Do you like finding new stuff about your family history? Well, then you’re in the right place because today that’s exactly what we’re going to do in this episode of Elevenses with Lisa.
If you’re looking for new information about your family history, an important website to add to your research list is the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive is a free website that attempts to archive the web, and that includes online genealogy!
One of the best ways to approach your search at the Internet Archive is by focusing on a particular type of record. Here are 10 genealogy records that every genealogist needs that can be found at this free website.
You are free to search for and access records without an account, but there’s so much more you can do with a free account. Here are just a few advantages of having an Internet Archive account:
Getting a free account is easy. Simply click on the Sign Up link in the upper right corner of the home page.
There’s a surprisingly wide variety of content available on the website including:
A great way to discover all that the Internet Archive has to offer is to think in terms of categories of records. I’m going to share with you ten genealogy record categories that include several specific types of records.
Start your search for each category using just a few keywords such as:
Next try applying some of the filters found in the column on the left side of the screen. I try several combinations of searches to ensure that I’ve found all that the Internet Archive has to offer. Let’s get started:
In Elevenses with Lisa episode 41 we discussed how to find and use church records for your family history. Here are just a few of the specific types of church records you can find at the Internet Archive:
Including:
Learn more about finding and using family bibles for genealogy in Elevenses with Lisa episode 29.
Including:
Including:
Including:
Including:
Elevenses with Lisa episode 31 features the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library which hosts much of their content on the Internet Archive. Tip: If you find a collection difficult to navigate, visit the website of the sponsoring organization (such as the Allen County Public Library) which may have a better user interface for searching the records.
From the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Keep in mind that your ancestor may be mentioned in a patent even though they did not file it.
Although there doesn’t currently appear to be a large number of probate records, the Internet Archive does have some. Try searching by location to see if it includes a probate record for others from the same community. For example, a prominent shopkeeper might list many in the town who owed them money.
Audio records include:
Genealogy Gems Premium Members: Listen to episode 176 of the Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast for more on the Great 78 Project at the Internet Archive. (Learn more about joining us as a Premium Member.)
Video records can include:
I searched for the small town where my husband’s ancestors lived for several generations and found a great video from 1954. It featured a parade float sponsored by his great grandfather’s business and several faces I recognized! Watch Winthrop Days.
A collection is a group of records submitted by a user. Often times these will be organizations, libraries and archives.
You’ll find the most popular collections listed on the Internet Archive home page. You can also search collections from the Advanced Search.
Here are just a few examples of collections that may be of interest to you as a genealogist:
Visit the Books to Borrow collection. You will need to be logged into your free Internet Archive account in order to borrow books. You can borrow the book in 1 hour increments. In some cases, you can choose a 14-day loan. If there is only one copy of the book available, the 1 hour load will be the only option. If there are no copies available you can join a waitlist. No waitlist is necessary for one hour loan ebooks.
Learn more about creating your own collection at the Internet Archive.
Scroll down below the individual item for:
Also, when you find an Item of interest, click the Contributor link to see all of the items uploaded by the user. It’s very likely they will have additional similar items.
One advantage to using the Advanced Search is when you are searching for items from a specific timeframe. It’s much more efficient than clicking the box for very year in the range in the filter.
Download the full cover version of the PDF when available. Images will likely be clearer and more accurate.
One of the advantages of tuning into the live broadcast of each Elevenses with Lisa show is participating in the Live Chat and asking your questions.
Question from Sue: What does metadata mean?
Lisa’s Answer: Metadata is data that describes other data. For example, the date of upload is metadata for a digital file that you find online. Metadata is often added by the person or institution doing the uploading to the Internet Archive. I like to search both “Metadata” and “text contents”.
Question from CA: Date filter really applies to date posted not date of item u r looking for….correct?
Lisa’s Answer: In the case of genealogical documents, the date typically refers to the date of original publication rather than the date posted. You will find dates back into the 19th century in the filters.
Question from Mary: is there a print icon? I don’t see it.
Lisa’s Answer: Instead of printing, look for the download options. Once downloaded to your computer, then you can print.
