Monday, November 28, 2005

Ancestry.com Content Update from the week of Nov. 13 - 19

Approximately 4.9 million names released over the last week. 5 new titles released. 8 titles updated.

Highlights

  • Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s - updated, adding 460,000 new names.
  • Maryland Colonial Census, 1776 - maintenance update, no new names.
  • Louisiana Statewide Death Index, 1900-1949 - maintenance update, no new names.
  • Massachusetts Death Index, 1970-2003 - update, 1.5 million new names.
  • Obituaries - update, adding 500,000 new names.
  • Vital Records books - five new titles from Massachusetts, adding 140,000 new names.
  • Member Contributed Content – 2.3 million Message Boards, Trees, RootsWeb Databases, and Customer corrections names added.

U.S. Records Collection

Released Last Week

  • Obituary Collection (http://www.ancestry.com/search/obit/) - Updated (524,955 new names added for a total of 64,376,827) - 11/19/2005

Scheduled for this week

  • Three more Massachusetts vital records books

Coming soon

  • SSDI Update
  • Several maintenance releases

U.S. Census Images and Indexes

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • 1820 US Federal Census (maintenance)
  • 1830 US Federal Census (maintenance)

U.K. & Ireland Records Collection

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • 1851 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • 1881 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • 1891 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • Yorkshire Parish records update

Newspapers

Released last week

  • Obituary Collection (http://www.ancestry.com/search/obit/) - Updated (524,955 new names added for a total of 64,376,827) - 11/19/2005

Scheduled for this week

  • Obituaries Collection – will continue to update

Coming soon

  • Major newspaper update.

U.S. Immigration Collection

Released last week

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • New York Passenger Lists update
  • Ships Photos

Family and Local Histories

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • Additional ProQuest Family & Local History titles.

Member Contributed Content

Released last week

posted by rpatel @ 10:09 AM   0 comments

Monday, November 21, 2005

Ancestry.com Content Update from the week of Nov. 6 - 12

Approximately 30.3 million names released over the last week. 9 new titles released. 5 titles updated.

Highlights

  • World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 - updated, complete, adding 18.8 million new names.
  • WWI, WWII, and Korean War Casualty Listings - new, 138,000 names.
  • U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 - new, 8.4 million names.
  • World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1946 - new, 143,000 names.
  • New York State Census Collection - new, adding 509,000 names.
  • Obituaries - update, adding 669,000 new names.
  • Vital Records books - five new titles from Massachusetts, adding 232,000 new names.
  • Member Contributed Content – 1.4 million Message Boards, Trees, RootsWeb Databases, and Customer corrections names added.

U.S. Records Collection

Released Last Week

  • Obituary Collection (http://www.ancestry.com/search/obit/) - Updated (668,325 new names added for a total of 63,851,872) - 11/12/2005

Scheduled for this week

  • Several maintenance updates to vital records
  • Five more Massachusetts vital records books

Coming soon

  • Several maintenance releases

U.S. Census Images and Indexes

Released last week

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • 1820 US Federal Census (maintenance)
  • 1830 US Federal Census (maintenance)

U.K. & Ireland Records Collection

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • 1851 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • 1881 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • 1891 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • Yorkshire Parish records update

Newspapers

Released last week

  • Obituary Collection (http://www.ancestry.com/search/obit/) - Updated (668,325 new names added for a total of 63,851,872) - 11/12/2005

Scheduled for this week

  • Obituaries Collection – will continue to update

Coming soon

  • Major newspaper update.

U.S. Immigration Collection

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • New York Passenger Lists update
  • Ships Photos

Family and Local Histories

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • Additional ProQuest Family & Local History titles.

Member Contributed Content

Released last week

posted by rpatel @ 5:12 PM   0 comments

Monday, November 14, 2005

Ancestry Content Special Update: Complete WWI Draft Card Collection

Complete US WWI Draft Registration Card Collection!

Largest Number of Images Released on A.com Ever!

Search New WWII Enlistment and POW Records!



WWI Draft Card Collection Key Features:

· WWI Draft Registration Card collection offers over 24 million images – more than all the US Census images combined!

