If Your Ancestors Came from Ireland

Huge numbers of Irish people left Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century when famine forced many people to look for a new and better life in another country. When you're trying to locate records, it's vital that you know as much as possible: if you can establish which town or village your ancestors came from, you'll know which government - whether Northern Ireland (Ulster) or the Republic of Ireland - now holds the records.

Start at the National Archives of Ireland at http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ and the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland at http://www.proni.gov.uk/. Irish Genealogy (http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/non_flash/frame_1024.htm) is also an excellent site, with many good resources.

You can apply on the site for a birth search for a birth after 1864, at which time civil registration of births began in Ireland. The search will cost 45 pounds (approximately USD $90), of which 20 pounds (approximately USD $45) is refundable if the search is unsuccessful.

The Scottish government provides ample resources for you to find your Scottish ancestors at The General Register Office for Scotland (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk). Here's what you can find on the site: Close to 40 million records, including a fully searchable index of Scottish births (covering the years 1553-1904), marriages (1553 to 1929) and deaths (1855 to 1954). You'll also find indexed census data for the years 1881 to 1901.

Once you've found your ancestors in the Scotland's People database, find additional information at The National Archives for Scotland at http://www.nas.gov.uk/family_history.htm, which provides guides, indices to collections, and a fully searchable catalog at http://www.dswebhosting.info/nas/.

Finally, the Scottish Genealogy Society also provides online information, and an online forum, both of which are free, at http://www.scotsgenealogy.com/.
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