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Ancestry website query

J

jane k

master brummie
I`m fairly new to `Ancestry` and probably being particularly thick but when I try to go directly to births, marriages or deaths and put in the relevant info I keep being told there are no matches found - even when I know for sure that there should be one. Any ideas? (I find their `help` section even more puzzling that the rest of the site!)

Jane
 
Put the name and dates on here and try your luck , as many details as you can. You never know:)
 
Jane you are certainly not being thick it's sometimes the information. It pays sometimes to put in minimum information like name and birth date, or name and location like Warwickshire. I hope this helps if you need more as Alf says post it and we will try and help.
 
as wendy says put in just a little info. maybe just surname and warwickshire. use the soundex as well but if you know within a year or two when the birth marriage or death was, best to go to the top section (complete bmd) and look through yourself as not all are on the partial site.

we will always have a look for you if you are stuck.

chris
 
Thanks everyone - I do appreciate your offers of help - I just wanted to check it wasn`t something I was doing wrong that was causing the problem.
 
jane k said:
I`m fairly new to `Ancestry` and probably being particularly thick but when I try to go directly to births, marriages or deaths and put in the relevant info I keep being told there are no matches found - even when I know for sure that there should be one. Any ideas? (I find their `help` section even more puzzling that the rest of the site!)

Jane
Click to expand...
Hi Jane I am also having the same trouble with Ancestry and it makes no difference to what I leave in or take out same result even though I have previously obtained the information I required. It really is frustrating when you know it is there. Malta:redface:
 
Thanks Malta that`s actually quite reassuring - perhaps the site is going through a particularly bad time at the moment? As you say, it is frustrating - especially when you`ve paid a subscription to one site and then find you`re having `to top it up` with another.
Jane
 
Hi
Usually when using ancestry for a BMD search the only indexes searched automatically are the Partial Free Indexes
If you’re looking for a birth, marriage or death from between 1837 and around 1920, you will find individual matches in this collection. You can also view the index page images in this collection. The information is gradually being transcribed so they update this collection when new years become available.

If however you want info between 1920 and 1983 then you will need to do a manual search of the complete indexes
Your search result will indicate the first and last name on the relevant page (image). Once you’ve opened the image you can then scroll down and look for your ancestor yourself on the page.
The easiest way to get these is to go via this link
https://ancestry.co.uk/search/rectype/vital/freebmd/bmd.aspx

Hope this helps...if not im happpy to do 'look ups' for you if you pm me the details.
regards Fran
(maggieuk says Im quite good at finding those others can't!)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
linett said:
Hi
Usually when using ancestry for a BMD search the only indexes searched automatically are the Partial Free Indexes
If you’re looking for a birth, marriage or death from between 1837 and around 1920, you will find individual matches in this collection. You can also view the index page images in this collection. The information is gradually being transcribed so they update this collection when new years become available.

If however you want info between 1930 and 1983 then you will need to do a manual search of the complete indexes
Your search result will indicate the first and last name on the relevant page (image). Once you’ve opened the image you can then scroll down and look for your ancestor yourself on the page.
The easiest way to get these is to go via this link
https://ancestry.co.uk/search/rectype/vital/freebmd/bmd.aspx

Hope this helps...if not im happpy to do 'look ups' for you if you pm me the details.
regards Fran
(maggieuk says Im quite good at finding those others can't!)
Click to expand...
Thanks Fran for the kind offer. Malta
 
Since the new search layout has changed, I too have experienced difficulty at times.

For 1920-1983 searches, only use the 'full BMD 1837-1983'

I click the 'change back to old search experience' because I prefer it and seem to get better results.
 
On another forum a member was experiencing search problems and contacted Ancestry. They are aware that their search engine is playing up and are working to correct the problems.

Doug
 
Thanks for the info Procat I thought it was their problem. It was like trawling through mud!
 
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These sites correlate information, the more you put in the more they gather.
I no longer put my family tree on the computer in it's entirety, (I started, but then decided again'st it ) i put it on paper for several reasons. this is a laborious practice but once done it belongs to you and you only. You will nearly always find the information which you are looking for, but, it can take years of hard work or if you are lucky you may find that person who has done it all before you...Cat
 
With Ancestry you have to make sure the "Exact Match" box is NOT ticked, make sure you check all the search boxes for the various archives because if just one of those has the tick in the box it becomes the default for all searches, it's a pain in the _ _ _.
Now then having said that, i had the same problem at the start of the week, checked everything and still no good, e-mailed them about it, have only just had a reply but it had already cleared itself so maybe the problem was theirs.

bren
 
I have today had a subscription to Ancestry for my birthday (lucky me!) but I could do with some tips how to access stuff like the census and how to get the information I want the quickest route.

When you ask for a look up on this site, it seems you get an answer in no time at all...I have been trailing through reams of names since 6pm and am still no wiser ( although it has been fun trying!).

