Historical Record Collections Added in September 2020

In September we added 21.7 million historical records from 12 new collections from Australia, Armenia, the British Commonwealth, Canada, Germany, France, and the U.S. This update includes a wide array of collection types: marriage and death indexes, a vital records collection, several World War-related collections, a veteran collection, and even a register of scientific personnel. The September collections bring the total number of historical records on MyHeritage to 12.55 billion historical records.

Here are more details on each of these collections:

Collection	Description	Number of Records	Link to Search
Australia, New South Wales Death Index, 1787-1986	An index of deaths registered in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1787 to 1986.	5,097,587 records	Search collection now
Australia, New South Wales Marriage Index, 1788-1966	An index of marriages registered in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1788 to 1966.	3,679,225 records	Search collection now
Armenia, Voters List 2019	An index of Armenian citizens eligible to vote in 2019.	5,131,594 records	Search collection now
Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921, 1939-1947	An index of civilian casualties of the British Commonwealth during WWI and WWII.	4,018,932 records	Search collection now
France, Compilation of Vital Records, 1585-1928	An index of various vital records from France.	2,209,485 records	Search collection now
Canada, Nova Scotia, Marriage Bonds 1763-1864 & Marriage Registrations, 1864-1942	An index of marriages in Nova Scotia, Canada from 1763 to 1864.	520,478 records	Search collection now
Canada, Nova Scotia, Death Index, 1890-1967	An index of deaths in in Nova Scotia, Canada from 1890 to 1967.	472,172 records	Search collection now
Germany, University of Rostock Alumni, 1419-1991	An index of alumni from the University of Rostock in Rostock, Germany from 1419 to 1991	100,303 records	Search collection now
Germany, Jewish Victims of Nazi Persecution, 1933-1945	An index of names of Jews in Germany who were victims of persecution during the Nazi era.	174,564 records	Search collection now
Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II, 1942-1946	An index of Japanese Americans that were evacuated from their homes during WWII.	109,377 records	Search collection now
Minnesota, Veteran Grave Index, 1857-1975	An index of veterans who died, and were buried in Minnesota cemeteries, between 1857 and 1975.	72,102 records	Search collection now
United States, National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel, 1953-1956	An index of scientific and technical personnel from 1953 to 1956.	125,515 records	Search collection now

Australia, New South Wales Death Index, 1787–1986

This collection of 5 million records contains an index of deaths registered in the Australian state of New South Wales. Records contain the first and last name of the deceased, the name of the father and mother, and the year and district where the death occurred.

In this collection is the death record of Lillian May Armfield, who in 1915 became Australia’s first female police detective. She was awarded both the King’s Police and Fire Service Medal and the Imperial Service Medal for her service.

Death record of Lilian May Armfield, 1971 [Credit: MyHeritage Australia, New South Wales Death Index, 1787-1986]

Australia, New South Wales Marriage Index, 1788–1966

This collection of 3.6 million records contains an index of marriages registered in the Australian state of New South Wales. The records contain the first and last name of the bride and groom, as well as the year and district where the marriage took place. While most of the records are for civil marriages, the index also contains some church marriages.

Search Australia, New South Wales Marriage Index, 1788–1966

Armenia, Voters List 2019

This collection of 5 million records includes information on Armenian citizens eligible to vote in 2019. Records include the first name, last name, date of birth, address, father’s name, and community. The names appear in both Armenian and English and can be searched in both languages.

The modern Republic of Armenia gained its independence in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. The country is divided into 10 provinces and each province consists of numerous self-governing municipalities, known as communities. As of 2017, there are 503 municipal communities throughout Armenia.

The voter record of Armenian politician, Davit Lokyan Arseni is found in the collection. Davit held several important ministerial positions such as the Minister of Urban Development, the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Territorial Administration and Development. 

Voter record of Davit Lokyan Arseni, 2019. [Credit: MyHeritage Armenia, Voters List 2019]

Commonwealth War Graves, 1914–1921, 1939–1947

This collection of 4 million records includes images and consists of an index of military and civilian casualties of the British Commonwealth during World War I and World War II. The records include the first and last name, age at death, date of death, location of the burial or commemoration, and any military information such as the individual’s rank or regiment. The name of an individual’s father, mother, spouse, or an additional relative may also be included.

The ability to search for the casualties’ family members is unique to MyHeritage.

The records in this collection are provided as a free service to the public courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), which includes Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

In this collection is the war grave record of World War II Royal Air Force Sergeant Hubert Hastings Adair.

War grave record of Hubert Hastings Adair, 1940. [Credit: MyHeritage Commonwealth War Graves, 1914–1921, 1939–1947]

France, Compilation of Vital Records, 1585–1928 

This collection of 2.2 million records consists of an index of various vital records from the French departments of Ain, Loir-et-Cher (primarily Vendôme), Rhône, Drôme, and Hautes-Alpes, as well as from the metropolis of Lyon. The vast majority of the records are births/baptisms, deaths/burials, and marriages, but also include some military registrations, permissions, and civil status records. Records contain the first name, last name, date of the event, and place of the event and sometimes the first and last name of the spouse.

This collection includes the marriage record of distinguished French architect Tony Garnier and Catherine Laville. The two wed on July 20, 1915 in Saint-Rambert-l’Ile-Barbe, Lyon, France.

