Family History Notes

Church Members Granted Free Access to Partners’ Census Images

Through FamilySearch.org, access to census images provided by partner organizations such as Ancestry.com and Findmypast.com will become available free to Church members in 2009, when FamilySearch will enable a member validation system for registered users on its Web site. In addition, any FamilySearch volunteer or indexer who meets basic contribution requirements each quarter will also have free access. All data indexed by FamilySearch volunteers will continue to be available free to the public.

FamilySearch Pilot Site Nears Half Billion Searchable Names

With more than 467 million names available, the Record Search pilot Web site is helping FamilySearch increase access to genealogical records. Recently 46.3 million names and 1.2 million images were added to the site at pilot.familysearch.org by updating the 1850 United States Census, adding 15 states from the 1870 U.S. Census, and updating the 1930 Mexico Census. The 1841 and 1861 England Censuses were also published with links to images at Findmypast.com.

FamilySearch and Ancestry.com Team Up on U.S. Census

FamilySearch and Ancestry.com have exchanged resources to publish new online indexes and images of the U.S. Federal Census Collection (1790 to 1930). In July 2008, FamilySearch gave improved digital copies of the original censuses to Ancestry.com. In return, Ancestry.com gave FamilySearch copies of its existing census indexes. FamilySearch will merge its own indexes with those from Ancestry.com to create enhanced census indexes with several new fields of searchable data.

FamilySearch, Partners Increase Availability of British Censuses

FamilySearch partnered with three United Kingdom organizations in July 2008 to significantly increase Internet availability of English and Welsh census records. Findmypast.com, The Origins Network, and Intelligent Image Management joined with FamilySearch to publish online indexes to censuses for England and Wales from 1841 to 1901. Census records from 1841 and 1861 are currently accessible at FamilySearch.org and Findmypast.com, with other years to follow as the project moves forward.