January 21 2001 DOORS
Genealogy
* * * * * Maximum rating five stars

www.cyndislist.com * * * * *
Cyndi Howells believes the web is a library with its books strewn about the floor and wants to create a card catalogue for the genealogy section. Her collection of 85,000 links, which has received more than 18m visits, is a classic net success story - hobbyist taps into unexpectedly huge source of public interest - and has become an essential resource for anyone pursuing an inquiry. She has thousands of British links, ranging from Bert's English genealogy page to well-chosen ephemera, such as a history of the copper industry.

www.cwgc.org * * * *
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was created by royal charter in 1917, and its site quotes George V's words that "the whole circuit of the earth is girdled with the graves of our dead". It is hard to be objective about such an honourable undertaking: some might wish the design were plainer, but family historians will find records of nearly 2m graves (and the names of 60,000 civilians who died in the second world war) as well as, in two-thirds of cases, details of next of kin.

www.familysearch.com * * * *
Family history is central to the Mormon church, which believes the dead inhabit a spirit world wherein they continue to learn. This huge, predominantly American, database makes most of its international genealogical index freely available, with new names added daily. The church is also thought to be working out how to upload its primary records of 2 billion names. The site will also help you find your nearest Mormon Family History Centre, of which there are many, where you can receive expert advice and request specific records.

www.genuki.org.uk * * * *
Britain has put fewer family records online than America, but the UK and Ireland genealogical information service is most helpful, taking embryonic historians through such basics as developing realistic objectives and narrowing their searches. The Public Record Office (www.pro.gov.uk/familyhistory) dispenses advice on finding and using documents such as marriage and divorce records. The PRO ties to www.familyrecords.gov.uk, with its information on the Northern Ireland and India record offices.

www.origins.net * * * *
Scots Origins claims to be the only comprehensive online database of a country's government records. Government records are not everything, of course, but this pay-per-view site, costing £6 for every 30 pages, is an impressive model of what can be made available. An Origins deal with the Society of Genealogists also means that a selection of its records is available to the site. The English Origins database currently includes 1m names, covering the period 1568 to 1850. Boyd's Marriage Index, with 6m records, will be added this year.

www.college-of-arms.gov.uk * * *
The College of Arms is Britain's official heraldic body. For a fee, entitlement to arms (by direct descent, so don't assume your surname qualifies you) can be checked with the duty herald, a member of a body of genealogists with access to the college's extensive and unique library, which is financed by charging for private research. New grants are made every year. Those bearers of arms who crave pictures can try Don Smith at www.heraldicgraphics.demon.co.uk, who will also help to design and register a family tartan.

www.earl.org.uk/familia * * *
The Earl Consortium might sound like something that's run by a Bond villain, but is actually the public library networking body. Its subproject, Familia, is a guide to the genealogical resources available in Britain, as well as Ireland's public libraries. This is one to bookmark: it points to which voting records, census data and old newspapers are available in the local library. There are plans to expand into a family-history portal.

www.genealogy.com * * *
In a recent survey, 7% of Americans declared themselves dedicated family researchers, and Genealogy. com is one of their main portals. Its learning centre contains dozens of tips and articles on hunting for your forebears. The family finder links to large American databases with many British names, although the main one, World Family Tree, cannot be accessed free. Ancestry.com offers a similar service.

www.sog.org.uk * *
The Society of Genealogy site mirrors the state of online genealogy in Britain: background information and guides to offline records rather than online databases. The society's London library records are the most extensive available, and researchers can check what is on offer here before visiting the capital. There are also articles from the SOG's Computers in Genealogy magazine. A list of parish register copies held by the society is also online.


Updated 8 February 2001>