RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: trystan on Tuesday 23 December 14 19:20 GMT (UK)
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Ancestry are giving free access to all UK records (http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-5556963-12071390), from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day (24th - 26th December).
(Click on the image below to get there for more) (http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-5556963-12071390)
(http://www.tqlkg.com/image-5556963-12071390) (http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-5556963-12071390)
What a lovely Christmas present from them. :)
The question is - can you tear yourself away to eat your Christmas turkey?
Enjoy!
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Thanks for letting us know, I cancelled my Ancestry sub a few months back so will have a look around to see what new records they have added since.
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Thanks for the heads up, Trystan!
Merry Xmas to you and Sarah. :)
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Diolch Trystan a Nadolig Llawen! :)
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Thanks pinefamily and Alan - hope you find some new ancestors - or at least find it fascinating. :)
Diolch Trystan a Nadolig Llawen! :)
Pinot - Ac i chdi hefyd :)
Translated for others: ([Merry Christmas] to you too) :)
The free access starts in some 18 minutes (or so).
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I had free access straight after my earlier post ( here in Oz).
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Pinefamily
That's brilliant - it's Christmas Eve already for you - we've got a few minutes to wait here in the UK.
Let us know of how you get on with it :)
Trystan
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Thank you have booked marked the page as it is not Christmas eve here yet in Canada. Looking forward to searching.
Merry Christmas everyone
Anne
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Thanks for letting us know.
I've never tried Ancestry before so will be interested in giving it a try.
:) Merry Christmas to all :)
sami
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Thanks for the heads up Trystan. Have used it already here in Oz, and will see how long I can use it tomorrow. Must remember time difference :o :o
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I've just waken up to the same message. Goods news as I no longer have a sub and I hate Christmas Day, so will give me something more to do, than just eat and drink!
Carol :)
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Bet they don't credit us subscribers an extra couple of days as our pressie
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Does this include the most recent ELECTORAL ROLLS and if so where do you find them on the site.
Cheers.
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Bet they don't credit us subscribers an extra couple of days as our pressie
Obviously not the season of goodwill where you are :-\
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Site seems to be down at the moment?
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Thanks Ancestry but only one thing you can't access Family trees? (Public trees).
'Merry Christmas to all'
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It's amazing the effect free access periods have on the 'attendance' at RootsChat. Numbers have been reduced all day by about 25% (except for a period this afternoon I discover when Anc'y went offline reportedly). It even affects the number of Guests sharply so they're not all 'bots and webcrawlers.
Not much chance then of us breaking the record for number of RootsChatters on-line this Christmas (see bottom of Forum Index page).
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Just had a try to get on, using the link posted, but it keeps knocking me out, either to .com.au , or saying to log in to get the free search, which it did not yesterday (Oz time) [Currently 14:00 25/12]
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Also offering 40%+ off UK Premium Membership until 31 December 2014 - £69.99 instead if £119.99.
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Also offering 40%+ off UK Premium Membership until 31 December 2014 - £69.99 instead if £119.99.
But unlike FindMyPast's recent offer you can't add it to your existing sub you must be a new subscriber. :'(
I have also had an offer from Ancestry but it may just be an upgrade on a UK sub ::)
Worldwide Membership
Access all our 15 billion global records
12-month membership
£125.99* £179.99
SAVE 30%
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If you log out of Ancestry.co.uk and log into Ancestry.com, they have free selected records - the best of 2014 from 26th December to 29th December:-
1911 Census of Canada Free
1911 England Census FreeUpdated!
1921 Census of Canada Free
1940 United States Federal Census Free
Australia Birth Index, 1788-1922 FreeUpdated!
Australia Death Index, 1787-1985 Free
Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950 Free
Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 Free
Canada Obituary Collection Free
Canada, British Army and Canadian Militia Muster Rolls and Pay Lists, 1795-1850 Free
Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Free
Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922 Free
Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980 Free
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Free
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915 Free
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 Free
Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 Free
Historical Newspapers, Birth, Marriage, & Death Announcements, 1851-2003 Free
Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913 Free
Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947 Free
Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928 Free
Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 Free
Selected U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1790-1974 Free
U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Free
U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project) Free
U.S. Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995 Free
U.S. School Yearbooks, 1880-2012 Free
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current FreeUpdated!
