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Author Topic: Search charges in Record Offices/Family History Centres  (Read 208 times)
Keith Sherwood
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To be young is to be as one of the immortals
Search charges in Record Offices/Family History Centres
« on: Sunday 02 January 05 13:25 GMT (UK) »
Hi Everyone,
Hope life is beginning to return to normal after the usual surfeit of Christmas/ New Year calories.
My topic for digestion is the kind of experience people have had when asking for details of family history at County Record Offices or Local Studies Centres or Family History Centres.  The going rate for an archivist or someone working there to look things up varies hugely.  Sometimes, when phoning or e-mailing, my query has been looked up there and then and the answer given to me verbally or put in a replying e-mail, no charge at all.  Other times I am immediately quoted a (sometimes extremely high) search fee.
When visiting these repositories the cost of photcopying also varies enormously.  I haven't mentioned any specific examples yet, for this may indeed be a sensitive subject, or might have been discussed to death previously on this site.
What are your own experiences prior to 2005?
Very best wishes for the New Year,
Keith
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Boongie Pam
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Re: Search charges in Record Offices/Family History Centres
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 02 January 05 13:38 GMT (UK) »
The most I was quoted was £25 for a specific baptism with a known date.  I thanked them and questioned why so high and they dropped the price to £15 - no ta I'll try to visit.

Other's have been free by email, one in particular was above and beyond the call of duty as they looked up census as well.

Photocopying is usually either 20p or 15p, though printing from fiche is often 50p for A3 which I prefer as I am too vain to wear glasses  Cool

Pam
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All census look up transcriptions are Crown Copyright
~~~~~~~~~~~

Dumfrieshire: Fallen, Fallon, Carruthers, Scott, Farish, Aitchison, Green, Ryecroft, Thomson, Stewart
Midlothian: Linn/d, Aitken, Martin
North Wales: Robins(on), Hughes, Parry, Jones
Cumberland: Lowther, Young, Steward, Miller
Somerset: Palmer, Cork, Greedy, Clothier
Welsh Jen
Dyfal donc a dyr yr garreg!
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Re: Search charges in Record Offices/Family History Centres
« Reply #2 on: Monday 03 January 05 20:30 GMT (UK) »
During my regional family history society Christmas social evening I was told by a collegue that he had a nasty shock when ordering a marriage certificate and one birth certificate (all known dates) from Jersey. The bill came to £55!

He thought there was a mistake but no that was the charge!............He mentioned he wouldn't be purchasing certificates with them again!  Undecided Quite a nasty shock just before Christmas  Roll Eyes
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Keith Sherwood
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To be young is to be as one of the immortals
Re: Search charges in Record Offices/Family History Centres
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 12 January 05 00:00 GMT (UK) »
It's just that I sometimes get so frustrated when you send a cheque and the negative result to your hopeful search comes back, and it's almost as though you've done your dough and got absolutely nothing in return.  I know the archivists have to be paid for their time, but it's a pity there's not some kind of no-win-no-fee arrangement!  I recently blew £19 on a quick look-up at an Electoral Roll in a South London Borough record office, then today a damp squib with £10 spent on a search for a non-existent death notice in a local South-West county newspaper.
I know it's ALWAYS better if you can go yourself and visit and have a good root around - as I did today at Islington Local History Centre before I realised they closed for lunch between 1 and 2, then found the rain pouring down outside. (But I did find all sorts of exciting new bits of info before that, completely free)
I understand all the reasons for these charges, I'm just having a good old moan, that's all...Anyone else for a late-night moan, too?
Keith
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