Free 1940 Census Webinar Sessions

The following is from RootsMagic.

RootsMagic is proud to be sponsoring a full week of webinar sessions dedicated to the 1940 US Census and hosted by DearMYRTLE.

What to Expect at the Webinars

Since the 1940 US Census images will have been released only 12 hours prior to the first webinar session, we'll be learning and sharing together. The format for the webinar is "partial open mic" to discuss "on the fly" the experiences we're having with the newly released 1940 US Federal Census images.  We will be joined by Jim Ericson from FamilySearch and Amy Johnson Crow from Archives.com with tips, tricks and answers to your 1940 census questions.

Five Webinars - Attend One or All of Them
The 1940 Census webinar sessions will meet five (count'em 5) times, and you may attend any or all of the sessions with your single registration.  Register once to receive log-in info and reminders for all five nights.

MONDAY Apr 2nd

TUESDAY Apr 3rd

WEDNESDAY Apr 4th

THURSDAY Apr 5th

FRIDAY April 6th

 

Register Now
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/515167334

 

9pm Eastern US

8pm Central US

7pm Mountain US

6pm Pacific US

Each webinar session will be open to the first 1000 people in the door each night.  DearMYRTLE will hold a pre-webinar warm-up beginning 15 minutes before the start time.

 

Topics

Here are some questions to get us started:

 

The images:

-- Were there challenges logging in at www.1940census.archives.gov to view the images?

-- Have you found an ancestor?

-- Did you use ED maps for larger cities or browse the complete county?

-- In what formats can one save the image?

-- Are there issues zooming in and out, or do you think things are moving smoothly?

-- Was the website timing out, or did things run smoothly?

-- Do you like the image viewer?

-- If you are having issues with the image viewer, which OS and web browser are you using?

 

The indexing:

-- Did you sign up for indexing at www.the1940Census.com?

-- Have you been notified that your state is available for indexing yet?

-- Is this process running smoothly?

-- Have you previously done FamilySearchIndexing.org work as an indexer?

-- Have you previously done FamilySearchIndexing.org work as an arbitrator?

 

1940 US Census Indexing Kick-Off Invitation

The following is from Utah South Area Family History Advisers Randy & Madge Bryson. This notice is for the American Fork, Lehi, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs area.

Dear Family History Center Directors,

There will be a 1940 U.S. Census Kick-off Event on Saturday, April 7^th, at the American Fork Family History Center, 110 E Main, American Fork, from 1:00 pm -4:00pm.

This is an Open House. All those interested are invited to attend, including indexers, arbitrators, stake indexing

directors, ward consultants, high council advisers, family history leaders, and ward youth

groups.

• Learn how to index and arbitrate 1940 U.S. Census records and download your first census

batches on family history center computers or on your own laptop computer.

• Specialized classes will be offered on indexing, arbitration, and stake indexing leadership each

hour.

• Please bring a laptop computer, if you have one. Be sure you have the latest version of the

FamilySearch indexing software before the event.

• Invite family, friends, and neighbors to join in the fun.

We have been asked as Area Family History Advisers to inform Stakes and Family History Center Directors of this Event. It will be hosted by Family History Department personnel. An email has been sent to all those who have registered on www.the1940Census.com already.

Best regards,

Randy and Madge Bryson

Area Family History Advisers

Utah South Area


Follow-up email

We have your event scheduled for April 7, 1-4pm at the FHC. 

·         You will have at least two FamilySearch staff attend to teach, assist, answer questions, etc.
·         This is an "open-house" format, so people will be invited to come and go at their leisure. 
·         On the hour (1:00, 2:00, 3:00) there will be a 20-minute class held for each of three groups:  beginning indexers; experienced indexers and arbitrators; and indexing directors, consultants, priesthood leaders, FHC leadership.  We may need to ask you or your staff to conduct one of those classes.  Depending upon your building setup, the classes could shift to one at a time and run continuously. 
·         During and between classes, computers should be available for patrons to sign up, or complete a batch for practice. 
·         You should also have tables available for patrons who will bring their own laptops.
·         Prizes (furnished by FamilySearch staff) will be given to those who complete and submit at least two batches during the event.  These prizes include 1940 t-shirts, FamilySearch jump-drives; and FamilySearch pens and will be given out until the supply is exhausted.
·         FamilySearch staff will provide refreshments for the event, but we will let you arrange a space for it.   We suggest an area away from the computers (to save the computers).

London's Westminster parish records live at findmypast.co.uk

The following is from FindMyPast.