U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 Free
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Free
U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 Free
United States Obituary Collection Free
Web: Canada, GenWeb Cemetery Index Free
Web: CanadianHeadstones.com Index Free
Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-Current Free
Thanks
Darin.
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I have also had an offer from Ancestry but it may just be an upgrade on a UK sub ::)
Worldwide Membership
Access all our 15 billion global records
12-month membership
£125.99* £179.99
SAVE 30%
Ancestry appear to have put the renewal/upgrade prices up because if you don't login and click subscribe, you get the original prices of £107.40 (Premium) and £155.40 (Worldwide), but someone posted on Facebook yesterday that they'd been charged £119 for Premium on an automatic renewal and when I click on my account it now says to upgrade to 12 months Worldwide (I'm currently using a worldwide trial from FTM) it will be £179.99.
When will ancestry realise that they won't get loyalty from people if they keep charging more to people who automatically renew (whether by putting up the automatic renewal prices or discounting for those who don't). ::) ::) If I could afford to, I'd be tempted to resubscribe to worldwide at the previous amount but can't afford to at the moment. If the new subscription prices go up to the same level, I shall be downgrading to Premium. :-\
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Smudwhisk,
I had exactly the same thing with my National Geographic subscription. I can take a new sub cheaper than renewing my existing one, and I get a free jacket (again).
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Hi Pinefamily, its really annoying isn't it. :-\ The RAC are as bad, every year my renewal goes through the roof until I threaten to leave and then I get offered the same price as new members. :-X
I'm tempted to use the Premium 40% offer with ancestry and downgrade now as only have just over 2 months left on my "free" trial (for which I paid £77 anyway so was the equivalent of half the then normal price for worldwide, and I don't use FTM as a rule). As they seem to be offering discounts around Christmas/New Year, I can then avail myself of any offer next year hopefully. ;) I like having worldwide but am not prepared to keep paying more and more for it. If they didn't keep offering so many cheap new subscriptions or free access, they could offer renewals at discounted prices but for some reason, as with so many other companies, they can't seem to get that into the heads. ::)
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Smudwhisk,
I had exactly the same thing with my National Geographic subscription. I can take a new sub cheaper than renewing my existing one, and I get a free jacket (again).
It is the same with most companies - phones, tv, broadband, insurance, banks, no loyalty or rewards for exsisting customers, just for new ones. A friend who worked for one of the big insurance companies told me years ago never to use the same company two years running as you are far better changing to another and then returning to the original the following year as you get a much better deal.
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Groom, I agree, but funny thing is BT seem to have got their head around this now, well at least if you only have phone with them. My free weekend and evening calls was due up in November, few weeks before I was sent an offer to get a further 12 months for free (rather than having to pay £3 a month extra) which obviously I accepted. Then my free caller ID was up at the beginning of next month and was sent an offer to get it for a further 12 months free, which not surprisingly I accepted. The only terms were you agreed to a further 12 month contract. Its a bit surprising for BT but perhaps the competition has made them aware that they could lose a lot of people if they don't offer "renewal" benefits. I'm not complaining, my broadband is elsewhere and I could move my phone if I wanted when the 12 months tie in was up. I can't get my phone much if any cheaper for phone elsewhere with the services I use. Few companies offer the option of a completely withheld number, or if they do it's difficult to get arranged. So I'm happy to stay with BT for now, although I won't be moving my broadband to them. :D
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I've got back to 1740 and don't know whether Ancestry etc. would be any good for me now. My researches back to 1740 were mostly pre internet. I must have done thousands of miles of driving, spent thousands of hours and thousands of pounds.
No doubt I could now fill out quite a lot of information, but have no intention of subscribing to Ancestry etc. I suspect they are just commercial organisations for profit, no true interest in family history. There are quite a lot of FH Sites that are free and prosper. Just like Rootschat.
