Swedish Demographic Database - Free Search for Limited Time Only

If you have had cause to research genealogy in the Scandinavian countries, you know the many challenges that are faced in tracing your lines. The Swedish Demographic Database (DDB) produced and held at Umeå University in Umeå Sweden, provides seventy individual parish records available for research in the following regions: Sundsvall town, Sundsvall region, Tuna included, Linköping region, Skellefteå region, and some single parishes.

The Swedish DDB states their purpose is to produce and make "...population databases available for research. The primary sources digitized are parish registers from the 18th and 19th century, but also parish statistics from the period 1749-1859 have been recorded and made available in a database. These historical sources have a proven high quality and contain an amazing amount of information about the Swedish population, which is suitable for studies with a longitudinal and broad perspective. However, the DDB is not only working with historical material and producing databases with historical information. In close collaboration with Statistics Sweden DDB is developing a new infrastructure where historical data is being liked with modern population registers."

Currently the site is offering access to the Indiko database for free from now until November 21, 2010.  Please see their comments below.  When the free option expires, the databases can be accessed on a monthly basis. The site is viewable in English and Swedish.  If you would like to search these databases, click the

Swedish DDB link and then click the Indiko database link on the right of the web page under quick links.  After you have clicked that link a pop up window will open that requires you to accept the terms for searching the database. Please note, the pop window must remain open while you are searching the database.  Another smaller window will open asking for your username and password.  You do not have to put any username or password to search the databases for free.  Click the Log-on button.  The search box (requires javascript) will open that looks like the window on the right.  This is where you can actually begin your search for your ancestors.  Have fun searching. 

US Land Patent Searches

One valuable resource for genealogists and family historians in tracing and documenting their family history includes land patent records. Researching land patent records can be very difficult and tedious, but some of the basic records are now available to research online at the Bureau of Land Management and General Land Office Records. You may be wondering what is a Land Patent. Simply stated a Land Patent occurred when a particular piece of property was transferred from the hands of the government to the an individual or when there was a land ownership transfer. This was encouraged by the United Staes government by many methods including land in lieu of payment for military personel and allowing people to have 160 acres of land for the cost of the filing fee to name a few.
This encouragement occurred as a way of assisting with the expansion of the country from the east coast to the west.

If you have not used land records in your research, you may not know what information is available in these treasure trove records including the name, location, size of the homestead, marriage and/or immigration information. The marriage and/or immigration information was occasionally requested by the government when requesting a Land Patent. To learn more, please refer to the FAQ of the site. The information that is available on this site includes the following information: patentee, date of issue, the land office, mineral reservations, a legal land description and the amount of acres issued. Unfortunately you are unable to view the application which would possibly include information about immigration, marraige, etc. This information can be obtained by contacting the NARA (National Archives and Records Administration).

If you would like to research in the Land Patent Record Search click
here. Have fun!

Where's the Hundred of Frome?

When I first came across the website regarding the Hundred of Frome, I didn't understand what "The Hundred" of Frome meant. I started researching online and discovered that (according to the Oxford dictionary) the term "Hundred" is used in England as well as Ireland referring to a subdivision of the shire or county. The Hundred of Frome is located in Somerset England and consists of the following parishes and locations:
Beckington, Berkley, Cloford, Elm, Frome Selwood, Laverton, Lullington, Marston Bigot, Nunney, Orchardleigh, Rode (Road), Rodden, Standerwick, Wanstrow, Whatley and Woolverton and the neighboring areas of East Cranmore, Leigh upon Mendip, Mells and Witham Friary and the Peculiar of Buckland Dinham.

This website provides valuable information for the genealogist researching in the areas listed above. Searching for ancestors in this location is made easy by clicking on the tabs across the top of the site. The tabs include locations, families, censuses, church records, property records and others. Records that are available to searching, are transcribed or donated by volunteers. David Smart, the web author, welcomes you to contact him regarding contributing information that pertains to this site.

If you would like to research in this site, click Family and Local History in Frome Somerset.

