Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Please can you tell me which site you think I should subscribe to? Ancestry, genes reunited, rootsweb?

As my family history gets more complicated I need to subsribe to at least one site - I've been doing pay as you go but gets expensive. Which site gives the best value for money and which sites holds the most information - all inoformation well received.
Thanks
Lis

If you do a search on the word "subscription" on this board you will find previous discussions on this subject.

A lot depends on how much you want to spend and whether you want records that cover other countries - ie USA censuses etc.

A look at Findmypast site will give you a list of the databases they cover - they also have the 1911 census but as a separate subscription NOT as part of their usual one.

The Genealogist also gives lists of their databases and their prices.

My suggestion would be to either go to your nearest library that has a subscription to Ancestry.co.uk as many do offer it free, or alternatively use their free two week offer and see what you think of it - if you do this, make sure you cancel at the end of the two weeks or they will take the subscription from the details you have provided.

Some who have tried Findmypast say that the transcriptions are better than Ancestry, it may be so, but you also need to take into account the other databases and whether you think they would provide you personally with value for money.

Thank you Mary - sadly I'm in Belgium and therefore need to subscribe. Will weigh up the pros and cons!
Thanks for your help.

May get time this month when I visit the UK - will try the local library.

Lis.

I don't believe being outside the UK precludes you from the two week free trial.

You can also take a free trial with Find My Past

www.findmypast.co.uk/free-trial.action

Why not take out a free trial with one use it and make sure you cancel at the end and then try the free trial on the other site and then cancel that and then decide which will be best for you.

I had a 6 month subscription with The Genealogist and personally I did not like it it finding it quite annoying. I got some things of it that were useful but not enough to make me renew the subscription. However as I say that was a personal opinion.

I have a subscription to both Ancestry and Find my Past but mainly because I use them both a lot. It all comes down to personal preference and what suits you best.This list of some free sites may be helpful to you

Free websites
www.familysearch.org – the IGI

http://labs.familysearch.org – has Irish civil registration on it as well as more parish records

www.freebmd.org.uk

www.ukbmd.org.uk

www.lancashirebmd.org.uk

www.cheshirebmd.org.uk

www.lan-opc.org.uk

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a - access to archives

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

http://www.xmission.com/~nelsonb/lws.htm Lancashire wills

http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Recordoffice/Wills/ Cheshire Wills

http://www.cwgc.org – commonwealth war graves commission website

www.genuki.org.uk

www.liverpoolhistoryprojects.co.uk – Catholics in Liverpool

www.census.nationalarchive.ie – Irish 1901 and 1911 census

Hilary
Ed Officer