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Hi
Can someone point me in the right direction. I live in Devon, so to travel this far is harder for me than flying to Australia!
I would like to do some research that would cover Newcastle on Tyne/Darlington/Bishops Auckland and Stockton/Durham. This would be quite a comprehensive and blanket research related to Christenings/Marriages/Deaths and local newspaper reports + background local history. I have been looking on various family history sites where I have come across a posting stating that Newcastle does not encourage personal visits.
Can anyone point me in the right direction as to whether the above is true and if so, or perhaps more importantly where is the best place to access the information I have listed above.
Thank you, as you can imagine, I don't want to travel all that way and then find I've gone to the wrong place.
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I'm a bit mystified as to what you're talking about when you say "Newcastle does not encourage personal visits." If it's Newcastle United Football Club, I'ld agree, but that's more down to the results they're getting than any official policy.
Have you looked at the Durham Bishops Transcripts at:
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#start
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For christenings, marriages and deaths, you might be better using your nearest LDS Family History centre which can order in these parish records for you for just a few pounds.
You can find the addresses for these centres on www.familysearch.org
Newspaper reports you will usually find in the local reference library. You can google the town name+library and many of these libraries have email addresses so you could ask them if they would be willing to do look-ups for you since you are so far away. Some will and some won't.
Kath. x
Kath. x
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The Northumberland and Durham Family History Society is a mine of information!
Mike
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Thank you for your responses,
mgnv: I mean the RO office and my query was related to a generalised offer of help unrelated to my request, on another site. I have copied and pasted here..
'live in Newcastle upon Tyne, so could do photos, or investigate as required on Tyneside. The Newcstle RO will only deal with post and discourages visits for resarch.'
The famly history for Durham/Westmoreland may be a good source, but the problem is I am working on a hunch and need to clarify a lot of information that may relate to my search, but I cannot be sure. I do not feel I can ask someone to put in a lot of time on what may not be in any way be related to my family.
Yes I have checked the Durham Bishops transcripts
The era I am researching is 1871-1881
I have some newspaper reports that may or may not relate to my ancestor, one in particular really does fit later incidents in his life, when the British library opened it's site for a short period last year.
My problem is with searching for someone who uses a variety of variations of his name.
I have exhausted the internet. So for me, I believei it best, to visit the appropriate area and search out what I know is fact and work back from there. Hence my original request as to where it would be best to visit and find records for the places I have identified.
Darlington, Bishiops Auckland, Stockton, Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne.
So if anyone can give guidance on this I would be grateful. Thank you
Edit; Just thought our local RO office here is attatched to the Local Archive office and maybe where the confusion for me, lies in relation to Newcastle RO
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I assume you have tried Teesvalley Indexes-
www.middlesborough-indexes.co.uk they cover Stockton (post 1837)
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Thanks Elizabeth. I will have a look.
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My understanding is that one can't view the registers held by the registers office, just selected entries at 7 GBP a peek. One can usually view the local RO index, which may have different info cf the GRO index.
On the other hand, at the county records office (as most counties call their archives) everything is viewable (sometimes with a delay if it has to be pulled out of storage). Libraries in larger cities often have their own archives, which are especially useful for directories and newspapers.
Some sites to check:
http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/nrodocs
http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk/about.htm
http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/librarieslocalstudies?opendocument
http://www.durham.gov.uk/recordoffice/usp.nsf/pws/durham+record+office+-+durham+record+office+homepage
http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/leisure-and-culture/archives/
http://www.northeastbmd.org.uk/
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Thank you mgnv, yes I am used to the county records format. Erin... having viewed train/coach fares and travel times. (Coach takes as long as flying to Beijing... so I was exagerating re Australia) I might take your advice and see what they can find, it is complex because I am working in the dark. I may talk with them or the family history first to see if they can uncover anything...
Thank you all
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Hi,
I live in Co Durham, about 8 miles from Newcastle. If you want to search the records for Co Durham ie. Stockton/Bishop Auckland areas then you will have to go to the Durham Records Office. This is the address and contact numbers taken from their website
By Post
Durham County Record Office
County Hall
Durham
DH1 5UL
United Kingdom
By Telephone
+44 (0)191 3833253
By Fax
+44 (0)191 3834500
By Email
[email protected].
If you want to visit the above County Hall you have to make an appoinment with them, either by phone, email or in writing. If you go to their website you can search their catologue which tells you which records and which parishes they hold.
I've never been to the Durham Records Office though, as I do all of my searching in Newcastle. In Newcastle you can search either at the City Library or at the Tyne & Wear Archives Servive in Blandford Square. Problem is the library is being rebuilt at the moment and won't re-open until 7th June.
Blandford House is really good. You don't have to book an appointment, just turn up. If you visit their website you can also see in advance which records/parishes they hold. You must take 2 forms of identification with you to get a reader card and don't forget to take a pound for the locker where you must put your bag. A notebook, your notes and pencils are all you're allowed to take in, plus loose change if you want any photocopying done.
They hold records for Newcastle/Tyneside/Sunderland/Gateshead areas, plus most of Co Durham, including Stockton/Bishop Auckland/Darlington, so you'd probably have access to all areas you need there. The staff are really helpful and there's a cafe downstairs.
Hope this clarifies things for you Bubblebelle and if you come up I hope you find the info you're after.
Best Wishes, Hilary
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Thank you Hilary, that was just what I was looking for.
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