The following news release is from FindMyPast.com: Findmypast.com Launches UK Criminal Records dating 1770-1934 LOS ANGELES (Feb. 21, 2013) – Findmypast.com, an international leader in online family history, today announced the largest collection of historical criminal records from England and Wales is being published online for the first time in association with the National Archives [...]

The following was received from FamilySearch December 28, 2012: FamilySearch added an additional 38.5 million new, free indexed records and images this week to its collection. Notable additions include the 6,095,759 indexed records in the new United States World War II Army Enlistment Records collection, the 4,068,907 indexed records for the new United States Germans [...]

The following news release was received from FamilySearch.org: More than 120 projects are currently available from countries outside the U.S., representing 16 languages. Since the first of the year, new projects have been launched from Bolivia, Paraguay, Switzerland, and the Philippines. Later this year, FamilySearch indexing plans to release projects for Armenia, Costa Rica, Denmark, [...]

The following news release was received from FamilySearch.org: 22 May 2012 – The halfway point for indexing the 1940 U.S. census is fast approaching. Congratulations and thank you to all of the volunteers participating in this unprecedented genealogical community effort. Currently more than 20 states are at or above 85 percent complete. Six states — [...]

The following news release was received from FamilySearch.org: The 1940 US Census Community Project, which includes FamilySearch, Archives.com, Findmypast.com, NARA, and ProQuest.com, have now published browsable images online for 1940 U.S. Federal Census and the completed searchable indexes for six of the states. Online volunteer indexers have indexed 35% of the census. At current rates, [...]

The following news release was received from FamilySearch: 4 April 2012: The 1940 U.S. Census is here and the 1940 US Census Community Project has kicked off to a great start! The excitement and enthusiasm for this project is far greater than anything previously seen in the six years that FamilySearch indexing has been available. [...]

The following news release was received from FamilySearch.org: 10 New Digital Images of Historic Documents Created Every Second – Indexing Projects Added for Paraguay, Panama, Bolivia, and Slovakia! 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 [...]

The following news release was received from from Debra Chatfield at findmypast.co.uk: Today, in honour of St David’s Day, leading family history website findmypast.co.uk has announced the launch of the first tranche of parish records from Wales – part of a major new project with the Welsh County Archivists Group and the National Library of [...]

The following news release was received from GenesReunited staff on October 14, 2011: UK family history site Genes Reunited have added Parish records to their growing record collection. Today sees the launch of over 35 million baptism, marriage and burial records for England and Wales dating back to 1538. Parish records are an important source [...]

Second Stages in Researching Welsh Ancestry is a follow-up guide to Welsh Family History [previously reviewed on this blog]. Like its predecessor, this book is a compendium of research guides written by different authors, each an expert in his/her own area of specific research. This “Second Stages” guide goes beyond beginner levels taught in the [...]

Title: The Surnames of Wales Authors: John & Sheila Rowlands Published: 1996, reprinted 2008 Type: soft cover Size: 5½ x 8½ Pages: 229 ISBN: 9780806315164 FRP Item #: GPC 5032 According to The Surnames of Wales, there are many myths and misconceptions about surnames in Wales. How could there not be, when the ten most [...]

The following news release was received from Amy Sell and was written by FindMyPast.co.uk staff. Findmypast.co.uk discovers ‘real-life’ wizard in the 1911 census John Watkins Holden – conjuror of the 19th and 20th centuries On the day of the world premiere of the last instalment of the Harry Potter film series, leading family history website [...]

The following news release was received from Paul Nauta, with FamilySearch. New Historic Brazil and Honduras Records Online Six Additional Country Collections Also Updated More digital images poured out of the FamilySearch pipeline this week—over 2 million, in fact. Historic record collections for 8 countries were updated: Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Switzerland, U.S., [...]

It’s not just royal weddings that are worth remembering. This week, as Kate and William prepare for the happiest day of their lives, look back at equally special days in your family history – using all of Ancestry.co.uk’s official England and Wales Marriage Indexes, 1837-2005, for FREE! To search the historical British marriage indexes, you’ll [...]

The following was received from Paul Nauta at FamilySearch.org: Brazil, England, India, Italy, Nicaragua, Spain, and Wales Records Added Also new U.S. records for Delaware, New Hampshire, Texas, and Virginia More fascinating collections were published this week online at FamilySearch.orgó39 million new records, to be exact. The England and Wales 1901 Census will certainly be [...]