Preserve Our Cemeteries

Preserving cemeteries is a pursuit that benefits the genealogist, providing the valuable information of birth and death dates of their deceased family members. Many projects around the world are in existence today as genealogists attempt to preserve the past. I came across the website "Preserve Our Cemeteries" where the primary goal of the group is to preserve, restore, and protect abandoned pioneer and family cemeteries in Canada. The author of the site points out the main reasons for preservation of these cemeteries is the fact that the cemetery may be the only primary source of information for a person's life. Birth, Marriage, and Death certificates have only been used routinely for less than 70 years. My maternal grandfather did not have a birth certificate until later in life when he applied for a "Delayed Birth Certificate". You may think that it is not that common of a problem, but I was reading in an online paper called Journal Gazette about an individual last year who was 70 years old trying to get a passport utilizing a Delayed Birth Certificate. He found out that he could not get a passport unless he had a "real" birth certificate which the Delayed certificate was not considered real. He finally received his passport but had to be assisted by his local senator in obtaining the necessary documentation. If you would like to read about his story click here.

I digressed a little, but I wanted to share with you the reason why it is important to preserve cemeteries. The website "Preserve Our Cemeteries" provides a searchable index for the following areas: Hastings, Northumberland, Prince Edward County, Peterborough, and Victoria Canada. Once you have navigated to the index page of the site, you will be able to select the area of research by utilizing the drop down box for the county. Once the county has been selected, you will then be able to select the specific township you would like to research. The information that is available for viewing varies for each location.

If you would like to research in this area, click Preserve Our Cemeteries. Have fun!

Ontario Canada obituaries

I have several readers that visit this site from Canada so I thought that I would dedicate this post to them for their continued support and friendship. I found Ontario obits website where you can research for your ancestor that has passed away in Ontario. The site provides an index for you to research within. Once you have located your ancestor, you then contact one of the volunteers to assist you with your request.

The webmaster, Janet Jones provides the following instructions to utilizing the site:
1. Perform your search
2. Copy and paste the exact index line into your email request - Please DO NOT retype the index line into your email as it may result in errors.
If the index you are looking for contains *JFLH please visit "Jude's Family & Local History" to obtain that obituary.
3. Send your email along and it will be processed as soon as possible.
4. A maximum of 5 requests per email is requested

I would suggest that you check out the FAQ section where Janet discusses answers to common questions regarding the site and how it is set up. I found the site to be easily navigated and the FAQ section answered many of my questions. If you would like to research on this site, click Ontario Obits. Have fun searching!

Family Bible Transcriptions of Canada

Family Bibles have to be one of the most precious historical and fragile items that can be passed down through families. Canada GenWeb has developed a website where you can search through extracted information from various family bibles. The site can be searched by using the search engine or by browsing through the surnames using the alpha browse feature. Please note that some of the transcribed information contains viewable images.

The site also allows you to submit a transcription and image of the family bibles that you may have in your possession. Another nice feature of this site is it allows you to post to a message board regarding the family bible that you might be seeking or willing to give to someone.

If you would like to search for a family bible click Canada Family Bibles Projects.

FamilySearch Record Search

If you haven't checked out the FamilySearch Record Search site, you are missing out. The FamilySearch Record Search site is currently in the pilot stage, but they welcome one and all to research the information that is currently available.

I have posted about FamilySearch Indexing and how many indexers are working feverishly on indexing the thousands of microfilm and fiche in the Salt Lake Family History Library. The result of the indexing can be viewed at FamilySearch Record Search. The 1870 United States Census has just begun to show up on the site and the 1900 United Census is almost completely up. Each of the indices that are located on the left side of the page have both the index and the images available to searching. The indices located on the right side of the web page have only the images and not the indexes categorized by specific locality and type of record.

Other records in various stages of completion that are available for searching include US and state census records, The Freedman Bank, Civil War Pension Records, Germany, Norway, and Mexico Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials and Cheshire England, Church of England Baptism, Marriage, and Burial records to name a few.

These records are available for searching for free. If you would like to browse or search these records, check out FamilySearch Record Search. Have fun!

New South Wales Genweb Project

As most of my readers know, I am a huge fan of the World GenWeb Project. I came across the New South Wales Genweb Project and thought that I would share it with you. For those that are not aware, New South Wales is located in Australia and it is the most populated state.

This GenWeb site offers a great deal of information for those researching in this area. The following is just a small example of what is available for research.

