Newbie Q's: FMP vs Ancestry 2011 and Searching somone who is alive from past relative

[mpjacko]

Hello,

Newbie here. I have a couple of questions

About my situation: I've been given quite a bit of information from my uncle (my father's brother) about his family tree. So i decided to get as much as I can from my mother about her side and entered it all into familyecho.com. This allowed me to see what my tree was like but it is free and will allow me to transfer the data to another program at a later date i.e family tree maker etc.

The two questions relate to my G.G Grandad who came across from Sweden. I have found out names and DOB about his parents + brothers and sisters (from a swedish site) plus some dates for two of them who emigrated to the USA and 2 to the UK.

To get more info about them i am thinking about subscribing to Ancestry's worldwide service but then noticed that find my past offers the 1911 cenus. I did find a previous post from 2009 somesone one who has asked a similar question. So two years on, do the same arguments apply. FMP vs Ancestry- Which one should i pay for?

Also

My uncle and my nana are interested in finding (if possible) any living relatives from from the people who moved to the UK and the US. I am going to start with the UK one first but can anyone tell me how hard it will be to find someone who is a living descendant from somebody who was born around the 1880's (i.e my G.G Grandad brother and sisters).

My first step would be to look at the 1911 cenus, which should tell me if he was living with someone (or married etc) but if he was single, I guess it would be harder to find his Children etc to the present day. Has anyone been able to do this.

Many thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Mark

[Elaine ..Spain]

First, welcome to Family Tree Forum.

Findmypast and Ancestry offer very similar but also very different types of records.
If you want the 1911 census then you can either view it on the official 1911 census site or Findmypast. You can use both these sites by purchasing credits, Findmypast can also be viewed via a subscription. The images are available on Ancestry but it's harder although not impossible to find the correct one as they have not yet been indexed.

You can also find out a fair amount of information by doing a free search on the 1911 census - if you would like to give some details we could have a look for you and explain how it's done.

Both Findmypast and Ancestry offer free trials which is a good way to have a look at what they have to offer - you will need to enter credit card details so remember to cancel before the end of the free trial or else they will deduct an annual subscription from your card. If you also have ancestors outside of the UK then I would recommend Ancestry as Findmypast is more UK orientated.

[Janet]

Mark

I have subscribed to both FMP and Ancestry with little choice, mainly because I also have many relatives who emigrated from UK/Ireland to America/Canada and Australia and I use the world wide ancestry to track all those emigrants in the valuable census up to 1930 in the States and other research that is available in other countries with the world wide, which has found me many present day relatives. If you live in the UK you may find you can use Ancestry for one hour at your local library. I did this at first but I have too many to cope with to be able to do that sort of research in one hour. Ancestry also offer LMA records which I use, as well as service records for the First World War which I also use. Their Irish and parish records are still suspect and though they may be of use to some, certainly not everybody finds them useful, me included.

FMP offer all the census and digitised records of BMD up to 2005/06 which I find very useful. They also have army records but pre First World War which I use a lot. Their parish records are much better than Ancestry though that will depend which counties you are in.

So what I am saying here is that FMP is no better than Ancestry or vice versa. They both offer different areas of Family History/Genealogical resesrch, with FMP more into UK research.

You will have to look at your own needs and decide which one to choose and that may depend on whether or not you live in the UK or have UK ancestors or if you need both then you may have to go for both. If you have any Irish there is also the Irish FMP which is looking good every month, and I may have to groan and bite the bullet on that one eventually, though resisting at present as I am waiting for more to go on there, but I am at last finding some of my elusive Irish on the Irish FMP, so not sure how much longer I can hang out!!

Unfortunately all these sites have us in chains and only you can decide!!

Janet

[Christine in Herts]

Welcome to FTF, Mark.

I would endorse the comments already made. I had subs to both, but, when my income dropped and it seemed appropriate to drop one of them, I opted to drop the Ancestry sub, because I could get at the Library edition locally.

You can search the 1911 census on Genes Reunited, too. With some clever juggling, you can combine the info free info from free searches on the different sites, to collect a great deal of info - providing that the transcriptions are reliable.

There are also a number of sites which offer free indexes of the BMD registrations - even up to dates more modern than FTF permits to be posted here!

If you have a look in the FTF Reference Library, there's quite a bit of info there, and lots of useful links. Amongst that there will be info you know already, but there may be some snippet that makes a breakthrough for you, so it's worth a look.

