Ancestry.co.uk or Findmypast.co.uk?

[StripySocksAndDocs]

Which one is better, or are they pretty much the same?

Obviously one has free access right now so seems better!

Are both pointless without payment?

Findmypast told me they were aware their website didn't work properly with some browsers, eg Safari, and that they were not in any hurry to fix this.

They refused to give me a refund, claiming that I'd had some days' usage out of the month(?) I'd paid for before their site fell over, so what was I complaining about?

I suspect their actions would be illegal under the new consumer-protection legislation, but it was shortly before that became law.

So up to you. Depends whether you feel lucky.

Genealogy nerd here!!

Personally, I prefer Ancestry because the actual tree (or 5 that I have) is much clearer and easier to use. You can also 'pick and pull' the view around whereas on FMP you have to scroll left, right, up, down to view along the tree. When your ancestors had 10 children that gets long!

FMP has a better collection of Parish records though it completely depends where your families are from. I find Ancestry especially good for London records.

Re the 1939 Register - FMP is better. (Ancestry got the rights to it a few months ago) You can do address searches on FMP and the map functions are incredibly useful and interesting. They do overlays of the address on the map so you can see what it was like then and now.

I actually subscribe to both, Ancestry I managed to get for £60 for my annual subscription in December as when you cancel they then send tempting offers within a week! FMP rarely discount more than 10-15%.

As it is a personal thing I would see if you can try both for a month and see which you prefer. I use both for my research as sometimes I find a record that has been transcribed differently. You can set up a tree for free on Ancestry and use the Birth, Marriage and Death records that are free to access to see how you like the features.

Please ask any more questions if you need!

If you are serious about researching your family tree then you will need to pay for either Ancestry or Find my Past at some point. I have used both many times and on the whole, prefer Ancestry.

I prefer ancestry

Also there is familysearch.org which is all free access.

gro.gov.uk is free to search for birth and death records. Birth records from 1837 to 1917 also give the mother's maiden name which you won't find on the register records on FMP and Ancestry

Some counties have BMD websites - Lancashire possibly, these are also free to search.

Have a look on Who Do You Think You Are magazines website as they often list free to search sites

I use both. I used the DNA test from Ancestry and that's been useful. As Schlobbob says, the tree is easier to use. Find My Past is better for finding Irish records in my opinion. Not that I'm having much luck anywhere finding the actual records that I need....

Oh that would leave a bad taste your mouth!!

I've been on Findmypast.co.uk this weekend, but don't use safari. I was asking re the difference for my mum, and she uses safari so that's good to know.

The map functions are incredibly useful and interesting. They do overlays of the address on the map so you can see what it was like then and now.

Slightly off topic, but for anyone who likes historic maps, I recommend the National Library of Scotland's site: maps.nls.uk

It may look at first sight as if it only has maps of Scotland, but it has more than that. The historic large scale OS maps are particularly good. You can spend hours in there. I use the maps in conjunction with Google Streetview.

Oh. Lot more answers since I started typing my reply to SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman.
Teach me to half type then come back 30 mins later to finish typing and post!!

misslingoss thank you for the map recommendation, I will have a look! I love looking on street view to see the houses people have lived in.

Agree re Irish records - I have a couple of Irish branches to investigate but on a first go I couldn't be certain so will have to revisit!

I have subs to both. They each have their strengths, but if I was going to do only one it would be ancestry. I find their search function is more forgiving and can make it easier to find people whose names are spelled differently or have other data that is not spot on. FMP can sometimes give zero returns if you do not ask the right question! But FMP has more orignal scans of parish registers and a better 1939 facility... and access to newspapers which I use a lot.
It works out at about £200 a year which I reckon is a pretty cheap hobby.
In addition to familysearch.org, there's also FreeBMD, FreeREG and FREECen which are free to use, but don't have all the records.
Many people use the tree facilities on Ancestry and FMP. I think that's fine when you start, but I now don't. I use the Family Historian software which is hugely more flexible and has masses of faciliities and options for data storage and management beyond just a tree. Also, although I always share info with other researchers I got really fed up of people nicking and bastardising my tree adding in errors etc and no acknowledgement of the source. Ii left an old tree on there so people can contact me f the want but I haven't added to it in years.

Oh yes, another recommendation for the NLS map facility. It's brilliant. I particularly like the "side by side" option as you can compare old and current maps and pin point where old buildings are/were. I have used it to find and visit places that would otherwise be unrecognisable today.

I never had any luck with Irish records.

Any tips welcome.

Yy, the NLS map overlays are amazing!

www.lan-opc.org.uk is the Lancashire online Parish Clerk site a PP was suggesting. It consists of transcriptions by volunteers, is free to use, and is excellent.

I do all my trees offline as well, for privacy reason.

If I remember correctly, Findmypast compounded the offence by saying that they also sold a different, poorer value, package from the one I'd bought.

And claiming that as I'd viewed more records before their site fell over, than they offered under the package I hadn't bought, that I should actually be grateful to them!

It would almost have been worth taking them to court just to see the judge's face.

But as far as a display of contempt for your customers, when you rely on repeat business... Yeah, won't forget that in a hurry.

Personally I use genes reunited for my tree. Any 'hot matches' with other trees will flag up and then if someone else has done all the legwork on a particular branch you can share the information instead of doing it again. I am in Scotland as is most of my heritage so researching through scotlandspeople.com (the official national records place) is easiest for me - it's pay as you go. Another useful site is the mormon family records based in Utah. Although non of my family are mormons or ever emigrated to that part of the US for some reason they have details on almost all of the births deaths and marriages in UK whether mormon or not. It used to be free whether it still is or not I'm not sure. Have only made some headway into my Irish ancestry. Would need to relook again to see what worked best.

This is coming back to me now.

Further insult to injury: the reason I'd had to click on X number of records was because so many were duds. The Findmypast search results give minimal distinguishing information, so you have to waste a time clicking on an awful lot of red herrings.

Whereas Ancestry results give you enough info to home in faster on the one you actually want.

*I never had any luck with Irish records.

Any tips welcome.*

They are difficult. Age is often inaccurate, which doesn’t help figure from people having similar names. (I’ve a living relative who never knew he was a year younger and born in a different month till his forties!!!)

I find parish records a better guide. Especially if the mother’s maiden name is recorded with it.

Like the earlier census in England babies might not be recorded on the census, so don’t discount a family just because a name is on it and you think there should be a certained name on it who was about a year old.

Thank you. I haven't looked for a while, maybe it's time that I revisit that side of the family history.