Google Ancestor Message Boards

How to Google message boards, mailing lists, and wiki’s for ancestry research.

Over the last ten years, various online tools have generated collaborative opportunities for finding, sharing, and interacting with like-minded people, such as Facebook. Many of the sites became a platform for the family social experience. Families can produce content, preserve connections, add historical anecdotes, and communicate across several mediums. A number of these networks still exist and are used but not heavily promoted among genealogists. These networks are overflowing with millions of collaborative discussions about genealogy and family history topics which are ongoing and archived.

Google Ancestor Message Boards, Mailing Lists, and Wiki’s
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Google Ancestor Mailing lists

A mailing list is simply an email party line. Every message that a list subscriber sends to the list is distributed to all other list subscribers. Subscribing to a mailing list is one of the best ways of connecting to people who share your interests. Genealogy-related mailing lists can cover surnames, US counties and states, other countries and regions, ethnic groups, and various topics. RootsWeb has the most comprehensive current and archived databases of mailing lists. Use the following search query to find other genealogy-related mailing lists

  • genealogy mailing list

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Google Ancestor Mailing lists

A wiki is a page or collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses the wiki to contribute or modify content. The value of a wiki is that anyone can contribute. The combined efforts of several individuals usually create a better result than any one individual could by themselves. Wikis are used to create collaborative websites where a community can work together to provide meaningful content. The most widely known wiki is Wikipedia.com. FamilySearch started the Research Wiki, where you can get genealogical research advice or learn where to find record collections. Use the following search query to find other genealogy-related wikis

  • genealogy wiki

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Google Ancestor Message Boards

Message boards focus on surnames, localities, and many other genealogy topics. You create a record through which other researchers can find you by posting a message to the appropriate message board.

The message boards are a “must-do” connecting point for genealogists to collaborate on research topics of mutual interest in a public forum. The focus of the boards ranges from surnames to locations to particular topics. Depending on the board and the number of people posting queries and replies, the exchange flow and volume of information are dynamic. RootsWeb (has one of the most comprehensive archived databases for message boards. Use the following search query to find other genealogy-related message boards

  • genealogy message boards

Most people using the message boards have been doing genealogy for more than ten years. A great pool of knowledge and experience is coming together to help one another. Use message boards to assist in planning and evaluating genealogy trips to various states and countries.

I posted my queries on both the country- and county-specific boards for the focus of my research, and within hours—and for the next week—I received very insightful hints and direction from people who lived in the area or who had gone on trips. Some people replied to the message boards, and others sent an email directly to me. Thoughts ranged from where to conduct my research to where to stay and eat, where I would most likely find graves of my family, and to offer insights on personal genealogy.

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In another case, I posted a message concerning research I was conducting on the Mullins family from Goochland County, Virginia. My first reply was six months later. The individual who responded replied that he had been doing research on his line with the same name and realized that information he had gathered was not of his line and sent it to me, along with several links to review. We continued a correspondence away from the message boards for a couple of weeks, seeking to help each other with our research.

Remember: most message boards are open to the public so that anyone can view or post a query or reply. It becomes your responsibility to ensure that the information you’re getting ready to post is the information you want to share with the world. There will be no time limit for how long the message will be posted, and I have messages that have been out there for five or more years. Once you press “submit,” the information is now free to be used as the public chooses to use it.

Take the time to carefully compose your message, providing the critical information others will need to help you in your research. For example, the following information is usually essential to provide when helping others identify family connections:

  • Full name, including any middle names or initials
  • Birth, marriage, and death dates
  • Places where the above events occurred
  • Residence and migration
  • Names of their children and parents

Don’t be afraid to provide detailed information

If I am looking for specific help, I need to provide enough background information so that others can review it and provide quality input. It helps others understand that you have done your homework, and they will give you better answers.

Check your grammar and spelling

Think about how an error will change the response you might get, such as if you enter a date of 1962 and mean 1926.

Compose your message in your word processing software

Rather than compose your message in the data entry window provided by the message board, compose your message in your word processing software first, run spell check, edit, and then copy and paste your message into the appropriate message window.

You must use the message boards to keep track of your efforts by doing one or more of the following:

  • Use a correspondence log to track your message board posts and queries. Information to track will include the date when you posted, where it was posted, and a summary of your post. As you receive the replies, track the reply’s date and the results (positive or negative).
  • Use bookmarks or favorites. Simply create a folder in your bookmarks or favorites for the explicit purpose of tracking message board queries. The program will usually allow you to add comments each time you visit the site.
  • Use your genealogy software to keep track of your message board queries. Some family tree software programs include correspondence logs or to-do lists. Be sure to include the URL, copy of your post or query, the date you last checked, etc.

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Google 18 Types of Ancestor Records

The following is an overview of the common 18 types of ancestor records that I have found constantly valuable in my historical and genealogy research and hundreds of other resources I have learned to research and use through the years. When I mastered researching these resources, I could quickly expand my research to other records to help me connect the pieces of my genealogy puzzle.

Google Ancestor Records
Cemetery Records Census Records Church Records
Civil Vital Records Directory Records Family Histories
Histories and Biographies Land Records Maps
Message Boards, Mailing Lists, and Wiki’s Military Records Naturalization Records
Newspaper Records Photographs Probate Records
Publications and Periodicals Ship Passenger Lists Writings of Ancestors

In my profile of each resource, I have included what you will find, how to use the resource, and research insights for each resource. I would encourage you to use this section as a starting point from which you can search out and find other genealogical tutorials, and guides that help to provide deeper insights.  The common websites that researchers first think of are Ancestry, Archives, FamilySearch, FindMyPast and MyHeritage.

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Google Other Ancestor Records

The following are other articles you may enjoy to help you Google your ancestry.

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