Recap of Tim Sullivan's keynote address - DNA, iOS, Content and more

The following is from Ancestry.com.

Good afternoon,

I wanted to send a recap of Tim Sullivan’s Saturday keynote address at RootsTech. Some of the largest highlights include:

·        Ancestry.com is partnering with FamilySearch to bring 140 million pages of US Probate Records covering more than 130 years.

·        Over the next 5 years, we will be spending $100 million to digitize, index and put online new content on Ancestry.com, Fold3, Archives and Newspapers.com

·        AncestryDNA is now available to everyone (subscriber and non-subscribers) for $99

·        The AncestryDNA database has more than 120,000 samples and we’ve delivered more than 2 million fourth cousin DNA matches

·        Ancestry.com’s new iOS 4.1 update will be available soon (now available as of today 3/25)

·        More than 1/3 of our new registrants on Ancestry.com are coming from mobile devices

·        That same 1/3 are younger than our typical website user and this is a great sign of the future health of the family history category

·        Collaboration is key. We encourage everyone to share and help each other.

·        We are constantly looking at ways to appeal to the beginner and the expert genealogist. This can be difficult when the two ends of the spectrum speak a different language, but we are determined to find the best way to appeal to both parties.

You can view the entire address online at RootsTech.org: Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com

This was a great event and I’m looking forward to RootsTech 2014 next February.

Take care,

Matt

Half a million Wiltshire records now available online

The following is from Ancestry.com

MOONRAKERS, QUAKERS AND CHOCOLATE MAKERS – HALF A MILLION HISTORIC WILTSHIRE RECORDS AVAILABLE ONLINE

Historic records from the South West now available on Ancestry.co.uk

Ancestry.co.uk, the UK’s favourite family history website^[i], has today [21 Mar 2013] launched online Wiltshire Church Records, 1538 – 1897 and Wiltshire Quaker Birth & Death records 1542 - 1897 a combined collection of more than half a million historic Anglican and Quaker marriage, birth and death records – offering unique insight into the history of many non-conformists in Wiltshire.

Spanning over 350 years, the records include more than 500,000 marriages from all 327 Wiltshire parishes, as well as more than 3,300 Wiltshire Quaker births and deaths.

Well-known as the home of ancient Neolithic site Stonehenge and for its wool-producing history, the county of Wiltshire was home to many members of the prominent Quaker family the Frys. Included in the collection are birth records for Cornelius and William Storrs Fry - brothers of chocolate dynasty founder Joseph Fry, whose chocolate company Fry, Vaughan & Co was famed for creating the first ever chocolate Easter egg in the UK.

The records are available to search by criteria including name, age and residence and in some cases detail addresses, occupations and parents’ names.

Miriam Silverman, Senior Content Manager at Ancestry.co.uk said “These records are a fantastic resource for anyone interested in finding out more about their ancestors in Wiltshire – non-conformist or otherwise. The collection is also a significant addition to the Wiltshire records we currently have on Ancestry.co.uk, including almost 27,000 Wiltshire Extracted Parish Records.”

For more information, visit www.ancestry.co.uk

Family History Library April 2013 Research Series

The following is from the Family History Library.

Free Research Series on Czech Republic Research

The Family History Library Hosts Events in April.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAHGenealogists and family history enthusiasts looking for help with research in the Czech Republic will be interested in classes held at the Family History Library in April. A free Czech Republic Research Series will be held on Saturday, April 13, at the Family History Library. The classes will include:

9:15 a.m.    “Overview of Czech Research”

10:15 a.m.  “Using and Understanding Czech Records”

11:15 a.m.  “Czech Archives Records Online”

To view the class schedule online, go to https://familysearch.org/locations/library_class_schedule.  Classes will be held in the B1 classroom on the first lower level of the Family History Library.  The library is located to the west of Temple Square on West Temple between North Temple and South Temple Streets in downtown Salt Lake City. On Saturdays, parking is free to library patrons and is located behind the Church History Museum.  To register for these free classes, send an email to FHLClassReg@familysearch.org or call 801-240-4950. 

Free Research Series on Pennsylvania Research

The Family History Library Hosts Events in April.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAHGenealogists and family history enthusiasts looking for help with research in Pennsylvania will be interested in classes held at the Family History Library in April. A free Pennsylvania Research Series will be held on Saturday, April 13, at the Family History Library. The classes will include:

9:15 a.m.    “Overview”

10:30 a.m.  “Court Records - Probate, Civil and Criminal”  

11:45 a.m.  “Vital and Church Records”

1:30 p.m.    “Land Records”

To view the class schedule online, go to https://familysearch.org/locations/library_class_schedule.  Classes will be held in the Main floor classroom of the Family History Library.  The library is located to the west of Temple Square on West Temple between North Temple and South Temple Streets in downtown Salt Lake City.  On Saturdays, parking is free to library patrons and is located behind the Church History Museum.  To register for these free classes, send an email to FHLClassReg@familysearch.org or call 801-240-4950. 

