Where can I get free death records/public information online?
I am trying to find out information about deceased members of my family. Every where I go they want you to pay for public information. Can anyone help?
Hey x_siobhan…,
The Family Search (LDS) site is for Death, Census, and even Pedigree files, and they do cover the world. If the records were given to them, you may even find the GEDCOM standard genealogy format file with the pedigree and individual information. You need to validate any information you get from them with your own vital records.
Most Death Records will cost you! from $4 to $40 – because someone has to maintain those records. The cheapest place to get real death certificate is from the local government records keeping. For example, a City Hall or Town Hall will have a Vital Records department, and they are use to having people request records.
Free – OBITS, from the libraries local to the town of death. You can go to Cindy’s list for OBITS, or just search the town newspapers. Librarians have mailed me copies for free, if you talk nice to them. That is what they like to do, help families.
Another place to go is the GENFORUM. Put the surname for the family you are researching, and up will come the Genealogy Forum for that name. Very useful to talk with people researching the SAME family. Same with Roots.com
have you tried http://www.free.bmd.co.uk
or genes reunited.co.uk
References :
Hey x_siobhan…,
The Family Search (LDS) site is for Death, Census, and even Pedigree files, and they do cover the world. If the records were given to them, you may even find the GEDCOM standard genealogy format file with the pedigree and individual information. You need to validate any information you get from them with your own vital records.
Most Death Records will cost you! from $4 to $40 – because someone has to maintain those records. The cheapest place to get real death certificate is from the local government records keeping. For example, a City Hall or Town Hall will have a Vital Records department, and they are use to having people request records.
Free – OBITS, from the libraries local to the town of death. You can go to Cindy’s list for OBITS, or just search the town newspapers. Librarians have mailed me copies for free, if you talk nice to them. That is what they like to do, help families.
Another place to go is the GENFORUM. Put the surname for the family you are researching, and up will come the Genealogy Forum for that name. Very useful to talk with people researching the SAME family. Same with Roots.com
References :
http://www.familysearch.com/ LDS family Search site
http://www.rootsweb.com great information available
http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi information on death dates
http://www.ellisisland.org/ great site if you know you had relatives immigrate through NY (FREE, just register)
http://www.ssa.gov/foia/html/ltrfwding.htm Social Security Administration
http://genforum.genealogy.com/ for a talk with people interested in the same surnames
http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/ Civil War soldiers and sailors – great information
http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/
http://www.cyndislist.com/ (List of places to look for Genealogy information)
If you live in the US go to the Social Security Death Index. If the person was employed and had a social security number, the Index will have the information. You can also go to the LDS church site and look at their records. They keep copies of millions of documents and will let you use them whether you are Mormon or not.
References :
Social Security or your local county records bureau.
References :
You’re right, most cites need to pay their expenses and do so by selling the information to you. Ancestors.com is the biggest and best for information but require a membership fee of about $49. Other than that, get into the census records and social security records via lds.org/family search on line. The problem is that even the lds.org will link you to the ancestors.com for some information. There is a two week free trial on ancestors.com that you could use and get what you can while you can.
Good luck. When I searched my Mother’s line, I found pedigree sheets back to the time of Christ. It was amazing. I don’t know who put them on line but there they were. It was exciting.
References :