Websites invaluable to aspiring genealogists

Although it is probably still possible to carry out family research without the use of the internet, it would certainly be a much more difficult and labourious task doing so. There are a number of websites that are essentional to any amateur (or professional) genealogist and I have listed them below. They are generally geared towards someone researching ancestors in the United Kingdom, but many are worldwide resources:

• Ancestry.co.uk — There are other options for your main source of records, but Ancestry is definitely the best option. It may be more expensive than other sites like Genes Reunited, but the cost is definitely worth it. There are so many more collections available compared to other websites, especially international records which will come in handy if you have immigrant or emmigrant ancestors.
• FreeBMD — This website is run by volunteers and subsequently doesn't have the full collection of birth, marriage and death records yet. Not only is it free, I sometimes find it easier to use than Ancestry (which has the full collection BMD registers transcribed) and the benefit that users sometimes add postems to record entries providing more information.
• FamilySearch — Run by the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter-Day Saints who are digitizing their entire microfiche film collection, currently standing at 548 million vital records available online. Once you research back beyond the first censuses, then you have to reply on Parish Records which you can find here. The 1881 UK census is also made available for free here.
• 1911 Census — Until the 1911 England and Wales census is released on Ancestry, then this website run by FindMyPast is your best choice. You will have to have a subscription with FMP or pay credits to access the records, however.
• National Archives — The National Archives, based in Kew, Surrey, have a number of records available to search. Many of which you won't find anywhere else. There are some records available to purchase and download online, but those that cannot be downloaded can be found physcially in Kew, with the website giving information on where to find each collection.

If you are researching Irish ancestors:

• National Archives of Ireland — The Irish National Archives websites has the 1901 and 1911 censues available online to search and view for free. Sadly these are the only surviving censues in Ireland, so they are invaluable if, like me, you have Irish ancestry.

I have probably missed some here, these are just the ones I (and I think most people) use, so any suggested additions would be grateful.

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