Genealogy Chat

I have spent hours searching for 2 marriages at various record offices and convinced myself that they just were'nt registered....or maybe I wasn't as thorough as I thought. I have been reluctant to subscribe to 1837 online because my time frame was over 12 years, but I can now narrow it down to about 3 years. Have any of you found a marriage using 1837 online that you couldn't find searching the fiche records? advice appreciated Sue Surrey

I spent 3 hours a couple of weeks ago looking through fiches, couldn't find what i was looking for, came home and spent about 60p and got the birth i was looking for, 3 hours versus 60p i know which one i'd choose. Hope this helps 1837 is as excellent site. April.

I found a marriage on 1837online that I couldn't find on FreeBMD or Ancestry. As I don't live anywhere near the area that the marriage would have been registered a manual search wasn't a possibility. I now have the certificate, so for me it was definitely worthwhile (and a lot cheaper than a trip to London). Sandra Lancs

Have found 1837 online great as I cannot always get to library and spend hours going through filches and of course you can save images incase further checks on them necessary

Hi Susan, I use 1837 a lot, if the surname you are looking for is unusual like Dipple which I am tracing 1837 is easy. It costs 10p to look at 3 months, so one year would only cost 40p. I have found lots of Dipples that I was'nt looking for, also I am tracing the surname Ding which sometimes comes on the same page as Dipple so I get 2 for the price of 1! Maggie

I have used 1837 a lot and have had a lot of success,word of warning,make a note of what you searched for and the pages as it is very easy to duplicate things especially if you have a lot of names to look for.

It gets cheaper the more units you but. I paid the £60.00 I think it was and got about 800 credits. They have come in really helpful and it works out a lot chepaer than getting to libraries or archives, buying in bulk you get 12 months to use them up. Stephen

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I will take the plunge! Sue Surrey

No, my university computers won't let me download the viewer, Probably a good thing - it's a distraction from my dissertation! My only quibble is that surname searches only use the first three letters. One of my branches is 'Thomas' and I am driven to despair by the amount it would cost. Why can I not be descended from people with surnames beginning with 'X'?

It's definitely more convenient to sit at home and search 1837 online. I have learnt to do this in small doses and be reasonably sure of near dates, as prolonged contact with those lists brings on crossed eyes. I recently did a fifteen year search, and didn't find what I wanted, although I know it's there, probably because I skimmed faster and faster. An hour at a time max. I think!

I agree with April, having found a marriage there that wasn't on the IGI or on Free BMD.

Hi Susan, I use 1837 online quite a lot as I live abroard now and can`t get to the regestry offices. I must say I`ve found quite a few births and marriages which makes it cheaper for me when ordering the certs. from London. Some relations are easier than others but in combination with some of the other good web sites I find the 1837 online very useful. good luck in your research, Julie

I also use the 1837 site as I live in Austria but I my family all come from Lancashire in the UK so.... going to the record centres is out of the question. It is a great help but it is easier if you have a rough idea when the event occurred. I agree that you shouldn't search the site for too long at once as you start skenning - and then you might miss what it is you are looking for and it could set you back weeks when it was there all the time but your eyes were too strained to see it. When you use this site, always remember to check the bottom of the pages as missed entries are written on the bottom of the columns. Also, each page that you view then shows up as red - if you want to go back into these pages IN THE SAME SESSION you are not charged for it. What I do is check a few sheets - and then go back and double check to make sure I have not gone too fast and missed what I am looking for. It's a great site though and I don't think the charges are too bad - 55 sheets for 5.00 GBP. Good luck with your searching!!

I also have used 1837 quite a lot. I took advantage of one of their special prices, paid £25 for about 350 units. One thing that I always do is print out the pages as I view them. Means that I have lots of pages, even printed on both sides, but means that I avoid paying for the same page twice! Maggy, West Yorkshire

You can also save the pages you look at, much like a census image, so you can save paper! Although not hard disk space!!

Simon, think that "him indoors" would rather I waste the paper than precious space! (Not that he gets on HIS computer much these days)!! Maggy

I GOT THE 1837 ONLINE JUST YESTURDAY AND WISHED I HAD GOT IT BEFORE, IN NO TIME AT ALL I FOUND OUT MY GRANDMOTHERS MAIDEN NAME AND THEIR MARRIAGE CERT,IT SAVES LOADS OF TIME , I THINK ITS GREAT.

Fairly new to hunting rellies, very little success so far- 1837 sounds like Aladdin's cave! But... does it cover Ireland? And Scotland?A grandmother born in Scotland has death & marriage certs- but no evidence of birth, not even of baptism, haviing asked at the church she was married in. There's possible record of her parents, thanks to a kind GC contributor, but looks like grandma was conjured out of thin air! So, 119937 may be the next step forward. happy hunting, Mary

Mary, not sure but I think that 1837online only has records for England and Wales. Maggy

Yes ...i have to agree..1837 is great.. Just wonder when folks outside the UK will be able to order On Line too?? Kate from Oz