Subscribe or buy credits ?

[mfdinham]

Hi, I was wondering what's best to do, I have been doing my family tree on and off for about 3 years now, and with the release of the 1911 census, have got back into it again, have done lots on my dads side, now want to do my mums. The thing is, the census only seems to be on find my past, the best site I think is Ancestry.co. I started of with �7 of credits which soon ran out, then went for �25 which lasted a bit longer, but now all out again. The question really is, should I subscribe, and to which one, I'm really into this, but cant afford to keep paying out money. Any advice please!

[Rollo]

As far as I know you can currently only search/use the 1911 census at http://www.1911census.co.uk. You cannot subscribe to that site - where you can have unlimited searches/print or view unlimited schedules- like you can for older censuses.

You have to buy credits that get used up.

I subscribe to findmypast.com for those, and other records.

[dot.hawkes]

I suspect that you are paying for searhces that are actually unnecessary or not thoroughly pre-researched. Try to check the expected household members using the option for names at the same address. this really helps to minimise pointless results and credit wasting.
the civil registration and 1901 census combined should provide enough info to make a few successful hits once you have done your eliminating searches.

[echokilo]

But will it go on ancestry soon? I want to acess it on there like mfdinham, as I already subscribe .... when can I see it on ancestry??

[dot.hawkes]

probably when they can afford to buy it and afford to transcribe it, they backed out of the bidding for this release, might be a year or so i think

[dot.hawkes]

If you look at it from a research point of view, if you are only doing your own tree, and not a professional genealogist, you should be looking for maybe 2 grandparents, 4 great grandpaprents, or at the very most 8 great grandparents.
You should at least know their names and maybe their ages, and where they lived. if you add to that other siblings that should be at the same address, or parents, children that should be there, if the quality of research you have done on the 1901 or in civil registration,monumental inscriptions or Calendar of Grants has been accurate and confirmed, you should only need a few hours on there anyway using the free search, eliminating the unlikley hits, then cross referencing the districts to the hearest civil registration entry.
I have used it for a few hours on search only and been able to confirm the families i need were there and narrowed it down to just a handful of actual transcriptions needing sight of

[cazzz1975]

I think it becomes unlimited in april on findyourpast.com, I have bought credits and used them for the main families, I have downloaded the original documents to my hard drive and wont bother with other searches until then

[Ice.Maiden]

The Nottingham Trent University runs courses, full and part time, on Public History & Heritage Management. That might be more useful than you think.

[dot.hawkes]

did that reply belong below this thread Ice???

[mfdinham]

Thanks for all comments, particularly to dot.hawkes which I found interesting, I will try and workout what your saying with regards to searching more carefully. But the thing is, I find someone in an early census, they then seem to disappear in the next, then have trouble to find a death record for them. I will buy some more credits and keep trying.

[carolegif]

Check different spellings as well. I couldn't find some of my ancestors in some census, but they were spelled wrongly. I have also downloaded the main part of the family from the 1911 census and will wait until it is cheaper or free on FMP for the rest.