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New Genealogical Records Online Featuring England & Wales
If you have ancestors from England and Wales, you’ll love these new online records collections! Electoral Registers, wills, and probate records are now available to explore. Also new are civil marriage records for South Africa and US records including WWI statement of service cards for Georgia and an Ohio death index.
Featured: England and Wales
Two new collections and updates are available online for England and Wales family history hunters.
First up is the UK records giant Findmypast with their massive update of indexed records for England & Wales Electoral Registers 1920-1932. The collection is now comprised of 107 million records, and this recent update means “that the collection now contains a complete run of all surviving records for all parliamentary boroughs from A to L (the first being the PB of Accrington and the last being the PC of Nottinghamshire, Rushcliffe Division). This new and improved collection now contains over 107 million records that will enable you to bridge the vital gap left by the destruction of the 1931 census of England & Wales.”
Next, head over to MyHeritage for their new collection of England & Wales Index of Wills & Probates 1853-1943. This wonderful database may include a small number of records for individuals around the world, due to the expanse of the British Empire. According to the site, “Information recorded in a probate index includes: name of the deceased, date of death, place of residence, place of death, size of the estate, occupation, as well as the names and relationships of any benefactors. These grants of probate and letters of administration can serve as a practical substitute for missing vital records, such as death certificates, for relatively wealthy individuals.”
South African Records at FamilySearch
In the latest episode of the free Genealogy Gems Podcast #222, a young fan named Coral wrote in to tell us about the amazing discovery she made on the free ‘genealogy giant’ website FamilySearch. We love how they’re able to provide millions of records at no cost, and they are also home to rare and diverse records from around the world. (Take a listen to the free epsidoe and get inspired to make your own discoveries at FamilySearch!)
FamilySearch recently added a new collection for South Africa, Transvaal, Civil Marriages, 1870-1930. This wonderful addition comes from The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa, Pretoria. According to the collection, “Marriage certificates include names, ages, birthplace, whether banns were read, residence, and source of consent. Records are not filed entirely in alphabetical order. Names of cities may be interfiled with those of districts or neighboring towns.”
U.S. Records – Georgia & Ohio
Another new addition to FamilySearch’s free database is a collection of Georgia, World War I, Statement of Service Cards, 1920-1929. In these records you’ll find Georgians who served in the Army and Navy during the first world war. There are over 100,000 indexed records. Millions of records like these were destroyed in a fire in 1973, making these very valuable to anyone searching for their Georgian military ancestors. For more tips on finding military records post-fire, check out this recent article by military expert Michael Strauss.
Finally, we head back over to MyHeritage, where they have a new set of death records from the Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963. This collection of over 3 million records “contains Ohio Department of Health Death Certificates from 1913-1944 and 1954-1963, Stillborn Death Certificates from 1913-1935 and 1942-1953, and Columbus Board of Health Death Certificates from 1904-1908. These contain the name of the deceased, death date, death county, and certificate number.”
The Free Genealogy Gems Podcast
We feature lots of new records and database on the free Genealogy Gems Podcast, including ones submitted by YOU, the fans! Episode #222 is dedicated to our listeners and features many of your wonderful submissions and tips. Listen now on the Genealogy Gems App, any of your favorite podcast apps, or on our website. It’s totally free and totally fun!
Lacey Cooke
Lacey has been working with Genealogy Gems since the company’s inception in 2007. Now, as the full-time manager of Genealogy Gems, she creates the free weekly newsletter, writes blogs, coordinates live events, and collaborates on new product development. No stranger to working with dead people, Lacey holds a degree in Forensic Anthropology, and is passionate about criminal justice and investigative techniques. She is the proud dog mom of Renly the corgi.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Genealogy Gems!
Episode 222 – The Free Genealogy Gems Podcast
The Genealogy Gems Podcast
Episode #222
with Lisa Louise Cooke
In honor of Family History Month, Lisa celebrates YOU! This episode is packed with comments, tips and questions from Genealogy Gems fans. Topics range from podcasting to metal detecting, must-use resources and inspiring genealogy discoveries. You’ll also hear from Kirsty Gray at THE Genealogy Show in the UK.
NEWS: INTERNET ARCADE
Internet Archive blog post: Over 1,100 New Arcade Machines Added to the Internet Arcade
Internet Arcade on the Internet Archive
BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users
If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a great tip from a fan on an essential resource for those of you with roots in Northern Ireland. The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users.
MAILBOX: A PODCAST SKEPTIC?
Gary recommends Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning! Get access to more than 50 Premium Videos and 160 Premium Podcast episodes. It’s the ultimate ongoing genealogy education! Click here to read more about it. Gary mentions becoming a “happy user of” Evernote who now protects his computer with Backblaze cloud back-up service, enjoys using Google Earth for genealogy and learning more about DNA. Click on these links to start exploring for yourself—and to watch a Google Earth video for free.
MAILBOX: CUBAN GENEALOGY PODCAST
Cuban Genealogy Podcast
MAILBOX: METAL DETECTING FOR GENEALOGY
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Homestead records
Premium eLearning members also have access to these video tutorials:
MAILBOX: LOCAL HISTORY BOOK FIND BY ROBIN
Genealogy Gems Podcast episode #220
WorldCat.org
Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage.
Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa.
MAILBOX: CORAL’S FRIDAY RECORD DISCOVERY
The Friday record post discoveries appear weekly on the Genealogy Gems website. Subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems newsletter to receive a free weekly email with links to these posts, along with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.
MAILBOX: VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS
On Florida Memory: Early Auto Registrations, 1905-191b
MAILBOX: GENI.COM QUESTION
Geni.com
Tip: The Premium eLearning video “Genealogy Giants: The 4 Top Records Websites” explains the difference between individual and collaborative trees.
MyHeritage.com is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. Click here to see what MyHeritage can do for you: it’s free to get started.
MAILBOX: 3 MILLION GERMAN NAMES
Lisa’s post on German WW1 ancestors
Tim recommends the Onlineprojekt Gefallenendenkmäler
MAILBOX: TRISHA’S INSPIRING JOURNEY
Another Premium eLearning video recommendation (click to see landing page):
MAILBOX: KIRSTY GRAY
THE Genealogy Show
Kirsty Gray has over 15 years ofresearch experience and has her foot in many genealogical doors around the world. Her first involvement in family history came at the tender age of seven years with her maternal grandfather’s tree in hand. Obsessed with her great-grandmother’s maiden name of Sillifant, Kirsty began a surname study on the name in 1999, publishing tri-annual journals on the surname for more than ten years. Founder member and Chair (now Secretary) of the Society for One-Place Studies, Kirsty has two places registered, on the Devon/Cornwall border and is considering another study of a hamlet in Cornwall. In November 2014, Kirsty founded The Surname Society with five other genealogists across the globe and the membership is already close to 500!
PROFILE AMERICA: HOME MAKING
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer
Sunny Morton, Contributing Editor
Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant
Lacey Cooke, Service Manager
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!
Download the Show Notes PDF in the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.
Native American Census Rolls Online & More
Enjoy brand new records online this week starting with a new collection of Native American Census Rolls at FamilySearch! Also new are civil registrations for France, half a million new records for Kent County, England, and a new digital archive of Japanese American Internment records.
Native American Census Rolls
Genealogy giant website FamilySearch.org has made a huge update to their Native American Census Rolls, 1885-1940 collection. Nearly 2 million indexed names have been added, pulling from the original records from the NARA Series M595. This NARA series also includes some vital records. You can search by name, life event, and relationship to another person.
If you have Native American ancestors, whether you’re just starting out or you need a research reset, the free FamilySearch Wiki, “American Indian Genealogy,” is an invaluable resource! Start your Native American research off on the right foot by exploring this free research guide to develop a research plan, learn about available record types, and find additional resources to support your search.
France Civil Registrations
Also online at FamilySearch is a brand new collection of records for France, Calvados, Civil Registration, 1792-1942. You’ll find over 1.5 million indexed names and records may reveal information about your ancestor’s birth, marriage, death, ages at life events, parents’ names, spouse’s name, locations, and more.
Kent County, England
Findmypast.com is the front-runner when it comes to records in the U.K. and this week they have added over half a million new records for Kent County, England.
- Kent Parish Records 1538-1988 – Baptisms, Banns, Marriages, and Burials.
- Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Registers – Baptisms, Banns, Marriages, and Burials. “The new additions cover the parishes of Hythe, Paddlesworth, Sandgate and Westgate on Sea and span the years 1813 to 2001. Each entry includes both a transcript and an image of the original document.”
- Kent Poor Law Union – “The collection includes Admission and Discharge Registers, Court of the Guardians records, births, baptisms, deaths, burials, relief Lists and more. Each result will include a transcript of the original source material.”
A fun tidbit about Kent: “Affectionately known as the Garden of England, Kent is an ancient county in the southeast. One of the Home Counties, it borders London, Essex, Surrey, and Sussex, and nominally France, midway through the Channel Tunnel.”
Japanese American Internment Sites: A Digital Archive
A brand new collection is now available online from the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley. The Japanese American Internment Sites: A Digital Archive contains documents such as personal papers of internees, correspondence, extensive photograph collections, maps, artworks and audiovisual materials.
“The project was generously funded as part of the National Park Service’s Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program and includes approximately 150,000 original documents from the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Records (BANC MSS 67/14 c). The records represent the official documentation of the U.S. War Relocation Authority. Existing from March 1942 to 1946, the WRA was created to assume jurisdiction over the relocation centers, administered an extensive resettlement program, and oversaw the details of the registration and segregation programs.”
Never miss an update!
Each week, we scour the web for the newest online collections that you’ll want to know about and compile them in this helpful article on Fridays. Get the weekly records roundup delivered right to your email inbox with our free e-newsletter! In addition to these records articles, get the latest tips and research strategies from Genealogy Gems, free videos and podcast episodes, and genealogy news. Click here to sign up today!
Lacey Cooke
Lacey has been working with Genealogy Gems since the company’s inception in 2007. Now, as the full-time manager of Genealogy Gems, she creates the free weekly newsletter, writes blogs, coordinates live events, and collaborates on new product development. No stranger to working with dead people, Lacey holds a degree in Forensic Anthropology, and is passionate about criminal justice and investigative techniques. She is the proud dog mom of Renly the corgi.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Genealogy Gems!