· 24 million searchable names

· 584,197 man hours dedicated to keying

· Over 1,752,593,032 keyed characters

· So far today, the WWI database peak hourly usage is over 5 times higher than the top hourly usage so far this month. Usage is still on the increase.

History of the WWI Draft Registration Card Project:

Bringing the complete WWI Draft Registration Card collection to the world has not been a simple task. The project was initiated 3 ½ years ago and has suffered significant delays as our team diligently worked to overcome a number of hurdles.

Many of the original images were difficult, if not impossible, to view. To provide a more valuable database, many of the illegible originals were re-imaged to produce higher quality results. The difference is amazing.

Who will you find in the WWI Draft Card collection?

· Babe Ruth (George Herman Ruth) – Listed work address as Fenway Park

· Norman Rockwell – Registered in New Rochelle, NY

· e e cummings (Edward Cummings) – Registered while a student in Cambridge, MA

· Adolph Coors (Adolph Coors Jr.) – Lists pottery company as employer

How are WWI Draft Cards Useful?

· Draft cards are particularly useful because they represent everyone that registered for the draft, including many that never served in the military

· 98% of men under the age of 46 in the U.S. completed a registration card in 1917 and 1918, representing 25% of the total population and 24 million men

· 1880 - 1920 was a high immigration period – information on many immigrants are captured on the draft cards

Additional Military Databases Available Today:

· U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946

· Contains information on roughly 8.3 million men and women who enlisted in WWII

· Includes Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps

· World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1946

· Contains information on roughly 140,000 U.S. officers and soldiers

· Includes some U.S. and Allied civilians who were prisoners of war

· WWI, WWII and Korean War Casualty Listings

· American Battle Monument records from WWI, WWII and Korean War Listings

· Contains listing of casualties buried at over twenty-four cemeteries around the world including those reported Missing in Action

Interesting Facts about Veteran’s Day:

· On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of November, 1918, an armistice between the Allies and Germany was implemented to end WWI (the final peace treaty was signed in 1919)

· November 11, 1919, President Wilson proclaims the first Armistice Day

· 1941-1953, WWII and the Korean War create millions of additional war veterans in addition to those of WWI already honored by Armistice Day

· June 1, 1954, President Eisenhower signs legislation changing the name of the legal holiday to Veteran’s Day

· 1968, because of the Monday Holiday Law, the fourth Monday in October was established as the new date for observance of Veteran’s Day

· Despite the Federal observance on the fourth Monday of October, 46 states maintained their observance on November 11th

· 1978, the law took effect and Veteran’s Day observance reverted to November 11

Other sources of interesting information:

· Dick Eastman announcement in 2002: http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=6059

· Additional Veteran’s Day Links: http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=2892

posted by rpatel @ 3:27 PM   0 comments

Ancestry.com Content Update from the week of Oct. 30 - Nov. 5

Approximately 3 million names released over the last week. 5 new titles released. 6 titles updated.

Highlights

  • Ohio Deaths, 1958-2000 - updated, adding 330,000 new names and fixing several errors.
  • Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002 - maintenance update, fixing searching on this database.
  • Obituaries - update, adding 1.65 million new names.
  • Vital Records books - five new titles from Massachusetts, adding 235,000 new names.
  • Member Contributed Content – 800,000 Message Boards, Trees, RootsWeb Databases, and Customer corrections names added.

U.S. Records Collection

Released Last Week

  • Obituary Collection (http://www.ancestry.com/search/obit/) - Updated (1,654,717 new names added for a total of 63,183,547) - 10/29/2005
  • Ohio Deaths, 1958-2000 (http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5763) - updated (328,048 new names for a total of 4,368,823) - 10/31/2005
  • Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002 (http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7316) - updated, fixing searching on this database, no new names - 11/2/2005

Scheduled for this week

  • Completion of the WWI Draft collection.
  • Five more Massachusetts vital records books

Coming soon

  • Several maintenance releases

U.S. Census Images and Indexes

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • New York State Census

Coming soon

  • 1820 US Federal Census (maintenance)
  • 1830 US Federal Census (maintenance)

U.K. & Ireland Records Collection

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • 1881 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • 1891 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • Yorkshire Parish records update

Newspapers

Released last week

  • Obituary Collection (http://www.ancestry.com/search/obit/) - Updated (1,654,717 new names added for a total of 63,183,547) - 10/29/2005

Scheduled for this week

  • Obituaries Collection – will continue to update

Coming soon

  • Major newspaper update.

