WELCOME TO GENEALOGY FACTS

“Where It Is More Important to Have the Right Facts than to Be Right.”

UNIVERSITY OF GENEALOGY RESEARCH

Home ● Surnames ● Brick Walls ● University ● Resources ● FAQ ● Subscribe ● Submitting Research ● Donate

Gen 105 - Family Search - Look for Records on an Ancestor

Hint: Family Search has many different ways to skin a cat. The following is but one way to use it. Play with it an see how you want to use it. The following instructions are fairly basic. The Family Search help screen is very helpful should you need further instructions.

One way of finding records is simply to look up the ancestor you are interested in. First, login to Family Search www.familysearch.org.Click on Search on the Menu Bar, followed by Records. This will bring you to a page where you identify your ancestor.

Enter your ancestor’s name. If you are certain of his dates of birth, enter a from year 5 years earlier and a to year 5 years later. Add a spouse if desired. It is often best to limit searches to Country and State to keep from getting way too many hits. Generally, do not click on the check boxes to search exactly on each field.

You will then be taken to a more detailed search page. It has two tabs Records and Collections. You have the option to refine your search by adding more fields. You can click on one or more of the search exactly check boxes if you so choose. Important: Click on the Blue Update button on the left side if you change anything in the search.

Now you can click on the Collections tab if you want to find a specific type of record, say the 1840 Census. In such case, click on the 1840 Census box under the Census Section and then click on the blue Filter These Results button. After you do so you will be taken back to the records Tab and you will see a list of records it found.

Hint: If you make changes to refine your search on the left side, you must click on the Blue Update button for it to take effect; and if you make changes to the Collections side you must click on the blue Filter These Results button for it to take effect.

Now back to the Records display after you have made a search. You will notice one to three icons to the right of each record. The first is a Pedigree icon. If you see that icon, it means someone has attached that record to a person in the Shared Family Tree (See Part Four below.) Click on the icon and you will be taken to that person. The second icon looks like a page with writing. It is the View Details icon. If you click on that icon, you will see a short summary of the record. The last icon is a camera (or a camera with a key over it). That is the View Record icon. If you only see a camera, you can click on it and see the original record right from your home computer. Pretty neat, huh! If you see a camera, with a key over it, the record has restrictions. You must then go to a nearby branch Family History Center in an area LDS Church. If you have never done so, don’t be nervous. They are exceedingly nice and helpful, especially to newcomers.

Mission Statement ● Copyright ● Genealogy Standards ● Comment on Slavery ● Site Map ● Privacy ● Contact Us