NEHGS and Ancestry.com Announce New Membership Benefits as Part of Collaboration

Ancestry____logo1.bmpTwo Genealogy Industry Leaders Offer Special Pricing and New Member Benefits

Boston, MA & Provo, UT– October 22, 2007 – The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) and Ancestry.com, part of The Generations Network, Inc., today announced the availability of special membership pricing that allows members of both organizations and those wishing to join to take advantage of some of the most important family history information available anywhere. Beginning Monday, October 22, special discounted pricing is open to NEHGS members, Ancestry.com members and those interested in joining both.

Those interested in signing up for NEHGS and an Ancestry.com U.S. Deluxe membership can now do so for the single price of $155.40, a combined savings of $75. This subscription provides annual memberships to both organizations and gives subscribers access to some of the most valuable and important genealogical research information anywhere. Current NEHGS members wishing to join Ancestry.com, or Ancestry.com members wishing to join NEHGS, can also do so for a special low price. In addition, as part of the agreement, Ancestry.com will publish on its site indexes of the leading NEHGS publication, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (1847-2002).

“We want this collaboration to give people an opportunity to engage in genealogy at a level that they maybe haven’t before,” said D. Brenton Simons, NEHGS President and CEO. “Ancestry.com is an extraordinary online resource and we are thrilled to be working with them on this. We hope this provides the groundwork for future opportunities.”

Since 1845, NEHGS has been one of the leading genealogical resources in the country. And while NEHGS does have a rich collection relating to early colonial American history and genealogy, the organization also offers access to other regions throughout the country, including New York State. Members of NEHGS also have access to its staff of expert genealogists, which includes leading genealogists in American, English, Irish, Scottish and Canadian research. NEHGS also produces some of the most important publications in genealogy, including The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, published continuously since 1847, and the member magazine New England Ancestors. Other NEHGS collections include:

• Mass Vital Records (1841-1910)
• Early Mass vital records to 1850
• New York Probate Records (1787-1835)
• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register online (1847-2004)
• More than 1,650 cemeteries and burial grounds transcriptions from all of the New England states, New York, and Eastern Canada
• Town Records
• The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England (1620-1633), Volumes I-III
• Early American Newspapers (1690-1876)
• The Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in The Boston Pilot (1831-1920)
• Special collections and manuscripts from the Archives of NEHGS
• Premium Database – Early American Newspapers, (Series I) (1690-1876)
• Premium Database – The 19th Century U.S. Newspapers database provides access to approximately 1.7 million pages of primary source newspaper content from throughout the 19th century

With more than 5 billion names and 24,000 searchable databases and titles, Ancestry.com is the world’s largest online resource for family history information. Free services on Ancestry.com offer individuals the opportunity to create online family trees and share them with others. Members can upload photos, add stories to their tree – even record oral histories. The membership option available within the joint NEHGS and Ancestry.com package includes an Ancestry.com U.S. Deluxe subscription, which provides access to all U.S. historical records available on the site such as:

Trees
• More than 3.8 million Ancestry.com family trees with more than 330 million names included
Census
• The only complete online U.S. Federal Census Collection (1790-1930)
• U.S. State and territorial census records including Iowa (1836-1925), Kansas (1855-1915), Minnesota (1849-1905), Wisconsin (1895 & 1905), Mississippi (1792-1866) and more
• U.S. Indian Census Schedules (1885-1940)
Immigration
• The most comprehensive online collection of U.S. passenger lists (1820-1960) from over 100 different U.S. ports including New York (Castle Garden and Ellis Island), Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and San Francisco, among others
• Border crossings from Canada to the U.S. (1895-1956) and Border crossings from Mexico to the U.S. (1903-1957)
Military
• The largest online compilation of U.S. Military records with more than 90 million names from the 1600s through Vietnam, including more than 24 million World War I draft registration cards
Vital Records
• 20th century vital records from California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and more
Newspapers
• More than 16 million pages of U.S. historical newspapers from the 1700s through 2003
Maps and Photos
• The largest online collection U.S. historical land ownership maps (1850-2000) encompassing nearly 50,000 from across the country
• Access to over 3.5 million mostly vintage photographs uploaded by Ancestry.com users

“This partnership allows members of both organizations the ability to search U.S. and New England records from one location – their home computer,” said Drew Izzo, Vice President of Marketing for Ancestry.com. “NEHGS offers its members the unique opportunity to closely examine their New England roots. With a U.S. Deluxe membership to Ancestry.com, members can expand their family history research into other parts of the country.”

