Is there a way to get around this?
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| Celtic Radio Community > Family History & Clans > This Is An Expensive Hobby |
| Posted by: CelticRose 03-Jun-2004, 06:16 PM |
| I have subscribed to many sites looking for ancestors and the most disturbing thing I find is that just when I am about to get somewhere.........it says I have to pay out more money! Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhh, Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Are you all experiencing that as well? Is there a way to get around this? |
| Posted by: dfilpus 05-Jun-2004, 04:50 PM |
| That is the way of the internet these days. They tease you with the number of links without giving any real info about the quality of the links. You do not know whether paying will give you any info of worth. There are free sources of family history info on the internet or elsewhere, but you have to hunt for them. My best sources have been country specific sources, such as individual shipping lines passenger lists and government provided lists. Often the pay sites will want you to pay for access to freely available information. My city library has HeritageQuest online, which has census and other records you have to pay for elsewhere. You need a local library card, however. Check with your local library. You may have to go there to use their resources. If you can get to an LDS genealogy center, usually connected with an LDS church, they will let the public use their research facilities, which include sources you pay for elsewhere. |
| Posted by: CelticRose 05-Jun-2004, 05:02 PM |
| Thanks Dave! I live in a small town so not sure how good my library would be.........it might be. I just never checked it out for genealogy. Now we have an LDS temple here in town and I could go there. It is better than the LDS site that is on line? Cause that is one of the first places I go to is the online LDS search. |
| Posted by: dfilpus 05-Jun-2004, 05:11 PM | ||
It has been my experience that the churches have direct links to resources that are not available (or cost money) on the web. |
| Posted by: dfilpus 05-Jun-2004, 05:15 PM | ||
With the internet, even small town libraries can have extensive resources. Another idea is to check with local or state colleges or universities. In North Carolina, all state university libraries are open to the public. I think they charge five dollars a year for a university library card. I look through their card catalog online and then drop into the local branch to order what I need. |
| Posted by: CelticRose 05-Jun-2004, 05:28 PM |
| Thanks so much for your help, dfilpus! |
| Posted by: Raven 07-Jun-2004, 07:34 PM | ||
Yes that is what I found out also Rose. I feel like it is all one gigantic loss leader, bait and switch spam machine......now do you want to know how I really feel? |
| Posted by: Raven 07-Jun-2004, 07:36 PM |
oops now I read about the free stuff. I would thing that the Indianapolis Library might be good now all I have to do is find time to get there during business hours  |
| Posted by: CelticRose 08-Jun-2004, 03:49 PM |
| Yeah, me too! The embarrassing thing is that I have not been in a library for years except for to use their computers. I have no clue how to act in a library now since college and that was many moons ago! Duh, eh? :unsure |
| Posted by: Lyra Luminara 27-Jun-2004, 10:14 PM |
| Jeez, yes, this is such an expensive hobby. I just wish my ancestors would have written stuff down. ::grins:: |
| Posted by: CelticRose 28-Jun-2004, 07:45 PM | ||
Yeah! That would have been a great idea, eh? |
| Posted by: Ladybug1258 29-Jun-2004, 08:30 AM |
| My grandmother had a genealogy done many moons ago before any of us girls ( there are five sisters in my generation) grew up, then she stuck it away to catch dust for a couple of decades. It came to me about 15 years ago, and it's been updated as the sisters grew up, had their children, then their children had children. Mine aren't yet old enough to have children, but when they do, those names will join the group. Start a tradition beginning as far back as you can remember. Yes, those web sites are attractive, but they DO cost, and it's unfortunate that they reel you in with those enticing lures of finding your family heritage etc. Cruel, really. But it doesn't have to be that way. Like was mentioned earlier, and I live in NC so it is true for around here, that university libraries are free to the public so long as you have a card,( which does have a nominal fee), the university libraries may have some info and coupled with the public library records as well as town records of land deeds, transfer of title from one owner to another, you may find enough to put something together. It's not too easy to start; it does require a bit of legging it to find all the right places to find info, but once you do, there's a much smoother path to finding even more. I gave up on those "for cost" web sites a long time ago. I just join places like this, go to libraries, contact as many people in the town in Records as I can, and build on that. |