WESTMINSTER PARISH RECORDS PUBLISHED ONLINE BY FINDMYPAST.CO.UK

.       Over a million baptism, marriage and burial records dating back to 1538 now available
.       First time that images of the original parish records from Westminster go online

Leading UK family history website findmypast.co.uk has today published online for the very first time parish records held by the City of Westminster Archives Centre.  The Westminster Collection atfindmypast.co.uk comprises fully searchable transcripts and scanned images of the parish registers, some of which are over 400 years old.

The 1,365,731 records launched today cover the period 1538-1945 and come from over 50 Westminster churches including St Anne, Soho, St Clement Danes, St George Hanover Square, St James Westminster, St Margaret Westminster, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St Mary-le-Strand, St Paul Covent Garden.

Debra Chatfield, family historian at findmypast.co.uk, said: "The Westminster Collection is one of the largest regional parish record collections we have ever published online and contains some truly wonderful gems. Family historians, wherever they are in the world, can now search this historical goldmine and uncover the fascinating stories of their London ancestors."

Today's launch marks the start of a painstaking project to preserve digitally the City of Westminster Archives Centre's collection, and sees the first tranche of its baptisms, marriages and burials go online. The remaining records are set to go live over the coming months, along with cemetery registers, wills, rate books, settlement examinations, workhouse admission and discharge books, bastardy, orphan and apprentice records, charity documents, and militia and watch records.

Adrian Autton, Archives Manager at Westminster Archives commented: "The launch of the Westminster Collection is of huge significance making Westminster records fully accessible to a global audience. This resource will be of immense value to anyone whose ancestors lived in Westminster and to anyone wishing to study the rich heritage of this truly great city."

The records can now be searched free of charge by visiting the Life Events (BMDs) section atfindmypast.co.uk, and then selecting parish baptisms or marriages or burials. Transcripts and images can be viewed with PayAsYouGo credits, vouchers or a full subscription to findmypast.co.uk.

The new Westminster Collection at findmypast.co.uk joins a growing resource of official parish records from local archives, including Cheshire Archives & Local Studies, Manchester City Council and Plymouth and West Devon Records Office, with many more in the pipeline and due to go live in the coming months. In addition over 40 million parish records from family history societies can be found atfindmypast.co.uk in partnership with the Federation of Family History Societies.


About findmypast.co.uk

Leading UK family history website findmypast.co.uk was the first company to make the complete birth, marriage and death indexes for England & Wales available online in April 2003, winning the Queen's Award for Innovation.

Findmypast.co.uk has subsequently digitised many more family history records and now offers access to over 750 million records dating as far back as 875 AD. This allows family historians to search for their ancestors among comprehensive collections of military, census, migration, parish, work and education records, as well as the original comprehensive birth, marriage and death records. The company runs the official 1911 census website for England & Wales in association with The National Archives and has digitised several other record sets from the national collection.

About Westminster City Archives

Westminster City Archives aims to provide a centre of excellence, where archives and local studies materials are acquired, preserved and made accessible, in order to raise the profile of Westminster's unique heritage within a global context.

The Archives Centre is designated by the Bishop of London, under the terms of the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978, as the repository for ecclesiastical records for the pre-1965 City of Westminster and has also been appointed by the Lord Chancellor as a repository for specified classes of public records under the provisions of Section 4 of the Public Records Act 1958. These include Petty Sessions records, probate records of the Westminster Commissary Court and Coroner's Court records. It is also recognised by the Master of the Rolls as a repository for manorial and tithe documents under the Law of Property Act 1922 and the Tithe Act 1936.

The Archives Centre holds extensive collections relating to family, local, business and community history in the geographical area of the present day City of Westminster, including the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Paddington and St Marylebone. Among the resources available are books, pamphlets, directories, newspapers, journals, maps and plans, over 60,000 prints, drawings and photographs, local government records from 1460, electoral registers, census returns, parish registers, and business archives.

FamilySearch Records Update 21 Mar 2012

The following is from FamilySearch.

Over 4 Million England, Hungary, and Italy Records Added

 

March 21, 2012

FamilySearch added just over 6.3 million new, free records online this past week for Australia, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and the U.S.  Search these diverse collections and 2.5 billion other records now for free at FamilySearch.org.

Searchable historic records on FamilySearch.org are made possible by thousands of volunteers from around the world who transcribe (index) the information from digital copies of handwritten records to make them easily searchable online. More volunteers are needed (particularly those who can read foreign languages) to keep pace with the amount of digital images being published online at FamilySearch.org. Learn more about how to personally help provide free access to the world’s historic genealogical records as a volunteer indexer at FamilySearch.org. 

