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If you have ancestors from the British Commonwealth, such as the UK, Canada in Australia, or the British Isles, you will want to use FindMyPast to build your family tree. If you don’t have your family tree on Findmypast, you’re missing out on really great genealogy research tools.
In this video, I walk you through how to build your tree on Findmypast.
What is Findmypast?
According to their website,
“Findmypast is a British-owned world leader in online genealogy. It has an unrivaled record of online innovation in the field of family history and 18 million registered users.”
For US Researchers, Findmypast has many records that you would expect to find for your ancestors. Their American record collection includes:
US censuses from 1790 -- 1940
vital records for many of the American States
US military records from the Revolutionary War up to World War II
A US Catholic Record collection featuring sacramental records from Philadelphia, Cincinnati, New York, and Baltimore that are unavailable online anywhere else.
However, the strength of Findmypast for US Researchers is the vast collection of British Commonwealth records. This genealogy record catalog includes
the most extensive compilation of Irish records online
parish records from across England and Wales dating back to 1538
millions of British newspaper pages from as long ago as 1710.
Findmy[ast Fridays announces new records added every week. Check out the latest monthly or annual subscription prices.
On the front page of Findmypast, use the top menu bar to access “Family Tree.”
You’ll access a view displaying all of the trees you manage. You can manually build one or import a family tree. This video covers both ways.
Manually Build Your Findmypast Family Tree
Click “Create Tree” from:
Page Menu -> Family Tree -> Create Tree, or
The “Create Tree” link on the Tree Management page
Complete the “Create a Tree” form with:
a name (for yourself or your ancestor
indicate if this person is you or an ancestor
Record additional vital information
Put as much information as you remember.
It’s okay to leave a few details blank.
Use the place prompts to standardize your ancestor’s locations.
Name your family tree
Press “Create a Tree.”
Once in the family tree view, you can begin adding additional relatives (i.e., father, mother, spouse, children)
Repeat the first three steps for each relative you wish to add.
Then, Findmypast searches its databases for other family trees or records that reflect the information you provide about your ancestors.
Nearly instantly, you’ll have hints. You can use these hints to rapidly build your family tree using records rather than manually inputting information.
In another video, I’ll discuss how to use Tree-to-Tree matching to leverage the power of other researchers' work in building your family tree.
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Grab your copy of these FREE Genealogy Research Guide
Build Your Family Tree Using Hints on Findmy[ast
How to Easily Build Your Family Tree on FindMyPast, I demonstrate how you can move the information from records featuring a family to build your family tree. These steps primarily involve.
Evaluate the Record Hint
Review the Transcription / Index of the Record
Look at the Original Records (when available)
Accept the Hint
Select which information from the record hint you wish to migrate into your ancestor’s profile.
Select which individuals you want to add to your family tree from the record.
Accept the changes.
Import a Family Tree to Findmypast
If you have built your family tree on other genealogy websites and programs, you won’t want to waste your time manually rebuilding your family tree. Instead, you can upload a GEDCOM file to Findmypast.
You can begin by creating a GEDCOM file from Ancestry, MyHeritage, RootsMagic, Legacy Tree Software, Family Tree Maker, or other programs.
(Note: You can not download a GEDCOM file directly from FamilySearch. You must use a software program such as Family Tree Maker or RootsMagic to create a GEDCOM file.)
In the video How to Save Gedcom Files to Transfer to Other Genealogy Websites, I walk you through the process of creating a GEDCOM file to transfer your genealogy data. (Be sure to watch it if you aren’t sure how.)
Use the top menu to access “Family Tree.”
Select “Import Tree.”
Press “Choose File”
Use the file window to navigate to the GEDCOM file saved on your computer. Your file extension should be “.GED.”
Click Open
Then click “Upload Tree.
Once the tree information is uploaded, you’ll see your tree. Then Findmypast will automatically begin searching its database for relevant record hints.
Set Your Family Tree Settings on Findmypast
Before you continue with your family tree research, adjust a few settings on your family tree.
Set the Home Person on your tree (as you?)
Set the sharability settings for your tree.
Checking the "Share Deceased Ancestors" option allows you to share your family tree's names, dates, and relationships with other users. However, your sources, media, and identity will be privatized.
Unchecking the “Shared Deceased Ancestors” box does not allow access to your family tree.
Indicate how often and what kind of communication you’ll allow Findmypast to send to your email inbox.
Select whether you want Surnames in your database to be capitalized.
In this video about tree-to-tree hinting on Findmypast, I discuss how checking the "Shared Deceased Ancestors" allows for tree-to-tree hinting for yourself and other FindMyPast users.
Continue Learning About Findmypast
Utilizing FindMyPast Tree-to-Tree Hints for Genealogy Research
Get Started Researching Your British Ancestors While Living In US (Video)
Basics of Researching Catholic Baptism Records on Findmypast
Basics of Researching Catholic Marriage Records on Findmypast
Benefits for the 1921 Census of England & Wales Around the World (Video)
Use the Findmypast Card Catalog for Locality Research in Genealogy
How to EASILY Search for Civil War Ancestors Using Findmypast (Video)
Use Findmypast’s Social History Records to Explore Your Heritage