The Cost of Doing Genealogy

 Nothing is free! That adage also applies to family history pursuits.

Whatever information we seek or use as family historians is available because of hundreds of volunteers’ or paid-for hours were spent in searching for it, in many cases transcribing it and providing a means of presenting it for others to read and use.

One of the groups of volunteers is the Online Parish Clerks (OPCs), of which I am one. In one of my earliest blog posts in 2013, I stated that: The tasks of OPCs are primarily to compile reference material for their adopted parish or parishes in the form of transcripts, extracts, abstracts, indexes and copies of original records. Data is collected from as many sources as possible, emphasizing both local history and genealogy. Many OPCs maintain websites where data may be stored for browsing or source references may be listed. I also published an article about OPCs in the Summer 2012 quarterly journal of the Utah Genealogical Association.

Over time much of the data that OPCs uncovered was published in major commercial sites and was available through paid subscriptions.

Today, many of us serious family researchers use both free and commercial sites. We might have our own subscriptions or use the facilities of family history society offices or public libraries to access the databases.

·         FamilySearch was established by the LDS Church that has put enormous amounts of information on their free site. This is still a primary place for all genealogists to visit.

·         I have full access to the data through subscriptions from the major commercial providers: Ancestry, FindMyPast, MyHeritage, Newspapers by Ancestry, The Genealogist and The British Newspaper Archive.

·         To obtain other data and documents for which fees may be required, I regularly use the UK General Record Office, National Library of Scotland (for maps), ScotlandsPeople,. The Box Plymouth (formerly the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office), The National Archive (UK) and a myriad of other local record offices, private companies and family history societies around the world.

·         I currently have memberships in six family history societies (there have been more in the past) from which I can obtain information about people and communities relevant to my studies and hear talks from local epxerts.

·         I have been known to spend several hundred dollars a year on books and documents, in hard copy and digital form.

·         I have used the services of professional consultants who are experts in certain localities or specialties.

·         I currently have two genealogy magazine subscriptions (there have been more in the past) to aid in my studies.

·         Over the past 15 years I have signed up for dozens of courses, conventions and presentations to keep up with new research ideas and techniques. It is always useful to hear from specialists in various aspects of studies or geographic areas. The many courses I took with Pharos Tutors really gave me a solid base in family history research. Subscriptions to Legacy Family Tree Webinars and Family Tree Plus give me ongoing access to talks and articles about many specialty subjects.

Over the past five years, I have spent, on average, $2,600 per year on sourcing family history information:

Wayne’s Annual Genealogy Expenses
Category	Five-Year Average
Commercial Subscriptions	$1,450
Periodicals Subscriptions	$200
Books, Documents, Consultants	$550
Society Memberships	$280
Courses, Webinars	$120
Total	$2,600

 It is not convenient or possible for me to access any of the sites I use from anywhere but home. Occasionally the major commercial sites offer a few days to access certain types of data for free but never the whole of their inventory at the same time. So, if I want to continue to work as a genealogist, basically full-time, I must spend the money.

I am fortunate in having been able to earn income over the years from publishing books and articles, making presentations and providing research consulting services. These funds have been used to offset my subscriptions and purchases of material in the form of books, magazines and documents. On balance, over the past five years at least, I have been on the financial plus side, thankfully, although never enough on its own to “pay the rent”. That was not the case for the previous decade when hobby expenses greatly exceeded revenue.

I recognize that not everyone who spends their leisure time researching their ancestors will be able to afford or easily access the data that I do. Joining family history societies, particularly where ancestors may have lived, or using libraries may greatly assist people in connecting with online sources as well as experts who can help. There are many free websites where basic data can be found. And watching for those occasional days where free access might be available from the major commercial sites can prove valuable.

Ultimately there are not many ways around paying for information, though.