Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
If the recommendation to “think globally, act locally” is applied to genealogy, Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness comes to mind. You probably can’t travel everywhere you’d like to go to research your family tree. When you have a simple request or two that would normally require you to travel to a location more than fifty miles away, a RAOGK volunteer close to the area might just be able to help.
Once you’ve registered on the RAOGK website, you’ll have access to a directory of volunteers informing you where each person is based and what tasks each is willing to help with. Volunteers do not charge for their time, but only for reimbursement of actual expenses such as photocopies, postage, and occasionally parking fees. Common services include doing lookups, taking tombstone and cemetery photos, and locating a document at an archive and copying it. To learn more about how to submit a request, check out their FAQ section. And don’t forget to say thank you or perhaps even volunteer your services.
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Ancestor Search
Are you researching your ancestors in England Wales? Ancestor Search is a website that provides guidance on WHERE to find information on your English and Welsh ancestors from the basic “where to start” information and on to links to various research sites and information. Well worth taking the time to go through the information on this site.
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General Registry Office – England
GRO indexes have been on line for some time but sometimes we forget that it is now easier and cheaper to order certificates via the government’s own official website. Certificates cost £9.25 including postage.
Searching is free but you do have to register first. You have to register to use them. Go to http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ then click on order certificates online >register/login in upper right corner box, then register to create an individual account. It is free.
It is a bit cumbersome in that you can only search in five-year blocks and only either male or female but if you are searching for a birth record, you will be able to find the mother’s name from 1916 back to 1837.
Good luck with your research!