An Ancestry website that is free??

Question

I tried Ancestry.com but they wouldn't let me join unless I gave them credit card information.. >: (

Does anyone know of a true ancestry database where you can look up your family history and don't have to pay for it??

I should mention that my family is from Portugal and my grandparents came here in the 1960's... I know where in Portugal they came from but most sites just seem to cater to US history.

Any good ones for looking up European history?

Answer 1

Hey Frank,

There are a variety of Genealogy tools/web sites that are available at varying degrees of FREE. You can look at Ellis Island records all day, free, but you have to sign up and they do try to get donations and sell certificates if immigration. Just don't buy them.

GENFORUM is absolutely free, just look for the Forums for your specific surname family tree branch, and look for your distant cousins posting information, or maybe even asking the same question you are. Good place to hook up with a research partner.

LDS Family Search is free until you order a CD. You can even visit one of there local churches and they will get you the information. Obviously visiting a church will come at the price of listening to their dogma. But they will respect your position. They have a lot of great information, but caution should be uesed, always check their information with vital records if you can get them - it could be wrong, they accept information from people in mass submissions.

Here are some other great places, but again, caution not every thing free is worth it. It may cost you more in the end for the possible insertion of errors into your family tree. The best thing you can do is get Vital Records (Birth, Death, Marriage) and secondary records (i.e. Obits).

As you get going in Genealogy, you will find that the most important thing is to be sure each person is the correct person, and that takes vital records - and they cost money. So research partners help to share the expense.

Answer 2

Reading comprehension: ancestry.com offers you paid subscription options as well as access to free resources. All you have to give for the freebies is a screen name and password.

There is only one db option where you can "look up your family" - census images. Doing the research for yourself. Unless of course a close relative has already done the work therefore all you have to do is ask them, believe me you won't be able to shut them up from nattering on about your joint ancestry!

Free only means someone else pays. Most states offer HeritageQuest Online census images through the state library system. Ask your librarian for a login and password. That system doesn't make folks all that easy to find because it only indexes heads of households, the spelling is literal as found.

The good one is ancestry.com's because from 1850 when household members were enumerated separately every person is indexed, it has a really good search template, soundexes and allows wild card use.

*I see that you added immigration from Portugal 1960s. In that case I reccomend the surname AND country message boards at ancestry.com, rootsweb.com & genforum.com as well.

Answer 3

I do, I do.

http://www.familysearch.org/

and

http://rootsweb.com/

Both very cool. Good luck with your search and have fun. Remember that it takes a long time to find all that old info and there is some really cool stuff you will find alond the way.

Also to remember that names may (probably) have changed thru the years. SO CHECK ALL SPELLINGS. OH AND ONE MORE THING. WRITE DOWN OR COPY THE SOURCE OF WHATEVER INFO YOU GATHER. IT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT TO PROVING YOUR FAMILY. SO IF YOU GET IT FROM AN OLD NEWSPAPER ACCOUNT. NOTE WHICH NEWSPAPER AND WHERE AND THE YEAR.
Ooops, Sorry, I didn`t mean to holler.


such as:
SMITH
SMITHE
SMYTH
SMYTHE

Answer 4

Here are a few websites that might help with Portugal research

http://genealogia.netopia.pt/home/
http://genforum.genealogy.com/portugal/
http://genealogy.about.com/od/portugal/index_r.htm
http://www.well.com/user/ideamen/pgeneal.html
http://www.cyndislist.com/portugal.htm
http://portugal.worldvitalrecords.com/

These websites have quite a bit of information on researching Portugal and do a better job explaining then if I were to sit here and give you a long drawn out answer. Good luck in your search!

Answer 5

I use Heritage Quest and Ancestry.com both for free at my local library. You might check there. The previous answer about the LDS church indicates that you will have to listen to their dogma... I have never found that to be the case on my visits to their Family History Centers (you can check on line for locations near you). I have found the folks there exceptionally helpful and willing to share stories and ideas about searching for family history.

~

Answer 6

Have you tried Rootsweb.com? Also, you can sign up for free at FamilySearch.org. I have never had any trouble with either site.
Hope that helps,
Cari

Answer 7

Yes www.familysearch.org/ it's the Mormon site and it's excellent, and it's completely free you can download whatever you want, hope this helps, Diane.

Answer 8

try cyndislist.com. She had loads of links and perhaps you'll find them helpful

good luck

Answer 9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7ojF4-jz5s

They are all free, to a point....then you pay when you need something important.!