Are there any good genealogy sites that don't charge?

Question

I want some info and my family's not talking

Answer 1

there are some good answers above.

The bottom line is that there is no website subscription based or otherwise that can fulfill all of your genealogy needs. You will find lots of useful information out there if you just know where to look. I could give you a list of the big genealogy websites, but something tells me that you are looking for something specific. I have over 500 links to free genealogy records that I myself have found online. Here are some that can help just about everyone.

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/f... This is the webpage to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

http://searches.rootsweb.com/
This is a list of popular searchable databases on Rootsweb. There is a link to the Social Security Death index, as well as death records for California, Kentucky, Maine, and Texas. There are some international databases included too.

http://www.ellisisland.org/
If you are from the United States and know that you have ancestors that immigrated from other countries, there is a chance that Ellis Islands website could help you. You can actually look at the ships manifests on this site. It is so cool! You could even get information like how much money was in your great grandfathers pocket when he came over.

Then there are the message boards at both Genforum and Rootsweb. They have boards for surnames, counties, States, and countries. This would be a great place to post information you already know about family members and attempt to build on it. It is always wise not to post information on living family members.

http://boards.ancestry.com/default.aspx
http://genforum.genealogy.com/

You can also look at many of the existing trees out there to see if anybody has created one including members or your families. Sometimes you get lucky, but if you find one out there, I would recommend researching the information yourself before including it in your tree.

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/
http://www.gencircles.com/

Just about every state and county has its own Genweb page. Here is the website to the U.S. page

http://www.usgenweb.org/

Simply click on the appropriate state and county links to get to the localities you wish to search. Keep in mind, each page is only as good as its volunteers. The free genealogy sites online is entirely dependant on volunteers to share information and records that are available in its localities, which is why it is always important to thank a volunteer when they help you overcome another genealogy barrier.

If I knew where you were from, I could probably give you more area specific links, therefore, if you would like to send me some information via my profile I may be able to help you further.

So, as you can see from my answer... there is a whole lot to learn about genealogy and finding resources. I learned just by jumping in and doing it. Once you get out in the genealogy community you will see that there are a lot of people eager to help you in any way they can. Have I made mistakes along the way? You bet... who hasn't? You will find though that the rewards are numerous and that it can get quite addicting. Blessings.

Answer 2

There are a kazillion sites out there that are free, and have info for research. Many "new" people coming on board hope to find a site that has their ancestry all put together, instead of understanding that it is a compillation of pieces. In other words..a library online might have a bio of your ancestor, but it isn't technically a "genealogy" site. I always suggest www.cyndislist.com as a place to get some idea of the many thousands of sites that exist, and also have how to files.
As for your family not talking... some comments. Basic research does normally start with you, your parents, grandparents, then BUILDING on that to look in historical records. If and when there is hostility, or feuds, so forth, it is not surprising that many people avoid talking about things that are hurtful. Many people today come from single parent homes, and what I am saying, is not to be judgemental. Just realistic. Emotions are part of "recent" family questions, whereas once you reach the point of people who died long ago, that evaporates.
IN most cases, you will not find specifics on persons who are living online, which really is a security and privacy issue. I don't want someone finding "me", knowing who my parents were, etc... ONLINE. LIke most people, I personally want the decision of who I share that with. That, of course, is difficult for persons (for example) who are adopted, or don't have knowledge of a biological father. And the bio fathers, in many cases, don't know about their kids or don't want contact.
So, it is always a good idea to recognize the reasons, and be tactful, in looking for the information. If you can identify grandparents who have died (or gr grandparents), they are PROBABLY in THE SOCIAL SECURITY DEATH INDEX (assuming you live in the US). Once you pick up that lead, you go from there.
I always ask persons to consider this- where and how would you find the records, IF there is no one living to provide it? The answer is going to the available records, because that's what research is, anyway. It is finding what others DON'T know.
Hope it helps to know that you really are not alone in this. You can reach me via email on my profile, and I'd be happy to chat off-board on specifics of what you need and some ideas how to get it, without it being a confrontation.

Answer 3

See what you think about these. I had oodles of genealogy finished and lost them in a flood. That was before my Internet days. My aunt who had everything on our family died and I'm hopelessly lost back to the start.

Answer 4

Not that I've found. Cyndislist only goes so far.