Other aspects of the special collaboration include member discounts on select services and products. To learn more, visit NEHGS Web site at:  www.NewEnglandAncestors.org/tgn_collaboration.asp or call 1-888-296-3447.

About NEHGS
The New England Historic Genealogical Society, founded in 1845, has more than 20,000 members nationally, making it the oldest and largest non-profit genealogical organization in the country. The NEHGS library, located in Boston, includes more than 28 million items, such as manuscripts, letters, periodicals, books, documents, photographs, and other rare and valuable items. These collections provide genealogists of all levels and expertise immeasurable access to their own family histories and stories. The NEHGS staff includes some of the most respected and experienced genealogists in the country, specializing in American, English, Irish, Scottish, and Canadian research. 
NEHGS also publishes several publications including The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Published since 1847, the Register is considered by many to be the leading source of early American research. Under the NEHGS and Newbury Street Press imprints, NEHGS also publishes a number of books on family and local history.

About Ancestry.com
With 24,000 searchable databases and titles and more than 800,000 paying subscribers, Ancestry.com is the No. 1 online source for family history information. Since its launch in 1997, Ancestry.com has been the premier resource for family history, simplifying genealogical research for millions of people by providing them with many easy-to-use tools and resources to build their own unique family trees. The site is home to the only complete online U.S. Federal Census collection, 1790-1930, as well as the world’s largest online collection of U.S. ship passenger list records featuring more than 100 million names, 1820-1960. Ancestry.com is part of The Generations Network, Inc., a leading network of family-focused interactive properties, including MyFamily.com, Rootsweb.com, Genealogy.com and Family Tree Maker. In total, The Generations Network properties receive 8.2 million unique visitors worldwide and over 429 million page views a month (© comScore Media Metrix, August 2007). For more information, visit www.ancestry.com.

Media Contacts
Tom Champoux, Marketing Director
New England Historic Genealogical Society
617-226-1211
[email protected]

Mike Ward, Public Relations Director
Ancestry.com
Part of The Generations Network, Inc.
801-705-7099
[email protected]
  

23 thoughts on “NEHGS and Ancestry.com Announce New Membership Benefits as Part of Collaboration

  1. I already have an Ancestry membership. Now what, more for NEHGS? I have no idea what NEHGS offers. Do you expect me to subscribe sight unseen?

  2. Please note: Current NEHGS and Ancestry.com members are not eligible for this price. Offer ends December 31, 2007.

    This certainly is not good business practice. Maybe Ancestry should consider not biting the hands that feed it.

  3. How does an existing Ancestry.com member take advantage of joining NEHGS. It is not right for your present members not to be able to use this research tool if they choose to.

  4. It seems that to exclude those of us who have been members for a while, would discourage us from continuing to be members. Especially we who have the Deluxe World memberships. Come on now, throw us a bone once in a while too!!
    Additionally, I have been told by so many others, that I could actually get most of the information I am seeking other places without paying “premium” prices to you guys.
    It might be wise to re-think your policy of excluding your current member base.

  5. I have been a member of NEHGS for thirty-five years. It truly is a great resource for New England states and the states bordering the New England region, as well as some Canadian resources. I have been a member of Ancestry.com for only one-year and beleve that the two complement each other very nicely. I wish that NEHGS would offer a short free trial period to those who are current members of Ancestry.com. so they can see what a treasure NEHGS is. Best wishes to all.
    Jack

  6. next thing you know we will only be able to access the databases that were in place when we joined ancestry. that is why your 800,000 subscribers joined is because you are constantly adding new content and databases all the time and it is part of our package, so NEHGS SHOULD BE ALSO AND NOT FOR XTRA MONEY EITHER. we all have to renew at some point in time and maybe we should question your practices against your current subscribers before we re-subscribe.

  7. I have memberships in both – NEHGS has been a wonderful source for Massachusetts and New England information. If you have Massachusetts ancestors, all the way back to 1620, you will benefit from this resource. The ability to look at primary sources – images of the original documents – is beyond price. I have actually used Ancestry for primary research, to point me in a direction as I have had the Ancestry subscription longer. I use NEGHS to verify, correct and document.

