As I try to figure out how to give you the most useful feedback, I am realizing that the initial issue [for me] is that I do not understand how or why the search form[s] change as I work. I'll find a form that I like, but get too many hits...so go back to narrow, and end up in a different search screen. I click on new search all records, and don't always get a consistent screen. I am guessing this frustrates many people. I can see WHY different screens exist, but find myself wishing there was a way to select the search screen I want? Is this making any sense to you?

As a concrete example, I started in the TRIAL search screen, and entered: William Brown; CT; b. 1700; spouse Martha Gray. This brought up hundreds of thousands of hits in all categories. Peeling down in Stories, Memories and History [PLEASE SEPARATE THOSE OUT...and separate histories from published genealogies also] I found ZERO hits for histories of Windham County CT, where I know they lived in Pomfret...and I found other CT histories buried on pages after assorted records from other states.

At that point, I went back by clicking on Search button at top bar, and came to new screen. I selected a search for William Brown b. w/in 10 yrs of 1700, and clicked US History only. I noticed the "Tell Us How We can Help you More" button and clicked it [MOST people won't click that; advanced search would be a better label]...and added Windham County Connecticut and spouse Martha Gray. That got me zero hits, even though I know their Pomfret CT marriage is included in the Barbour Collection for CT.

Next, I logged in and used "old search" at Ancestry, trying a search for William Brown b. w/in 10 yrs. of 1700, US and historical records. I got 16 hits, all in MA.

I don't know when this William Brown was married, or where he was born...so that's part of my problem...but you see how a search for a common name goes.

Will post other search attempts in other threads, where perhaps more relevant. Darlene Joyce