

This article by Digital Trends also has some sound tips, but beware that the sites it recommends are for US users and may not always have UK counterparts. Not all the links here may be up to date as the page was last updated in 2011, but there’s some solid advice here that will come in handy whether you’re making your first forays into genealogical research or if you’re already established but want to access more detailed records.
#The best genealogy site free#
Not sure whether to choose a free site or pay for a membership? The BBC’s guide to genealogy sites is worth a read. Like Cyndi’s List, it points you towards further sources of information so you can find and access online records quicker than if you were starting from scratch. GENUKI is another comprehensive free genealogy site for families in the UK and Ireland. It’s a completely free site and runs on donations – so if you find it useful, it’s worth making a contribution so it can continue. Its UK and Ireland section is particularly comprehensive, with category indexes for each country and territory in the UK and Ireland, as well as a category for UK military research. One very useful site is Cyndi’s List, which includes details of categorised genealogical resources from all over the world. If you’re just starting out – or you’re unsure of whether genealogy is a hobby you’ll stick with for long – you’ll find plenty of websites offering free resources and advice. Today, thanks to the huge growth in genealogy websites, you can now do most of this research from the comfort of your living room – all you need is a computer and a good internet connection.īut with so many websites to choose from, where do you start? Here’s our pick of the top sites for genealogical research in the UK. Try talking to your family to see what they know before you conduct a new search.Just a few decades ago, genealogical research was a time consuming process that involved hours spent note-taking at your local records office.

You'll never find your great-grandfather if you have the wrong middle name or date of birth for him.

You may find that an ancestor's last name changed because of prejudice against the Irish or another group. Immigrants often changed their names after moving to the US, and some changed their names after moving to a new town.

Until the searcher finds out more, it may not make sense to join a membership site. This person might only know the first names of one parent and have a rough idea of where that individual lived. Take for example someone trying to find their adoptive parents. Based on how much information you have as a newcomer, you may not want to invest in a subscription package because you don’t know how much the site will help you and if it can help. We scoured the web to find the best free genealogical sites around.