Marriage record of Tony Garnier and Catherine Laville, 1915. [Credit: MyHeritage France, Compilation of Vital Records, 1585–1928]

Canada, Nova Scotia, Marriage Bonds 1763–1864 & Marriage Registrations, 1864–1942

This marriage record collection consists of two types of records: marriage bonds from 1763 to 1864 and marriage registrations from 1864 to 1942. Records contain the names of the bride and groom, the wedding date, and location.

From 1763 to 1864, it was a common practice in Nova Scotia to issue marriage bonds in lieu of a marriage license. Starting from 1864, however, marriage registrations became mandatory. The marriage registration records also contain registration information that can be helpful when looking for the original marriage certificate.

Search Canada, Nova Scotia, Marriage Bonds 1763–1864 & Marriage Registrations, 1864–1942

Canada, Nova Scotia, Death Index, 1890–1967

The Nova Scotia Death Index contains records from 1864 to 1877 and from 1890 to 1967. The records contain the name of the deceased, date of birth, date and place of death, as well as the age they were at the time of passing. 

When available, death registration information is included, which can be helpful when looking for the original death certificate.

The death record of Nova Scotian artist Edith Smith can be found in the collection. Edith was one of the founding members of the Maritime Art Association, an organization that strove to bring art appreciation to the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Death record of Edith Smith [Credit: MyHeritage Canada, Nova Scotia, Death Index, 1890–1967]

Germany, University of Rostock Alumni, 1419–1991, FREE

This free collection consists of an index of alumni from the University of Rostock, in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The university was founded in 1419 and is the third-oldest in Germany. The index contains the first and last name of the alumnus, date of matriculation, date and place of birth, residence, origin, religion, and various student information such as field of study and career goals.

The amount of information in each record varies according to the time period. The records in this collection are provided as a free service to the public courtesy of the University of Rostock.

Search Germany, University of Rostock Alumni, 1419–1991

Germany, Jewish Victims of Nazi Persecution, 1933–1945, FREE

This free collection includes names of Jews in Germany who were victims of persecution during the Nazi era. Records include first name, surname and maiden name, date of birth and birthplace, place of residence, dates and locations of prison terms, points of departure with departure date and destination, and date and place of death.

In January 1933, approximately 522,000 Jews by religious definition lived in Germany. Over half of these individuals emigrated during the first six years of the Nazi regime, leaving approximately 214,000 Jews in Germany proper on the eve of World War II. By early 1939, thousands of Jews were interned in concentration camps following the mass arrests in the aftermath of Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass) in November 1938. By the end of the war, an estimated 160,000 to 180,000 German Jews had been killed by the Nazi regime and their collaborators.

Search Germany, Jewish Victims of Nazi Persecution, 1933–1945

Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II, 1942–1946

This collection contains information about Japanese Americans who were evacuated from their homes in Washington, Oregon, and California during World War II and relocated to ten different relocation centers in California, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, and Arkansas.

The records contain the individual’s first and last name, date of birth, place of birth, last place of residence, relocation information, languages spoken, education, mother and father’s place of birth, father’s occupation, and information on any time spent in Japan.

In this collection is the record of civil rights activist Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu, who fought to uphold the rights of Japanese Americans in the landmark Supreme Court case, Korematsu v. United States.

Relocation record of Fred Korematsu, [Credit: MyHeritage Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II, 1942–1946]

Minnesota, Veteran Grave Index, 1857–1975

This index includes veterans who died and were buried in Minnesota cemeteries between 1857 and 1975. The records include the veteran’s first, middle, and last name, the date of death; the county of burial, and the war(s) in which the veteran served.

In 1927, the Minnesota Adjutant General was given responsibility to maintain a permanent registry of the graves of all persons who served in the military or naval forces of the United States and whose mortal remains were buried in Minnesota. According to the law, forms had to be submitted for veterans who were buried between 1927 and 1969. However, many county veteran officers or interested individuals submitted reports for veterans buried as far back as 1857.

Found in this collection is the record of Albert Henry Woolson, who is reputed to be one of the last surviving veterans of the American Civil War. 

Grave record of veteran Albert Henry Woolson [Credit: MyHeritage Minnesota, Veteran Grave Index, 1857–1975]

United States, National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel, 1953–1956

This collection consists of survey responses from social and natural scientists gathered between 1953 and 1956. The individuals in question are primarily from the fields of biology, geology, physics, psychology, and mathematics. Records contain the first and last name, gender, year of birth, place of employment, name of society, and subject of the individual’s highest earned degree. Additional technical information about the individual may also be included, such as academic specialties, employment specialties, membership in the military, foreign language proficiency, geographic area knowledge, educational background, and income.

Search United States, National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel, 1953–1956

Summary

We hope these valuable collections offer new avenues for your family history research. Searching these collections on MyHeritage is free. To view these records or to save records to your family tree, you’ll need a Data or Complete subscription. Records from the free collections, such as the Germany, University of Rostock Alumni, 1419–1991 and the Germany, Jewish Victims of Nazi Persecution, 1933–1945, do not require a paid subscription to view or save records. 

If you have a family tree on MyHeritage, our Record Matching technology will notify you automatically if records from these collections match your relatives. You’ll then be able to review the record and decide if you’d like to add the new information to your tree.

Enjoy the new collections!