From roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Mon Jan 9 09:30:10 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.16.34]) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k09GUASK027017; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 09:30:10 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l.rootsweb.com [66.43.16.22]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k09GU6d4010065 for ; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 09:30:06 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l [127.0.0.1]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k09E3OFI014285 for ; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 09:03:24 -0500 Received: (from roots-in@localhost) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.8/Submit) id k09E3OVZ014284 for roots-approved@rootsweb.com; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 09:03:24 -0500 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [66.43.18.41]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k09CBjFI014010 for ; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 07:11:45 -0500 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) id k09EcIvr015453 for roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 07:38:18 -0700 X-Envelope-From: mscheffl@twcny.rr.com Mon Jan 9 07:38:18 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.16.34]) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k09EcISK015444 for ; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 07:38:18 -0700 Received: from ms-smtp-02.nyroc.rr.com (ms-smtp-02.nyroc.rr.com [24.24.2.56]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k09EcEXO009360 for ; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 07:38:15 -0700 Received: from 1070n (cpe-24-92-248-107.twcny.res.rr.com [24.92.248.107]) by ms-smtp-02.nyroc.rr.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with SMTP id k09EcCLi003351; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 09:38:13 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <002001c6152a$51e54ef0$6501a8c0@1070n> From: "MScheffler" To: "Lori McMurtrie" , References: <20060109041142.80350.qmail@web54701.mail.yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] ancestry Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 09:38:12 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.16.34 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.16.34 Sender: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Lori, Whether an Ancestry subscription is a good investment for any one researcher involves an evaluation of where you are with your research today and where you are going in the near future. First let me say I have had an Ancestry subscription for several years with the census and access to several of the other add-on databases including the old local histories and I have been pleased with the range of materials available. My Ancestry subscription allows me to do research I otherwise would be unable to do, due to travel limitations and time limitations when the local library is open. I particularly make use of the US census from 1850 to 1930. I like the many available resources on early New England. I have never used the immigration/passenger parts of the databases nor the English resources though I keep these add-ons in case my research takes a turn.. If you are looking primarily for passenger/immigration type of material you might want to try the free Olive Tree Genealogy site. Make sure to let the pages fully load and get past the Ancestry ads to get to the wealth of material that is available for free on this site. You did not give an indication of your level of expertise in using various types of resources. You did not say if you had made use of the LDS site and the large WorldConnect database for clues. Have you used the county websites and subscribed to several rootsweb mailing lists? Do you have access to a local library with genealogy materials? Are you free to leave your home regularly for onsite research in libraries, and places your ancestors lived? Generally I suggest people get their feet wet on the free materials, and then later subscribe to paid services when they are able to make the best use of them. Some people will tell you that everything on Ancestry can be easily found for free, but this is not true. Will an Ancestry subscription help with what you want and need -- probably in some circumstances yes and in many circumstances no. Think of Ancestry as you would a large genealogy library with books and other print resources, microfilms, some online access to remote databases. Any library (onsite or online) is very useful but cannot answer every question or provide access to all materials. You asked about vital records, generally you will not find these on Ancestry, but for early New England, you will find books online such as the MA Vital records to 1800 series of publications. Yes there are lots of materials available, but there are lots of lose ends you may never find in a library or on Ancestry which will need to be filled in with onsite research and perhaps pure luck by making contact with fellow researchers that turned up something you did not. So anyone of us cannot decide what is best for you. Money-wise a yearly subscription is the least expensive overall, but if you try Ancestry, and find you are not ready for it at this point in time, you might want to initially sign up for a shorter period of time. Generally I find I access various resources sporadically. I may use Ancestry or any other source every day for awhile, then perhaps not for a week or two. For most of us we would want continual access for when we need it. Genealogy searches tend to take unexpected turns as we turn up something new, so what resources one may use today, one may not be using much two months from now. Ancestry has such a variety of resources, that I personally use it most days and certainly every week. Margaret Scheffler ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lori McMurtrie" To: Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 11:11 PM Subject: [ROOTS-L] ancestry >I am thinking about treating myself to a subscription > of ancestry later this month when I do my taxes. > My relatives are located mostly in Ct., N.Y. and real > distant in Delaware. Some also are in California and > at one time in Missouri and Texas. > I am at a brick wall because my great grandparents on > my moms side immigrated here from Germany and Irish > Free State. I have no idea what ships or ports or who > they may have come over with. > If I do a subscription which one would be better and > would I find alot more information? Would I actually > be able to access the actual marriage records etc. or > would I still need to send off for these items? Also would it be better to do it monthly or for a full > year? For the price I want to make sure it would be > worth it. Thanks!!!! > > Lori McMurtrie > sassafras582000@yahoo.com