- I have submitted the search form but the result
is "no matches found". Why is this?
There are a number of reasons why no match may be found:
- Perhaps your search query was too specific. Try again using fewer
search terms.
- It is possible that the data has not yet been added to Genlias.
Check this by referring to "What is in Genlias?".
- The record you are looking for is not yet in the public domain.
This applies to marriage records from after 1932, birth records from
after 1902 and death records from after 1952.
- The person you are looking for did not come from the Netherlands.
- The town or city name you have entered is incorrect. Check this
using the list of place names.
- Diacritics like accents and umlauts have been entered or recorded
incorrectly. Try again using the "Is related to" or "Begins with"
options.
- Diacritics like accents and umlauts are not
properly displayed in Genlias. How can I search for surnames that use diacritics?
Some of the diacritical characters have been corrupted during
the conversion to the Genlias database. These characters are represented in Genlias
by an inverted question mark, ¿. If you report this to
the archive that supplied the record, the data can be corrected.
You can sometimes avoid this problem by using the "Begins with"
search parameter or by searching for the name of the spouse.
You can also search for the name variant with the inverted question mark.
For example: to search for the name Carré, you can try to search for Carr¿.
The code to produce the inverted question mark is ALT-0191
(keep the ALT-key pressed while typing the digits 0191).
- Why are the letters so small that the website is hard to read?
Many users have complained about the font size. The problem occurs mostly with Internet Explorer. The problem can be fixed by using the 'View' menu and setting your text size to 'Normal' or larger.
- I see that there are more search results than during my last visit. How can I search in the additions only?
All additions are announced in the News section. Unfortunately, it is not
possible to search those records all at once. Perhaps the Genlias monitor
can help you. This service was developed by a genealogist to inform you
which new records have been added to Genlias for a particular surname.
Visit www.genliasmonitor.nl for more information and for support
about using the Genlias monitor.
- How often is new data added to Genlias?
The data is being keyed in and checked by volunteers at the participating
archives. After that the data managers submit it for inclusion in
the actual database. This can be done at any time. The data become
available in Genlias a few days after submission. See "What
is in Genlias?" for a summary of all the data available and "News"
for the details of the latest additions.
- When will all the data be in the system?
All the participants in Genlias have agreed to prioritise the entry
of marriage records. Most provinces have already entered a large number
of records. Smaller provinces like Flevoland and Drenthe have an advantage
in this respect. Provinces such as Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland,
containing major cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, have a lot more
work to do. So at this stage we are unable to provide a definitive
answer to this question.
- What is a patronymic?
A patronymic is a name derived from that of a person's father and
used alongside or instead of a surname. So a child called Harm whose
father's name was Jan might be known simply as Harm Jans. In this
case, "Jans" is the patronymic. In many cases people use both a patronymic
and a surname. When there is any doubt, the data has been entered
as a surname.
- I know that a child of my male forebear was
married. So why do I find no record when I submit his name in the role
of "father"?.
Fathers mentioned in marriage records are assigned the role of either "father of the bride" or "father of the bridegroom" in Genlias. The
role of "father" appears only in birth and death records.
- How can I view the original record?
To see original records, you must visit the archive where they are
held. Genlias is purely a data-search system and does not provide
scans of the records online. However, you can order copies of them
for a fee.
- How do I save the data so that I can review
it offline?
The easiest way to save the contents of a record is as follows.
- Open a word-processing or spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Word or Excel.
- In the browser, select all the text in the record using "Control + A", copy it using "Control + C", use "Alt + Tab" to go to the destination program and then paste the text using "Control + V".
To print the record, click on the printer icon in the browser.
- What does "Abandoned child: N" mean in a record of birth?
"Abandoned child: N" means "No, it is not an abandoned child". In the case of an abandoned child, a record of finding was drawn up and entered into the civil birth register. These records of finding are therefore entered into Genlias as records of birth. In the rare case that a record of birth involves an abandoned child, it says "Abandoned child: J", where the "J" stands for the Dutch word "Ja" meaning "Yes".
-
Why can't I find records from municipality X? (For example Den Haag/The Hague, Rotterdam)
Genlias is a database under construction and isn't complete yet.
Volunteers enter new records all the time.
You can check the Actual content page for a complete overview of the records that are available at this moment.
Genlias was originally an initiative of the provincial archives.
Lately, more and more municipal and regional archives have started to participate in Genlias as well.
Especially for the densely populated provinces of Noord- and Zuid-Holland, Genlias depends
on such cooperations with local archives for the fast entry of the records.
Without their cooperation, it will take longer before all of the records from these provinces will be available in Genlias.
- I have discovered
an error in the records, how can I report it?
The entry of the records, including correcting errors, is done
by the participating archives. They will check error reports
with the original records. You can send reports about errors
in the records directly to the participating archive. The easiest
way is when you send the report from the detail page of the record
that contains the error. Use the E-mail link in the top right
corner and select the archive that supplied the record. The data
from that record will be sent with your report so the archive
can
verify
which
record
it concerns.
- When will
the records from the other islands in the Netherlands Antilles
be completely available on Genlias?
As soon as they will have been entered, checked and converted.
The National
Archives of the Netherlands Antilles are still looking for
volunteers.
- Which other
countries will become available on Genlias?
Only countries that have had or still have a constitutional
relationship with the Netherlands and whose archives want to
participate in Genlias. In the near future, we intend to invite
other countries to participate.
- How much do I have to pay for a copy of the certificate?
Ordering copies of certificates is looked after by the participating file institutions. These have all their own working method with associated own prices and delivery periods.
To see what an order costs you can the certificates best add to your shopping cart. Then you choose for 'summary of orders' in the menu 'searching in Genlias'. There you can exactly see what the costs are and decide if you want to place the order effectively.
For additional information on the order you can contact the archive which has supplied the concerning certificate. You can go to the page of the concerning archive directly from the detail page of the certificate or from 'about Genlias ' to find the contact data.
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