I can well remember my mother’s frustration as her research projects came to a screeching halt when the records she needed were buried somewhere in Great Britain. Little did she dream that in just a few short years she could accomplish a lot of that research in the comfort of her own home.

Origins.net has already been recognized as the foremost Web resource for genealogy in the British Isles. Based in the U.K. and partnered with primary content providers in Britain and Ireland, this network is the only major online genealogy resource concentrating on Britain and Ireland. They offer local expertise and access unique source records that U.S. based companies can’t provide as well as complete coverage that U.K.-only or Ireland-only organizations can’t match.

Origins.net, specialists in British and Irish genealogy, has announced a completely revamped online genealogy service, now known as the Origins Network. The new service, located at www.originsnetwork.com, provides multiple new and exclusive British and Irish genealogy collections through Irish Origins and British Origins (formerly English Origins), as well as free version of Origin Search, the first genealogy specific search engine which now includes over half a billion names.

Access is also offered to Griffith’s Maps (1847-1864); Griffith’s Irish Wills Index (1484-1858); Boyd’s London Burials (1538-1872) & Cornwall Marriages (1537-1839); the 1871 Census; McKenzies’s Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales (1895) with more records to be added in the coming months.

The extent of migration between Britain and Ireland and the commonality of many names has, compounded with the passing of time, been a cause for confusion even to natives of Britain and Ireland, who need to be able to access source data from both areas to pinpoint their real origins. This makes the Free Origin Search and the New Origin Search Pro features on the web site even more valuable.

Origin search is a specialized web search engine for genealogy featuring NameXtm, a proprietary name-matching tool which is the most powerful name variant technology available. NameXtm-powered searches locate a wider range of genuine variants of a person’s name than any other software which is important when so many names have common historical variations in spelling or have been spelled incorrectly on some important records. Both these versions sweep through 9 million genealogy specific web pages and cover more than half a billion names.

The new service is available on an all-you-can-view subscription basis which allows access to unlimited records and images; free place searches for England, Ireland, and Wales; Origins Store; improved IGI searching and easier ordering on Scots Origins; both Origin Search programs; and a free monthly newsletter.

Subscriptions are available at www.originsnerwork.com for 72 hour, monthly, quarterly or yearly periods and are reasonably priced. … even if it is in pounds. The service is also offered to libraries, so you may want to check with your local library as to availability in your own area. Please send your announcements and queries to FAMILY TREES, 900 Main St., Natchez, MS 39120 or email to

Famtree316@aol.com

. All queries printed free of charge.