Genealogy Chat

I have let my subscription lapse on Ancestry and have been offered 20% discount to renew. I previously had a worldwide membership which will now be £124.32 for a year. The premium membership is £85.92 with the 20% discount. Does anybody know if FMP is better or shall I stick with Ancestry. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Barbara

I don't think there is an answer to that question - it is a bit like asking how long a piece of string is. It all depends on what it is you are looking for and where your research interests lie. Why don't you look on each of their websites and check out what it is you are getting for your money and then compare the two.

The other thing is not to pay for services that you will never use. For many people researching England and Wales Ancestry Essentials gives them what they need., so there it is pointless subscribing to World Wide or even Premium, if you are never going to use the additional resources.

Thanks InspectorGreenPen will compare the two sites. As an experienced researcher do you think Ancestry is better than FMP if I find the two sites compatable.

In terms of usabilty when searching similar records i.e. census or BMD, for example, which is only really where you can make a direct comparison, I prefer Ancestry, but a lot depends on what you are used to and feel most comfortable with. There will be other members on here who swear by FMP.

I subscribed to Ancestry Premium for a year but for me it was a complete waste of money for what I got over and above Essentials just wasn't worth the extra for me. On the other hand, if you have a lot of London connections then the London Met Records you get with premium are an absolute godsend.

This is why I think you should be looking at what you are actually getting for your money and which best suits your particular needs, rather than a decision based on individual preferences.

Thanks very much for your comments and advice. Will now make a comparison.

I got a good deal with World Vital Records £38.95 for 1 year, wasnt sure about it at first seemed to be focused on USA but now I got the hang of it its okay and have uncovered some useful information and from other countries. I got an email about the of offer and dont know if it was a one off but you could try http://www.worldvitalrecords.com if youre interested. Maybe other GR members have used this site and may get some feedback about it, personally I dont know anyone who has used it so nothing to compare it to, but for my needs it suits.

I currently have both...but having been an Ancestry fan for years i must admit that i`m now being won over by FMP..

For a start FMP seems much quicker to use... admittedly their search is more restricited { put in to much info and you get nil results}...but their transcriptions are much better and i prefer their layout.... and they are adding lots of Parish recrods on a regular basis....

To be honest apart from the probate registers and London parish records i barely look at Ancestry now.... I find that with them when you do a search on a name it then brings up far too many options that you then have to choose from, insted of just bringing up the results that match your search...


Nicky

If you buy FTM 2011 Platinum on Amazon at £29.99 you get six months free Ancestry Premium which is an amazing deal if cost is an issue. It's equivalent to just £60 for an annual Premium membership, that's a 45% discount and makes it cheaper than Essentials.

Kate x

Hi Barbara
I agree with joan I found that FMP more user friendly than Anceryry,but as it was mentioned earlier Ancestry is a godsend for The London Records but ancestry does have quite a lot on their London Docklands Section
I personally found a forebear in FMP's 1841 census that had not even been transcribed in Ancestry.
It is worth subscribing to FMP's 14 day free trial except you don't get The 1911 Censu nor some of the War Records.
Good luck with your searches whichever you choose.

Best wishes
Norma

Thank you all for your replies. I am even more confused now. I do buy credits on FMP which has been useful. I don't have any relatives in London so that doesn't bother me on Ancestry. I think because I have always been with Ancestry and know my way around I am a bit hesitant about joining FMP, If I do join FMP will I still have access to my tree.

Kate I bought FTM 10 last year and got a really good deal with my worldwide subscription, getting 6 months free. You all seem to agree that FMP is very user friendly so perhaps I will give it a try.

Thanks again everyone

Sorry a bit late in replying but was out all day yesterday and been doing the dreaded housework this a.m.!!!

Barbara

If you let your Ancestry sub lapse, you will have access to your tree.

But, according to a contact/friend, you can't see any of the records you may have attached. She didn't say if that was the images, the transcipts, or both.

That is right as I have just found out a I tried to access the 1851 census and it wouldn't let me. Also another member has commented on a photo in my tree but I couldn't access the comment. Very annoying!!

Yes, it may be annoying but as you have let your Ancestry subscription lapse, you no longer have access to the facilities afforded to a subscribing member.

As I said previously, you have to compare what you are getting for your money. I don't think either site is better than the other when is comes to ease of use.

Subjective views are often based on what you are familiar with. Pluses on one but minuses against the other and vice versa.

I have read your replies with interest, as i am still fairly new and therefore still finding my way around the websites I was wondering if someone could please advise what FMP stands for. Thanking you for your time.

FMP stands for find my past -
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/

It is worth trying a free trial on it and on
http://www.ancestry.co.uk/


I find ancestry invaluable for London parish records, and find my past has been very useful for the 1911 census and for London burial records. Also in find my past I found military records that I had not found in ancestry, and information about an Irish relative that I had never thought would be possible. The 1911 will be on ancestry by the end of this year. When I cannot find someone in one of the sites, I often can in the other.

After a free trial, if you wish to subscribe to one or the other, try doing so through a cashback site such as quidco.

Hi Barbara
How is it that the Premium Membership is £85.92 with 20% discount? I've just got my Renewal Reminder in and I'm being charged £107.40. I do think thats mean of them, I have been a member for 8 years now. Did you ring them?

Ann

Hi Ann,

I originally got an email telling me my sub. had lapsed, which was a surprise to me as I had not had any notification from them telling me to renew. I then got another email offering me 20% off to renew before 31st Jan. I rang them eventually and with 20% off, the Premium sub is £85.92. What they are charging you is the full price. I rang them this morning and got 20%off and have now renewed. The worldwide is £154.40 but with the 20% off it is £124.32 if you are interested. It is worth a phone call. The no. is 0800 345 7928. Good Luck.

Barbara

Thanks a lot Barbara, I will definitely ring them, it's well worth trying. I dont want to have to switch to FMP - Ancestry are by far the best.

Ann

hi i am with FMP i ask someone if they have a wed cert as i need the info on it. She just emailed me and said as she had a subcription with ancestry she can down load the cert free of charge. i did not know you could do this as on FMP you still have to pay for certs can anyone else comfirm to me that you can down load free fron ancestry please all the best sue
hope you dont mind me puting this on
it could help you decide

Sue - Ancestry have a certain number of image scans from London/Middx parish record books, often refered to on here as the LMA records because the books are held at the London Metropolitan Archives,
So yes, if the marriage is recorded in one of those featured, she can down load an image of the page as part of her sub.

If you were to have purchased it from GRO, it would have been a transcribed copy. This way you will have the original and the signatures of the happy couple and the witnesses.