Is there a Free Option for the Genealogy as a Beginner?

[raspchide]

Hi Folks,

Is there a way to have a free option in accessing a basic genealogy service then eventually upgrade it to Family Finder Program? Thanks!

[John McCoy]

The answer depends on your individual needs for "genealogy". Not too long ago, we did genealogy with pencil and paper only. We found information by writing letters, by studying books in libraries, and, when possible, by traveling to graveyards, archives, churches, county courthouses, etc. to find the information about our ancestors. These methods still work! They are still essential for discovering our family history. Newer tools for genealogy -- using a computer instead of paper, using the internet to locate information -- have made the quest vastly easier and more productive.

Yes, a huge number of options are available for free! It is even possible to build family trees for free, either on a home computer or on a web site. What to try first? That depends on what you already know (and can prove) and what questions you want to explore next. However, results from DNA will not be free, and the information you can get from the most inexpensive tests may not be very helpful. Autosomal DNA testing is probably the best investment, and the most inexpensive way to proceed is to watch for SALE PRICES offered by the major vendors, such as FTDNA, Ancestry, and MyHeritage.

"Genealogy" includes many different skills and methods that you might need to use to find your individual family history. There is no way to predict where the search may take you. The puzzle starts with your immediate family, and as you discover each new ancestor, the puzzle expands!

[LHT28]

You could try familysearch.org free to join
just be sure to check the paper trail for any matches you find
This is true for every site though ..I find a lot of mistake in Ancestry as people just take the HINTS offered as correct

[barbarychutney]

You could try familysearch.org free to join
just be sure to check the paper trail for any matches you find
This is true for every site though ..I find a lot of mistake in Ancestry as people just take the HINTS offered as correct

Nice suggestion LHT. Thanks! I might try this as well

[raspchide]

You could try familysearch.org free to join
just be sure to check the paper trail for any matches you find
This is true for every site though ..I find a lot of mistake in Ancestry as people just take the HINTS offered as correct

What is the percentage of accuracy? Thanks for a good suggestion.

[Biblioteque]

And, some sloppy work at Ancestry as in sons who marry their mothers and produce children, which I have seen numerous times. Or the two male family members who produce a child, this tree from a PhD. Some people just throw up a tree and never go back to look at them, one and done...........

[LHT28]

What is the percentage of accuracy? Thanks for a good suggestion.

I try to use just the documents but you still need to check if they are the right person that fits your tree
it is free to join so give it a try
I do have a small tree there but find too many people just make a new entry and not check if there is one already for that person

I just made a mistake in my Ancestry tree where 2 men same name married women with same first names
one was born in about 1831 one abt 1832
now need to go back and check where they lived and profession to sort out the mess I made LOL

[raspchide]

I try to use just the documents but you still need to check if they are the right person that fits your tree
it is free to join so give it a try
I do have a small tree there but find too many people just make a new entry and not check if there is one already for that person

I just made a mistake in my Ancestry tree where 2 men same name married women with same first names
one was born in about 1831 one abt 1832
now need to go back and check where they lived and profession to sort out the mess I made LOL

Thank you for sharing. I am actually pretty excited to see my ancestry tree in full - I have already signed in.

[LHT28]

And, some sloppy work at Ancestry as in sons who marry their mothers and produce children, which I have seen numerous times. Or the two male family members who produce a child, this tree from a PhD. Some people just throw up a tree and never go back to look at them, one and done...........

I agree
You have to check the documents presented to be sure they are for the correct person
I just noticed in my own tree I had a mother born 2 yrs before the daughter ..must have been a late night I did not follow my own advice LOL

fixed now
moral do not do your tree when you are tired

[LHT28]

Thank you for sharing. I am actually pretty excited to see my ancestry tree in full - I have already signed in.

enjoy
the key to a good accurate tree is
document document document

[KATM]

Hi Folks,
Is there a way to have a free option in accessing a basic genealogy service then eventually upgrade it to Family Finder Program? Thanks!

If you are looking for a basic genealogy software program to use on your own computer, you could try Gramps. It has had good reviews, and is free open-source genealogy software, available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and a couple of other operating systems. That way you could save your research, produce family tree charts, as well as import or export a GEDCOM file (.ged), which you could upload to any of the DNA sites that accept them: Ancestry, FTDNA, GEDmatch, and MyHeritage.

I wasn't sure how to interpret your "basic genealogy service" statement, but since others have made suggestions for online research, I thought you might be interested in software, as well.