Olive Tree Genealogy FAQ

Genealogy Mystery Book!

Death Finds a Way: A Janie Riley Mystery
by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

Janie Riley is an avid genealogist with a habit of stumbling on to dead bodies. She and her husband head to Salt Lake City Utah to research Janie's elusive 4th great-grandmother. But her search into the past leads her to a dark secret. Can she solve the mysteries of the past and the present before disaster strikes? Available now on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

FAQ

I hope you enjoy The Olive Tree Genealogy ~ and that it is helpful to you in your research. Come back soon as I am always revising, updating and adding new data.

All the work I put into this page, I do FREELY for you. I love hearing from visitors who drop by and write and tell me they found my page useful. Every success story, every visitor who finds an ancestor on my pages, makes my hours of work worthwhile.

But before you write to me with a question, please read the Q&A below (FAQ) to be sure your question is not answered already. As much as I like to hear from you, the volume of mail I receive is overwhelming. I can't get databases online for you if I have to take time to answer questions that are already answered on my site. I'd rather use that time to add more data to The Olive Tree Genealogy for all to enjoy.

QUESTIONS:

I have a question about your ships' passenger lists!

Where's the FREE data? I just keep going to sites that charge!!

What organization runs this page?

Can you or your staff help me find my family?

Who pays you? How much do you make doing this page?

Where's the FREE data? I just keep going to sites that charge!!

All Olive Tree Genealogy records are FREE. As of March 2003, I have 723 sets of free records online. Olive Tree Genealogy (OTG) is a huge site with over 1,500 pages! Here are 4 steps to successin using OTG to find those free goodies.

Step 1: Choose your area of interest (for example, Ships' Lists). See the menu bar on left hand side of every page? There's also a menu bar at the top of every page. Click on the topic that interests you (SHIPS, NATURALIZATION RECORDS, PALATINES, etc).

Step 2: Let the new page load completely, then scroll DOWN. No matter how tempting it is, don't just start clicking on the first thing you see. Read what is on the entire page. Every section on OTG has its own set of choices - sort of like the chapters in a book.

Step 3: Make your choice of what you want to see next. Every OTG database is marked with a little Olive Tree button. (They are all free). Records on other sites are marked with a brown OFF SITE button. (Most of them are free, but some might charge)

Step 4: Join my Olive Tree Newsletter for weekly updates and notices of new databases online. This is the best way to be sure you are finding out about all the new data going online. You also get direct links to the new databases, so you save time.

If you are going to sites that charge that means you are clicking on links that take you OFF OTG pages. I have links to MANY thousands of off-site databases. Most are free, but some are subscription databases.

I link to ALL databases I consider worthwhile, whether they are free or pay-to-view. Whether you use my links to off-site databases is of course up to you! My databases are free and always will be. I am dedicated to bringing FREE primary source documents online -- and have been doing so at my own expense since 1996.

*** REMEMBER: When searching OTG sites, the secret to success is to LET ALL PAGES LOAD FULLY, THEN SCROLL DOWN ***

I have a question about your ships' passenger lists!

Q: I can't find the ship I'm looking for on your pages. Can you tell me where to look?

A:If I don't have the ship or have a link to it, then I haven't found it myself (probably because I haven't had time!) I am dependent on the kindness of other researchers like you to find, and transcribe a list or two for The Olive Tree Genealogy pages, OR to find links to online ships and tell me so I can include them on my pages.

Have you tried my custom search engines that search the Internet for ships sailing to specific ports? These search multiple sites such as ISTG, OTG and many others, for FREE passenger lists. Scroll down to the State, the country or the ethnicity you are interested in, then click on the link provided to get the search engine.

Q:I do not see the name of John Doe or Jane Doe on the list for the ship "Whatever". Why not? Can you tell me where I can get the information.

A: Most of my ships' lists are transcribed by volunteers - you would have to contact the person who transcribed the list ~OR~ obtain the original source book from a library and check for verification. Researchers should always verify from original sources, since transcripts are subject to human error.