 

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

Collection	Indexed Records	Digital Images	Comments
Australia, Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981	23,089	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Australia, Tasmania, Miscellaneous Records, 1829-1961	0	11,909	Added browsable images to existing collection.
Brazil, Marriages, 1730-1955	170,422	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Canada, New Brunswick, Births and Baptisms, 1819-1899	2,789	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Canada, Nova Scotia, Births and Baptisms, 1702-1896	17,716	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Canada, Ontario, Births and Baptisms, 1779-1899	6,376	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Caribbean, Births and Baptisms, 1590-1928	27,827	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Czech Republic, Třeboň, Nobility Seignorial records, 1619-1859	0	119,686	Added browsable images to existing collection.
England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975	1,492,270	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
England, Marriages, 1538–1973	471,818	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Estonia, Population Registers, 1918-1944	0	98,953	New browsable image collection.
Finland, Baptisms, 1657-1890	8,404	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Finland, Marriages, 1682-1892	35,910	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Germany, Saxony, Bautzen, Citizen Rolls, 1496-1923	0	3,832	New browsable image collection.
Germany, Saxony, Meissen, Miscellaneous City Records, 1724-1889	0	1,808	New browsable image collection.
Germany, Württemberg, Schwäbisch Hall, Probate Records, 1803-1925	0	94,254	Added browsable images to existing collection.
Hungary Reformed Church Christenings, 1624-1895	1,615,625	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Ireland, Marriages, 1619-1898	7,737	0	Added indexed records to existing collection.
Italy, Messina, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1820-1865	0	1,076,443	Added browsable images to existing collection.
Italy, Treviso, Treviso, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1871-1941	0	62,245	Added browsable images to existing collection.

 

 

Get early access to FamilySeach Family Tree!

The following is from FamilySearch.

Get Early Access to the Family Tree
on FamilySearch.org!

Congratulations! You have been selected to be among the first to use the new Family Tree on FamilySearch.org.
 

Now you can access your family tree and the largest collection of genealogy resources in the world from a single website—FamilySearch.org.
 

Why you? Because you are familiar with new.FamilySearch.org. The Family Tree, which represents a new approach to researching and organizing your family tree, will be replacing new.FamilySearch.org in the coming months. Early access allows you to explore the Family Tree using your own tree data on a live system. You can also invite other users of new.FamilySearch.org to work with you. (They will just need to follow the activation instructions provided below.)
 

What Is the Family Tree?

The Family Tree is a new service found at FamilySearch.org that enables you to enjoy family history in new ways. Once all of the features are in place, the Family Tree will replace new.FamilySearch and will be freely and publicly available to people around the world.
 

The Family Tree will let you:

• Connect and collaborate with others who share an interest in a common ancestral line.
• Add, edit, and delete relationships between individuals in the Family Tree.—Coming Soon!
• Edit vital and other information for all of your ancestors.
• Discuss and source family tree information to improve conclusions over time.
• View the history of changes to your ancestors, providing increased understanding and control over changes and revisions.
• Add specific ancestors to a personal “Watch List” to receive notifications whenever information about those ancestors is added or changed.
• Try out new features and functionality as they are added over the coming months.

Get started today! Please follow the instructions below to activate your account and pioneer this new approach to family history.
 

First-time Account Activation
for Access to the Family Tree

To activate your current FamilySearch Account for access to the Family Tree, just sign in on the special access page. Go to http://familysearch.org/invite/familytree_tab to sign in using your normal account credentials. This will be the only time you will need to access this page.

>> Activate your account to access the Family Tree

The first time you sign in, you will be automatically redirected to your family tree section on the main FamilySearch.org website. That’s right, you will now be able to access your family tree information right on FamilySearch.org! All of the information from new.FamilySearch.org has been conveniently added to the Family Tree, and any changes you make in either system will be available in both systems. Your family tree and other features can be accessed when you click on the Family Tree tab at the top-left of the web page.

Once you activate your account, you can then access the Family Tree anytime you sign in to the FamilySearch.org website. Be sure to always sign in. If you are not signed in, the Family Tree link will not appear on the site.
 

Got a Question?

If you need help, contact Support at 1-866-406-1830 orsupport@familysearch.org. Please note that help is currently limited to enabling access to the Family Tree. 

A complete user guide for the Family Tree is available online to help you get started. Additional support materials will be available soon.
 

