MyHeritage Adds 168 Million Historical Records in February 2024

By Esther

March 4, 2024

In February 2024, we published 168 million historical records from 18 historical record collections from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Czechia, Germany, Peru, and Wales. The records include newspapers, passenger lists, marriage licenses, civil registration of births, electoral registers, and telephone directories. Some of the collections also include images. Search them to discover a family treasure!

Here are more details about each of the collections.

Australia Newspapers

This index of historical local, regional, and national Australian newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes includes MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles dating back to 1803. Every state and territory is represented, though the bulk of the collection consists of material from New South Wales and Victoria. Newspapers are a fantastic resource for historic and genealogical research as they can contain rich information about people in your family tree, through vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices, and obituaries.

More information about the history of a community can be discovered through society pages and stories of local interest that can contain detailed records of activities and events and often provide more information about the persons involved, as well as the context of the times in which an ancestor may have lived.

The images in this collection are provided courtesy of Trove – The National Library of Australia

Search Australia Newspapers

Austria Newspapers from OldNews.com™

This index of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from Austria was created through the use of MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles dating back to 1622. Newspapers are a leading resource for historical and genealogical research as they are full of detailed information about potential ancestors across your family tree, through a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices, and obituaries.

Search Austria Newspapers from OldNews.com™

Czechia Newspapers from OldNews.com™

This index of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from Czechia was created through the use of MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles dating back to 1779. Newspapers are a leading resource for historical and genealogical research as they are full of detailed information about potential ancestors across your family tree, through a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices, and obituaries.

Search Czechia Newspapers from OldNews.com™

England, Cheshire Bishop’s Transcripts Baptisms, 1526-1909

This collection contains Bishop’s transcripts of baptism from Cheshire, England, between the years 1526 and 1909. Records typically include the name of the child, date and place of baptism, residence and the names of the parents.

Search England, Cheshire Bishop’s Transcripts Baptisms, 1526-1909

England, Cheshire Bishop’s Transcripts Marriages, 1598-1900

This collection contains Bishop’s transcripts of marriage from Cheshire, England, between the years 1598 and 1900. Records typically include the names of the groom and the bride, their residence, the date and place of marriage, and the names of their fathers.

Search England, Cheshire Bishop’s Transcripts Marriages, 1598-1900

England, Cheshire Parish Births and Baptisms

This collection contains birth and baptism records from Cheshire County, England, between the years 1538 and 1969. Records typically include the name of the child, date of birth, date and place of baptism, residence, and the names of the parents.

Search England, Cheshire Parish Births and Baptisms

England, Cheshire Parish Deaths and Burials

This collection contains parish registers of death and burial from Cheshire County, England, from the year 1538 onwards. Records typically include the name of the deceased, residence, date and place of death, date and place of burial, and the name of the father. Some records also include the names of the mother and the spouse.

Search England, Cheshire Parish Deaths and Burials

England, Kent Electoral Registers, 1570-1907

This collection contains electoral register records from Kent County, England between the years 1570 and 1907. Records typically include the name of the elector and the year and place of residence.

Search England, Kent Electoral Registers, 1570-1907

Germany Newspapers from OldNews.com™

This index of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from Germany was created through the use of MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles dating back to 1689. Newspapers are a leading resource for historical and genealogical research as they are full of detailed information about potential ancestors across your family tree, through a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices, and obituaries.

Search Germany Newspapers from OldNews.com™

Germany, Telephone Directories

This collection contains Telephone Directory records from Germany, from the years 2001 and 2003. Records typically include the name of the individual, year and place of residence, and possible relatives.

Search Germany, Telephone Directories

Peru, Callao, Civil Registration of Births

This collection contains records of civil birth registrations from the region of Callao, Peru, from the year 1874 onwards. Records typically include the name of the child, the date of birth, and the names of the parents.

Search Peru, Callao, Civil Registration of Births

California, San Diego Passenger Lists

This collection contains records of passengers who traveled to San Diego, California, United States, between the years 1904 and 1952. Records typically include the name of the passenger, year and place of birth, year of arrival, and the name of the ship.

Early passenger lists were single-page manifests and recorded minimal information about passengers. Over time, forms were standardized and additional questions were added. By 1907, passenger manifests contained 29 columns and were two pages wide. The addition of names and addresses of relatives both in the United States and in the home country were also added to manifests starting in 1907.

A common omission for genealogists when dealing with two-page manifests has been to locate the first page and miss the existence of the second. This collection includes single joint images that have been stitched together, so that important information will not be missed.