And to support what you'll have been told already, I expect:
1] Make sure you note enough detail about your sources so that you (or someone else) is able to go back and check the info. Most of us have thought we'd remember something as obvious as where we found our info, but most of us have also found that that wasn't true! It's really annoying not to be able to check if a doubt creeps in later, or not to be able to justify yourself if challenged.
2] Use family stories, by all means, but don't rely on them... for anything! BMD certificates are essential (for England & Wales certs, only pay the statutory fee of £9.25) but they're only as reliable as the informant (who may have been under social pressure to be flexible with the truth, or may simply not have had accurate info, and had to estimate).
3] Remember that anything you put up on the web is likely to be accessible to people who may not "play by the same rules" as you do. People take whole trees, without acknowledgement, and attach them incorrectly to their own trees. They may also leave in a more public place, info you had intended to keep more privately. Not all countries have the same degree of privacy protection.

Christine

[margaretmarch]

You can trace down to living people - we do it all the time using the sites mentioned.
For someone on the 1911 census for instance who was single you could find if they married and then find any children by using the man's surname and the woman's maiden name.

It is more difficult but not impossible if your names are fairly popular but if people are from Sweden perhaps that will not be the case.

Finally there are sites for current electoral rolls for which you pay a subscription and you can then find addresses for living relatives. I have done this quite successfully for myself and others.

As has been said - put up some names and we'll see what we can advise more specifically.

Margaret

[PhotoFamily]

I've had luck looking for a birth or marriage, but finding the death certificate first. www.familysearch.org is free, so you can use it in conjunction with your UK search, allowing you to look for ancestors who immigrated to the US and died there.

[Heather Positive Thinker]

You can buy a family tree maker program with a 6 month premium ancestry (though not world) sub thrown in on amazon for about £30

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Tree-Maker-2011-Platinum/dp/B003S3RLLW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314120478&sr=8-1

[mpjacko]

Thanks for all your advice. As Christine said in point 2, I would like to check all the entries that my uncle gave me to make sure they are right (but thats for another time).

There are 3 people who i am interested in but it's good to know that you can view US census upto 1931 (which may make finding info on the two sisters a bit easier). The third (a brother) came to the UK but like my G.G Grandad, he prob changed his name (first and last) slightly to be more English.

So here are the details. The UK bound brother is prob more important if anyone can help.

The Surname is Asplund (used in Sweden) but my G.G Grandad (Knut Asplund) changed his name to Kare Aspland (to be more British)

Anyway, the people I am interested in are

(Brother) Tor Emanuel Asplund (born 1889 October 1 in Östersund) emigrated to England 1908 September 17

(Sister) Hulda Viktoria Asplund (born 1878 March 10 in Söderhamn) emigrated to North America 1893 June 30


(Sister) Hedvig Charlotta Asplund (born 1881 May 28 in Söderhamn) emigrated to Boston in North America on 1900 July 11, she emigrated via the port in Trondheim, Norway. The line was Cunard and the ships name was Salmo.

Any help and I would be very grateful

Mark

[PhotoFamily]

Familysearch also offers at least the index to the census years you mention. Some years have the census online, but I can't remember which ones.

1940 is out next year!

[mpjacko]

Familysearch also offers at least the index to the census years you mention. Some years have the census online, but I can't remember which ones.

1940 is out next year!

is that the US one?

[Christine in Herts]

is that the US one?

Yes - 2 April - and I'm waiting for that one, too, to see if there's anything interesting about my Errant Grandfather!

Christine

[Elaine ..Spain]

I presume you are hoping to find Tor Emanuel Asplund b1889 in the 1911 UK Census!

The first place to start (for a free search) is the 1911 census website - click here
You can search in various ways, e.g. by full name, using wildcard search, using just the first letter(s) of names.

At the moment I am struggling to find anything.
Do you have the name and years of birth of his parents or any siblings you think might be in the UK in 1911.

[Christine in Herts]

I had a look through the Swedish born people b 1889±2, but couldn't spot any likely to be ASPLUND, tho' there were some daft (ignorant) mistranscriptions. Knirt for Knut, and Suen for Sven, are just a couple.

There appears to be no-one called "Tor" in the age bracket, even without a PoB, and there's just one "Tore".

Christine

[mpjacko]

I'm having the same problem too. Here is the email from the Swedish National Archives (from 2009). Eariler today, I emailed them to ask for the cost of printed copies. Hopefully it won't cost too much and I can verify their email.

