Sent to us by Ian Watkins, Queensland, Australia

My monthly NetGuide Australia magazine has a section on genealogy and I recently entered their regular monthly contest to nominate (my) favourite genealogy web site and I won (a full copy of Legacy V.7).

NetGuide online (April 2009)

Reader Web site of the month

lan has nominated his favourite Web site as being Forest of Dean Family History (www.forest-of-dean.net).

lan writes that this is a free site manned by a very dedicated group of volunteers who have transcribed almost all the parish records from the Forest of Dean area in Gloucestershire. As he has a branch of his family from this area, he has been able to spend many hours on the site. He notes that the site also encourages submissions and donations from users, but that membership is free.

ln summary, he says, "This is my absolute favourite (free) genealogy Web site. lt's superb".

lan is right! lf you do have ancestors in the Forest of Dean area of Gloucestershire in England, then this is one you won't want to miss. You need to register to join and this involves giving your email address and selecting a username and password. An activation code is then sent to your email address, and you need to use this within 24 hours or your registration will lapse. There is much here of interest to family historians. Volunteers have transcribed nearly all baptism , marriage and burial records of parish churches and non-conformist chapels within the Forest of Dean as well as some for the neighbouring areas of Hertfordshire and Monmouthshire, as well as Monumental Inscriptions, names from the 1841 census, lists of landowners and much more. Plus, as you would expect of a site like this, there is lots of background information including photos, maps and a terrific forum that once registered, you can use to get help or share your knowledge of this area of England.

The Web site is clearly set out and simple to follow. you'll want to adopt a Forest of Dean family just so you can use this site.

Ian, thanks very much for nominating us and sending us the article. It is pleasing that our Web site is well recognised globally and not just in the UK. Enjoy your copy of the Legacy programme.

I'm not sure if this website is unique, I've not come across any other site which offers so much without first asking for cash, and even then not delivering as much, I just wish other counties were as good.

I wish there was a site like this based on my home town of Monmouth and the surrounding area, Monmouth and this stretch of the Wye valley are so closely linked to The Forest, more so probably than other parts of Monmouthshire, Mike John might have a comment to make on that! Here we have already absorbed the parish records of border areas of Monmouth and Herefordshire, but there is so much more still untouched. But then there has to be a limit to everything.

Apart from living near Coleford my family have little to do with the forest of dean, but I still love to read the message board and help someone out if I can. Being local it's nice to be able to pass on information to someone on the other side of the world. My thanks to everyone involved. Fred