Has anybody used the paid version of Ancestry.com?

[Kimberle]

It's rather expensive for a month, just wonder how valuable the service? Especially if your ancesters come from Europe? Also, how far back have you been able to go? I'm poking around with the "free" version. It gives me lots of hints, but I'm not able to open the documents.

 

[ccstrickler]

The public library here has a version that you can use for free, but only at the library. I was able to get way more info this way. Check your library to see if they offer this.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

It's the best base for research and the most valuable resource you will find on the Internet. It's well worth the price if you want to make this a serious hobby to invest in a subscription.

 

[lizabu]

It's the best base for research and the most valuable resource you will find on the Internet. It's well worth the price if you want to make this a serious hobby to invest in a subscription.

I agree

 

[DizFan101]

my mom uses ancestory.com all the time (paid version).
sometimes you can find the paid version at libraries... that's where my mom originally found it before paying for it at home.

She finds it a lot better then free because more databases are available which means more success...

 

[WDWBarb]

I've been using the paid version for over a year now. During my initial obsession, I got all the way back to the 400's. Thankfully there's a lot of records for my maternal side of the family.

It's expensive but I love it.

 

[Feralpeg]

I've been paying $29.95 a month for the past three years to use Ancestry.com. I have paid the extra to be able to search records in Europe as well as the US. It is the best tool I've found and totally worth the price, IMHO.

 

[ilovepcot]

I've been using the paid version for over a year now. During my initial obsession, I got all the way back to the 400's. Thankfully there's a lot of records for my maternal side of the family.

It's expensive but I love it.

That's truly outstanding! I was impressed when my stepson got back to the 1600's in England. He's not finished searching by any means and this should fuel his fire.
He uses the paid version of Ancestry and thinks it's worth the cost.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I have found so much information. My grandmother knew very little, regarding her family. Her mother lived in an orphanage. Wow, there's so much to that family line. My grandmother's grandfather was a doctor, who dumped two wives and ended up with a much younger version. He put his minor children in an orphanage.

Now, grandmother was told, her father died, when she a was a little girl. Although, many things didn't add up. I found out her dad didn't die, but her mother left with the kids and obviously, he didn't know, where they were. I found old census records, as well as a death certificate in 1973...40 years, after he "died". I haven't told her and I won't, but WOW!

And, that just a small sampling. If, you love history it's a fun hobby.

 

[Geoff_M]

I'm a subscriber, as a resource Ancestry.com has clearly cornered the market. One thing you can do if you're worried about the cost is to pay month to month as you're actively researching, but then "downgrade" to the free membership when you're not actively working on the tree. Your tree will stay in place, and you can add things to it, but you just won't be able to search Ancestry's resources (though paying folks can still search your tree).

 

[eliza61]

I used the paid version and found it worth while. I didn't have to use it for very long since I'm African american, I've hit the dead end that most of us do at slavery.

 

[airhead]

I go through periods where I'm obsessed with searching and then other times where its been months since I looked. I often wondered if it was worth paying the fee. Next time I get the bug to search,I'll pay! Thanks!

 

[lizabu]

Thats what I do too. I do that paid month for a month when I feel like working on it and then discontinue when I don't have time to do it. Everything is still there waiting for you to pick up where you left off.

 

[Kimberle]

I'm a subscriber, as a resource Ancestry.com has clearly cornered the market. One thing you can do if you're worried about the cost is to pay month to month as you're actively researching, but then "downgrade" to the free membership when you're not actively working on the tree. Your tree will stay in place, and you can add things to it, but you just won't be able to search Ancestry's resources (though paying folks can still search your tree).

Thats what I do too. I do that paid month for a month when I feel like working on it and then discontinue when I don't have time to do it. Everything is still there waiting for you to pick up where you left off.

Cool!! That was my next question. Can I join for a month here and there when I have time to work on my tree. Good to know, thanks!!

I've also found a lot of info on findagrave.com.