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There are quite a lot of FH Sites that are free and prosper. Just like Rootschat
But a lot of the information given on those free sites probably originates from those commercial organisations ;)
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There are quite a lot of FH Sites that are free and prosper. Just like Rootschat
But a lot of the information given on those free sites probably originates from those commercial organisations ;)
And a lot of it is transcripts and not images of the original records, so there is always the chance of an error.
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There are quite a lot of FH Sites that are free and prosper. Just like Rootschat
But a lot of the information given on those free sites probably originates from those commercial organisations ;)
And a lot of it is transcripts and not images of the original records, so there is always the chance of an error.
That is very true Smudwhisk. :) Thankfully most of my tree was done at family history centres ploughing through film of the PR's ;D
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Thankfully most of my tree was done at family history centres ploughing through film of the PR's ;D
Ditto, but the expanded collections of images of original documents on the subscription sites have been very useful. In spite of some very large gaps in places, the London collection on ancestry has been wonderful because we could never get as much research done in the odd visit to the LMA as we've managed with these. That said, I had to order in to a local LDS Family History Centre on indefinite loan the 40 years missing for Enfield St Andrew so that I could actually continue researching. :-\ This has cost me quite a lot what with the film cost (c£20 from memory) and the cost of petrol to visit, but as I doubt ancestry will ever upload the missing content, it was still cheaper than visiting the LMA. ;)
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I have also had an offer from Ancestry but it may just be an upgrade on a UK sub ::)
Worldwide Membership
Access all our 15 billion global records
12-month membership
£125.99* £179.99
SAVE 30%
Judging by comments on their Facebook page, there are problems with this offer and apparently some of the support staff are advising people to cancel their existing Premium subscriptions which then means they can't take up the offer. ::) ::)
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I am glad I don't need to take them up on their 'worldwide' offer then smudwhisk. I have done as mazzie74 suggested earlier and found all I need. ;D
I have to agree that the subscription sites are very useful for filling in the gaps and more, especially as they have closed my local LDS and public transport to the nearest alternative takes far too long.
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Ancestry.com free access - 26 -29 December. So assume US records.
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Yes, the LDS centres are reducing their hours and availability, even here in Australia. The last time I went to my usual one, I was told I had to tell them in advance I was coming to look at the film I'd ordered in, as they might not open otherwise. Most nights I went there i was the only one in there.
A sadly under-utilised resource.
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I've got back to 1740 and don't know whether Ancestry etc. would be any good for me now. My researches back to 1740 were mostly pre internet. I must have done thousands of miles of driving, spent thousands of hours and thousands of pounds.
This is very true. Once you are past the civil registration and census era, records are pot luck, in my opinion. Unless you have London ancestors of course. Other records are often secondary sources, if there is any at all.
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Yes, the LDS centres are reducing their hours and availability, even here in Australia. The last time I went to my usual one, I was told I had to tell them in advance I was coming to look at the film I'd ordered in, as they might not open otherwise. Most nights I went there i was the only one in there.
A sadly under-utilised resource.
Unfortunately the price hike about 3 or 4 years ago didn't help things. :-X I gather they now charge 7.50 in most countries, trouble is that £7.50 is far more expensive than US$7.50 or AU$7.50 (and I believe most of the Australian films are sent from Salt Lake City), so not surprisingly the attendance in many centres dropped. Previously in the UK it had been £2.20 for one month and £1.40 for an extension including indefinite loan, now its £7.50 for 2 months and c.£18 for indefinite loan. :-\ I know they hadn't increased the prices for some years but it really was a large increase. Originally you got 3 months for £7.50 but now they control the return dates more strictly and while it says 3 months that includes apparently a month for the film to arrive from Germany as they shut the distribution centre in Garrets Green, Birmingham a few years ago and moved all the films to Germany. They haven't really helped themselves.
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Here it's $7.50 for one month, although in the past "month" was a little flexible if they didn't have other films to send back.