Q: I'm looking for a ship that sailed from country "A" to country "B" in the year "xxxx". Will it ever be online? Can you help me find it?

A: Ships' lists are put online whenever volunteers send them to me or when I get time to do one. If you don't see the information online, then I don't have it - yet. When I started The Olive Tree, I transcribed all the ships' lists. I no longer have the time to do this by myself. Maintaining the page, coding new information and setting up new ideas takes up all my spare time.

If you would like to support FREE Genealogy on the Internet, I can always use help. There are two easy ways you can help The Olive Tree, and thus help yourself (and other researchers) have access to FREE databases!

Q: Can you send me the passenger list for the ship "whatever" that sailed in the year "xxxx"?

A: All my ships' lists are online, or I'm getting them ready to go online for all to enjoy. Keep checking back to see if the ship you want is up on my pages

Q: Why is there a gap in ships sailing to "Country A" for the years X and Y?

A:Gaps in lists occur for one of two reasons -- either I don't have any volunteers to transcribe those lists OR the lists don't exist. I have a detailed explanation for the lack of passenger lists to Canada on my pages that you should consult. When I have time (in my next lifetime??) I'll make one for the U.S.A.

Q: Why don't you have an index to passengers or a search engine so I can search the lists more easily?

A: I have a search engine for ships lists at the bottom left of every page. I also have one for all of OTG *except* the ships lists - enjoy! Remember to be creative with spelling of names, as early records were not strong on what we consider correct spelling

Q: I found my ancestor on your ship list for the "whatever". I see you have linked other people with their email addresses so folks can contact them regarding their ancestors on the same ship. Will you link me?

A: Linking researchers is a courtesy I extend to those who volunteer to help The Olive Tree.

What organization runs this page?

Q: Who runs this page? How many people organized it?

A: I am the only person responsible for creating, coding, setting up, and maintaining The Olive Tree Genealogy. I don't have a staff, I am not sponsored by anyone and no one pays me to do this. I depend on volunteers such as you to transcribe lists or make donations to assist me in bringing free genealogy to researchers.

Q: Are you part of the USGENWEB project or Ancestry.com?

A: No. I am not part of any organization or project.

Q: So who are you and why do you have this page?

A: I'm a teacher living in Ontario. I created, and maintain The Olive Tree Genealogy in my spare time (although The Olive Tree is rapidly becoming a full-time job!) and try to juggle a career, home, friends, genealogy and The Olive Treein my day to day life. I run this page to try to help those who live far from major libraries or Family History Centres and do not have easy access to source materials.

Can you or your staff help me find my family?

Q: Can you or your staff send me all the information you have on "such and such"?

A: I don't have a staff (don't I wish!). I'm not a library. I don't even live near a library! I'm one person, on one computer in my home. The Olive Tree is meant as a help for those who can't get to source materials easily. I'm willing to exchange information and assist those seeking the same families as me, but I can't provide specialized assistance that would require hours of my time. I'd rather use that time to add more data to The Olive Tree Genealogy for all to enjoy. However, using my site and reading the books I offer as resources should provide you with a good starting point in your research.

Q: How do I find my ancestor who came to "country B" from Country A in the mid 1800s?

A: I have no specific information to send visitors other than what you see online. I suggest a close look at my site for links to homepages offering advice to those just beginning their genealogical searches. I also provide a list of mailing lists, newsgroups and more specific resource ideas under the various sections on my page - Huguenots, Palatines, etc.

Who pays you? How much do you make doing this page?

I do this freely, to help others. I spend money to obtain data, to photocopy data to transcribe, to send to volunteers to have them transcribe, and for other expenses related to maintaining The Olive Tree Genealogy. If you are interested in assisting The Olive Tree Genealogy to continue to add more data and information for all to share freely, please consider making a donation. I am dedicated to bringing FREE primary source documents online -- and have been doing so at my own expense since 1996.

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