Search California, San Diego Passenger Lists

New Mexico, Doña Ana County Marriage Licenses

This collection contains marriage records from Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States from the year 1848 onwards. Records typically include the names of the groom and the bride, their place of birth, their place of residence, and the date and place of marriage.

Search New Mexico, Doña Ana County Marriage Licenses

South Carolina, Charleston County Marriages

This collection contains marriage records from Charleston County, South Carolina, United States, from the year 1900 onwards. Records typically include the names of the groom and the bride, their birth place, age, residence, and the date of marriage.

Search South Carolina, Charleston County Marriages

Texas, Maverick, Eagle Pass Arrivals

This collection contains records of passengers who arrived in the city of Eagle Pass, located in Maverick County, Texas, United States between the years 1900 and 1961. Records typically include the name of the passenger, year and place of birth, and the year of arrival.

Search Texas, Maverick, Eagle Pass Arrivals

United Kingdom Newspapers from OldNews.com™

This index of historical local, regional, and national British newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes includes advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles dating back to 1665. Newspapers are an essential resource for genealogy and family history research as they can contain rich information about people in a family tree, through obituaries and other vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, and death notices.

Additionally, society pages and stories of local interest can contain detailed records of activities and events in the community and often provide more information about the persons involved, as well as the historical context of the times in which an ancestor may have lived. Images for these newspapers can be viewed on OldNews.com.

Search United Kingdom Newspapers from OldNews.com™

United States Newspapers from OldNews.com™

This index of national, regional, and local historical newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from the United States was created through the use of MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles dating back to 1770. Newspapers are a leading resource for historical and genealogical research as they are full of detailed information about potential ancestors across your family tree, through a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries.

The history of a community can be explored in great detail through stories of local interest, they contain records of notable activities and events, often providing more information about any persons involved, as well as context of times in which your ancestor may have lived. Images for these newspapers have been made available on OldNews.com.

Search United States Newspapers from OldNews.com™

Wales, Glamorgan, West Glamorgan Electoral Registers 1839-1925

This collection contains electoral register records from West Glamorgan, Glamorgan County, Wales between the years 1839 and 1925. Records typically include the name of the elector and the year and place of residence.

Search Wales, Glamorgan, West Glamorgan Electoral Registers 1839-1925

Examples

In the South Carolina, Charleston County Marriages collection, we’ve unearthed the marriage record of notable public figures Ryan Rodney Reynolds and Blake Ellender Lively.

Ryan Rodney Reynolds, a dual Canadian and American actor, producer, and entrepreneur, is renowned for his role in the blockbuster films “Deadpool” and “Deadpool 2,” part of the 20th Century Fox X-Men series. His portrayal of the character has been acclaimed, earning him nominations at prestigious award ceremonies including the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and the Golden Globe Awards.

Blake Ellender Lively, an esteemed American actress, is recognized for her early career debut in the directorial venture “Sandman” by her father, Ernie Lively. She has since been featured in various film and series roles, most notably as Serena van der Woodsen in the popular CW teen drama television series “Gossip Girl.”

The marriage record available in our collection details their wedding date and the location where the ceremony took place. It also provides personal details such as their birth dates, ages at the time of marriage, residences, the date of their marriage application, and their marriage license number.

The historical marriage record of James Edward William Theobald Butler and Elizabeth Harriet Grosvenor from our newly added collection, England, Cheshire Bishop’s Transcripts Marriages, 1598-1900, showcases a different type of matrimonial alliance.

James Edward William Theobald Butler, who bore the title Earl of Ossory until 1854, later became the 3rd Marquess of Ormonde. He was an illustrious Irish nobleman hailing from the esteemed Butler dynasty. His bride, Elizabeth Harriet Grosvenor, later known as the Marchioness of Ormonde, was a distinguished British aristocrat and the firstborn of Hugh Grosvenor, the 1st Duke of Westminster.

Their nuptials, which took place on February 2, 1876, at Aldford Church in Cheshire, England, signified the merging of immense wealth and status as two of the most affluent English families of the 19th century united. The Duke of Westminster bestowed a generous dowry of £15,000 to Elizabeth (equivalent to £2.2 million or $2.75 million USD today).

Summary

We hope these valuable collections help you make new discoveries in your family history research. Searching the collections on MyHeritage is free. To view the records or to save records to your family tree, you’ll need a Data, Complete, or Omni plan.

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 family tree.

Enjoy the new collections!