Genealogy Chat

Hi everyone, wonder if I can get some advice from you about using parish records.
I am still relativley new to family history but have been lucky enough on my maternal grandmother's line to have managed to trace the family back to 1837, partly due to unusul surnames and to family remaining in one area of the country for a considerable length of time.

They are from Portsea Island and surrounding districts in Hampshire; I am strugglng to 'get my head round' the jump now to parish records.
Would you say my best option now is to join the local family history society? I'm a bit concerned that I may end up having to join loads of these as other branches of my tree are revealed.

If not, is there somewhere I can go on-line to purchase CDs of parish records?

Thanks very much for any help you can give, particularly interested in hearing from anyone who is a member of Hampshire FHS who can tell me from experience what it's like.

Hayley

most areas have a Famiy History Society - I was able to buy the parish records for my local church from my local FHS - they were in book form and cost around £20 = some FHS's have them in CD form as well

Google to see where your local FHS is and see what they have on offer

Also you could put details of who you are looking for on here and see if someone can find them for you

Ann

Thanks Anne,

I have managed to get details of the FHS for the area (thank goodness for google) but there don't seem to be any links where you can purchase CDs or books without joining the Society.
As it happens, in this area I would be talking about a lot of relatives - that's partly why I don't want to ask others to do the work for me - so in the long run it's probably worth joining, I'm just a little concerned it could be endless in terms of which FHS I would have to join.

also look on the International Genealogical Index on www.familysearch.org .............. the Mormon site. Be careful to distinguish between EXTRACTED and SUBMITTED records

Extracted have been taken from the actual parish records.

Submitted have been sent in by people, usually church members, and they have no backing documentation ........... take such records under advisement, do not enter them in yoru tree unless and until you can find the documentation. the word "about" is a giveaway! "About 1827" rings warning bells!!


Also try www.onlineparishclerks.org.uk ....... Hampshire may or may not be on there.


Try also freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers.htm


Try www.genuki.org.uk


Try freereg.rootsweb.com/search/index.htm




sylvia

Thanks Sylvia, will try all those sites now.

Hayley

I didn't have to join - I went to a Family History Fair with a group of other GR members and lots of FHS's had displays there and I bought them there and then with no strings attached

The Hampshire Family History website has lots of records for Portsea.
Alan

You might find some relatives on the knightsroot site.

http://www.knightroots.co.uk/

Don't forget you can use the familysearch site to check out a few leads, then you can order films for a low cost and view them for a few weeks at your nearest family history centre ( lists on the LDS site.

Gwyn

Hayley,

If you have any burials you need to suss out, the chap at the Hampshire Records Office is great - just email from their website and he will tell you what info he has. This is assuming your rellies are buried in a municipal grave, though one of mine was actually in a Catholic burial ground taken over by the council. He was fantastic. You get these stars occasionally.

Margaret

Hayley

I have several Hampshire Indexes

Marriages 1754-1837
Baptisms 1752-1841
Buriels 1400-1837

All on CD

Quite happy to look anything up

If you want to purchase your own go to the Hampshire Genealogical Society (that is what the Hampshire FHS calls itself)website and follow the links to sales
You do not have to be a member

the Cds are about £20.00 each

Forgot to say they do not cover the Non Comformist Chapels or the Isle of Wight

Thanks everyone for all your help, I think I have a much better idea where to go next.
Elizabeth, thanks for the offer, might come back to you if I get really stuck, but I do know that at least one branch of this family were Baptists so maybe I won't have much luck.

Still, it seems the general advice is that I don't have to join the FHS to get hold of records, though I feel that in this instance it will be worth it as there are such strong connectios to the area.

Here's hoping I manage to connect to a distant relative doing similar research!

Hayley

I found the IGI very good at pointing me in certain directions for Portsea & Gosport. Yes I know you can't trust it but it has given me very good leads and goes back a long way.
Knightroots is brilliant - only if they have your rellies!!!
Don't forget that Portsmouth is an old Naval Town and your family might have come from elsewhere.
Hampshire Geneological society do have all the disks but is expensive if you need the lot.

Good Luck

Edit. If you do send off for discs read the descriptions very carefully, I think one only works on Vista.