I've gone back as far as my Great-great Grandparents in the early 1800's, and even found some great-great-great's. Now, I'm getting the "born in Germany and Scotland", so I suspect I'll need paid help soon. I'm trying to get as much "free" as I can before I sign up. I even found a marriage announcement in the newspaper of my great grandparents from 1910. It was a lenghty article and very cool. I remember them as I was in college when they passed. They would have been married 78 years if they hadn't divorced.

Does anybody know if the Morman's have an accessable site? I know they are very big into preserving family records. All families, not just Mormans.

 

[Southernmiss]

Cool!! That was my next question. Can I join for a month here and there when I have time to work on my tree. Good to know, thanks!!

I've also found a lot of info on findagrave.com.

I've gone back as far as my Great-great Grandparents in the early 1800's, and even found some great-great-great's. Now, I'm getting the "born in Germany and Scotland", so I suspect I'll need paid help soon. I'm trying to get as much "free" as I can before I sign up. I even found a marriage announcement in the newspaper of my great grandparents from 1910. It was a lenghty article and very cool. I remember them as I was in college when they passed. They would have been married 78 years if they hadn't divorced.

Does anybody know if the Morman's have an accessable site? I know they are very big into preserving family records. All families, not just Mormans.

familysearch.org

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

We have.......my husband has found out some really cool facts & documents.

One thing that was unknown and found out through the site was during the civil war my husband's side fought for the North not the South!!! It is still a family scandal

 

[iheartdisney]

Cool!!
Does anybody know if the Mormon's have an accessable site? I know they are very big into preserving family records. All families, not just Mormons.

If you have an LDS church near you with a Family History library, they will have the paid version of most genealogy websites that you can use for free, plus someone to help if you don't know where to look.
I love Ancestry.com's paid site. I have a lot of Naval service in my family, and anytime someone went overseas, their ship manifest is there for me to print out. Plus you can connect with other branches of your family tree on Ancestry. A descendant of my great-grandmother's siblings had some great old family pictures on their tree that I could see my great grandmother as a young lady.

 

[TLSnell1981]

One thing that was unknown and found out through the site was during the civil war my husband's side fought for the North not the South!!! It is still a family scandal

I have one branch, the family was split between the North AND the South. I can't imagine how tough...fighting against your own family.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I have one branch, the family was split between the North AND the South. I can't imagine how tough...fighting against your own family.

Oh, I've got abstainers, pacifists, Unionists and Confederates, all in one itsy teensy little community in Louisiana that probably numbered less than 1500 people all totalled.

What gets me is that they all starved together and didn't hold grudges (much) after the War!

Right now I'm trying to run down two different sets of ancestors - one g.grandfather and g.grandmother and one g.g.uncle and g.g.aunt who got divorced in the 1910's. (No relation at the time, but from the same little community.) There were only 3 grounds for divorce back then - abuse, abandonment or infidelity. I'm hoping they filed on "abandonment" (i.e. the man moved out for a long enough period of time because the husband and wife couldn't stand each other, and even if he was supporting the family, it was still considered "abandonment") or even infidelity and not the 3rd option.

Of course there's murderers and outlaws and bigamists - they're American, so it's to be expected - but there's also a g.grandfather who married a pregnant girl to get her away from the man who raped her - her own father, a minister - and then had her die in childbirth a few months later. Saints and sinners all, it's fun discovering these folks!

 

[SC Minnie]

I am new to the search and have already hit a little wall. I've only been searching for a couple of days and on my father side have been able to go back to the early 1800's thanks to people that have already done the leg work. I'm having luck on my maternal grandfathers side too.

My maternal grandmother's side I've hit a wall. There was never much mention of her parents (my g grandparents) growing up. I've found her parents names from my grandmother's death records. But when I search my g grandmothers maiden name is spelled 2 different ways on census records. I assuming one was a typo but not sure which. There are no leads on her in ancestry.com. I have my g grandgathers name but there are no leads on him in ancestry. I think I know where they were buried. If I called the church would they be able to give me information?