Here are the important system and records updates from industry leaders. Each new feature and record offers a new opportunity to learn more about your family history. Let’s get started!
MyHeritage Updates
MyHeritage announced an update their Related Records features on December 16, 2019. Here’s the latest from their blog:
“We recently revamped Related Records in SuperSearch™ to ensure that you don’t miss any important historical records that can lead you to new discoveries.
Related Records, previously known as Record Detective™, shows additional records or family tree profiles that might belong to the person or people featured in the historical record you are currently viewing.
The technology scans the record you’ve discovered in SuperSearch™ and matches it to our entire database of over 10.2 billion historical records and family tree profiles to locate related records.
For example, a birth record could point to a newspaper article about the wedding of the same person, where you could learn about new family members that you weren’t aware of.
To make Related Records more practical and ensure that you won’t miss them, we now show them in a convenient panel on the right-hand side of the record instead of below it.
Related Records are generated by MyHeritage’s record-to-record matching technology, and we’ve just re-calculated these matches, adding hundreds of millions of additional Related Records. This will open the door to many new and exciting discoveries.”
MyHeritage Records
MyHeritage has also been busy adding new records:
Germany, War Graves Index, 1902-1961
An index of 4,234,266 records
“This index of over 4.2 million records containing information on German soldiers and civilians who died in wars or military operations between 1902 and 1961.
Many of the records are for soldiers killed during World War I or World War II. While the amount of information in each record varies, the vast majority of records contain the following searchable data: first and last name, date of birth, date of death, and place of death. Some records also include birth place, burial place, and military rank.
The burial place is seldom recorded, but when available it can provide valuable information about the location of the grave.
While this is largely an early 20th-century military death index, many women are present in this collection.
In the case of soldiers who went missing, the date of death field may refer to the date on which they went missing. Similarly, the place of death may refer to the place from which they went missing.”
Australia, Military Lists and Awards
An index of Australian military rolls.
960,081 records
United States, Index of Burials, 1900-2019
An index of records from various cemeteries located in the United States.
492,002 records
Australia, Index of Burials, 1900-2019
An index of records from various cemeteries located in Australia.
438,587 records
England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Index of Will Registers, 1384-1858
An index of wills proved before the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and other jurisdictions.
979,653 records
United Kingdom, Royal Navy Ratings’ Service Records, 1853-1928
An index of Royal Navy service records for ratings who entered the service between 1853 and 1928.
803,684 records
United Kingdom, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Royal Navy Reserve Ratings’ Records of Service, 1908-1958
An index of service record cards of Royal Naval Reserves, mainly those who served during the First World War.
129,896 records
United Kingdom, Royal Air Force Officers’ Index, 1918-1919
An index of service records of those who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the First World War (1914–1918).
101,411 records
United Kingdom, Royal Marines’ Service Records, 1842-1925
An index of service registers of men who joined the Royal Marines between 1842 and 1925.
112,012 records
United Kingdom, Index of Merchant Seamen’s Campaign Medals, 1939-1945
An index of 108,387 records
United Kingdom, Index of Merchant Seamen’s Campaign Medals, 1914-1918
An index of recipients of British War Medals, Mercantile Marine Medals, and Silver War Badges issued to merchant seamen and officers in the First World War.
157,424 records
United Kingdom, Recommendations for Military Honours and Awards, 1935-1990
An index of recommendations for military honors and awards between 1935 and 1990 to British Army personnel and army personnel from British dominions.
78,497 records
United Kingdom, Royal Navy Officers’ Service Records, 1756-1931
An index of service records for officers who joined the Royal Navy between 1756 and 1931.
66,686 records
United Kingdom, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve Index, 1903-1922
An index of First World War service records for officers and ratings of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR).
59,784 records
United Kingdom, Index of Death Duty Registers, 1796-1811
An index of 51,146 records
United Kingdom, Admiralty and War Office: Royal Naval Division: Records of Service, 1914-1919
An index of service records of ratings and officers in the Royal Naval Division (RND) during the First World War.
50,017 records
Click here to search for these records at MyHeritage.
FamilySearch Records
FamilySearch has also continued to add indexed records. Most are to existing collections, but some are new collections. Here’s what they announced on December 9, 2019.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT—New, free, historical records were added to FamilySearch.org from American Samoa, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Venezuela and the United States. Over 800,000 records were added from the Cape Province of Africa (1895-1972.)
