European Research

The up-to-date version of this post will be maintained at: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/02/european-research.html

For all European research, you must have a village name, or at least a small region with a few villages, because that is where all the records are kept! There are few to no departement, county or region-wide censuses or other general surveys such as our US Census records. The exception is the UK, which has searchable census for 1841-1901, and where records have been kept by the counties in England since 1837, in Scotland since 1851. So, you must do your American or Canadian research, before trying to "jump the pond" back to Europe.

Have you found the naturalization applications? Often the first and second application contain much more detail than the final certificate. How about obituaries, in particular those published in small local newspapers, church publications, or German or French newspapers? Many of the old newspapers are available on microfilm. For instance, see the holdings of the NYU: http://library.nyu.edu/research/german/. These microfilms will often be available by Inter-Library Loan. Talk to your librarian about local policies. (http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/03/obituaries.html and http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2003/12/death-records-obituaries-biographies.html) and http://german.about.com/library/weekly/aa071299.htm

If there are county histories (AKA mug books) available, those can be useful also, although they cannot be relied upon as anything more than clues. Also look at transfer records at the church(es) they attended, church histories, any family Bibles that may still survive, and any old letters or cards that someone may have stored up in an attic somewhere.

Remember -- don't just research your direct-line ancestor. Look at all the relatives, friends and neighbors, co-workers and fellow church members, too. People tended to stick together with family, friends, and neighbors from the old country.

With a relatively common surname, unless you find a passenger record listing the village, you must do your American research very diligently. You have to have that village name! Here are some links that might help:

GeneaNet: http://www.geneanet.org/

Rootsweb Guide to Tracing Family Trees: http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/

World GenWeb Europe: http://www.worldgenweb.org/europe.html
   France GenWeb: http://www.francegenweb.org/ - In English

Genealogy in Western & Central Europe: http://genealogy.about.com/cs/europegenealogy/

Genealogy in France - Civil Registers (les registres d'etat-civil): http://genealogy.about.com/library/weekly/aa070700b.htm

The French Républican Calendar: http://www.napoleon.org/en/essential_napoleon/calendar/index.asp and http://www.gefrance.com/calrep/calen.htm

French Telephone Directories: http://www.voila.fr/PagesJaunes/ or http://www2.eu-info.com/France/

$$$ New French search engine - NOMINA: http://www.france-genealogie.fr/

German Genealogy: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2003/12/german-genealogy.html

Europe Genealogy Links (by country): http://www.genealogylinks.net/europe/

Tinney's Europe links: http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~vctinney/geneal.htm#EUROPE

AllEnglishRecords.com - English Genealogy Records: United Kingdom Census (England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland), English Vital Registrations, Free BMD, Parish Records, Church Records: http://allenglishrecords.com/

The National Archives in Kew (England): http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Historical Directories (local & trade) England and Wales 1750-1919: http://www.historicaldirectories.org/

British Newspaper Collection: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dutillieul/

$$$ScotlandsPeople: http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/
Births 1855-1904, Marriages 1855-1929, Deaths 1855-1954, Census, Wills & Testaments

Genealogy Resources on the Internet (Gaunt & Fuller): http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cgaunt/gen_int1.html

Ancestral Villages: http://www.ancestral-villages.co.uk/

Genealogy.net (German-speaking countries): http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/regio.htm

JewishGen: http://www.jewishgen.org/

Holocaust Global Registry: http://www.jewishgen.org/registry/

Message Boards - Western Europe: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/rw/localities.weurope
   Central Europe: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/rw/localities.ceeurope
   Eastern Europe: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/rw/localities.eeurope
   British Isles: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/rw/localities.britisles
   Scandanavian & Baltic States: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/rw/localities.scan-balt

Proceedings of the Old Bailey London 1674-1834: http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/
   100,621 trials, fully searchable

20th Century Archives of the London Gazette: http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/generalArchive.asp?webType=0
   Page has links to the Imperial War Museum, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Family Records Centre, Public Record Office, Federation of Family History Societies & The Times, making it a nice portal to English research

Very interesting concept for Scotland England, Wales, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands: http://www.lostcousins.com/
   You find a blood relative in the 1881 census, and enter the name as found. You are automatically matched with any other persons entering the same ancestral person -- your researcher cousins!

Victoria County Histories (England): http://www.englandpast.net/counties.html

ShtetlSeeker (villages in Eastern Europe): http://www.jewishgen.org/ShtetlSeeker/

Sacramento German Genealogical Society (Der Blumenbaum): http://www.SacGerGenSoc.org/

Dr. Don Watson's Hessen covers all of Germany: http://go.to/hessen

Southern California Genealogical Library: http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/

Central European Family History Assn.: http://www.cefha.org/

Federation of Eastern European Family History Assn.: http://www.feefhs.org/

Queries to FANA (Familienkundliche Nachrichten): http://www.degener-verlag.com/ (I couldn't get the javascript to work)

Thanks to Maureen Schoenky on the Pfalz list for some of these links.

Eastern Slovakia (Východoslovenský) & Environs Genealogy Research Strategies: http://www.iabsi.com/gen/public/index.htm

Slovak/English online dictionary: http://www.learnslovak.com/slovak-dictionary.html

Czech, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Latin online translator: http://www.slovnik.cz/

Hungarian (and others) online dictionary: http://www.freedict.com/onldict/hun.html

Fils du Vent (nomad ancestors, such as gypsies, bohemiens, circus employees, peddlers - posts in English are OK): http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/racinesnomades/

Country Studies, general descriptive files, such as this one about Romania: http://countrystudies.us/romania/40.htm

Luxembourg: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/10/luxembourg.html

Austrian Newspapers, Slovakia's Cemetery Database Online: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/06/austrian-newspapers-slovakias-cemetery.html

World War Two Aerial Pictures Go Online: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/02/world-war-two-aerial-pictures-go.html

Naming customs in Germany and France: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/02/naming-customs-in-germany-and-france.html

Huguenot Research: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2005/01/huguenot-research.html

Pfalz: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2003/12/pfalz.html

Alsace: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2003/12/alsace.html

Lorraine: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2003/12/lorraine.html

Maps: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2003/12/maps.html
   Language Map of France: http://www.lexilogos.com/france_carte_dialectes.htm


Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. - Eleanor Roosevelt