Genealogy Chat

Roger Is the critical bit 'the registers IN USE'? Although I have never attempted to get any information from a current Register, my gut feeling is that we SHOULDN'T be allowed to search through current registers. And I have never needed to insist that I see a historic register, because the local Registrar has always been very helpful, brought the book out and gone through it in front of me when there has been some sort of query. The thought of hordes of researchers - some of whom have mental health problems, lol - thumbing through old registers horrifies me really. After all, researchers are not above stealing fiche etc, how long before a page gets torn out of a register, or someone gets to work with a black biro? OC

More good news. I have just received a reply from the Registrar General (Karen Dunnell) via my M.P. Mary Creagh. I had asked on what authority the Registrar General had removed the public's access to registers in the keeping of registrars. 'Contrary to Mr Etchells' claim the right of the public to search the registers in use by a register as set out in sections 32 and 62 of the relevant Registration Acts has not been taken away.' In other words Registrars do not have the right to stop the public search any register (with the exception of the still-birth register) in their keeping. Any registrar that blocks access to any register in their keeping is acting unlawfully. It should also be noted that the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Fees) Order 1968, removed the right of registrars to charge the public a fee to search any register in their keeping. This iscwhat I saw on a British forum site in the last 3 months, so if the registrar general says it who is right. Roger

Roger How do you know they are breaking the law in not letting you look at the original records ? Not that I would like to cross them at the records office - I'm just interested to know Angie

Roger That is interesting. I have always been told that it is illegal for the Registrar to let anyone other than a Registrar see the original records. I have been allowed to look on a very, very few occasions, and always with the sense that we were doing something wrong. OC

LSD records are good if you follow a few basic rules and these apply to any site including Ancestry Findmypast and even County Coouncil records etc as they all copy records ... 1 check the records for yourself 2 by the original Records if possible 3 don't ever take anything as gospel - pardon the pun. and remember you can ask registrars to see original copies if they say you cannot they are the ones breaking the law, you can. Roger

Sylvia, LDS = the Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons), they run the familysearch internet site.

After following the wrong track due to a mis transcribed place name I alway's check on the Parish Records,i never trust the LDS info although it is a good tool to go by at first.

Thanks all, you all appear to have the same view, which was similar to mine, Treat submitted records with a health warning and probably treat the LDs extracted records with the 80/20 rule Thanks again Kevin

Even the extraced records have errors. I have an ancestor that is listed as Sarah Bonnes although when I checked the actual parish record at the Archives, it should be Sarah Bourne. Sam x

Kevin Agree with Reg here - extracted records still need checking, not least for the fact that there may be additional information on the origial record which the IGI have not transcribed. I have seen many errors on the IGI - some barely matter, others do matter, such as missing entries entirely, transposing names etc - and on one occasion, deliberately tampering with the truth! OC

Kevin, You are quite right: the information extracted from parish registers is generally accurate but still needs to be verified whereas the submissions in my experience seem to be total fantasies. I have spent many fruitless hours in libraries trying to verify such submissions. I don't know why people make up such nonsense. Peter

Extracted records tend to be more reliable, but, as with any info handed from person to person, errors can be made........ Reg

Hi This question has probably been asked several hundred times before, but, I've found a lot of info for my tree from the LDS site, now I can understand if the info has been submitted to LDSfrom someone, then the info should be treated only as a guide. However were LDS state 'Extracted birth/christening record ...........' and give details of film no. etc. etc. can this be taken as 'gospel' (pardon the pun) inasmuch as the info is a direct reflection of the parish register etc. Your thoughts/experiences would be appreciated Thanks Kevin