I def know that the BOD for Knut Asplund is 28th May 1883 (I have evidence of this) and that on the 1911 census, his name is Kare Aspland, living with Helen Aspland and Kate Aspland (age 6) in Hull Area (Goole), East riding of Yorkshire

Regarding Knut Axel Ferdinand Asplund

Knut Axel Ferdinand Asplund was born in Östersund 1883 May 28. His parents were:
Father The carpenter Ulrik Asplund was born 1840 June 6 in Strå in the county of Linköping (Later Östergötland). Dead 1905 July 20
Mother Anna Charlotta Melin born 1852 February 3 in Toresund in the county of Nyköping (later Östergötland). She died 1936 August 3
Knut Axel Ferdinand had the following siblings:
Sister: Erika Desideria born 1873 April 11 in Söderala in the county of Gävleborg
Sister: Hulda Viktoria born 1878 March 10 in Söderhamn
Sister: Elin Maria born 1880 April 24 in Söderhamn
Sister: Hedvig Charlotta was born 1881 May 28 in the parish of Söderhamn.

Sister: Tekla Elisabet born 1885 July 25 in Östersund dead 1890 November 9
Sister: Sara Helena born 1887 July 19 in Östersund
Brother: Tor Emanuel born 1889 October 1 in Östersund

1889 November the family moved to Hornsberg in the parish of Frösö. The only one who did not move there was Erika Desideria who moved to the parish of Järvsö the same date.

The family moved back to Östersund 1891 August 8. The adress was Prästgatan 59.
1893 June 30 Hulda Viktoria emigrated to North America, unfortunately I have not been able to find any more information about her emigration than that.
1900 July 11 Hedvig Charlotta emigrated to Boston in North America, she emigrated via the port in Trondheim, Norway. The line was Cunard and the ships name was Salmo.
Elin Maria moved to the parish of Sundsvall 1902 December 18.
The Carpenter Tor Emanuel emigrated to England 1908 September 17

Hope this helps

[Elaine ..Spain]

Do you know anything else about Tor, e.g. did he marry, did he stay in the UK?

[Elaine ..Spain]

Hulda Viktoria Asplund (born 1878 March 10 in Söderhamn)

1893 June 30 Hulda Viktoria emigrated to North America, unfortunately I have not been able to find any more information about her emigration than that.

Using FamilySearch
There are some entries shown on the 1910 and 1930 censuses for a Victoria Asplund born c 1878 Sweden which might be worth checking out. You can only view a transcription of these records on Family Search - the image will be available on Ancestry (world subscription)

There is also an entry in the U.S. Social Security Death Index for Victoria Asplund with a birth date of 10 March 1878 - death date June 1968.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/recordDetails/show?uri=https://api.familysearch.org/records/pal:/MM9.1.r/8V7S-1N2/p1

[Elaine ..Spain]

California Death Index, 1940-1997 (source Ancestry)

Victoria H Asplund
Social Security #: 570803468
Born: 10 Mar 1878, Sweden
Died: 9 Jun 1968 Los Angeles
Mother's Maiden Name: Meline

.. so that fits nicely!

[Lillie]

Boston Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1943 (Ancestry)

Victoria Asplund arrived in Boston, Massachesetts on July 23, 1893. The ship was called the SCYTHIA and sailed out of Liverpool, England.

Her last residence was Trondhjein, Norway.

Final destination Escanaba, Michigan

[mpjacko]

Do you know anything else about Tor, e.g. did he marry, did he stay in the UK?

We have no idea about this.


But thanks for everyone help. As i assumed, the US bound will be easier to find compared to Tor.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Tor Emanuel born 1889 October 1 in Östersund

I had a good look last night on the UK 1911 census and couldn't see anything that remotely fits!

Just had a look at passenger lists and have found the following

Boston Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1943 (source Ancestry)
Tor Asplind, born c1890 - ethnic background Norwegian (name definitely Tor Asplund when you view the book index image of the passenger list)
Birthplace - Ostersnno, Sweden
Arrival Date: 9 Nov 1911
Port of Departure - Liverpool, England - on 31 Oct 1911
Port of Arrival: Boston, Massachusetts
Ship Name: Franconia
Name & address of nearest relative or friend in country whence alien came: Mother Anna Asplund (although this has been transcribed as Sarah) - address Prestgatan(?) 7, Ostersund.
Final destination: Brooklyn, NY

If that is him then he should be hiding somewhere in the UK when the 1911 census was taken on 2nd April.