NEW DATABASE LAUNCH .....

[Andy]

The Ulster Historical Foundation (UHF) http://www.ancestryireland.co.uk Have just uploaded 437,538 birth records for Antrim and Down, 745,235 marriage records for the same counties with 352,167 death records to follow very soon.

The basic index search is free but does not provide any great detail. Both given and surname are required and the year option (if chosen) automatically returns results from 5 years either side of the given date.

The advanced search is activated by choosing to view the records of your "Dataset" (list of results). Credits for the datasets cost £10 for non-members or £8 for members.

Here's the catch (and I got caught). Choosing to buy a credit for an individual dataset allows you to view 5 full records in a 24 hour period. HOWEVER, if you only have two results in the dataset for say Susan McQuilkin marriages it cost me £8 just to view those two records (which I had already).

If you require another Dataset for Mary Jane McQuilkin marriages the two results will cost ANOTHER tenner if you're not a member!!!!!!!

There does not seem to be a way to add strings of datasets so that you get a bit better value for money. I'm certainly not going to waste any more cash trying.

The system may be a Godsend for rich folk overseas but for half a dozen records I'd be cheaper going to Belfast.

There is no Soundex, Metaphone or other parsers that group spelling varients so you'll have to know how the name was spelled (best of luck). Okay for Kelly but there are an aweful lot of names out there with a wheen of spelling varients!!!

The advanced search has no option to include Parishes or Townlands so you may be left with a great deal of records to plough through.

The Ulster Historical Foundation is an EXCELLENT organization but, in my opinion, this service is not good value for money. Indeed, the fact that the free search only indicates a county means that narrowing down the search is virtually impossible without buying credits to at least see the townlands. It could get VERY expensive finding the correct people especially Kellys, Murphys or O'Brians.

[AnnetteR]

Thank you so much for that info Andy because I am nearing my serious Irish research and as sure as fate I would have got caught with the pennies.

Cheers

Annette

[Jean Jeanie]

Thanks for the advice, Andy.

Thought I would take a look and see if I could confirm wedding dates that I found on birth certificates of children born in Scotland.

One marriage date is confirmed.(Marriage turning up for the same year trying each parent's name)

The other couple are a nightmare. I cannot tie them up to the same year at all. Nearest I can get is 1881 for him and 1888 for her. The date on the child's birth certificate is 1880!

Think it will be far too expensive to find out any more.

Jean

[Andy]

Everyone hold your horses. I've just found out that next month UHF are going to review the pricing, search functions and other aspects of the databases. So it may be worthwhile waiting.