| Posted by: Annabelle 12-Jul-2004, 10:28 PM |
| We have a wonderful Geneology Library here in Macon Ga that even has ship records and of course census books way back on every County in Every State in the Union. Of course this isn't probably near you but there are other library's in the country that might be worth the trip. The Library of Congress in D.C. is one of the best but you have to reserve any and all books and catalogs before you go up there. The LDS's have a wonderful library in Salt Lake City that is open to the country. Check your location for Geneology Libraries first before hitting the road. Good Luck hunting CelticRose and others. Annabelle |
| Posted by: CelticRose 13-Jul-2004, 05:39 PM |
| Thanks for the good luck, A. I need it and I am still forever hunting. It is just that women later than the 19th century were not recorded and that makes it hard. |
| Posted by: Sekhmet 09-Sep-2004, 05:35 PM |
| After doing this since the age of nine...I can say one thing. It all depends on what you're looking for, and when. There are lots of places to get information online for free. Rootsweb has been committed to keeping their information free since their inception, and I try to support them as much as I can. I'm a listowner for several surnames there, and for other topics. Many listers are just dying to give away information there. A lot of times all it takes is a query and within minutes you have that census listing or obituary in your mitts. When you're lucky. My top ten expenses for this hobby thus far: 10. NARA (National Archives) - In researching not just my relations, but those of the regiment our living history group portrays, I've had to send in for more military records, pension files, and what all else than I really want to think about. And the prices just keep going up. 9. Software - My personal favorite is Family Tree Maker from Brodurbund software. I just don't suggest sending in your information to the One World Tree, or whatever they're calling it. They take your information, compile it into databases, then sell the information back to you. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. I usually wind up upgrading my software about every third year. 8. My Ancestry.com subscription - I used to get the "whole hog" membership, which is a couple hundred dollars, but I think I might scale back a bit. But I wind up using the databases there on a near-daily basis, so it's been a good investment. 7. Memberships to various historical societies - You don't want to know how many I'm a member of. I lose track eventually and sometimes have to renew my membership before I can get in the door again! This tends to pile up very quickly. 6. Copying expenses - If you've ever been to a library where they were charging a buck a page, you know what I mean. Ditto courthouses and the occasional cemetery association. 5. Gas - The miles I've put on my car for all the research trips I've done defies explanation. Save that I'm obsessed. With gas prices the way they are right now, it's even worse. 4. Digital cameras/film/development fees - I've got boxes and boxes of family photos that I've copied for relatives, plus photos of gravestones, pertinent houses, monuments, and whatever else made sense at the time. 3. Postage - While this has gone down since the advent of the internet, there's been several cases where I've shipped copies of photos, files, at times entire books, to relatives and they to me. Plus I put insurance on mine and delivery confirmation. 2. Books - When you start investing in things like regimental histories, those books occasionally published that actually pertain to your branch of the family, cemetery records, church records, histories of counties/towns/townships, entire census records for a given area, and whatever else struck your fancy at the time, you are an addict and someone should stage an intervention. Unfortunately, nobody's done that to me to date. 1. Printer cartridges and paper! - Running one copy off of this or that isn't bad. Unfortunately I haven't been that lucky since I got the bright idea to get a printer. Now I print everything from emails that I want a hard copy of to entire books. Which also leads into page protectors, binders, dividers, my two filing cabinets, and what all else. Oh, and a separate hard drive for just my genealogical stuff. Ack! |