    While my loyalty to both is not going to be rewarded with a future discount, I will still pay the required fees to keep both, because they are truly worth it to me.

  8. This is confusing and disappointing. How many databases does NEHGS have on line? Why not a trial subscription, or something to match up, so anc.com and NEHGS can be renewed together. More explaination not advertising needed.

  9. This is so typical Ancestry leaving its old member out in the cold. Just look at FTM 2008 where we were promised a patch to return many features by October.

  10. I agree wholeheartedly with those who – like I – hold membership in both NEHGS (Life Member) and Ancestry. Why should we be forced to pay more for renewal of Ancestry?
    And, for that matter, why should we be forced into World membership rather than U.S. just to retrieve databases that formerly were available to both.

  11. I, too, am concerned that I cannot take advantage of this special offer as I am a member of both Ancestry.com and NEHGS. Is there anything you can do for us. It seems that loyal members of both organizations are being penalized.

  12. I renewed my membership and upgraded to World whatever on October 16. Then on 10/22 this announcement comes out about a discount membership to combine with NEHGS. When I did the renewal I was not offered any additional benefit and I paid more than what’s being asked now. This is not the first time such a thing has happened. It seems there must have been knowledge of such a thing in the works a week before the announcement. I think a protest is in order and some kind of adjustment should be made to memberships already in effect at the time NEHGS was added. After all isn’t that part of the membership benefits, new additions are automatically included? This ia a U.S. data base is it not? I have been a member for many years and always seem to find if I wouldn’t renew so quickly I’d get a better deal down the road. How stupid can I be?

  13. I know what I am going to do next year.
    I will not be renewing when my subscription comes due and will put my genealogy research on temporay while I catch up on other things I have let slide because of my genealogy. During this period if I want to do research I will do it with other free websites and books.
    Then 6 months later I will renew for a year. At the end of that renewal I will repeat my earlier procedure.
    This way I can sit in the bushes and wait. If during my “sabbaticals” Ancestry has a “fire sale”. I will consider it. If not I will wait it out.
    By doing this I will cut my Ancestry bills and Ancestry’s revenue from me to 50 % . I urge others to do the same or some modification of this technique to stir up Ancestry’s marketing policies.
    Budd Robertson

  14. I’ve searched the ancestry.com site and can’t find any mention at all about current members being able to join NEHGS for a special low price. Where are the directions for how to do this? What is the “special low price”? I do agree with the above comments as well. These are US records, and I don’t understand why my Deluxe US membership shouldn’t cover them with the price I’m already paying.

  15. I just want to know how much I would need to pay to NEHGS to join as subscriber to Ancestry.com? I am a World Deluxe member.

  16. for some reason I keep getting the feeling I am being offered the short end of the stick for a high price everytime Ancestry comes up with a ‘new’ data base. It’s like ignoring the person at the counter with money in hand in favor of a ‘maybe’ on the telephone!

  17. I just renewed my world subscription to a much greater cost than you are offering the combined subscription. Why wasn’t I informed of the combination and the much lower subscription cost for both? This makes me very angry. I feel like I have been had. That is not a good feeling. I would appreciate a response and an adjustment to my subscription.

  18. You know what happens to ‘businesses’ when they start getting too greedy ~~ they usually end up losing all their ‘customers’ and go under. If someone else started a site like Ancestry with lower prices, think of all the business they’d get from all the ‘unhappy’ people here at Ancestry! people don’t like being treated unfairly.

  19. Since no one from ancestry was addressing our questions here, I called them and was told that ancestry was not offering any NEHGS records for a special price. I was told to call NEHGS at 888-296-3447. It seems that the original press release was incomplete. NEHGS is offering a special membership rate to ancestry members for $60/year (instead of its usual $75). This offer expires Dec 31, 2007.

  20. I had to let my Ancestry membership expire for now due to financial reasons. I became frustrated a few years back when Ancestry.com took over Genealogy.com without combining them into one membership. For some time different parts of the census information was only available on one or the other and the Family Trees posted by patrons were and I imagiane still are. I will not be renewing anytime soon since it is so much to do so, and I was a member for several years to both. I dropped Genealogy.com when they were bought out because I couldn’t afford both anymore and hoped they would combine them but they decided to force people to buy both.

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