Family History News

Genealogy Guides Aid in Research

FamilySearch.org has added England and Scotland to its online collection of Finding Records of Your Ancestors genealogy guides. The free, downloadable workbooks explain each step of the research process and include important Web sites, search tips, and information on how to find and use different records.

The series includes Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, and Sweden guides. The guides are currently available in English; the Mexico guide is also available in Spanish. There is also a guide for those searching for African-American ancestors. Access these and other helps at FamilySearch.org. Click the Search tab, then Research Helps.

FamilySearch Web Site Enhanced by FamilyLink

A partnership with FamilyLink.com will improve navigation on FamilySearch.org, reduce research time, and allow major search engines to comb the Church’s Family History Library Catalog.

The new Web elements provided by FamilyLink.com will allow users to link directly to other sources, post comments, and make contributions, such as adding missing information to a source. Some of the enhancements will be implemented in 2008.

British Soldiers, Seamen Records in FamilySearch

FamilySearch is teaming with a United Kingdom family history Web site to provide online access to records of deceased British soldiers and seamen dating as far back as the eighteenth century.

Findmypast.com and FamilySearch received licenses to digitize the Chelsea Pensioners retired soldiers’ records from 1760 to 1914. Anther project will make available British merchant seamen’s records from 1835 to 1941. Many of the twentieth century records will include photographs of sailors and personal details of naval voyages.

U.S. Civil War Records, 1860 Census Online

Footnote.com has granted permission for FamilySearch to publish Civil War pension indexes and the 1860 U.S. Census, which includes some slave ownership information. The files usually include a soldier’s full name, rank, and company. Though the war ended in 1865, the pension index extends to veterans who served between 1861 and 1917. Users will be able to search segments of the collections as they are uploaded to pilot.familysearch.org/recordssearch.

Resources for Family History Leaders Available Online

New training resources for priesthood leaders who oversee temple and family history work are now available on LDS.org.

These resources include interactive lessons designed to help leaders direct family history efforts. Additionally, the Administrative Guide for Family History, which supplements the Church Handbook of Instructions, is now available in 19 languages.

These resources can be found at LDS.org by following links from Serving in the Church, to Family History, and then to Priesthood Leadership of Family History.