The Genealogist

www.thegenealogist.co.uk
Pay-per-view: from £5
Subscriptions: from £55.95 p/a

Most of the major family history websites have comprehensive census and BMD coverage these days. So, in this category we're looking for something out of the ordinary that sets a site out from the crowd.

The Genealogist has both transcripts and images for every available census, bar 1881, which its developers deliberately left until last as it's free elsewhere. This collection is backed by truly innovative tools, such as the opportunity to use name variants, and to look for groups of forenames in particular family groups.

Similarly, the site boasts a complete collection of BMD indexes up until 2005. Again, though, it's the exclusive search ideas that are really impressive. From 1984 onwards you can use the mother's maiden name in a birth search, or jump straight from a birth to a death record. Surname mapping is just the icing on the cake.

We should also point out the strides that The Genealogist has made in pre-1837 records. It already has a variety of parish records for several counties, adding more all the time. Plus, it has recently merged BMDRegisters into the site, providing a wealth of nonconformist material that you won't find anywhere else online.