Genealogy
CROOK
I'm still looking for any descendants of Ralph Crook - born in Armagh, N. Ireland in 1907. Ralph and his wife lived in and around the Newry and Belfast areas. I have an old address for them in Killyleagh and it's quite possible that Ralph was involved with his local church, possibly in the choir or even playing the church organ. He was killed in a road traffic accident at some time between the late 1970s to early 1980s.
If you have any information to help me fill in this branch of the family tree, please e.mail me.
Crook Family Tree (Manchester, Northumberland & Ireland)
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Useful links if you are researching your own family history:
Family Search (Free). A huge data base set up and run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have found it user friendly and you may hit the jackpot and find a contact who is researching the same family tree. Please be aware, however, that input is compiled by other enthusiastic amateurs who may not have backed up what they've found (and published on the net), with official documents. Just one incorrect family tree, therefore, can be propagated over and over by people too readily accepting what they find on this site. If, like me, you're a stickler for accuracy, it's always best to independently verify any information given.
Ancestry.com (A subscription site). Again very user friendly, with new records being added all the time, which you can access - at a price!
Ancestry.co.uk (Again, a subscription site). This is part of the same lot as above but focusing on the UK. It includes extremely useful census information going back as far as the first ever census in 1841. Given my own family's geographical locations (i.e. the UK), this has proved to be my most often visited and perhaps, therefore, my favourite research site.
Findmypast.com (formerly 1837 online) - Another subscriber website. In the past I have found this a very useful site for some earlier UK records, some on-line sleuthing of much more recent records, and for ordering BMD certificates. With the change of name has come a greater variety of records, all of which have been available for much longer at ancestry.com and .co.uk. I have no axe to grind here but if you're going to subscribe to only one research site, I find the Ancestry sites clearer and more user friendly.
Genes Reunited - Like Findmypast.com this site is undergoing major expansion. I think it's definitely worth having a look at and probably also worth loading what 'tree info' you have. You'll find it user friendly and if you do join (currently a small subscription) you'll get regular notifications of 'Hot Matches' with other peoples' trees, enabling you to contact fellow researchers who may be working on the same tree.
1901 Census online - Does exactly what it says on the label. UK only. Results listings for a specific search are for free, but you have to pay to actually view the individual census form. Ancestry.co.uk provides this as part of their subscription package but 1901 Census online could provide an alternative starting point ... should you feel so inclined.
British General Register Office - Official site for ordering copy Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates at (currently) £7.50 each. As a general point, I have found these certificates to be worth their weight in gold for confirming information and for providing invaluable extra snippets of information and new leads. The 'GRO number' that the Register Office ask about can be found at 1837 online (listed above). A free site for GRO numbers also exists at www.freebmd.com but, to be honest, the site crashed so often in the past that I stopped trying to use it long ago.
Genuki - General resource for UK and Ireland genealogy research, providing many useful links.
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Photo Restoration*** - A great site where you can get your precious photos copied and/or restored. Useful and friendly advice on storing family images.***
Roger Vaughan Picture Library*** - Invaluable page for helping to date old family photos. (If, like me, you're at all interested in old photos in general, be sure to have a good look around this site).***
Genealogy Guide*** If you're wondering how to get started on your family tree this could be a useful reference point on the web. It provides a beginner's guide to genealogy, explaining how to get started, where to source information and how to organise what you've found.***
Recently added linksThere are plenty of other on-line resources to help you find your ancestors but I have listed the ones I usually visit the most. I am by no means an expert on the subject of family research but if you need further advice please
email me and I'll try to help.