Click the options icon (3 dots in the round circle just below the Search icon) on the left side of the viewer to find the Downloadable Adobe files, or look for Download options below the item.
Question from Susie: Would this site have membership of Rotary clubs and such type groups?
Lisa’s Answer: Absolutely! Search for “rotary club” and perhaps the name of the town or locality.
An example of a Rotary Club record from 1951 at the Internet Archive.
Question from Sally: Is broadest search METADATA? Does it catch everything?
Lisa’s Answer: No. Metadata is the default. I would strongly advise running both Metadata and text context searches for your search terms.
Question from Amy: Lisa, do you know of a way to correct records that are incorrectly or in sufficiently tagged?
Lisa’s Answer: To the best of my knowledge, you can only do that if you were the one who uploaded the item. If anyone else reading this has found a way to edit or tag other user’s items, please leave a comment below.
Question from John: You may have mentioned this but what is the difference between searching metadata or searching text?
Lisa’s Answer: Searching metadata is only searching the data (like tags) that were added to provide more information about the item. A text context search will search all the text that was typed including the title and description. I recommend searching both ways. Keep in mind that not all user’s include detailed descriptions, which is why metadata is very important.
Question from K M: Why does Allen County Library have this archive?
Lisa’s Answer: I think it may be because the Internet Archive provides affordable cloud storage which can be a big expense when offering online records.
Question from Karen: Lisa will you explain the download options?
Lisa’s Answer: Options are based on the type of item. For print publications you will often find you can download the item as an EPUB, PDF, Full Text, etc. Download options can be found by scrolling down just below the item near the description and Views. You can also found download options for Adobe files while viewing the item in the viewer. Click the three dots in a circle icon just below the search icon.
Question from Barbara: Would audio include old local radio programs?
Lisa’s Answer: Absolutely!
Question from Rita: Can you share info about how to upload something?
Lisa’s Answer: Learn more about creating your own collection at the Internet Archive.
Question from Margaret: What about information on the Mayflower?
Lisa’s Answer: Yes. Search Mayflower and then use the filters to narrow your results by Topic & Subject and by Year.
Question from Jeremy: Any pointers on Swiss Mennonites, Lisa?
Lisa’s Answer: A search of Swiss Mennonites brings up 21 items, some of which look rather interesting. Otherwise, like with all genealogy research, formulating a more specific question can help you craft a better search query at the Internet Archive.
Learn more about Genealogy Gems Premium Membership.
Here’s our weekly roundup of new genealogy records online. Do you see anything you should be searching for your ancestors?
ENGLAND – LAND AND TAX. About a quarter million land tax and valuation records for Plymouth and West Devon (1897-1949) are now searchable for Findmypast.com subscribers. Transcriptions and images can reveal an ancestor’s owner/renter status, property location and size, property use and more.
US – ARIZONA VOTERS. A new database of Arizona voter registrations(1874-1932) is available at Ancestry.com. According to the collection description, “This database consists of Great Registers [lists produced from voter registrations] compiled by county recorders for each county in Arizona, by district. They list the names of eligible voters who registered to vote within the state of Arizona.” In this database you’ll see the state’s transition to female suffrage in 1912.
US – CALIFORNIA PASSENGER ARRIVALS. Over 375,000 names have been added to an existing collection of free FamilySearch.org passenger arrival records for San Francisco, CA (1954-1957). These include inbound passengers, crew lists and changes in crew.
US – DELAWARE WILLS AND PROBATE. Ancestry.com has updated its collection of Delaware Wills and Probate records(1676-1971). The indexed images now span nearly 300 years and include records from all counties (some locales and time periods are not included). Over 134,000 names are indexed.
US – MASSACHUSETTS VITAL RECORDS. Now available to search for free on FamilySearch.org is a new collection of indexed images of Massachusetts delayed and corrected vital records. Spanning about 150 years (1753-1900), the collection is relatively small (31,710 indexed names) but often delayed and corrected vital records can be brick-wall busters!