A-Z NSW Shires - This includes information regarding the Shires - Volunteers are needed
Online Databases - Include extracted B/M/D records, census records. Some of the databases are free and others require a fee
Transcript Depot - Include burial records, electoral rolls, and periodicals to name a few
Convict Heritage - Extracted information from various places in England and Australia
General History

As with all GenWeb sites, they are generally maintained by individuals donating their time and talents to assist others in their personal family history quest. Click New South Wales GenWeb Project, if you would like to research further. Have fun!

Budawang Aborigines

Cathy Dunn, a professional Historian and noted author specializes in Aboriginal Culture and Research. Located in New South Wales (NSW), Ms. Dunn has access to many records and has provided indices regarding convicts and residents in NSW as noted in my previous post.

Cathy Dunn states on her website "The Budawang tribe were the Aboriginals to be sighted by Captain Cook in 1770, on Koorbrua beach at Murramarang. The tribal area of Budawang is from Conjola in the north, Lake George in the West and the Moruya (Deua) River in the south." The area is located on the coast of New South Wales, Australia.

Ms. Dunn has indexed Roman Catholic and Church Of Engalnd Baptisms, Marriages and Death for the Milton Ulladulla, Aboriginal Households on the 1902, 1903 and 1922 Electoral Rolls and a list of aboriginal men that served in World War I. The images are not availble to view on the website, but the information from these records have been indexed and are placed in alphabetical order for ease of searching. The indexed information includes names, dates, place of the event and parents are listed with the birth information of a child.

If you would like to research in these databases, click Budawang Aborigines. Have Fun1

Fianna Study Group Irish Research

The Fianna Study Group Guide to Irish Genealogical Research is a site with a great deal of information to assist those researching their Irish Roots. Come explore the possibilities by reading further.

You might be wondering what Fianna means and I share with you what I have found. Fianna was a legendary band of warriors who were called upon at times to defend the Kings of Ireland during the 1st through 3rd Century AD. The Fianna were comprised of three different classes of Irish men who were required to serve their chieftain for a particular length of time, after which they were released to return to their every day lives. The group was also comprised of mercenaries from various countries such as Scandinavia and Britain. These men were paid for their services the the reigning king. This group was also involved in maintaining peace and order during their service in addition to protection of the chieftain and king. If I still have your attention, you are probably wondering what this has to do with genealogy. The motto of the Fianna Groups was: Truth in our hearts. Strength in our hands. Consistency in our tongues. The group also had a strict conditions for acceptance which included being a poet and versed in the 12 books of bardic literature, stand in a hole waist deep with a shield while nine warriors threw spears at him, and many other requirements.

In keeping with the tradition of the Fianna Warriors, The Fianna Study Group's "Fianna Guide to Irish Genealogy" bringing the finest values for your assistance in researching your Irish ancestors. The site consists of many facets including Irish Time line and History, Maps, Military, Milesian Genealogies, Immigration, and Surname reference information to name a few. Another exciting portion of this site includes a recently acquired transcriptions from primary sources including the following:

Civil Marriages, 1864, extractions
Civil Marriages, various years, extractions
County Erie, Miscellaneous R C Church Records
Miscellaneous R C Church Records

- THE TERRITORIES OF THE ANCIENT IRISH FAMILIES --
- THE ANCIENT IRISH CHIEFS AND CLANS -
Taken from "Irish Pedigrees", by John O'Hart

Derry County
1631 Muster Roll

Kerry County
St. Patrick's, Kilkenny: Marriages
St Mary's, Kilkenny - Marriages and Baptisms
St. John's, (Maldin Street), Kilkenny - Marriages and Baptisms

Louth County
Freeholders 1822
Freeholders 1824/5
Dundalk Householders 1837
Tullyallen New Church Subscribers
Tenants of Lord Roden c.1837

Mayo County
Swinford, East Mayo Census - 1901
Kiltimagh Baptisms
Marriages, Diocese of Anchonry Starting at 6-7-1808,
Parish of Meelick and Kilconduff,
Kiltimagh Marriages
Swinford Marriages
Roman Catholic Marriages, Parish of Kiltimagh

These transcriptions are available for you to research for free as is the case for the entire website. To learn more about researching your Irish ancestors, click Fianna Guide to Irish Genealogy. If you would like to search the transcriptions, click Transcription Index. This site also provides information regarding epidemics in the United States, Celtic music, and Ancient Surnames History. This site has a great deal to offer, easily navigated and I would recommend it to you for your review. Have fun!

