Ancestry

[Merry]

Does anyone know if there's a way to access the Eng/Wales census records other than the 1911?

[ElizabethHerts]

Merry, I'm not sure what you mean? Are you having problems?

[Kit]

You could search the card catalogue for a particular census and then search it.

[ElizabethHerts]

Toni, you can access the UK censuses from here:

https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/category.aspx?cat=35

[ElizabethHerts]

I think there is a huge issue with Ancestry at present. I decided to search for one of my 2x-great-grandfathers in 1881 and it said there were no results. I know there have been problems.

[Merry]

The results have been unpredictable for weeks, but now I can't get any census except the 1911 (I think the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Scottish censuses still appear), and I can't find any way to access them.

This means I have to fight with FMP instead which I don't like one bit! lol

[ElizabethHerts]

It's about time Ancestry resolved these issues or we'll all be demanding refunds. I get on very well with FMP, which I use more than Ancestry.

[Merry]

I have just looked for a baptism that I saw yesterday, but it's not there today.

Maybe someone else can look to see if this comes up for them on Ancestry?

Caroline Singer bap 1854 at Linchdale (Bucks), parents Henry Singer and wife Caroline

I tried various combinations to re-find it - it was in this database: England Select Births and Christenings 1538-1975 (transcripts only).

[Merry]

It's about time Ancestry resolved these issues or we'll all be demanding refunds. I get on very well with FMP, which I use more than Ancestry.

Over all, I prefer the search on FMP, but don't like the lack of info given on the results page, so I often have to open each entry to check the rest of the information.

I absolutely agree regarding Ancestry's issues. I normally stick up for them, but I can't cope with not getting the same results for the same search on different days.

[Merry]

I just used the Card Catalogue to find the database (Select Births and Christenings 1538-1975). I could then re-find the baptism I picked up yesterday, but that's no good - I wouldn't have known to look in that database if I hadn't done so last night!

[Merry]

If I use the same system to access an Eng/Wales Census database and search for someone I get zero results!!

[kiterunner]

Merry, on my ancestry home page I scroll down to the bottom and all the censuses are listed in the bottom right-hand corner, in a box titled "Record Collections".

[Merry]

I've never seen the homepage before (:o), but they show there for me too. The main search results are now showing the Eng/Wales census, so an improvement over the last 48 hours!

Caroline Singer's baptism is still hiding though.

[kiterunner]

If I do an exact search for Caroline Singer born 1854, UK and Ireland records only, while logged in, I only get two results - the GRO birth index and an 1881 census entry. But if I do the same search while logged out, I get 4 results - those two plus two records in the "England Select Births and Christenings". I then log in (using my username, not my email address, as it keeps rejecting that!) and it changes to just the 2 results! Log out again and repeat the search, get 147 results because it forgot I wanted exact matches only, so I tick the box all over again and get 4 results again.

I even tried copying and pasting the URL across from the browser where I wasn't logged in to the one where I was, but it still messes around and ends up with only 2 matches.

So, to get to one of the England Select Births and Christenings matches, I have to log out of ancestry, get the ancestry search page up (I usually google for that, but you may have it in your bookmarks), do the search, click on the record that I want to view in the search results, then when a page comes up telling me to register, click where it says "log in", and when I have logged in, it automatically takes me to the record I was trying to view (thank goodness, because I don't think the back button would have taken me to it.)

[Merry]

I've read when you did something similar before, but I don't have the time to do all that for each and every search/set of results I might want to look at etc.


Basically, as far as I'm concerned, Ancestry is not fit for purpose at the moment. The worst it has been in the eighteen years or so I've had a subscription.

The worst thing is that I don't know which parts are working and which are not at any given time.

[kiterunner]

I agree, Merry. And I don't believe any of the stuff they're putting out about how it is only a "small portion" of their users who are affected, or how most of their upgrades have been done and they are just finishing up a few things and then it will be better than ever.

[Merry]

Hmmm.... no, me neither.

[James18]

That and the Fold3 saga...

[Kit]

I don't use Fold3. what's happening there?

[Merry]

No, I just ignore anything to do with Fold3 because I can't afford to pay any more.

I am now trying using two computers at the same time, one to sign in and out of Ancestry and the other to do the searching, as this speeds up Kate's trick a little bit.

My sub is due for renewal soon...…… :rolleyes:

[Merry]

I agree, Merry. And I don't believe any of the stuff they're putting out about how it is only a "small portion" of their users who are affected, or how most of their upgrades have been done and they are just finishing up a few things and then it will be better than ever.

Where are they saying this?

[kiterunner]

Where are they saying this?

On their Facebook page.

[kiterunner]

For instance, this one from 5th June:

We wanted to reach out to our customers and reinforce our commitment to you and the safeguarding of your important work on family discoveries. We highly value every customer and regret that a small portion of our customers are experiencing issues as we complete our migration to a more powerful computing environment that will enable us to serve you better. We are committed to providing more content, more connections, enhanced hints, and streamlined search to make your discovery process even more enjoyable. Please know that your data is safe and secure at all times. For example, if you have any data loading issues, please be reassured that all of your work on your trees remains intact and will return. Our dedicated technical teams are working 24/7 to ensure that any remaining issues are resolved as quickly as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our customer service specialists.

[Merry]

OMG - "reach out" twice in the same paragraph. Where is the vomit emoticon? :eek: (almost!)

Have you contacted them about the sign on/sign off issues Kate?

[Merry]

Sorry, have you reached out to them? :rolleyes:

[Terri]

My sub is due for renewal soon...…… :rolleyes:

I am due to renew in a few days, Merry. I have a link for a half price sub if you are interested. As I understand it, you have to let your current sub completely expire to use it, so you have to remove the auto renew option.

After the turmoil that Ancestry has caused its subscribers over the past (how many??) months, I think it's the least they can offer.


https://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/offers/subscribe?dna=crossAct&o_iid=70089&o_lid=70089&o_sch=Web+Property

[Merry]

Thanks for the link Terri. I will pass it to my OH, as I have volunteered him to be responsible for paying for my sub! :D

[James18]

I don't use Fold3. what's happening there?
Various military records that used to be included in a normal Ancestry sub are now part of 'Fold3', a company which - I think - Ancestry own, but requires a separate paid sub to access. It also seems most (all?) new military records added to Ancestry are now all Fold3.

So, you're getting access to fewer records than you did before, and a lot of new records added that you would otherwise have got now require you to pay extra for.

[kiterunner]

I cancelled my sub to make sure it doesn't auto-renew, but when I tried to do so online (twice) I got error messages, so I had to phone them. The first number I found for them was unobtainable, so I'll post the one which actually works on here in case anyone else in the UK needs it:
0800 783 1340.

[kiterunner]

Various military records that used to be included in a normal Ancestry sub are now part of 'Fold3', a company which - I think - Ancestry own, but requires a separate paid sub to access. It also seems most (all?) new military records added to Ancestry are now all Fold3.

So, you're getting access to fewer records than you did before, and a lot of new records added that you would otherwise have got now require you to pay extra for.

As far as I know, James, it is only new military records which they have put onto Fold3, and they have not actually moved any UK records over from ancestry to Fold3. I believe that TNA looked into this and that was what they concluded.

[kiterunner]

I'm getting over 50 million matches for my exact match searches at the moment, when logged in, although it is still showing the "exact matches only" box ticked. Though I think the exact matches are at the top. And what looks like about the right number of matches when logged out.

[Merry]

I'm doing my Caroline Singer b 1854 search every day now, waiting to see if her baptism appears when signed in. Nothing as yet.