| Posted by: ANNHAM 09-Sep-2004, 06:52 PM |
| I agree with Sekhmet, Rootsweb is a great place.  I did some genealogy when home computers were just getting popular...at that time, everybody was sharing everything.. and there weren't any ancestor.coms and such. It was lots of fun. I have tried to look up things on the pay sites and many times what comes back in the searches are pieces of information I've shared with someone a long time ago.. and in turn, someone must have submitted it... Some times I've even found pieces with my initials attached as the source.  Those sites asked for donations of GED files from any and everyone then put all them together and put a price on them.. I basically think they are a rip - off.  Anne |
| Posted by: CelticRose 09-Sep-2004, 06:56 PM |
Thankyou Sekhmet for outlining everything.  The one site that I have been the most disappointed with is Geneology.com. I have found that I only get so far with them and then they want to charge me a lot of money for additional search! |
| Posted by: Sekhmet 13-Sep-2004, 12:49 AM |
| Speaking of everything costing way too much... I'll give here my standard offer for anyone else. If anyone needs something looked up on Ancestry, I've got access to just about everything. Also if anyone needs help finding information on Civil War soldiers/veterans, give me a yell and I'll see what I can do. I have burial records for a couple of the National Cemeteries (specifically Gettysburg and Antietam/South Mountain). If it's Gettysburg, that's my strong suit by far. I've also got a complete set of the Official Records and Fox's Losses, Dyer's Compendium, etc. |
| Posted by: CelticRose 13-Sep-2004, 02:21 PM |
| Wow! That is very generous of you Sekhmet! I may take you up on your offer as I am stuck on one of my great-grandmother's Rebecca Jane Allison or Ellerson. worked as an indentured servant and married my great grandfather Silas Whitaker. I can find no information on her prior to being an indentured servant. I know they both were from North Carolina, but where she came from prior I don't know. I guess back in those days they did not record the women..........a shame. |
| Posted by: Sekhmet 13-Sep-2004, 11:04 PM |
| Allison...? Aw, heck. We could be related. I'm related to the Allisons on my father's side. Any chance they wandered through Pennsylvania? |
| Posted by: CelticRose 14-Sep-2004, 01:29 PM |
Oh my! When my ancestors came from the UK, they first settled in Pennsylvania and later moved on down to North Carolina and then Georgia! Wouldn't it be funny if we were related?!  However, with the Allison side, I cannot get beyond North Carolina and that is what is so frustrating! |
| Posted by: deckers 21-Sep-2004, 03:46 PM |
| Computers are making things too easy for genealogists, and as a result, we forget that there are actual buildings that have this precious information -- information we can get for FREE! Some advice for anyone who is looking to do cheap (or free) genealogy research: 1) Most state and university libraries will have access to the census on microfiche. When I was at Ball State (in Indiana), I used to do this for free. Raven said he lives in Indianpolis. You're just 2 hours from Fort Wayne, home of the second largest genealogy library in the country -- behind the LDS library. If you live close to a big library, like in a college town, make a day of it. Public university libraries are usually open to the public. 2) You might be able to get Internet access to the Fort Wayne library's genealogy section http://www.acpl.lib.in.us . I've never tried it. (www.acpl.lib.in.us) 3) Based on the small research I've seen, Ancestry.com seems to be one of the best sites out there. So if you have to pay money, this may be your best bet. Others may have better info on this than I. 4) Network like crazy. Celticrose and Sekhmet already started, and a lot of others may do it as well. But I found a "half-third cousin once removed" (don't ask!) who had 16 generations of my paternal grandmother's family tree in his possession. Of course, it didn't hurt that all the Blankevoorts in the world are actually related -- I feel bad for all the Smiths and Jones in the world! So who knows, Celticrose? Sekhmet may just be that long-lost relative you need to fill in the missing pieces. Erik Deckers |
| Posted by: CelticRose 21-Sep-2004, 04:01 PM |
| Hi Erik! Thanks for all your info! I live in a small town and a hour a half away from the nearest large or university library, so I am very dependent upon the internet for my info. I would agree that ancestry.com is one's best bet. I have gotten a lot of information from that site. |
| Posted by: SonofHenderson 26-Feb-2007, 02:36 PM |