Saskatchewan Vital Statistics Database

I stumbled across another useful database for genealogical research for those researching their ancestors in Canada. The Saskatchewan Health Department has a searchable database for the Vital Statistics Index.

The information provided on this database is in an extracted format which means that you can not actually visualize the document online. Having said that, you are able to order a copy of the document but the cost is expensive at $50.00 per document. If you just view the extracted information, it will cost nothing. The extracted information for the births include the names of this child and parents, the birth date and place, the sex of the child, and the registration number. The birth information that is available for searching has to be at least 100 years ago as directed by the legislature in Saskatchewan. Marriage indexes of 75 years or older, are not available for searching at this time, but will be available in the future. The Death index information is available for those who have died more than 70 years ago beginning in 1917. The death index contains the name of the decedent, the date of death, occasionally the parents name and oddly enough the death place is not generally present on the index.

If you would like to research or browse in this data base, click Saskatchewan Vital Statistics Index Database. Have fun searching.

Norway Digital Vital Records

The Norwegian Digital Archives or Digitalarkivet is the Norwegian National Archives site on the internet. The archives consist of digitized images, and transcribed texts with the databases origination from digitized original documents or microfilms. The site also provides opportunities for individuals, and external organizations and institutions to contribute to the databases located on this site. The contributions by the individual, or other external institutions are located in "The Digital Inn" located on this site.


The databases included on this site are:

Census records for 1801, 1865, 1875, 1900
Digitized parish registers
User Forums to ask questions
Photo Albums of Norwegian Farms
How to lessons for reading Gothic Writing and tracing your Norwegian ancestry.

Norway's Digital Archives site is a great source for those researching their Norwegian ancestry. It is easily navigated and has some wonderful resources. The site can be viewed in the language of your preference, Norwegian or English. If there are some of the pages that are only in Norwegian, you can always use the GramTrans, translation website that I discussed on this blog. If you would like to investigate the resources on Norwegian Digital Archives click here.

Free Marriage Record Database?

The Genealinks website has a user contributed Marriage Registry Database that can be researched for free, utilizing the easy to use search engine. You can research the database by the groom or bride,location and/or date. One nice feature of the site that I liked is that you can type in the state that you think the marriage occurred and browse through the entries that are currently in the database for that state or country. Another nice feature of this site is that the contributors have the options for comments regarding the marriage and to put the contributor's email address with their entries which allow you to contact the contributor for further information and clarification.

The database contains over 30,000 entries and is continuing to grow as people contribute their information. The site also provides a form that can be filled out if you want to contribute; remember however that they do not want marriages after 1950 due to privacy reasons. If you would like to research or browse this free database, please click Free Marriage Regisitry. Have fun!

Family History Resources Lessons Web Page

Miles Meyer from Jacksonville Florida has developed a website....(actually three the other two are mirror sites of the original due to the traffic load) that helps you to learn how to work efficiently and make the internet work for you in searching for your ancestors.

The classes that he has developed are:

* Introduction to HeritageQuest - (Sept. 9, 2007)

* Introduction to Roots Magic software - (Sept. 6, 2007)

* Index to Genealogical Websites - listing of mostly free sites with digital records or indexes - (Sept. 6, 2007)
* An Introduction to new FamilySearch - (Sept. 4, 2007)

* An Introduction to GenCircles Website -(Sept. 4, 2007)

* An Introduction to PAF - (Sept. 4, 2007)

* An Introduction to Vital Records - (Sept. 4, 2007)

* 8 Week Family History Sunday School Class - (Sept. 4, 2007)

* Using Message Boards Effectively - Sept. 4, 2007)

* Catching Your Ancestors in the Web - Internet lesson (beginners) - (Sept. 4, 2007)

The content was developed provides a wide variety of subjects that can help those just beginning their quest for family knowledge and for those seasoned veterans of the quest. The lessons are in the PDF format and thus require Adobe Reader. Adobe has a free version of the reader and you can obtain it by clicking Adobe Reader. If you would like to review the principles taught in these lessons, please feel free to click Family History Resources to be directed to the home page of this site. Have fun learning!

