Tips & Tools: Genlighten for documents

Link: http://www.genlighten.com/

Here is an interesting site that connects people looking for local records with people willing to hunt the records down. Prices are fixed by the researchers, so there seem to be many deals.

It looks like all payment is done online through paypal, which should give some security when paying an official source for documents. Interestingly, many searchers offer a "not found" fee, so you pay less if they can't come up with your record.


The search lets you choose what type of record you are seeking from different locations around the world. It displays a list of people and what resources they can get access to. Although the search is a bit limited, the database of helpers is still limited enough that the options they have are good enough.

We haven't given this site a try yet, but it is inspiring to think this might save us trips across the country to pin down elusive records. Also, it might be an entry point into the world of paid genealogy research. I wonder what resources we can easily get our hands on here in the capitol of GA?

Instant Gratification: German Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898

FamilySearch Record Search recently added a number of new databases. FamilySearch has been doing an amazing job of making many records, particularly vital records, with images available to the public at no charge. Unlike many of the older databases, many of the new databases do not give an image of the original record. The databases are instead indexes to records on microfilm Still, these databases can be very helpful in finding information and locating the records in the Family History Library's extensive catalog.

I have been making use of the Germany Births and Baptisms, 1558-1598 to track down information about a branch of my family that immigrated to the US in the late 19th century. Based on information I know about birth dates and parents' names from records of my ancestor and his siblings in the US, I was able to find information about christening records. Next step is to find the microfilm related to the entry in this database.

Instant Gratification Civil War Style: The OR & ORN

Link: http://dlxs2.library.cornell.edu/m/moawar/
Titles: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion (OR) & Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion (ORN)
Notes: Free



Cornell University has created an online search of one of the great historical sources from the American Civil War. The 159 Volume series is primarily made up of correspondences and rosters from the war, and it includes a comprehensive index. If you had a noteworthy soldier or sailor in the civil war, they may be mentioned by name. Even if not, this is a great way to track down information about the activities of different units, ships, and battles of the war.

The site has several search options, including a basic search for individual words, a boolean search that lets you use AND and OR operators, and a proximity search, which lets you for two terms within a number of words. The site also keeps a handy history of your recent searches.




Typing in a name will bring up a list of every entry in the volumes. It can be time consuming to click through each to see if it is relevant. A handy first step is to look at the indexes of the Army and Navy records to narrow down which records may be relevant to your search.

The index for the entire OR (the army records) is usually the last entry - you are looking for Series 4 - Volume 4.




From the results details, it is good to go to the view of the actual page, which is easier to browse. From this index, you can work your way back through the links that may be of interest to you.