Your Feedback Is Important

During the initial stages of the Family Tree, your experiences, insights, and ideas will help us to refine the process. Please take the time to share your thoughts by clicking the orange Feedback tab on the top right of the web page. You’ll also be able to view the comments of other users.

We hope you enjoy exploring the Family Tree and that you find much joy as you discover more about your family history.
 

Thanks!
Family Tree Team at FamilySearch

FamilySearch Indexing Update 19 Mar 2012

The following is from FamilySearch.

10 New Digital Images of Historic Documents Created Every Second Indexing Projects Added for Paraguay, Panama, and Bolivia! 19 March 2012 Since 2006, FamilySearch has dramatically improved its ability to scan and convert microfilmed records into digital images.  In addition, more than 185 digital camera crews are now at work throughout the world, capturing images six days a week. Between microfilm digital conversions and new field captures, FamilySearch now creates an average of 10 new digital images every second of every day and publishes them atfamilysearch.org within a matter of weeks.  All those new digital images means there’s a dramatic increase in the need for online volunteer indexers and arbitrators!    In the last month, projects from Paraguay, Panama, and Bolivia have been added as new indexing opportunities. This is the first time records from these countries have been available for indexing. See the lists below for the newest additions and status of other projects.   You and your family, friends, and colleagues can help make the world’s historical records searchable online. Your volunteer contribution will help others discover the joy of finding their own ancestors. Visit https://indexing.familysearch.org to learn more about FamilySearch indexing and download the free software.     Current and Completed Projects   To view a list of currently available indexing projects, along with their record language and completion percentage, visit the FamilySearch indexing updates page. To learn more about individual projects view the FamilySearch projects page.   New Projects Added   Argentina, Santa Fe, Venado Tuerto—Registros Parroquiales, 1884-1972 [Parte B] België, Oost-Vlaanderen, Sint-Lievens-Houtem—Burgerlijke Stand,  1851–1900 [Deel 1] Bolivia, Santa Cruz—Registros de la Iglesia Católica, 1623–1977 Brasil, Rio de Janeiro—Cartões de Imigração, 1900–1965 [Parte 2 I] Chile—Registros Civiles, 1885–1900 [Part C] México, Zacatecas, Fresnillo, Villanueva—Registros Parroquiales, 1796–1959 US, Alabama—WWI Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918 US, CT, DC, DE, ME, MA, NH—WWI Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918 [Part 2A] US, Indiana, Morgan— County Marriages 1811-1959 US, Indiana, Noble County Marriages—1811-1959 US, Oregon, Roseburg—National Homes for Disabled Soldiers, 1866–1938 US, Puerto Rico—Tarjetas de registro de reclutamiento de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, 1942 US, Texas— Birth 1903-1934 [Part H] US—WWI Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918 [Part 1A]   Recently Completed Projects   (Note: Recently completed projects have been removed from the available online indexing batches and will now go through a final completion check process. They will be published at familysearch.org in the near future.)   Italia, Napoli, Serrara Fontana—Registri Civili, 1841–1880 UK, England and Wales—1871 Census for Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Durham [Part A] US, Arkansas—Second Registration Draft Cards, 1948–1959 US, Indiana, Jennings—County Marriages 1811-1959 US, Indiana, Randolph County—Marriages 1811-1959 US, Iowa—1895 State Census US, Kentucky—WWI Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918 US, Louisiana—WWII Second Registration Draft Cards, 1948–1959 US, Texas— Births, 1903–1934 [Part G] Sverige, Uppsala—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 3] Украина, Киев—Метрические книги русской православной церкви, 1846–1848 [Часть A] About FamilySearch   FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

NGS Early Bird Registration Discount Ends Soon!

The following is from the National Genealogical Society (NGS).

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DISCOUNT ENDS SOON!

The NGS 2012 Family History Conference will be held 9–12 May 2012 at the Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. Register for the conference today! The early-bird registration discount ends on Tuesday, 20 March 2012. In addition to enjoying a $35 discount, only early birds have the opportunity to order a printed syllabus. (Everyone will receive a syllabus on flash drive.) NGS members get even deeper discounts.

Space is still available for most conference social events and workshops including the Friday night NGSQ 100th Anniversary Reception, Tuesday bus tour, museum center tour and dinner, and the NGS luncheon that features local celebrity, Dan Hurley.

Come join us at the thirty-fourth annual NGS Family History Conference. To register online, visit the NGS website athttp://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/attendee_registration and complete the registration form. 

NATIONAL GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300

Arlington, VA 22204-4370

Phone 703-525-0050 or 800-473-0060

Fax 703-525-0052