Re: Recommendation for online services?

"CWatters" <colin.watters@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>
>"Terry Pinnell" <terrypin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>news:p4dro31t3seo60tkp9okmq6qh99lfdtrq3@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> "CWatters" <colin.watters@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > >You might be able to get quite a long way just using FreeBMD, the LDS
>site
>> >at http://www.familysearch.org
and buying certificates.
>>
>> Thanks. How reliable/comprehensive is that? It seems dominated by USA
>> sources? My first tests using people whose names and birth dates (in
>> England) are beyond question came up with nothing. And using names
>> like 'John Smith' in various arbitrary years from 1914 t0 1970
>> produced either zero or just a couple of hits!
>
>I haven't used it for post 1900 but I've found it very helpful for info
>prior to that. They have the 1881 census on there for example. With other
>records check to see if they are "Extractions from local records" or
"Member
>submissions". The former are more reliable. . Founds several records of
my
>British family in India on there.
>
>>
>> >Your local library may well have an subscription that will give you
free
>> >access to www.ancestry.co.uk whe you will find census.
>>
>> I'd be happy to buy a subscription again for the convenience of home
>> use. Is Ancestry well regarded?
>
>Yes Ancestry is well regarded. There are/were re****ts of people having
>problems canceling subscriptions in the past. Not heard that for a year
or
>so. They quite regularly have offers and free trials and some require you
to
>take out a sub with a CC then cancel it if you just want the three months
>free.
>

Thanks to all for the follow-ups. I should have made the point in my
OP that I'm starting the current project in the 20th Century. At great
cost to my eyes, I spent most of yesterday laboriously searching
1935-1945 BMD register scans for my first data. For this I bit the
bullet and plumped my first subscription on The Genealogist,
http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk.

-- 
Terry, East Grinstead, UK