Is there such a thing as a free genealogy database?

Question:I have started getting into my family tree, but have not had too much luck being able to find public records (especially in foriegn countries). All the on-line services that I have found so far want money, which I don't have a problem with but I would like to be able to do this on a very low budget if I can. Any suggestions?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have started getting into my family tree, but have not had too much luck being able to find public records (especially in foriegn countries). All the on-line services that I have found so far want money, which I don't have a problem with but I would like to be able to do this on a very low budget if I can. Any suggestions?

My personal advice (25+ yrs of experience)...
throw out the word database. These are normally built on the concept that "someone" already has done the research, and posted it. If I spend 2 months of my time, transcribing (say) death records at a certain location, then it is logical that if this is my 'business', I would sell access to the results.
If you shift your thinking to persons, as individuals, and records.. you will get WAY farther. And also.. the computer is just a way to get to records. The records are almost always out there (they were there before computers).
I say this often here.. much to the consternation of some.. I did research before the internet, and am WAY aware of what is out there, what can be found, and just how much people miss by the idea that all genealogy has to be done on the computer. Public records mean they are public... that doesn't always translate into "online" .
It is also very possible (since you are starting out) that the more recent info is an issue. Records for living people are MORE restricted, for security reasons.
Without putting names of live persons... post a person and problem here that you are having. We are far more likely to know of a resource if you say "I need the death certificate for grandpa John Smith from Cape Cod in 1840ish". If it is overseas, we may also tell you that those records are in a certain location, or some alternate route.
There is always some cost to research. The more you understand about defining your question, and the resources out there, the more you control the costs.

Try this free service run by Ancestry:

http://www.rootsweb.com/

Cordially,

I_love_paper

Also try familysearch.org

Note: their compiled data (from records) is pretty accurate, but their user-submitted trees are to be "taken with a grain of salt."

This is a text file I paste to questions like yours. People ask similar questions 3 - 14 times a day here. You get a long, detailed answer, I don't get finger cramps. It is long because there are over 400,000 free genealogy sites.

It is also long because researching your family tree is as hard as writing a term paper in a History class. You don't have to be a rocket scientist, but you won't do it with five clicks. I could tell you everything I know in 30 minutes, but not 3. The fact you have to do research stops nine out of ten teens and many adults.

If you didn't mention a country, we can't tell if you are in the USA, UK, Canada or Australia. I'm in the USA and my links are for it. If you are not, please edit your question to add a country. Or, better yet, delete it and ask again, this time putting inthe country. Genealogists from the UK answer posts here too. They are more experienced and more intelligent than I am. I'm better looking and my jokes are better.

The really good stuff is in your parents' and grandparents' memories. No web site is going to tell you how your great grandparents decorated the Christmas tree with ornaments cut from tin foil during the depression, how Great Uncle Elmer wooed his wife with a banjo, or how Uncle John paid his way through college in the 1960's by smuggling herbs. Talk to your living relatives before it is too late.

You won't find living people on genealogy sites. Don't look for yourself or your parents.

So much for the warnings. Here are some links. These are large and free. Many of them have subtle ads for Ancestry.com in them - ads that ask for a name, then offer a trial subscription. Watch out for those advertisements.

If you try the links and don't find anyone, go to

http://www.tedpack.org/yagenlinks.html

It repeats each link, but it has a whole paragraph of tips and instructions for each one.

http://www.cyndislist.com
Cyndi's List has over 250,000 sites.

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/f...
The Mormon's mega-site.

http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.c...
RootsWeb World Connect. The links at the top are advertisements. They mislead beginners. Ignore them and scroll down.

http://www.rootsweb.com/
RootsWeb Home.
This is the biggest free (genealogy) site in the world.

http://www.ancestry.com
Ancestry has some free data and some you have to pay for.

http://www.usgenweb.net
US Gen Web. Click on a state. Find a link that says "County".

http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/defa...
Surname meanings and origins, one of Ancestry's free pages.

http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-b...
Social Security Death Index. Click on "Advanced". Women are under their married names. They are under their maiden names in most other sites.

http://find.person.superpages.com/
USA Phone book, for looking up distant cousins.

http://vitals.rootsweb.com/ca/death/sear...
California Death Index, 1940 - 1997.

http://www.genforum.com
GenForum has surname, state and county boards.

http://boards.ancestry.com/
Ancestry has surname, state and county boards too. They are free.

Read
http://www.tedpack.org/goodpost.html
before you post on either one.

Read the paragraphs about query boards on
http://www.tedpack.org/yagenlinks.html
before you search them.

http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/lis...
Roots Web Mailing List Archives.

Read
http://www.tedpack.org/maillist.html
if genealogy mailing lists are new to you.

Off the Internet, some public libraries have census image subscriptions. Many Family History Centers do too. FHC's are small rooms in Mormon churches. They welcome anyone interested in genealogy, not just fellow Mormons. They have resources on CD's and volunteers who are friendly. They don't try to convert you; in fact, they don't mention their religion unless you ask a question about it.