| There are free search sites on the internet such as: rootschat.com, familysearch.org, cyndi's list, freebmd; cheaper sites include genesreunited but ancestry, etc are much more expensive. The familysearch.org on the web is free-you should enter your family member's details on the search called IGI I believe its the 3rd search item down once you click on search on the home page. |
| Posted by: Rebecca Ann 19-Mar-2007, 05:01 PM |
| Celtic Rose and others here. Best place to go for research online is www.FamilySearch.org It is the LDS family history site and free. There is tons of information there and more becoming available everyday. There is even a program you can download free to your computer called PAF (Personal Ancestral File) to help you keep track of the information and records you find. I work at our local family history center (FHC) the first two Sat. every month. It is a church calling. We have been called and working in our FHC since 1984. We enjoy it very much. There is so much you can find online there. You have to go to your local FHC to order and view films but you can go to the FamilySearch site card catalog and find the films you want to order. Many of our patrons bring in list they printed up I want to order these films please. At the library we do charge fees for film orders to cover cost of postage and handling but basically everything else is free. If I can be of help just let me know. RebeccaAnn |
| Posted by: Sėmeag 03-Mar-2009, 05:00 PM | ||
I'm with you on that! I've ended up subscribing to Ancestry, because they have all the census info (including .pdf scans of the original entries) online. However, the best for finding matches to other family members was GenesReunited, but I couldn't afford both, so have stuck with Ancestry. |
| Posted by: Harlot 03-Mar-2009, 06:35 PM |
| I got real lucky with my mothers side of the family. One of my great aunts wanted to join The Daughters of The American Revolution and they went back all the way to coming on the Mayflower here. My fathers side well that's a whole other story,I can only find where 4 Edward Kings came here from England all around the same time he did. That is my brick wall. I've heard stories that he came by himself which I find hard to believe he would of been 10 or 11 in 1849. The census (1910) says his parents were both born England but have no names for them. When was about 14 or 15 I can remember being shown lots of the family history that someone did for my Dad, traced back to someone who had some nobility and laughing about "we're rich". But where are these pages now I have no idea. It's tough know that my brother and I were the only grandchildren and not knowing any cousins on that side I may never know more then what I know now,and I want too know more. |
| Posted by: OkieRennie 25-Aug-2015, 10:32 PM |
| Sekhmet, have you been peeking into *my* genealogy library and my home office on my family genealogy? Yes it is a very expensive, time consuming, obsession creating, frustrating hobby ... but I wouldn't trade it for anything! What started out as tracing down where my heart conditions sprouted from has turned into my own personal time machine peeking back in the past to make connections to people and places I'll never know with the end result being a sense of belonging and kinship. |
| Posted by: TetonAndDistrictPerformingArts 04-Oct-2015, 11:52 PM |
| Good Evening All! I have something that you might try; and it may have already been suggested. The LDS church has an awesome genealogy department, if you can put any prejudices aside. They have libraries in most cities, that are open to the public, and free to use. The only time money is considered is when you want something copied. AND... apparently, they are so good at the genealogy thing, that the British government handed-over tons of stuff for them to research and catalog. It was starting to get a bit damaged in the catacombs of the island, and the British government didn't have the resources or manpower to do it themselves. There is new stuff being released all the time. They have an on-line account that you can sign-up for, and do quite a bit there. There is a program that you download, a family tree device, that is quite interactive. You can put photos, recordings, etc. The idea is... if everybody uses this system, puts-together the pieces that they can, then upload that completed part to the Family Search servers, it starts going together like a giant puzzle. Then you can re-download all of the pieces that attached to your original piece. It's kinda cool And now for the big surprise... most of those companies that you are paying... are using this sites database. They just create a front-end, the user interface, with a shopping cart. It is not illegal, just annoying! https://familysearch.org/ |