FamilySearch Update: 9 Million New Records Plus New Indexing Projects

FamilySearch has updated or added three new free databases this week to its online pilot program at http://pilot.familysearch.org. The new additions represent over 9 million new names.  There are now over 477 million searchable names on the pilot site.

Current indexing projects include the 1920 U.S Census, 1869 Argentina Census, 1930 Mexico Census, 1945 Florida State Census, Louisiana Deaths, German Church Records, Italy Church Records, Spain Church Records, Venezuela Church Records, and Nicaragua Civil Registration Records.

Newly-added records include:

1870 U.S. Federal Census

Thirteen  new states and almost 9 million names were added to the free 1870 U.S. Census index online. Indexes are now available for Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Dakota Territory, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming. Digital images can be searched for all states except Kentucky, Vermont, and Virginia.

West Virginia Births Index

A searchable name index for West Virginia Births for 1853 to 1930 has been added. This project includes 220,000 names and is 76% complete. For a list of counties indexed in the collection to-date, see the project description at http://pilot.famlysearch.org.  No images currently.

West Virginia Deaths Index

The West Virginia Deaths Index 1853 to 1870 is now available online. Over 266,00 names were added, and it is 80% complete. This is an index of both statewide and county death records. A link to digital images on the West Virginia Division of Culture and History website is provided from the index.

Comments

[Sherry]

The West Virginia Death Index is from 1853 to 1970 instead of from 1853 to 1870.

[Bonz]

This is fantastic. One of my four high priority WV counties came online today with this news. I think they have 42 out of 55 done now.

I wish my home state of Pennsylvania would do something like this, especially for deaths after 1905. It's a great help for genealogists.

[Bonz]

This is fantastic. One of my four high priority WV counties came online today with this news. I think they have 42 out of 55 done now.

I wish my home state of Pennsylvania would do something like this, especially for deaths after 1905. It's a great help for genealogists.

[Georgia Halloran]

IF you want to see the actual records you can go to WV vital records at http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx

[Vincent Walsh]

I am tracing my ancestors in Ireland from 1850 to the present.

I can search the British Census for these years but there is no listing of the census for Ireland.

Was Ireland included in these censuses?

[Vincent Walsh]

I am searching for my family in Ireland from 1800 to the present.

I am able to search the British Census for some of these years but cannot find the pages for Ireland.

Was Ireland included in these censuses?

[Jim]

I can't find my family on there. What gives?

[Stewart Millar]

Not sure how Ireland came into this particular topic --- but the answer for Vincent is as follows:

Ireland was included in all the British censuses - similar to Scotland, the records were separately kept and maintained by the government administration within Ireland. However the census records from 1821 to 1891 have been destroyed due to 2 reasons:

First, the 1861/71/81/91 household returns were destroyed by (Irish) government instruction - same thing happened to the England & Wales Household returns, but in England & Wales the details of the returns were first copied into the Enumerators Returns which are the surviving records. Note that when the 1911 England & Wales census is released it will actually be the original household returns and not an enumerators copy.

Second, the 1821-1851 census records were destroyed during the Irish Civil War in 1922 during fighting at the Four Courts in Dublin, site of the Public Record Office for Ireland at the time.

The earliest Irish Census record is the 1901 and currently the 1901 and 1911 census are released and can be accessed for research. Both of these censuses are currently undergoing digitization and indexing by the Irish authorities and the first results of the 1911 census (being done first) is available at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie

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