Google Search Tips 101: Keyword Search Tips
2 Mysterious Deaths in the Family? How to Google for Answers
The family Bible is an important resource for genealogy. Here’s how to find family Bibles and use them for family history.
Watch episode 29 of Elevenses with Lisa to learn how to find and analyze your family Bible for genealogy
Start by watching this video to learn how to find and use family Bibles. Then keep reading below for all of the website links and resources to help you be successful in your research of the family Bible.
Elevenses with Lisa, the online video series where we take a break, visit and learn about genealogy and family history.
The best place to start looking is around your own house!
I reached out to my cousin Carolyn. She relayed a strange story to me about the family bible that was in my Great Grandmother Lenora Herring’s home:
“Many years ago, probably when I was in my 20’s or 30’s I was visiting at the Herring home in Oklahoma. Lenora had already passed but Jewel (her daughter) still lived in the house.
I was asking her some questions about the family history. She got out the Bible and said it contained the only information she knew about. It was a large Bible – I don’t remember much about its condition – and getting pictures of things certainly wasn’t the trend. But she opened it up to the pages where the family history was written and she proceeded to tear out those pages and give them to me!
A page torn from the family Bible.
Looking back on that, I kinda wish I would have stopped her! So, she kept the Bible and gave me the family info pages! The Bible itself didn’t seem to impress me much. But I was very interested in what was written on those pages!
So after Jewel could no longer live in the Herring house and my mother placed Jewel in a nursing home, my mother disposed of all the things in the house and the house was sold to help pay for Jewel’s care. I was not there in Oklahoma when this occurred, but I guess Janette must have picked up the family Bible.
Eventually, Janette and I got our heads together and realized who had what. I’ve attached images of the family history pages. Some of it is hard to read – I think most of it was written in pencil. And for some reason, I didn’t make sense of some of the info till recent years.
I think there were multiple people that wrote on the pages – including my mother.
There was a Herring / Jump family reunion several years ago at the home of one of the Jump cousins. I went and so did Janette. She brought the family Bible to show. It was in very, very poor condition and if I remember right, stored in an old cardboard box……….”
Here’s a list of free websites where you can find digitized family Bibles.
Family Bibles at Library of Congress
Search for family Bibles at the library of congress
Internet Archive: Archive.org
Click here to see the search results for “family bible” at the Internet Archive.
The Streepy Bible is a great example of variation in handwriting.
Click here to see Genealogical records taken from the family Bible of James Monroe Palmer : born 1822, died 1897 and Caroline Frances Bacon, his wife, born 1830, died 1899 of Boston, Massachusetts.
A good example of a transcription of the records from a family Bible.
Ebay
Search for “family bible”. Try adding a surname.
Premium Members: Listen to my Premium Podcast episode 76 that includes strategies for using ebay for genealogy.
Google
Search for the surname along with the phrase family Bible using the quotation marks search operator. Example: “Cooke” “family Bible”
Resource for Google search strategies: The Genealogists’s Google Toolbox by Lisa Louise Cooke
FamilySearch
Search both the Card Catalog and the Digital Books collection for “family bible” and a surname.
In the Notes section of an item, you may find a link to click to view the digital version if one is available.
World Cat
Catalogs approximately 2 billion items from 10,000 libraries around the world.
Archive Grid
Includes “over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more.” Includes materials from over 1,000 different archival institutions.
Here are questions to ask and things to consider as you interpret the contents of your family Bible for genealogy.
Was the information copied? If so, who then has the original? Keep in mind that mistakes could have been made during the copying or entered by memory.
Could the information have been recorded by people over time?
Is the handwriting all the same? If so, it’s more likely some copying.
Different handwriting in the family Bible may indicate more first-hand knowledge, or it may be someone filling in years later.
Analyze all of the entries. Like a scrapbook, there is significance to the order and each entry has significance. Is anyone missing?
Was there an incentive for inaccuracies? Was a marriage date fudged to hide a pregnancy before marriage?
Cross reference with other genealogical documents.
Did a wedding occur around the time of the Bible’s publication? The Bible may have been a gift.