Illinois Trails History and Genealogy Site

The Illinois Trails History and Genealogy Site has much to offer those researching for information regarding their Illinois ancestors. The goal of the site is to provide free online data regarding the history and genealogies of the State of Illinois. Illinois Trails History and Genealogy is a well respected site and has been in existence since 1998 in some form. The earlier years focused primarily Jackson County Illinois, but the authors of the site had such an overwhelming response to the information that they provided that this site has grown to what is today. You kind find information in various degrees of completeness:

Various Census records
The 1850 Illinois State Mortality Schedule
1840 Statewide Census of Revolutionary War and Military Pensioners
The 1909 Cherry Hills Mining Disaster
Church Records
Fur Traders
Obituaries
Information organized by Counties
Military Data
Help for Illinois Research
and much more.

This has many hidden gems that require a little searching but it can be worth your while. Do not forget to look at the pages that are organized by Counties; many search able databases are found within the county pages.

If you are interested in researching this site, please click here and you will be taken to the main page of this site; a great jumping point for the rest of the site. Have fun!

Scottish Birth, Marriage, and Death Records

Scottish Birth, Marriage and Death Records are being exchanged for free on the Scotland BDM Exchange website. This website does not contain all of the Birth, Death, and Marriage records as it is designed to be a collection site for those offering to donate their information for others to view. If you happen to find your ancestor posted on this site, you may then contact the person that posted the information via email.

The creator of the website states:

"Welcome to the Births Deaths and Marriages Exchange for Scotland ~ a free resource for Scotland genealogy and Scottish family history. For anyone researching their family history in Scotland, the aim of the Exchange is to provide a free resource for sharing information about ancestors found in Scotland. The site does not permit offers involving the replication and distribution of copyright material gained from GROS (General Register Office).

Total records held: 57163

Please do not assume that a contributor is related to the person they have listed - quite often they are not.

IMPORTANT: When you are requesting information from a contributor, please be specific. A suggested minimum would be to include three identifiers - ie, name, date and place."

The search engine of this website works nicely allowing you to search by surname, first name, county, and or town. If you have Scottish ancestry, this site might be able to provide you with information regarding your ancestor without costing a small fortune. If you are interested in searching this site, please click here to be directed to the Scotland BDM Exchange website search engine.

Have fun!

Looking for a Bride?

As a companion website to the World GEDCOM Index previously mentioned today, the World Bride Index site is another possible way to break through your brick wall and find that illusive female ancestor. In comparison to the World GEDCOM Index site, the World Bride Index site is organized alphabetically to be search by the surname of the Bride.

The data that is available to be viewed is either in the standard GEDCOM format or the line item form of GEDCOM. If you would like to view this site, please click here.

Illinois Marriage Index , 1763–1900

Beginning in 1985, the Illinois Genealogical Society has been working with the Illinois State Archives to create a marriage index covering the years of 1763 - 1900. Presently, the index contains more than one million marriages, or two million names. The data entry was done by volunteers and the staff at the Archives. The volunteers can work from their home and send the indexed data directly to the Secretary of States web server for inclusion in the index.
The website states the following:

"The sources for this index include original county clerks’ marriage records, such as marriage registers and licenses, as well as publications of county genealogical societies and private individuals. For each marriage, the index includes the names of the groom and bride, the date of the marriage or issuance of the license, the name of the county in which the marriage was performed, and a citation to the original record—volume and page number for registers or file number for licenses. Volume and page or license numbers are omitted in the index when published sources failed to provide this information.

Although the primary aim of the project is to enter marriages occurring prior to 1901, some volunteers have chosen to enter a county's marriages through 1920. Click here for a listing of counties and date spans currently included in the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index."

The site is easily searched by typing in the name of either the bride or the groom. This site contains only the index with references to the licenses numbers or original record volume; no images are included on this site. Having said that, this index is still a valuable source of information if you have ancestors that were married in Illinois. A link is provided on the site to order a copy of the record as well. If you would like to search this database click here. Have fun searching!

Scottish Records

Scottish Genealogy enthusiasts have a helping hand with the website designed by the editor of ScotsFind - Scottish Genealogy Databases. This website does not have images of the documents that have been transcribed, but they do tell you from where the information that has been transcribed on this website. The information provided has been transcribed and placed in a PDF format which requires you to have Adobe Reader which is free to obtain by clicking here to download the most recent version of Adobe Reader.