U.S. Immigration Collection

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • New York Passenger Lists update
  • Ships Photos

Family and Local Histories

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • Additional ProQuest Family & Local History titles.

Member Contributed Content

Released last week

posted by rpatel @ 8:38 AM   0 comments

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Ancestry.com Content Update from the week of Oct. 23 - 29

Approximately 29 million names released over the last week. 9 new titles released. over 20,000 titles updated.

Highlights

  • 1851 England and Wales Census - new, 17.7 million new names.
  • Family & Local Histories - major maintenance update adding 500,000 previously missing pages to the collection, approx. 8.75 million new names to 20,000 previously released titles.
  • Obituaries - update, adding 1.2 million new names.
  • Vital Records books - five new titles from Massachusetts, adding 43,000 new names.
  • Member Contributed Content – 1.4 million Message Boards, Trees, RootsWeb Databases, and Customer corrections names added.

All titles released this week.

U.S. Records Collection

Released Last Week

  • Obituary Collection (http://www.ancestry.com/search/obit/) - Updated (1,270,005 new names added for a total of 61,528,830) - 10/29/2005

Scheduled for this week

  • Five more Massachusetts vital records books
  • Several state vitals maintenance releases

U.S. Census Images and Indexes

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • New York State Census

Coming soon

  • 1820 US Federal Census (maintenance)
  • 1830 US Federal Census (maintenance)

U.K. & Ireland Records Collection

Released last week

  • England Census (http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8860) - new (16,415,951 names) - 10/25/2005
  • Wales Census (http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8861) - new (1,167,814 names) - 10/25/2005
  • Channel Islands Census (http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8862) - new (89,973 names) - 10/25/2005
  • Isle of Man Census (http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8863) - new (52,146 names) - 10/25/2005


Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • 1881 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • 1891 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • Yorkshire Parish records update

Newspapers

Released last week

  • Obituary Collection (http://www.ancestry.com/search/obit/) - Updated (1,270,005 new names added for a total of 61,528,830) - 10/29/2005

Scheduled for this week

  • Obituaries Collection – will continue to update

Coming soon

  • Major newspaper update.

U.S. Immigration Collection

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • New York Passenger Lists update
  • Ships Photos

Family and Local Histories

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • Additional ProQuest Family & Local History titles.

Member Contributed Content

Released last week

posted by rpatel @ 12:37 PM   0 comments

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Ancestry.com Content Update from the week of Oct. 16 - 22

Approximately 2 million names released over the last week. 5 new titles released. 4 titles updated.

Highlights

  • Social Security Death Index - update, 108,000 new names.
  • Vital Records books - five new titles from Massachusetts, adding 103,000 new names.
  • Member Contributed Content – 1.8 million Message Boards, Trees, RootsWeb Databases, and Customer corrections names added.

All titles released this week.

U.S. Records Collection

Released Last Week

Scheduled for this week

  • Five more Massachusetts vital records books

U.S. Census Images and Indexes

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • New York State Census

Coming soon

  • 1820 US Federal Census (maintenance)
  • 1830 US Federal Census (maintenance)

U.K. & Ireland Records Collection

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • 1851 England and Wales Census

Coming soon

  • 1881 England and Wales Census (maintenance)
  • Oxford Alumni

Newspapers

Released last week

  • No release last week.

Scheduled for this week

  • Obituaries Collection – will continue to update

U.S. Immigration Collection

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • New York Passenger Lists update
  • Ships Photos

Family and Local Histories

Released last week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Scheduled for this week

  • No Release Scheduled.

Coming soon

  • No titles planned for the next month.

Member Contributed Content

Released last week

posted by rpatel @ 5:00 PM   0 comments