Genealogy Chat

Big Hello

Was just wondering do others have the "FamilySearch" website undergoing 'maintenance', as its been over six hours now!
What to say apart from was right in the middle of uncovering swags of ancestors! So excited -just can't wait!!

Seriously was wondering, do they pull the plug all around the world or do different bits (countries) on different days?

What do you say?

Big Cheers & a Happy Easter
Meant as good PC so please don't feel offended.
Also Big thanx
Kathy

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Hi Kathy I've just tried and got in ok, dont know where you are but I'm in England, if that helps

Happy Easter:)

I've just tried too and got in o.k. I'm also in England.

Kath. x

Big thanx Lynda & Kathleen you've answered my question its out in NZ -guess will just have to settle for a spot of dusting & talking my old hoover Henry for a stroll.

Cheers & happy day Kathy :-))

Which of their sites are you trying to access?

both new familysearch and old familysearch sites are working fine for me.


and I'm in Canada

Thank you Reggie and Sylvialn somehow i think i've partly got it all wrong. I'd kept refreashing the old familysearch, then suddenly all i got was a maintenance message & to be patient. Well after nearly seven hours i got fed up. I've just tried it again re-typing fam..sea..& hey presto, its back, but only the new version. I am grateful for this--for now.

Good to have an explanation!
Thanx all you lovely helpers --i plod along--with your help.

Cheers
Kathy :)))

Hi Kathy


try this for old family search, click on the cross in the upper right corner to get rid of the "trey the new updated site" sign ................

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/




and use this for the new site ............

https://www.familysearch.org/




sylvia

Sylvia
Tried your link to the 'old familysearch' looked promising but when i filled in the parent boxes as i'm searching for the family --once again it reverted to the dreaded maintenance please be patient message.

I think they are strongly persuading the reluctant plodders like me to start playing the new game.

Do so appreciate your help

Cheers Kathy ;)))

Kathy


I almost never use the old site now .............. I much prefer the new one.


But have had no problems when I have tried the old one ....last time was weeks ago though!


I have heard that there are plans to do away with the old site.




sylvia

The new site is good, but you must use the correct spelling. I've been told you can use " * " and a minimum of three letters.

You don't need to know both first names (for parents) when searching, which is good if your female rellies (like mine) are Jane/Jean/Jessie, Isabella/Isobel/Isa, Margaret/Maggie, Ellen/Helen (use *len).

If you have surnames like McDonald..... type M*Donald. I have lots of Pryde names, so use Pr*de.

<3

Thanks Scozzie all tips help me - really should have called this thread something like: A How To For All New Familysearch Numpties.

Ha!!!

Cheers Kathy :))

Well, the new site has a much better selection of records, but it's a real pain to copy & paste your hits - each hit takes me over a minute to tidy up all the blank lines they introduce - the old site was straight forward.

Scozzie - you don't have to use exact spelling if you don't check the box.
I didn't know abt * - I'll have to try that. (I did know that one can search the 1881 Canadian census using wildcards at LAC, and it's the LDS database I'm searching - this gives me access to the image too. Sim for 1891, but I don't know that that's the LDS database at LAC, although I guess it is)
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1881/index-e.html

mgmv thanks, it will all take practice...i guess .

Was really annoyed about the tree/issue this morning as i'd just found a gigantic PAF & wanted to explore this some more --then the old tree was just gone.

Its ok. ta

Cheers Kathy :)))

should be handy for my canadian fam. x

you certainly do not have to use exact spelling on the new familysearch!

It's one of the reasons why I like it for the Parish Records ......... ti will find Helen, Ellen, Eleanor, etc etc



The other thing is that the records on the new site are all extracted .............



.............. and there is none of the submitted nonsense that you get on the old site.




sylvia

Wow thanks sylvia

Kathy

There are some collections on FS where it often doesn't matter how you spell/misspell a name

Consider the Greater Manchester collection under:
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/list#page=1®ion=BRITISH_ISLES
namely
England, Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Parish Registers, 1603-1910 947,377 9 Jul 2011

Just below the search screen, we see:
View Images in this Collection
Browse through 332,814 images

Now, a typical baptism/burial rego has 8 entries per page, (so 8 on a single page image and 16 on a double page image.)
A typical marrl rego has 2 entries per page, (so 4 on a double page image.)
Given less than a million records are indexed, it's clear not all images are indexed yet.


The collection I use most:
England, Diocese of Durham Bishops' Transcripts ca., 1700-1900 Browse Images 24 Aug 2011
is entirely unindexed.

mgnv - I don't tick the box..... but I've found if I don't use " * " I get no results. If I give mother's name as Jane I get no results if it's Jean etc. Saves time anyway, as we have to re-enter all the info.

I'm NOT complaining, it's a great site, especially as it's free! :-D

I have found submissions on the NEW LDS site. They're wrong - my rellies, and I have the documents.

Forgot to say..........

The tip about using three letters and " * " was given to me by an LDS person, so I didn't make it up.

Very helpful man, he telephoned me after I sent a message about using the new site.

I live nowhere near any sort of research place.

Scoozie

Great tips! I hope others read this, there must be swags of others wondering how to go about the new FamilySearch.

I've just noticed your researching Gilchrist, so am i, mine were Irish exports mainly to Scotland.

Cheers Kathy :))