You might ask how an Internet book could be British. Isn’t the Internet the same the world over? Isn’t that why they call it the World Wide Web? Well, yes and no. The fact is, there are websites managed all over the world that are useful to family historians. It is common to focus one’s search for resources on “local” websites first. Google, for example, even considers where you are geographically when providing search results. Cultural differences, government regulations, and many other factors contribute to the way we search the Internet, even if we don’t always realize it.
The Genealogist’s Internet takes a uniquely British approach to covering family history research on the Internet. Websites covered include some of the common sites most genealogist have come to expect; FamilySearch, Yahoo and Google search engines, etc. However, the majority of the sites listed in this book are focused on British research. Discussions of national archives means the British National Archives, not the U.S. Instead of most websites ending in “.com”, the links in this book mostly end “.co.uk”.
“But, I live in the U.S. How can this book help me?” I know you were just thinking that very question. I answer with a question. Can you trace your roots to the British Isles? If so, then what better place to search for your ancestors than on websites dedicated to British records and family history.
In The Genealogist’s Internet, you will find information covering:
- major web sources of primary data
- discussion groups and mailing lists devoted to genealogy
- ways to find people with your surname or ancestors
- information and services provided by other genealogical organizations
- how to publish your family history on the web
- and much more…
This book is an exceptional companion to any other Internet resource book you may already have. With its primary focus on the British Isles you will likely find countless resources you may not have know existed. For researching your British family history from across the pond, the Internet is easily the most affordable and quickest way to acquire information and The Genealogist’s Internet is your yellow pages to success.
Table of Contents
Preface
- Citing Internet addresses
- Disappearing resources
- What’s new in the edition
- Acknowledgements
Introduction
- Genealogy and the internet
- Offline genealogy
- History
First Steps
- Tutorials
- Getting help
- Genealogical terms and abbreviations
Online Starting Points
- the British Isles
- General genealogy gateways
- Web directories
Using Online Sources
- Approaches to digitization
- Paying for records
- Indexes, transcriptions and images
- Indexing issues
- Payment systems
- Major commercial data services
- Document services
- Image formats and viewers
- Which data service?
- Common problems
Civil Registration
- England and Wales
- Scotland
- Ireland
- Offshore
- Certificate exchanges
- Overseas
Census
- General information
- Free census indexes
- The commercial services
- The 1911 census
- Comparison
- Ireland
- Overseas
Church Records
- Parish churches
- FamilySearch
- FreeReg
- Local resources
- Commercial data services
- Scotland
- Ireland
- The Roman Catholic Church
- Nonconformist churches
- Monumental inscriptions
Property, Taxation and Crime
- Wills
- Land and taxation
- Crime
Occupations
- Occupational terms
- General information
- Individual occupations
- The learned professions
- Company records
- Trade unions
The Armed Forces
- General information
- The Royal Navy and merchant navy
- The Army
- The Royal Air Force
- Medals
- Commemoration
Migration and Colonies
- Passenger lists
- The Americas
- Australasia
- Africa and the Caribbean
- India
- European immigration
Print Sources
- Books
- Directories
- Newspapers
Archives and Libraries
- Gateways to archives
- The National Register of Archives
- National archives
- The national libraries
- County record offices
- Public libraries
- University libraries
- Family History Centers
- The Society of Genealogists
- Beyond the British Isles
Surnames, Pedigrees and Families
- Surname interests
- Pedigree databases
- Genetics and DNA testing
- Royal and notable families
- Locating living people
Geography
- Gazatteers
- Modern maps
- Historical maps
- Map collections
- Finding maps
- Interactive mapping
History
- General resouces
- Local history
- Social history
- Names
- Understanding old documents
Photographs
- National collections
- Local collections
- Personal sites
- Commercial photographs
- Professional photographers
- Portraits
- Dating, preservation, restoration
- Photo sharing
Discussion Forums
- Mailing lists
- Newsgroups
- Web forums
- Netiquette
- Starting your own discussion group
- Which discussion group?
Search Engines
- Using a search engine
- Formulating your search
- Refining your search
- Search tips
- Searching for files
- Sites and domains
- Limitations
- The ‘invisible web’
- Choosing a search engine
- Using multiple search engines
- Genealogy search tools
- Further information
Publishing Your Family History Online
- Publishing options
- Family trees for the web
- Web publishing basics
- Software
- Website design
- Uploading your websites
- Publicity
- Preserving your family history
- Help and advice
The World of Family History
- Societies and organizations
- Events
- Courses
- Magazines and journals
- News
- Podcasting
- Software
- Online shops
- Professional researchers
- Lookup services
Issues for Online Genealogits
- Good practice
- Using online information
- Copyright
- Privacy
- Quality concerns
- Finding material
- Longevity
- Outlook
Internet Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Your own copy of The Genealogist’s Internet is waiting for you at Family Roots Publishing; Item #: TNA11.