Below is a list from the website that tells you what you can find in the databases:

Canongate Marriage Register
Canongate Burials, 1820-1851
Local Records of Dysart
Edinburgh Register of Testaments
Glossary
Hamilton & Campsie Register of Testaments
Inverness Register of Testaments
Edinburgh Marriage Register 1701 - 1750
Edinburgh Marriage Register 1595 - 1700, 1751 - 1800
Greyfriars Interments, Edinburgh
Origin of the Scottish Language
Presbytrie Booke of Kircaldie
Edinburgh Processes & Decreets
Edinburgh Register of Apprentices
Edinburgh Roll of Burgesses
South Leith Records
Scottish Surname Variants
St. Cuthbert's Monument Inscriptions
The Guildry of Edinburgh
Clan Tartans

Surname-specific Databases:

Biggar Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Biggar Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted By Family
Biggar Genealogy - Marriages
Bird Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Bird Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Bird Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Bird Genealogy - Marriages
Cossar Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Cossar Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Cossar Genealgy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Cossar Genealogy - Marriages
Doig Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Doig Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Doig Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Doig Genealogy - Marriages
Dryburgh Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Dryburgh Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Dryburgh Genealogy - Birth & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Dryburgh Genealogy - Marriages
Edmondston Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Edmondston Genealogy - Birth & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Edmondston Genealogy - Marriages
Fiddler Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Fiddler Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Fiddler Genealogy - Marriages
Inch Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Inch Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Inch Genealogy - Marriages
Inche Marriages sorted by Spouse's Surname
James Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
James Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
James Genealogy - Marriages
Jarvie, Garvie Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Jarvie, Garvie Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Jarvie, Garvie Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Jarvie, Garvie Genealogy - Marriages
Kinloch Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Kinloch Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Kinloch Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Kinloch Genealogy - Marriages
Kinloch Marriages by Spouse
Lumsdale Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Lumsdale Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Lumsdale Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Lumsdale Genealogy - Marriages
Oliphant Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Oliphant Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Oliphant Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Oliphant Genealogy - Marriages
Robertson Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Robertson Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Robertson Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by County and Parish
Robertson Genealogy - Marriages
Sandilands Genealogy - Birth & Baptisms
Sandilands Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Sandilands Genealogy - Marriages
Spence Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Spence Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Families
Spence Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Spence Genealogy - Marriages
Trotter Genealogy - Births & Baptisms
Trotter Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Location
Trotter Genealogy - Births & Baptisms Sorted by Family
Trotter Genealogy - Marriages
Trotter Marriages by Spouse
Trotter Marriages by Location

The site is easily navigated by utilizing the side tool bar to search the various databases. Once you have opened one of the PDF documents you can easily search the document by typing the surname that you are searching for in the find feature of Adobe Reader located at the top of the opened document page like the example to your right.

If you are interested in searching this site click here to be redirected to this site to begin your search of these documents. As with all transcribed documents, I would suggest that you confirm the information that you see with the original transcripts if possible as transcription errors can and do occur. Some of the transcribed databases provide the film number from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for you to confirm the data.

Thank you to the editor for placing this information on line for use. This is a great site and worth checking into if you have Scottish Heritage.

Southern Swedish Parish Records

Demografisk Database of Southern Sweden (DDSS)known in it's infancy stage as the Scania Demographic Database (SDD - begun in 1983) began in 1996. It includes records covering the provinces of Skåne, Blekinge and Halland are currently being updated and the site indicates that they are hoping to have all of the church birth, marriage, and death records online and available for searching for free. The database covers the years between 1650-1900. Although the images are not available to view on this site, the vital information is provided in a nice extracted format which is easily read and is free to search.

Currently 70 people are working full time on the databases. The databases are being updated approximately twice a year in order to make the collection complete. Each entry in the database includes references to the original documents which can usually be found at SVAR. SVAR is the Swedish Archive website which is a department of the National Archives in Sweden. The originals can be viewed but require a subscription to the site.

If you would like to search the Southern Swedish Records Database, click here and you will be redirected to this database site. One other nice thing about this website is that it is available in English, Swedish (Svenska), German, and Polish languages. A couple of the features are in Swedish only, but they are indicated on the first page. Another helpful feature provided at this site is a Swedish to English Dictionary of the common terms one would find in performing a genealogical search. The site welcomes genealogists to contribute to this dictionary by sending words that they would like translated to the person over the glossary page of this site.

Enjoy your searching. Remember the journey is part of the fun when searching for family.