ANCESTRY ADDS DATABASE OF MEXICAN PARISH RECORDS Ancestry.com announced the addition of the Mexican Parish Records Database to its growing collection of international research data. The records list more than 400,000 names and are the first Mexican parish records to be posted anywhere on the Internet. "The parish records are an invaluable resource for genealogists who can trace their roots into Mexico," said Curt Allen, CEO and president of Ancestry.com, Inc. "The addition of this database expedites our effort to assemble the most comprehensive collection of international family history research data available online." The database includes marriage, baptism and death records from nine Mexican parishes: Matamoros, Agualequas, Mier, Sabinas Hidalgo, Vallecillo, Cadereyta, Camargo, Cerralvo and Guerrero. The original records were meticulously documented and often include information about immediate relatives, spouses, parents and grandparents. The records, compiled by the Spanish American Genealogical Association (SAGA), contain information from as early as 1751 and as late as 1880. "The parishes represented in the records consisted of families from the state of Nuevo Leon that colonized along the Rio Grande River," said Myra Smithwick, SAGA President. "These were strong, well established families that millions of people will be able to trace their roots to." With the addition of this database, Ancestry.com now offers more than 1700 databases and more than 276 million names. The Mexican Parish Records Database will be freely accessible to the public from today through Aug 29, after which it will be available exclusively Ancestry.com subscribers. This database can be searched at: http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/mpr/mpr_index.asp There is also listed a website with links to more Mexican research places. MEXICAN LINKS & RESOURCES http://www.ancestry.com/dailynews/08_19_99.htm#4