What is "All Access"in Ancestry? - Page 2 - Genealogists' Forum

Ann from Sussex · #11 08-06-17, 18:07

Ancestry took over fold3, an American historic military records site, a while ago and have been transferring all their military records - including the British ones - to it, then charging an arm and a leg extra for you to access them. I now find that military records for my family that I have viewed in the past as part of my Ancestry membership are closed to me unless I pay extra. The All Access subscription is £224.99 which is way more than I am prepared to pay. If you are only interested in British records of any kind but want to check military ones it looks as though you have to pay this inflated price which includes World membership, regardless of whether you will ever use the World records. You also have to register with fold3 as well as Ancestry. My World membership ends on 5th August and I won't be renewing it as I think Ancestry have become very greedy and when they ask why I'm not renewing (as they always do) I will tell them so.

kiterunner · #12 08-06-17, 19:26

As far as I know, they haven't transferred any British records over from ancestry to Fold3, Ann. There is a discussion of it in the March minutes of the TNA User Advisory Group where they said that none had been transferred over, and that it is only the military records which ancestry have recently acquired or will acquire in the future which are exclusive to Fold3.

Link to PDF of TNA User Advisory Group minutes:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...es-2017-03.pdf

See section 4.1

James18 · #13 08-06-17, 19:39

Good on you, Ann.

Ann from Sussex · #14 08-06-17, 21:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiterunner

As far as I know, they haven't transferred any British records over from ancestry to Fold3, Ann. There is a discussion of it in the March minutes of the TNA User Advisory Group (I think it is, will check later) where they said that none had been transferred over, and that it is only the military records which ancestry have recently acquired or will acquire in the future which are exclusive to Fold3.

In the last year when I tried to check something on an army service record for a great great uncle that I had previously had access to a few years ago, it told me I needed the All Access membership. Maybe that was an error that has been corrected. I don't know because I was so disgusted I haven't been back. Whatever the policy regarding existing records, I still think asking anyone to pay £224.99 for a year's subscription to access additional records is exorbitant and greedy.

HarrysMum · #15 09-06-17, 07:13

I can see it wouldn't be much use for those with only UK family, but us Aussies have family from everywhere so for the extra $40 or so, possibly well worth it.

James18 · #16 13-06-17, 01:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann from Sussex

In the last year when I tried to check something on an army service record for a great great uncle that I had previously had access to a few years ago, it told me I needed the All Access membership. Maybe that was an error that has been corrected. I don't know because I was so disgusted I haven't been back. Whatever the policy regarding existing records, I still think asking anyone to pay £224.99 for a year's subscription to access additional records is exorbitant and greedy.

If previously accessible records are being moved behind a premium paywall then that is indeed disgusting -- especially if you already had them as sources on your tree.

Mary from Italy · #17 13-06-17, 13:31

I've just accessed a British WW1 record with no trouble, and I have the World sub, not All Access.

Mary from Italy · #18 02-10-17, 19:57

I've just taken out the 7-day free trial to Fold3.

If anyone else is thinking of doing it, you may find you have trouble getting your credit card accepted (it works like an Ancestry trial, ie. you have to give card details and then cancel before the trial is up).

They're apparently having trouble with their credit card readers, and I had to contact their support to get the free trial.

Having looked at the entries I was interested in, I found that Ancestry's transcription of one of them was completely wrong!

Ancestry said that my man was an army deserter, and gave his age and regimental number.

The image on Fold3 actually took me to the page of the Police Gazette immediately before the army deserters page; it turned out to be a list of habitual criminals, and the number wasn't a regimental number at all, but an "office register number".

The information was still useful, but Ancestry's transcription was totally misleading, so beware!

The Police Gazettes are definitely worth a look, because they have some quite detailed information, including descriptions (my man had a rupture and a missing finger joint).

Kit · #19 02-10-17, 23:23

Thanks for this Mary. I might take out a trial when I know I have time.

What countries does Fold3 cover?

Mary from Italy · #20 03-10-17, 00:35

It mostly has military records, and it seems to cover quite a few countries. I haven't looked at Australian records so far, but I did notice that they have the Aus WW2 service records.

UK records seem to come under the heading of International.

https://www.fold3.com/