How can I find someone to trace my heritage freely? I need help!?

Question

I need internet sites that are free. I also need help on my genealogy sites I get so far and everyone wants money!

Answer 1

You will benefit more, if you do your own research, especially since you don't want to spend the money for a Quality and Professionally researched, genealogy search, someone that knows the in's and out's of genealogy.

It's exciting to see your research come to life and see you names and information you have only "heard about," through word-of-mouth from family.

Most Public Libraries have access to the Mormon Geneology data.

FamilySearch.org is a free site.

Answer 2

In addition to www.family search.org, the Latter Day Saint web site previously mentioned, in the United States, US Census data is available on microfilm in the US Document section at public and academic libraries. Beginning in 1850 and continuing until 1930, the Census mentions all family members along with their year of birth.

Many public libraries have other genealogy reference materials available as well. Moreover, many of them offer free-of-charge genealogical workshops.

Answer 3

Well Ginny. Let me put it this way. If you want your family history then you are going to have to do it. No one is going to work for you for free. Genealogy is not an easy task. Most sites won't give you much unless someone is working on your family. Then you can't be sure that its true. There is a lot of bad research out there. That's why we encourage everyone to do their own work and to document it to prove it.

It has taken most of us years to get as far as we have and most of us started long before stuff was ever put online. We've dug thru dusty records for hours coming out with back aches, stiff necks and if we're really lucky we might have found what we were looking for.

I would suggest you pay a visit to your local LDS Center and see if they can't help you get started. Then check with your local library to see if they subscribe to ancestry and heritagequest. If they do you can use ancestry at the library for free and heritagequest from home with your library card. Heritagequest contains census reports which are very helpful.

If you don't want to do the work yourself then don't bother to attempt to find someone to help you out. You won't find anyone that is going to do it for you without being compensated. People that do research for others get paid because that is how they make their living. I'm sure if you work you expect to be paid right?

Answer 4

I feel for you. Its true everyone wants "cash" to do anything helpful. You might want to try going to utah though and go to the Headquarters of the morman church there ( I dont know what its called) and ask if you can search the morman geanology records for free . Most elders will let you if you give a good enough reason. ( they may want a small donation worse case) The morman records contain the most information on everyone till present.

Answer 5

half the fun of doing your family's history is the hurs of reearch it takes to uncover information. you neglected to say where you are from and what yu have accomplished so far. Feel free to e-mail with where things stand right now and I will try o give somepointers as to how to proceed. Provide info like. 1. where you currently reside, 2. how far back you have traced. Where were they residing at that time etc.

Answer 6

They want money because that is their J-O-B! Do you work for free?? I'm not about to go spend 40 hours working for someone for free.

I don't understand why everyone expects to pay the mechanic, the plumber, the electrician, the roofer, the accountant, the lawyer, and the doctor but think genealogists should provide free services.

Come on people. Get real.

Answer 7

I look at it this way if you were really serious with your plans to trace your family history you'd pay like everyone else does.


this is the mormons site and its free for everything.
http://www.familysearch.org/

Answer 8

As you can see...it's hard to research family members. Now...would you come dig out a pool for me??...I need the free workers. It's hard....but I want someone to do it free.

Get real.....nothings FREE

Answer 9

locate a church of the ladder saints reading room they are all over the place go talk to them they have incredible information

Answer 10

I have the same problem. I want someone to clean my house, mow my lawn and cook my meals, freely. I just CAN'T seem to find anyone. They all want money. Damn!

Most genealogists [cleaners, gardeners, cooks] will loan you a shovel and give you some hints as to where to dig, but you have to do the work yourself or pay them.

I'd like to watch first-run movies for free too, but I can't. I can wait or pay a premium cable fee. Ancestry.com is like that. With a fee you can look at ancient documents from home, in your sarong, at 3 am. with three fingers of single malt in a mason jar. Without, get dressed, get sober, go to a FHC and wait until they open.

One of the traits you need as a genealogist is common sense. From your Q, it looks like you'd do better if you took up fly fishing or stamp collecting.

This is the text file I paste 3 - 14 times a day because people ask

"Where is a FREE site to find my family tree?

3 - 14 times a day here and I got tired of typing. Note you have to do the work. If you want to come by my house and clean, garden and cook, FOR FREE, I'll look for your dead ancestors, FOR FREE. Otherwise, you are on your own.

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There are over 500,000 free sites devoted to genealogy on the Internet.

Researching your family tree is about as difficult as writing a term paper in a high school History class. You don't have to be a rocket scientist, but it isn't as easy as looking up the capital of Peru. If your great-aunt has already done it and posted her line on the Internet, you might find a line from your (dead) great grandfather all the way back to Charlemagne tonight, without any work.

If not, you will have to do the work yourself. Most teens don't want to spend the time. If you are interested, read on.

These are large and free. Many of them, however, have subtle ads for Ancestry.com in them - ads that ask for a name, then offer a trial subscription. Watch out for those advertisements.

http://www.cyndislist.com/
(240,000+ links, all cross-indexed. If you want Welsh or Pennsylvania Dutch or Oregon or any other region, ethnic group or surname, chances are she has links for it.)

The LDS site and the RWWC here would be the places to look for Great Aunt Matilda's research. Don't enter everything; just name and approximate birth year.

http://www.familysearch.com
(Mormon's mega-site. Click on "Search", to start with, or "Advanced Search")

Roots Web
http://www.rootsweb.com
and in particular,
http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi
(Roots Web World Connect; 500,000,000+ entries, of varying quality)

Ancestry.com
http://www.ancestry.com/
(which has free pages and FEE pages - so watch out)
and, in particular,
http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx?ln=
Surname meanings and origins

http://www.tedpack.org/begingen.html
My own site: "How to Begin"

United States only:

http://www.usgenweb.net/
(Subdivided into state sites, which all have county sites.)
(The Canadians have Canadian Gen Web, by province)

http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi
(Social Security Death index - click on "Advanced". You may find your grandparents.)

http://find.person.superpages.com/
(US Phone book, for looking up distant cousins)


United Kingdom Only:

http://www.genuki.org.uk/
(Biggest site for United Kingdom & Ireland)

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
(Free Birth, Marriage & Death Records)

In the USA, some public libraries have census image subscriptions. Many Family History Centers do too. FHC's are small rooms in Mormon churches. They welcome anyone interested in genealogy, not just fellow Mormons. They have resources on CD's and volunteers who are friendly. They don't try to convert you; in fact, they don't mention their religion unless you ask a question about it.

This is a general hint: Even though you go in through YA Canada, YA Australia, YA UK or YA USA, all of the questions go into one big "pot" and get read by everyone in the world who speaks English. Most of the people here are in the UK and USA, but you sometimes get questions and answers from people who worry about kangaroos eating their roses. So - put a nation, or, better yet, if you are asking about a specific individual, a nation and a state / province, in all of your questions. It will help people help you.