My cousin Carolyn had a large family Bible from her father’s side of the family restored.
The family Bible in need of restoration
“The woman who restored this Bible did an awesome job. She had available the correct restoration materials. It’s not perfect, like-new. But still very good.”
“She also did something to the leather to renew it in some way. When I first acquired the Bible, the brass latch would not close, but now it does! The Bible can now be viewed and handled (carefully, of course!) without it falling apart. She also constructed a special storage box for it, using archival quality materials.”
Since there wasn’t a restoration expert available in her area, she reached out to a book restoration expert in Indiana:
Leonard’s Book Restoration, LLC
“Website was helpful and they were pleasant to work with…They put a new cover on my own personal Bible, and I was very pleased with their work. A few years ago, I also had them re-do a small hardback Bible that my mother used. ”
Listen to the Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 68 on the Family Bible, Google Search
Rodney McCulloh shares his inspirational story of the path that he followed that lead him to the old family Bible.
Bonus Download exclusively for Premium Members: Download the show notes handout
Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member today.
One of the advantages of tuning into the live broadcast of each Elevenses with Lisa show is participating in the Live Chat and asking your questions.
From Sian: Is Archivgrid US-based only or worldwide?
From Lisa: It’s worldwide. In the “Search for a Location” list you can scroll down to see all the countries. You can also hover you mouse over the map and zoom out to see the full coverage.
From Kimberly: Hi from East Aurora NY. I can’t wait to take take another look at my grandmother’s Bible! Is it ok to add my information to her Bible?
From Lisa: While in the end, it’s a personal decision, I think it’s a wonderful idea to add information to the family bible. They are meant to be added to over generations.
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Live show air date: September 17, 2020
In this episode, we’re celebrating both your unique genealogy path, and the one that we have taken together as a community. The Elevenses with Lisa show has really grown into a vibrant, caring family. Whether it’s something I’m teaching, or a conversation happening in the comments section, there’s always something new to learn!
So, I invite you to sit back and relax with your favorite cup of tea while I share some of your stories, answer some questions, and pretty much talk about whatever tickles our fancy. Click below to watch the video, and follow along here on this show notes page.
Cathy Gallaghers’s question: “I, like so many others, really enjoy listening to your podcasts and Elevenses!! I have learned a lot! I am having trouble with one concept. I have a “new cousin” that I learned about through DNA. She is a great detective in finding people, places and information.
I want to have our family tree on Google docs so that we can share the family tree and we can start organizing all of our information. What I’m having trouble with is how do you put the tree in google docs? I cannot copy and paste from Ancestry.
I just cannot see HOW to make this large tree in Google Docs AND have a place to have the documentation…I really want to work with this cousin.”
My Answer: I think having everything in your database and saving the database to Google Drive is the way to go. If you don’t have a software database, I encourage you to get one that synchronizes with Ancestry.
Recommended Viewing: Premium Video How to Take Control of and Preserve Your Family Tree Information. (Click here to learn more about joining us as a Premium Member.)
I use and recommend BackBlaze cloud backup – learn more here. (Using this link supports this free show – thank you!)
Google Docs are contained in Google Drive, but Google Drive also can have files that you have uploaded from other sources, like videos, and photos. So, there’s really no point in recreating things in Google Docs. Google Drive gives you a place to store everything as well as collaborate.
Cathy’s Comment
As you’ll recall in Episode 22 I showed you ways to use Google Earth to research your ancestors’ neighborhood. Cathy shared how she used what she learned from that episode in her research. She writes,
“BTW – I downloaded Google Earth Pro and have had a blast putting people on the map. My grandfather wrote a book called, “Passeggiata” the story of his life. He talks about a time when he went to New Haven CT and he wrote down each street he turned down and which direction he went in. I went to google earth and local maps but could NOT find this one street he talked about. When I got the map from David Rumsey and overlayed it – there was the street he talked about – JUST AS HE SAID. I was so excited!”
In episode 23 I gave you an introductory tour of Google Photos, and I shared how Google Photos uses facial recognition to find people in your photos.
