Which Family History Websites Do You Use?

pinkprincess, I got curious and looked up Dancing Hall, and found a house to let at 2, Dancing Hall, Callaly, Whittingham, Alnwick, Northumberland.
Have a look at Callaly on Wikipedia? Interesting history!

For about 15 months I have been researching my family, with my sister's help - she got the subs and was too busy, so I do the research!
I'm still on Ancestry, was on findmypast but the sub has run out (expensive), however there are still things on that site and available.

It's amazing how much there is which is FREE, though. The Irish censuses and genealogy site. The British Library - invaluable for Dublin and Glasgow newspapers, for me. A lot of local BMD info. Even the South African NAAIRS site, which is awkward to use but has produced some info.

I did have a head start, though. My mum wrote a little booklet about her childhood in Wales. And my dad and my uncle made family trees, useful as a basis if not all accurate. They would have loved the things I have found now.
I too have made contact with family relatives all over the world, and even met one of them, my distant cousin Malcolm from France.
Yes, it's wonderful how much people help. I received a photo of my ggrandfather from South Africa, and a long 'drop-down' chart of my father's ancestors from Scotland going back to 1793.
A cousin in Canada sent information and pictures of the family members who emigrated there.
I want to keep in touch with all of them!

I am on Ancestry and have found a lot about my family I did not know about.On my father's side I discovered that his father was born to a single mother in 1889 and brought up by his mother's parents as one of their own.
I also discovered that my husband's uncle and my grandmother's cousin were both killed in WWI within a few weeks of each other and both were aged only 18.
You get all sorts of things.One of my GGgrandfathers was born in a place called Dancing Hall.I have never discovered if this was an actual town or village or wether his mother was dancing at the time.

It's sad isn't it when you find something you know your Mum or Dad would have been really interested in - and it's too late.

I found the WW1 records of my Mum's eldest brother who was killed in that war. When she was 8 years old he came home on leave and when the day came that he was to go back to war she stole his toothbrush head that he polished his buttons with, thinking he couldn't go without it, and ran away. When she came back he'd gone and she never saw him again. So sad. It always made her cry when she remembered it. He was 19.

When I looked at his records he was quite a lad. He had a couple of detentions for being cheeky to his superiors but did get a promotion before he died.

I'm always amazed what's on the internet. Have you tried Google Books. There are a lot of history books on there. If you put a name in the book search engine you might come up with something unusual.

I like Ancestry best and mainly use Find My Past for the 1911 census. I don't really like Genes Reunited because the family tree you produce is so hard to follow.
I have found relatives through Ancestry, the most useful being a second cousin who now lives in Australia. She told me a lot about my grandmother's family that I didn't know. Another very kind lady sent me documents and photos through the post and refused any payment for postage.
I found my uncle's WWII service record and wrote to his Squadron Association. Their historian sent me a record of his time in the RAF with photos. I only wish my mother could have seen it.
I have been surprised at how many people will go out of their way to help.