Handy Sites of the Month for September 2007
These sites have been handpicked by us or recommended by readers. We feel that they provide excellent
information and hope that you will feel the same way too. Links to our "Handy Sites" from this and previous
months can be found on our other links page.
Handy Sites for September 2007:
1) Ellis Island Records
2) BBC - Scottish Roots Homepage
3) The UK National Archives - The Domesday Book
4) JewishGen Holocaust Global Registry
More about the sites:
Ellis Island Records
http://www.ellisisland.org/default.asp
This is a wonderful site operated by the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation.
Among other things, it contains a database where you can search for ancestors arriving at Ellis Island.
Searches are free on this site. You do have to register if you want to get more details about the results of the searches. However, registration is free as well. The site will encourage you to become a member of their association (which costs $45 per year)
- but that isn't required. Although it seems to be a good cause.
When you do find an arrival you can see and print a fancy certificate which shows you the arrival date, ship information, etc... - we found that to be really cool.
The site also contains an excellent history of Ellis Island as well as a tremendous amount of genealogy information. This truly is a great site and a friend to genealogists.
BBC - Scottish Roots Homepage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/scottishroots/
Are you researching Scottish Ancestors but don't know where to start? The BBC offers some excellent help for the beginner.
This site is a simple handbook for anyone starting to research their Scottish roots and we highly recommend it. Here's a
quote from the home page that sums up this website:
"Step by step, we'll help you develop your research. From the earliest stages of Getting Started -
through to developing your investigations in Further Steps - we'll help you trawl your past.
Initial Sources and Digging Deeper look at specific resources and our regular Feature looks
at developments as they happen. The Histories section offers you tales of genealogical research
to inspire you!"
While more seasoned researchers will find the content a little light, it's a good place to start for those new to the quest.
The UK National Archives - The Domesday Book
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=266&j=1
Essentially The Domesday Book is a survey of lands and properties of parts of England and Wales
going back to the year 1086. We weren't even aware that this book existed until we came across the archives webpage for it.
This seems like a fascinating resource for anyone with ancestors in that part of the world.
However, most of us never even come close to making it that far back in history. We're talking about almost 1000 years.
You never know what you'll find unless you look though, who knows maybe your ancestors were part of the nobility.
The site tells you all about the Domesday Book, what it surveyed, when and how, and gives you information
on how to reference it. The book is so old that copies of it made centuries later are now historical
artifacts themselves. That's pretty amazing.
JewishGen Holocaust Global Registry
http://www.jewishgen.org/registry/
The holocaust was a dark period of human history.
This site has created a database allowing people to search for Holocaust survivors and family members.
To quote the site:
"The JewishGen Holocaust Global Registry provides a central place for anyone searching
Holocaust survivors, for survivors searching family members or friends, and for child
survivors searching clues to their identity. As more people add records and search the
database, it is our hope that this registry will help bring about reunions with loved ones."
You must register to search the database but registration is free.
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