Published: April 28, 2007 11:21 pm         

GENEALOGY: Family Search putting three new databases online

TERRE HAUTE — Over the past several months Family Search has announced projects involving placing three new databases on line.

In March, the Genealogy Society of Utah, FamilySearch, and the Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management (NSARM) announced the completion of a joint project to put scanned and digitized copies the Nova Scotia birth, marriage, and death records on line. Nova Scotia is the first Canadian province to digitize its vital statistics and offer them for free on-line viewing.

One million names can be found in this large database which includes the Nova Scotia birth records from 1864 to 1877, marriage records from 1864 to 1930, and death records from 1864 to 1877 and from 1908 to 1955. The database has an index that is searchable by name. The search engine will give the user a name, date, and county. The entire digitized document can then be viewed by clicking on the Viewpoint Media Player. This player can be downloaded for free at the Web site.

Users who then want an official copy of the record can download an electronic file for $9.95 Canadian, or can order a paper copy for $19.95 Canadian, plus shipping and taxes.

To view this database, visit the NSARM web site at www.novascotiagenealogy.com. This database will also be available on FamilySearch.org in the near future.

III

This past winter, FamilySearch, the Genealogy Society of Utah, and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History completed part of an on-going project–to scan and digitize the West Virginia vital records and allow free viewing on line.

The initial database for just six of the West Virginia counties has more than 1.4 million scanned records of births, marriages, and deaths from the counties of Calhoun, Gilmer, Hardy, Harrison, Mineral, and Pendleton. The dates of the records vary across county, but birth records cover the period 1853 through 1930, marriage records cover the period from the creation of the county through the 1960s, and death records cover 1853 through 1970. It is estimated that there are 3.5 million names linked to these records in the first six counties to be placed on line.

The database and searchable index can be accessed at www.wvculture.org/vrr. The search yields the full name, a date, and county. Clicking on the image code will allow the user to see the original document, which can then be downloaded or printed for free.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History plans to add more records from the other counties in the future, and currently has completed putting the death records from all 55 West Virginia counties on line.

III

FamilySearch is working with Salt Lake County officials to digitize the records of over 100,000 people who were born between 1890 and 1915 or who died between 1908 and 1945 in Salt Lake County, Utah. This database will eventually be indexed and placed on line at the www.FamilySearch.org Web site.

Birth records in the county will be put on line after 100 years and death records after 50 years, to comply with privacy laws.