If anyone out there can give me any advice or tips, I would appreciate it.

Best Regards
Bernie

P.S Does anyone know how long certificates take to come from Sandwell once you have ordered by post???
 
TRESARIO,

I have requested two certs from Sandwell, both marriage certs. I had them back very quickly, it seemed like they processed them and returned them within a day or two of receiving my request. Which is great because if you are anything like me you can't wait for the new info you might get. I filled in their on line form with the ref # for the cert then mailed it all in with a sae. I live in Canada so I sent my brother in England the form, money and sae to send in to them, he sent it, got the cert back and sent it all to me - it all only took a week and a half - not bad for the other side of the world!!!!

Happy ancestry hunting!!
 
Sandwell are very quick yes, i sent for three and within a couple of days i got them all back.
 
Just phoned Sandwell and they have looked a couple of years either side of the information I have but it would seem there is nothing coming up. The genealogist is back on Monday so I have to ring then:rolleyes:

All I had was a Death certificate stating my grandfather Alfred Smith died in All Saints Hospital in July 1927 aged 36. Death registered by son in law
Wilfred George Watson 30 Nansen Road. I applied for his marriage certificate and found his wife, my grandads sister, was named Mary Ann Smith and her father was Samuel Smith.(date 22nd Dec 1922 she was 34 and he was 33.)

People have looked up for me and said he was born in smethwick, dad Samuel born Darlaston and his wife Mary Ann born bilston...Now I am not so sure...could there have been a mistake and there is another family with Alfred born 1890/1891 dad Samuel and sister Mary Ann born 1888 I dont know where he was born or anything, only the lookups said smethwick???? Any ideas anybody:crying:

Regards
Bernie
 
I get quite exasperated with the Ancestry search engine as it continulaly brings up irrelevant records and this means that an inordinare amount of my time is wasted. I did complain to Ancestry, but the response was merely that they would pass the message along. I shall be voting with my feet & resigning my membership with Ancestry this month.
As I formerly worked with one of the largest UK databases and could bring up information in less time than I could measure and also switch to detail promptly it still puzzles me that Ancestry appear to be complacent about the inadequacy of their search engine.
 
i agree there have been problems searching with ancestry at the moment. ive been with them for 2 years and never had these problems before but i havent found anywhere that even comes close in access to records so i am sticking with it and hope they sort the current issues. i was with findmypast last year but havent renewed my subscription.

let me know if you find somewhere better :)
 
I have to agree with Shera, i have been wth Ancestry a number of years and have also had a sub with FMP and didn't renew. I think, having been on quite a few sites, none of the search engines will ever give you the results you would like to expect because of the data they have had to work with so in that sense, Ancestry is the best of a bad bunch. As for the way it is working of late, it does my head in and i have told them so, i think it something to do with those annoying banner adverts down the right hand side, everything goes on hold whilst it takes its time loading onto the page, it's never been so bad and i'm on 20meg broadband, great with everything else.


bren
 
I agree Bren, I couldn't get in to Ancestry yesterday. I only have a 10 meg broadband and all I could see was the top left hand corner of the site, nothing else would load. It is the best on offer, so I guess we are stuck with it but it is so annoying.
 
I have recently had it return no results for a search. Repeat the search and I get results. Very frustrating. Hope they sort it out soon.

Doug
 
doug thats the problem ive been having. you know there are results but it comes up no results and you have to put it in again then the results are there :redface:
 
Or the times when it tells you there are x number of pages yet when you click to move from the first page of results to the second page etc it tells you there are no results for your query. :(

Doug
 
I was about to write never mind it's better by far than when I started my family history, but then sense took over when I thought of the £60 yearly subscription I pay. Wonder what they would do if they lost members because of the site errors
 
I suspect it would depend on the volumes and if they state the reason why they are not renewing.

Unfortunately they have the best coverage of the information I am interested in at this point in time.
 
Everyone at the moment is having the same problems, write to them and complain stating you have spoken to other Ancestry users and they are all having the same problem with the site. Also tell them not to reply saying it must be you/your computer, cookies blah blah, i have complained numerous times in the last few weeks so if everyone does the same they just might do something about it.
I have watched the pages and noticed those bloomin banner adverts seem to be having an effect, you always have to wait until they have fully loaded on the page, it's as if your pc has frozen


bren
 
I've been thinking of upgrading my subscription to 'world-wide' but need to know exactly what I'm getting for the extra 100+ quid. Mainly I'll be interested in USA BMD's for the years between 1950 to 1990. Are these available and, if so, are they fully searchable similar to the UK indexes? Is the upgrade worthwhile?
 
Unlike the U.K., the U.S.A. BMD records are held by each state. Ancestry has different coverage for each state and I am not sure that they have coverage for every state.

I would suggest that the best thing to do would be to go to the Ancestry.com. site then take a look at the card catalogue for the things you are interested in to see if it is there.

Doug
 
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