We’re now a number of months into this pandemic, and there’s many areas/countries still in various phases of lockdown. So if you are still isolating and keeping well at home, there still plenty of great offers going – free records, free magazines, big discounts on records and more … so make the most of this while to the COVID-19 lockdown is on. Here’s those that have been announced recently:

Ancestry Library Edition
Many societies and libraries are offering at home use of the Ancestry Library Edition at home if you are a member. Check with your local genealogy societies and libraries to see if this is an option they offer. The free access has been extended through to the end of July. They will re-evaluate at the end of each month. To see what’s included in the Library Edition click here.

Ancestry.com US Records and Tutorials
Ancestry has collaborated with the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to offer temporary free access to almost 500 million historical records and images from the federal government. And we will continue providing free online tutorials and video courses to help people get started with family tree building. You will need to create an account (which is free), to get started. For more information, click here.

British History Online
The British History Online website has made ALL of its records free to access, including the Calendar of Close Rolls (1244 to 1509) and the Calendar of State Papers Domestic (1547 to 1704). This offer runs until 30 September 2020. More information about it here.

Free First Steps by TheGenealogist
Begin a lifetime of discovery with the FREE First Steps package. Free Genealogy Records are the ideal way to research your family tree and start the journey to find your ancestry.
The Free First Steps package includes:
– Complete Birth, Marriage & Death records index for England and Wales 1837-2005
– English & Welsh Census Records to see where ancestors were living in 1911
– TreeView, the online family tree builder
– Image Archive of churches, places and people from the past
– A high quality monthly digital magazine packed full of stories, case studies, social history articles and research advice
This First Steps package will give those beginning their journey on the compelling road to discovering their ancestors some excellent family history resources. No card details, no subscription, just completely free. You can get started here https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/first-steps/

Hawkesbury Family History Group
While Covid-19 restrictions are still in place the Hawkesbury Family History Group have made their latest edition of ‘Hawkesbury Crier’ (June 2020) for freely available for everyone to enjoy. You can download it from here.  

JSTOR
JSTOR, the online digital library with more than 12 million academic journal articles, books and primary sources from across 75 disciplines, has expanded its free online reading program through until 31 December 2020. For more details click here.

Living DNA
Not sure that this is a COVID-19 sale, as these prices have been the same for a while now, and there’s no date given as to when they end … but grab them while they’re on sale.
– Ancestry Kit – Normally AU$169, on sale for AU$129 BUY NOW
– Wellbeing Kit – Normally AU$199, on sale for AU$139 BUY NOW
– Ancestry & Wellbeing Kits – Normally $259, on sale for AU$179 BUY NOW

London Topographical Society
All the London Topographical Society’s newsletters are now available to read for free. The archive dates back to 1975 and is packed with fascinating information about the history of London’s buildings. You can view them here.

Ontario History Journal
If your ancestors emigrated to Ontario, Canada, here’s one for you. The Ontario Historical Society don’t miss this opportunity to discover more about the province’s history with free back issues of the 2005 to 2018 issues. Click here to see the list of back issues.

Queensland Family History Society
The QFHS are offering a discount rate for those who sign up to be a member, or those who renew and expired membership. The offers is on during lockdown closer, and is said to ‘end soon’. So if you’re interested, you’d better sign up soon. https://www.qfhs.org.au

Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM)
Victoria’s BDM registrar introduced discounted fees for their download certificates in May, and they’ve decided to extend the offer. The say “thanks to the popularity of our discounted certificates, we are continuing this offer. Downloadable, uncertified historical certificates are now $20 each: save $4.50 per certificate.” Click here to order your Victorian BDM certicates.

Royal Australian Historical Society
In response to COVID-19, the June editions of the Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society (JRAHS) and History magazine have been made temporally available to everyone online. These publications would normally be available to members only. We hope you enjoy them. Click here to download a copy.

Society of One-Place Studies
The Society for One-Place Studies are offering the latest issue of their quarterly journal, Destinations, free of charge to everyone – not just members. You can download the journal from here.

The National Archives (UK)
TNA are making digital records available on their website free of charge for as long they are closed to visitors. Registered users will be able to order and download a maximum of 50 items over 30 days. The records available to download include:
– First and Second World War records, including medal index cards
– Military records, including unit war diaries
– Royal and Merchant Navy records, including Royal Marine service records
– Wills from the jurisdiction of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury
– Migration records, including aliens’ registration cards and naturalisation case papers
– 20th century Cabinet Papers and Security Service files
– Domesday Book
Read more about how to access these records here https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/digital-downloads/. This offer is said to run “until TNA is open again”. Recent reports say that this isn’t likely to happen before September.

As other offers get announced throughout the month, I shall add those in. So keep an eye on this post for the latest listings.