first letter of the individual's surname. You get name, company and rank.

Illinois Spanish-American War Veterans-You can search by name only or narrow the results with company, unit or residence if known. Results give name, rank, company, unit and residence.

Indiana Spanish-American War Roster-Use the index to find what page your ancestor is listed on and then find the appropriate page in the Table of Contents. Information varies depending on the individual but may contain name, rank, date of commission, date of muster, service information, residence, date of enrollment, remarks, date of rank, date of discharge, company, regiment, date of death, place of death or date of desertion. There are also pages where you can see how many individuals of each nationality, state of residence and occupations served.

Pennsylvania Spanish-American War Veterans File-Select first letter of surname, then scroll to find the correct page. Information on cards may include name, race, residence, birthplace, age, enlistment date and location, organization, rank, other military service or retirement dates.

Tennessee Spanish-American War Service Extracts-Arranged in groupings by first letter of surname. Information includes name, company, unit, city and state. Before searching, scroll down the page to learn the officers of some of the infantry units.

Texas Spanish-American War Service Records-On the drop down box for organization, select (USV) United States Volunteers, Spanish-American War. Once you have searched, click on the image icon on the right to get name, place of enlistment, entering rank, county and organization served with. Scrolling down will net you a receipt for the veteran's service which includes the amount received, the individual's signature and their address.

Virginia Military Dead Database-This is a large database, encompassing military dead from most wars. Select Spanish-American War as the conflict. Results may include name, gender, race, county or city, branch of service, date of death, residence, rank, cause of death, place of death, source and notes.

National Spanish-American War Gravesite Recording Project-This is an ongoing project, but still worth a search. It is organized by state and country so it helps to know where your ancestor is buried. If your ancestor is in the project, you will be able to get name, rank, regiment, company, birth and death dates, name of cemetery and location of the cemetery. Some also include the exact plot location in the cemetery and links to other material about the regiment, company or individual.