FamilySearch.org – A gold mine of free ancestry records!

Perhaps the best and largest free ancestry search tool available today on the Internet is FamilySearch.org. This website is a non-profit service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This Church is also known as LDS and their followers as Mormons. The LDS Church believes strongly in the sacredness of family and preserving heritage. For over 100 years, it has been involved in gathering and preserving all types of genealogical records from around the world. The LDS genealogy service is sponsored through donations and therefore is free to anyone who is pursuing research of their family tree.

FamilySearch.org is one of the first stops I make when pursuing a new branch on my own family tree. I have uncovered many new generations of ancestors within minutes of performing a search. In one case, I found out I am directly descended from William the Conqueror! Now, verifying all that information will be tricky but at least I have the clues and names to begin looking for the vital records.

There are six main databases that provide an enormous amount of information about your ancestors. They are the Ancestral File, International Genealogical Index (IGI), Pedigree Resource File, US Social Security Death Index, Vital Records Index, and free access to the 1880 United States Census, 1881 British Isles Census, or 1881 Canadian Census. Some of the databases contain information submitted by the general public, rather than actual transcribed records so you will need to make sure to read the details about the database once you get the results. This will help determine how accurate the information may or may not be.

FamilySearch’s new initiative is to digitize ALL of the Family History Library’s microfilms and place them online. There are over 100,00 volunteers helping them with indexing these records. While this is in process, you can check out the records they have completed before they are integrated in the main FamilySearch website. You can find these records at the FamilySearch Record Search Pilot Site.

In addition to the free ancestry search features, the website also provides a large amount of research articles and guidance related to specific countries and specific record types. You can also participate in adding to the information offered on the site by volunteering to index records in your spare time.

FamilySearch.org is a great place to start to trace your family tree. And best of all, it’s a fabulous way to find your ancestors for FREE!

You can use this search form to get started right away.