A lot of films are held in Sydney, but sometimes I have had to wait longer for one to be copied and sent from Salt Lake City.
Cost aside, I used to love the atmosphere of looking at the microfilms, listening to the chat of other researchers. I actually learned a lot going there.
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Ouch $7.50 for one month is probably more expensive than in the UK then. :-X I agree it could be interesting talking to other researchers but I know post price hike I often was the only person attending on some days. I'd not been to the centre for over 2 years until last Wednesday week and was surprised it was quite busy even though it was the run up to Christmas, so I think perhaps some are busier than others.
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I noticed that over the years, as genealogy programmes became "Big" on tv, a lot of freebies/cheapies suddenly became expensive..................amazing what greed does!!!
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I plan my $7.50 investments carefully, and I wouldn't have been as successful in my research without the LDS microfilms.
Yes, the ancestry ads become more prevalent during seasons of Who Do You Think You Are? What I find annoying is when they advertise the little leaf tips; we all know how "accurate" they can be. They also give the impression that you can research your family tree with them, which is a little misleading.
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Can I suggest to the MODS an "special subscription offer" sticky thread?
I missed the recent £10 FindMyPast offer, and am not happy!
BugBear
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Has anyone noticed that certain things which used to be free to view on ancestry as long as you had a membership are now being charged a seperate fee outwith ancestry???
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Has anyone noticed that certain things which used to be free to view on ancestry as long as you had a membership are now being charged a seperate fee outwith ancestry???
Such as public trees and sending messages? I gather they stopped being free about the time they shutdown Mundia, although I'm happy to stand corrected.
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I missed the recent £10 FindMyPast offer, and am not happy!
BugBar
Considering all the £10 annual subs were revoked because it was an error, you've not missed anything there. They currently have a half price sub offer which has been mentioned on RC.
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Has anyone noticed that certain things which used to be free to view on ancestry as long as you had a membership are now being charged a seperate fee outwith ancestry???
Such as public trees and sending messages? I gather they stopped being free about the time they shutdown Mundia, although I'm happy to stand corrected.
So it wasn't my imagination then.
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Has anyone noticed that certain things which used to be free to view on ancestry as long as you had a membership are now being charged a seperate fee outwith ancestry???
Such as public trees and sending messages? I gather they stopped being free about the time they shutdown Mundia, although I'm happy to stand corrected.
So it wasn't my imagination then.
No there have been some grumbles about it on Facebook.
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Looks like the free access has run out, finally, at 14:00 28/12/14 Sydney time. That is 03:00 GMT 28/12/14
At least I was able to use it yesterday 27/12/14, all afternoon Aust time.
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Looks like the free access has run out, finally, at 14:00 28/12/14 Sydney time. That is 03:00 GMT 28/12/14
Is this any good :-\ ;) ;D
If you log out of Ancestry.co.uk and log into Ancestry.com, they have free selected records - the best of 2014 from 26th December to 29th December:-
1911 Census of Canada Free
1911 England Census FreeUpdated!
1921 Census of Canada Free
1940 United States Federal Census Free
Australia Birth Index, 1788-1922 FreeUpdated!
Australia Death Index, 1787-1985 Free
Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950 Free
Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 Free
Canada Obituary Collection Free
Canada, British Army and Canadian Militia Muster Rolls and Pay Lists, 1795-1850 Free
Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Free
Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922 Free
Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980 Free
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Free
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915 Free
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 Free
Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 Free
Historical Newspapers, Birth, Marriage, & Death Announcements, 1851-2003 Free
Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913 Free
Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947 Free
Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928 Free
Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 Free
Selected U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1790-1974 Free
U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Free
U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project) Free
U.S. Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995 Free
U.S. School Yearbooks, 1880-2012 Free
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current FreeUpdated!
U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 Free
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Free
U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 Free
United States Obituary Collection Free
Web: Canada, GenWeb Cemetery Index Free
Web: CanadianHeadstones.com Index Free
Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-Current Free
Thanks
Darin.