American Samoa
American Samoa, Vital Records, 1850-1972
3,550 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Brazil
Brazil, Santa Catarina, Civil Registration, 1850-1999
8,512 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Chile
Chile, Catholic Church Records, 1710-1928
7,707 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Colombia
Colombia, Bogotá, Burial Permits, 1960-1991
79,631 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Croatia
Croatia, Delnice Deanery Catholic Church Books, 1725-1926
2,870 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, Civil Registration, 1823-1975
151,856 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
England
England, Herefordshire Bishop’s Transcripts, 1583-1898
599 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
England, Huntingdonshire Parish Registers
52,367 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
England, Oxfordshire Parish Registers 1538-1904
51,159 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
England, Yorkshire Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1613-1887
2,587 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
England, Cambridge Parish Registers, 1538-1983
468,063 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
France
France, Vienne, Military Draft Cards, 1867-1921
3,633 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Ireland
Ireland, James Alexander Henderson, The Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory for 1856
37,363 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Ireland, Thom’s Irish Almanac & Official Directory 1868
103,355 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Northern Ireland, Tithe Applotment Books, 1822-1837
175,575 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Ireland and Britain, Transatlantic Migration from North America, 1858-1870
42,695 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Ireland, Thom’s Official Directory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1894, Irish Section
121,181 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Ireland, Thom’s Official Directory, 1910
131,734 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Italy
Italy, Trieste, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1924-1944
100 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Netherlands
Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Vital Records, 1600-2000
101,765 indexed records (over several weeks)
Added indexed records to an existing collection
New Zealand
New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998
637 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru
Peru, Amazonas, Civil Registration, 1935-1999
26,959 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru, Ayacucho, Civil Registration, 1903-1999
1,394 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru, Huánuco, Civil Registration, 1889-1997
23,227 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru, Prelature of Yauyos-Cañete-Huarochirí, Catholic Church Records, 1665-2018
1,494 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru, Tacna, Civil Registration, 1850-1998
193,495 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico, Civil Registration, 1805-2001
714 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
South Africa
South Africa, Cape Province, Civil Deaths, 1895-1972
818,292 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
United States
Alabama
Alabama, Confederate Pension Applications, ca. 1880-1930’s
168,372 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930
8,206 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Arkansas
Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929
96,713 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
California, San Francisco Arrivals
United States, California, List of United States Citizens Arriving at San Francisco, 1930-1949
434,995 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Georgia
Georgia, Chatham, Savannah, Laurel Grove Cemetery Record Keeper’s Book (colored), 1852-1942
24,094 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Georgia, Columbus, Linwood and Porterdale Colored Cemeteries, Interment Records, 1866-2000
28,946 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960
202 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Hawaii
Hawaii, Board of Health, Marriage Record Indexes, 1909-1989
85,716 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Hawaii, Hansen’s Disease Records, Kalaupapa Census Index, 1839-1970
2,336 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Louisiana
Louisiana, New Orleans, Interment Registers, 1836-1972
133,660 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Louisiana, Orleans Parish, Birth Records, 1819-1906
85,840 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Louisiana, New Orleans Index to Passenger Lists, 1853-1952
151,894 indexed records
New indexed records collection
South Carolina
South Carolina, Charleston County, Charleston, Birth Registers, 1901-1926
14,132 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Tennessee
Tennessee, Davidson County, Nashville City Cemetery Records, 1843-1962
18,187 indexed records
New indexed records collection
Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Board of Health Death Records, 1848-1913
1,121 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Texas
Texas, Harrison County Delayed Birth Records, 1860-1933
23 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
U.S. Obituaries
United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011
8,829,622 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
Venezuela
Venezuela, Catholic Church Records, 1577-1995
109,788 indexed records
Added indexed records to an existing collection
FamilySearch Update
Also recently announced by FamilySearch:
FamilySearch Adds Ability to Document All Family Relationships
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (10 December 2019)
“The FamilySearch Family Tree now provides the ability for users to document all family relationships, including same-sex relationships.”
(FamilySearch) “encourages genealogical accuracy based on original source records and contains over a billion user-contributed lineage-linked records. Patrons are now able to document same-sex relationships, including same-sex marriages and same-sex adoptions.”
“When adding a spouse or parent to the FamilySearch Family Tree, the user can now add a spouse or parent of the same sex. The Family Tree mobile app will also support this new capacity after users install the necessary updates.”
Official Statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ancestry Record Updates
Here are the latest new and updated historical genealogy records from Ancestry:
Updated:
Australia and New Zealand, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current
Updated:
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Updated:
Brazil, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current
New:
New York State, Card Index to Supreme Court and Court of Chancery Documents, 1648-1848
New:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Marriages, 1838-1911
New:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Births, 1839-1911
New:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Deaths, 1854-1911
Updated:
Norway, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current
Updated:
Sweden, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current
Updated:
Italy, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current
A few weeks ago I stumbled upon something quite surprising – my Grandfather Peter Gartner Randrup was awarded a Merchant Marine WWI medal for gallantry. I found a war Medal Card at ww.nationalarchives.gov.uk that indicated he had receivedthe Merchant Marine medal for gallantry.
I knew my Grandfather had been a sailor in his 20’s because some time ago on the Ellis Island website I found a Ship Employee List from 1921 that showed him travelling from Newfoundland to NY. They later went to Denmark, where he lived. It said it wasn’t his first time in the USA as a sailor. At that time he had in his posession $600 (a lot in 1921) which was probably his entire pay. It was less than a year later that he married my Grandmother. I only met my Grandparents one time – when my parents took me and my four siblings to Denmark one summer – in 1968.
Our family knows nothing about this medal. I’d like to now all the details. Unfortunately, I live in Canada on a disability income (not the UK) plus the National Archive charges fees for all their information and I don’t possess a credit card. Their website says that some of their records are free of charge but I couldn’t find anything that was free. Every link to some supposedly free information never resulted in actually seeing that information and eventually resulted in being asked to pay.
Was very discouraging, but that one website seems to be the only one available with Merchant Seaman details. Even though the Medal Card I viewed was partially hidden, I could basically read it, as it had very little info. It was dated 1922 , it mentioned Newfoundland, it gave his birth year of 1898 and it gave his full name – although it had his middle name written as GAR-D-NER when it should be GARTNER. (means” gardener” in Danish)
Is there anywhere I can verify that my granfather was awarded a Merchant Seaman (WWI ) war medaland learn the details – without having to pay for it? I would have thought that archives, especially “National” Archives would provide the information free of charge?
Peter, that is the way that the UK government has decided to do things. As a UK taxpayer, who has *already* paid for the collection and storage of these records, I am more than miffed with having to pay again for such things. You can get “free access” if you visit the UK National Archive, but that rules out a whole lot of folk in the UK let alone those from across the seas. You might be able to find someone who could visit on your behalf and get the information.
I would suggest the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness – RAOGK International on Facebook. You can post a specific request and there’s a good chance someone who is already going to the National Archives would be willing to do look ups for you.