Free Family History Mini-Class : Lesson 9

In this lesson I recommend some helpful websites from the virtual library “reference shelf”.  Genealogists are constantly having to look things up, whether it be dates for historical context, or the meaning of obsolete words and phrases.  Below are some sources that could come in handy next time you’re stuck.

Family History Reference

FamilySearch Wiki  A real miscellany of useful genealogical resources. You can learn about different types of records, find out what’s available for a specific country and where, or download forms and worksheets, to name just a few of its features.

GENUKI  The must-have in your toolkit for British research.  It breaks the UK up into its constituent parts (not forgetting the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands), then counties, with location and contact information for archives, libraries, family history societies and parish churches.

Maps & Gazetteers

National Library of Scotland Maps  With UK-wide coverage and the capacity to compare areas in different time periods, this is a perennial favourite with family historians.

Gazetteer of British Place Names  Search by postcode or place name with this superb reference tool.

Hometown Locator is my go-to gazetteer when working with United States records.  You can search or browse states, counties, and cities.

     Dictionaries  

Dictionary of the Scots Language  Stumped by an old Scottish will, or just baffled by Burns?  Then this is the perfect solution.

Genealogy Latin Dictionary  For when you come across a random phrase in a parish register and have forgotten all your schoolgirl Latin.

Obsolete Things

The National Archives’ Old Currency Converter  Ever wondered where historical documentaries get their “in today’s money” equivalents?  Wonder no longer.

Old Medical Terminology  Great for understanding more about what killed off your ancestors in days gone by.

History, Geography, & General Knowledge

Encyclopaedia Britannica  The world’s longest running encyclopaedia moved online many years ago, but it’s still more trustworthy than popular alternatives.  Excellent for putting your ancestors’ lives in a social or historical context.

Next week, in the final mini-class,

I’ll share some great free research tools.