Free Access to a Premium Database at NewEnglandAncestors.Org

The following is an announcement from the New England Historic Genealogical Society:

Celebrate Patriots' Day with Free Access to a Premium DB at NewEnglandAncestors.Org

In recognition of Patriot's Day on April 18, the New England Historic Genealogical Society will offer three days of free access to one of our major databases at NewEnglandAncestors.Org. The name of the database and access details will appear in the April 20, 2005, issue of the NEHGS eNews.

The complimentary open access period begins Wednesday afternoon, April 20, and ends seventy-two hours later on Saturday afternoon, April 23. If you are not yet a member of NEHGS, but want to spend some time researching in one of our premium databases, this is your chance. Now that tax season is behind us, we invite you to spend some of your free time researching your early New England ancestors.

Patriots' Day is a unique holiday in Massachusetts, home of NEHGS. It commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord which took place on April 19, 1775. It is a state holiday in Massachusetts, Maine, and Wisconsin. In addition to its great historical significance, it is now known to many as the day of the running of the Boston Marathon. NEHGS will tie the holiday to this special database promotion and link genealogists everywhere to a piece of their New England heritage.

The easiest way to learn which database will be offered, and how to link to it, is to subscribe to the NEHGS eNews at http://www.newenglandancestors.org/education/articles/NEXUS_eNews/enews_main.asp. As soon as the eNews is sent next Wednesday afternoon, we will also place a link on our homepage at www.NewEnglandAncestors.org.

We invite you to forward this offer to a friend.

Comments

[Taffy Rath]

This site for the DAY was not free. It only let me see the Index to what was available. Would'nt let me go any further.

[Dick Eastman]

Please note that the announcement says, "The complimentary open access period begins Wednesday afternoon, April 20, and ends seventy-two hours later on Saturday afternoon, April 23."

[Peggy]

I agree with the comment saying access to this database is limited. I searched the first day, as noted, April 18th. Access limited.

[Dick Eastman]

Access to the databases was supposed to be limited on April 18. The announcement is of an UPCOMING free access from April 20 through April 23.

[bjnewquist]

I also tried to access info and got only a reference of a vital report. this is not free
access to info. bj

[Dick Eastman]

Access to the free database as previously announced was turned on today and hundreds of people have accessed that in the first few hours since then. Don't be surprised if the server response time is slow as this is a very popular offering and more people are using the system than ever before. The servers are under the biggest load ever. right now

Again, the free database contains Massachusetts Vital Records up to 1850. Details are available at http://eogn.typepad.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2005/04/celebrate_patri.html

[sharon]

I have been trying since the free access came online. I did get a list including dates, but when I click on more to see the document, it takes me back to the home page. I read the directions and they said that this might happen due to high volume. The problem is that I have tried it for 24 hours now and at different times and still do not get the document when clicking on more. So I am wondering if your free access is just to the list...not to the document? I am grateful for the lists with dates, but would really like to see what appears under "more."

[Dick Eastman]

The pages are working and hundreds of people have accessed the free database on http://www.NewEnglandAncestors.org since it was announced about 48 hours ago. The servers are running a bit slowly, as expected, as there is an abnormal load on the system at this time. There have been some reports of time-out errors and some users were "bounced" back to the search page. In all cases, trying again seems to work. I just made a few searches about five minutes ago and they all produced the results that I expected.

Please remember that the free database is Massachusetts published vital records through 1850. We have had reports from some people saying that they found references to records in the 1860s or 1870s but were unable to access them. That is the way it is supposed to work: the vital records available at no charge are those recorded since the earliest records were kept (and published) through the year 1850, not the later years.

Thank you.

- Dick Eastman