Free Research Series on Ireland Intermediate Research

The Family History Library Hosts Events in April.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAHGenealogists and family history enthusiasts looking for help with intermediate Ireland research will be interested in intermediate Ireland research classes held at the Family History Library in April. A free Ireland Intermediate Research Series will be held on Saturday, April 13 at the Family History Library. The classes will include:

 9:15 a.m.    “Census Substitutes”

10:15 a.m.    “Land & Property Records, Part 1”

11:15 a.m.    “Land & Property Records, Part 2”

12:15 p.m.    “Practice Time”

To view the class schedule online, go to https://familysearch.org/locations/library_class_schedule.  Classes will be held in the B2 classroom on the second lower level of the Family History Library.  The library is located to the west of Temple Square on West Temple between North Temple and South Temple Streets in downtown Salt Lake City. On Saturdays, parking is free to library patrons and is located behind the Church History Museum.  To register for these free classes, send an email to FHLClassReg@familysearch.org or call 801-240-4950. 

Free Workshop on Central America Research (taught in Spanish)

The Family History Library Hosts Events in April.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAHGenealogists and family history enthusiasts looking for help with searching for their ancestors in Central America will be interested in a workshop held at the Family History Library in April.  A free workshop on “Searching for Your Ancestors in Central America” will be held on Saturday, April 20 at the Family History Library.  The workshop will run from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and the topic is:

 1:00 p.m.    “La búsqueda de antepasados en Centroamérica”  (taught in Spanish)

To view the class schedule online, go to https://familysearch.org/locations/library_class_schedule.  The workshop will be held in the B1 classroom on the first lower level of the Family History Library.  The library is located to the west of Temple Square on West Temple between North Temple and South Temple Streets in downtown Salt Lake City.  On Saturdays, parking is free to library patrons and is located behind the Church History Museum.  To register for these free classes, send an email to FHLClassReg@familysearch.org or call 801-240-4950. 

Free Research Series on Using the German Gazetteer

The Family History Library Hosts Events in April.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAHGenealogists and family history enthusiasts looking for help with research using the German Gazetteer will be interested in a class held at the Family History Library in April. A free German Gazetteer Research Series will be held on Saturday, April 27, at the Family History Library. The class will include:

9:15 a.m.  “German Gazetteer” (2 hours and 45 minutes)

To view the class schedule online, go to https://familysearch.org/locations/library_class_schedule.  The class will be held in the B1 classroom on the first lower level of the Family History Library.  The library is located to the west of Temple Square on West Temple between North Temple and South Temple Streets in downtown Salt Lake City.  On Saturdays, parking is free to library patrons and is located behind the Church History Museum.  To register for these free classes, send an email to FHLClassReg@familysearch.org or call

801-240-4950. 

Keep Ellis Island Records Free & Assist the Recovery

I received this email from The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Foundation and I thought I would pass it along to my readers.  I wasn't aware that the it was damaged by Hurricane Sandy and they are trying to recover.

Dear Renee, The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation needs your help to continue to provide free access to our valuable, historical archive of immigration records. For years we have provided these documents—including your ancestor's—free to the public at Ellis Island and on www.ellisisland.org. Our website and content are costly to operate and maintain and this year we have the additional burden of recovering from Hurricane Sandy damage. That is why we are reaching out to friends and supporters at this difficult time. As you may know, Liberty and Ellis Islands were severely impacted by the destruction caused by the hurricane. Portions of both islands were flooded, causing power loss, damaged property and most importantly—closing the islands to visitors. At Ellis, all of our technology, digital infrastructure and servers that support the American Family Immigration History Center® were completely destroyed. Luckily, the immigration database was kept offsite and has remained accessible for free atwww.ellisisland.org. But the cost to replace and install the new equipment is close to $2 million. This is another compelling reason we are asking for your help. Please consider making a gift of $50, $75 or $100 in support of these important initiatives. Click here to make your contribution online now. Another way to keep the Ellis Island Records Free is by adding a loved one's name to The American Immigrant Wall of Honor®where more than 700,000 family names are inscribed in moving tribute to the power of family heritage. With a gift of $150 your family's name can be inscribed on the Wall of Honor when Ellis Island reopens later this year. Learn more and register here or call the Foundation Office at 212-561-4500. We are a non-profit organization that does not receive a dime of government funding. So whether by registering a Wall of Honor name or simply making a donation, your contribution is crucial to our success. Can we count on your support to Keep the Ellis Island Immigration Records Free and put the Family History Center back on its feet? Please make your gift online now at www.ellisisland.org. And as our "ThankYou" we'd like to offer our expert staff to help you search for your family immigration documents in our Ellis Island Records. You can call our team for assistance at 212-561-4588. As always, I am deeply grateful for your ongoing interest and support. Sincerely, Lee A. Iacocca Founding Chairman