Genealogy Chat

Thanks for everyones replies. It certainly looks like origins is best suited to people with London relatives or those with Irish relatives with unusual names. I was impressed with the 1841 census, which is better transcribed than Ancestry, although I don't think they have all counties. After I found my missing great great grandmother, on ther, I checked it out on ancestry and printed it off from there. I do have London ancestors but couldn't find any burials that I wanted and the marriages I found only listed surnames, is there any way to find out the first names? So on the whole, more os a specilaized website than a general one. Lynn

The 1871 census does not show if someone is blind-as was my ggg grandmother. Ancestry is so much easier to navigate. Jennie

Don't get me started......even allowing for the technical problems initially (and annoyingly) once I got in tonight I still kept being thrown out when searching and the records themselves were hugely disappointing in terms of coverage. Needless to say I won't be following up the free day with a paid subscription. Angela

I have been trying out but it seems better for unusual surnames. I have found a couple of possible marriages on Boyds but not much else.

I was unaware of a freebie........bought a months sub a couple of days ago ........ I have alot of London ancestry.....and I'm sad to say I am truly very very disappointed. Wills can be found on the National Archives site and cost me £3.50 to download as opposed to ordering a hard copy from Origins which is £10.00... Not impressed found diddly squat 4got to mention OH's side have Irish and no findings could pin point his people

It's just kicked me out and won't accept my login details -is time up, do you think? A rather unhappy promotion day I think. Jay

Wish I had read this post before I made my post......origins sounds like a real bummer, I won't waste my money on a sub....Thanks Cheers, Margaret

Hi Everyone They are asking for a membership no to access site has enyone got one. I have registered for free access but no number is given. Regards Alan.

Haven't found one single new scrap so far - BUT at least I didn't have to pay to find out that it could offer no help with my researches.(Bit of an anticlimax after all the whohar to get in!) Jay

I've been on for about 4 hours, and have found a couple of London Apprenticeship abstracts that *might* be mine, but that's about it so far. I agree with the comments that the site is very orientated to London, and in fact mainly pre-1800 London at that. Still, it's been good to have a free look at what is on there. Personally glad I didn't take out a paying sub though... Richard

Hi Kate, might just do that, as I have got a whole mob in London and Middlesex I am trying to nail down. At least 72 hours would give me enough time to see if it is worth my while - but I shall wait until the stampede has passed! Many thanks for the info, Regards, Chris

Don't worry, you won't be 'bombarded' with info. The site is the site of the Society of Genealogists, so it's not some cowboys or anything like that! As for what is on British Origins, honestly, if you do have London ancestors it can be very useful. I have found entries in the marriage licence databases on there for several of my ancestors who didn't turn up on the IGI or Pallot's Marriage Index. And you can order hard copies of the marriage licence applications for £10. There is also a database called Bank of England Will Extracts or something like that, which I found one of my elusive ancestors on (his will is also on the National Archives, but the description of him (occupation and address) is different on there so I couldn't identify him!) There are some other databases like London Burials and so on. But if none of your ancestors came from London, well, I wouldn't bother paying if I were you. You can always take out a 72-hour subscription for a few pounds and that one is not automatically renewed. Kate.

Oh right - didn't realise that. Chris

They are, but to don't have to put your actual info in unless you are for real and want to subscribe - they propably use all the addresses and sell to a mailing company. Lu

Talula, I wouldn't have given all my personal info to them out of choice, but the boxes indicated an asterix which I took as compulsory. Chris

If you give your real name address and telephone number, surely you must expect to be bombarded with info. You did not have to supply actual names/address etc. as long as the email had a legit address at the end - you could have put fannywhatshername Lu

The only possibly useful thing I've found is Griffith's Valuation (which is the full version, as opposed to only the index available free on other sites). But the only reason this could be useful is because I do already know which townland to search in for hubby's ancestors. Without knowing the townland I can't see it being very helpful, unless searching for an unusual name.

I am glad i managed to log on today for the free trial .Would of been dissapointed if i had paid. Apart from the 1841 census , it was of no use to me researching Lancashire. Linda

Utter c**p. I have never used a family history site that was soooooooo confusing, and at the end came up with none or less information than you already had in the first place. Lu

Griffiths Valuation 1848-1864 is available free here: http://www.failteromhat*com/griffiths.php