Well, Dana experienced this technology first-hand! Google Photos found her in a curved mirror reflection!
Dana found by Google Photos!
A couple of weeks ago on August 26, 2020 here in the United States we celebrated the 100 year anniversary of women securing the right to vote.
The House of Representatives passed the amendment on May 21, 1919. Two weeks later, the Senate did as well. The amendment was adopted when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify on August 18, 1920. The 19th Amendment was formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution by proclamation of Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby on August 26, 1920.
It was a long road but finally women had the right to vote, and Elevenses with Lisa viewer Melanie Barton’s grandmother wasted no time doing so in 1920.
Melanie sent me her story, and I asked her to record it so I could turn it into a little video to share with all of you which you will see in this episode. (20:30 mark in the video.)
Epilogue: Shortly after voting Fay happily remarried. Here she is with her husband W.C. Bridges in Miami, FL.
Pamela Fane left a comment on Elevenses with Lisa Episode 20 on House History Research. She shared two wonderful stories about how the personal touch pays off when it comes to delving into house histories.
“I have land documents citing my ancestor lived on a farm in Bedfordshire, England. While on a trip to Bedfordshire in the mid 1990s I ventured down a long driveway toward the house. I saw a man on a farm tractor and asked him if I could take a photo of his house because my ancestor lived there in former times.
He was not overly friendly and asked me who that might be and when. I told him Thomas Fane lived there in 1761.
“Priestly Farm” by Pamela Fane
Oh, well then, he said, warming to his subject; when you finish with the front, go ’round to the back and make sure you get a photo of the wing that juts from the house because he built that and the man turned back to his tractor. Now there is a man who knows the history of his house.
One of the pictures I took of the front of the house I turned into a stitchery which sits on my hall table.”
In her second story her husband got in on the act.
“On another trip I was leaning over a fence gawking at another ancestor’s property, also in Bedfordshire, England.
My husband was encouraging me to knock on the door. I didn’t want to bother anyone; a photo would be good enough. Well, not good enough for my husband so he knocked on the door.
We were invited in and shown pages and pages of historical papers about the house. The owners were very interested in the history of their house and wanted to know about the people who lived there in former times. I was able to send them all sorts of information covering the 300 years my ancestors lived in the house.
That knock on the door was a win/win for both of us.”
After watch the episodes on house history and Irish research, Anne was keen to share a very special house that once belonged to her Irish ancestors. She emailed me a story she had written for her new blog Annecestreeforest which she started in January 2020. She also included a PowerPoint presentation with photos.
As I reviewed it I could see the video that it should be in my mind. I asked Anne to record a bit of her story and a descriptive tour which she happily did. The next day I put it all together as a video.
Anne wrote: “It took my grandfather (Alan R Cassidy) a full year, working every day, to build the replica. During that time, unbeknownst to me, he was diagnosed with cancer, and died shortly after giving me the house.
He was a loving person, a strong believer in family heritage, a proud Canadian, honoured to serve as a Chief Petty Officer in our navy, and as a carpenter thereafter for the government.
The highest praise he could give someone was “he is a good man” and he was definitely that.
William and Jane’s descendants include nurses, pilots, lawyers, carpenters, farmers, and an Order of Canada honoree. Their legacy touches us all and is remembered each time I look at the little house.”
Let’s wrap up this episode with something really fun that’s not genealogy but is on topic because this show is called Elevenses with Lisa. The name comes from the traditional morning teatime / break time of 11:00.
Over the last 25 weeks I’ve shared my cups with you, and as you’ll remember Margaret shared her mother’s mix and match collection of teacups that it turned out were traditionally given at bridal showers.
Well, a few days ago Lindell Johnson sent me a little video she found about some exceptionally beautiful and innovative cups and saucers that bring a fresh perspective to driving tea, and art.
Variations of these cups and saucers are available online here: https://tinyurl.com/E-mirrorcups
Like the mirror cups and saucers, I hope that Elevenses with Lisa has brought you a fresh perspective of your genealogy and family history.
Bonus Download exclusively for Premium Members: Download the show notes handout