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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Berkshire => Topic started by: david64 on Friday 13 May 16 10:43 BST (UK)
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Does anyone know if there are any plans to digitalise the parish registers of Berkshire?
Last year I found I had a vein of Berkshire ancestry via India, but as the records are not online, the visit to London to find the Berkshire link has not lead to anything new.
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I believe "findmypast" was successful in getting that contract but have been very slow in delivering
Kim
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FindMyPast have some transcriptions on line
https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/new-berkshire-parish-records-on-findmypastcouk-1406245436.html
http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/berkshire-baptisms
http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/berkshire-marriages
http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/berkshire-burial-index
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I believe "findmypast" was successful in getting that contract but have been very slow in delivering
Kim
Interesting as I'd been told previously that it was unlikely this would happen because the current Archivist, and his predecessor, had no intention of doing this and were only happy to work with the Family History Society in allowing transcriptions to be sold. :-\ That came from a reliable source but perhaps as the FHS are so slow at doing this (admittedly from lack of volunteers) the Archivist has had a change of heart on the subject. I hope it does happen as have three separate lines in the county and only really made any headway on the north Berkshire line of which OFHS have transcribed the registers.
The transcripts on FindMyPast are from Berskhire FHS.
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The majority of Berks PRs are online - either at findmypast or familysearch. Of course there will be gaps, some of them notable, but there is a lot out there already.
Oxfordshire were certainly ahead of the game in transcribing, mainly because the Diocese wouldn't allow the Mormons to film their registers (I've never worked out how they managed to film the Berks registers since its the same diocese) and hence transcription was the only way to get the information out there.
Berks FHS have transcribed all of the burial registers in the BRO and some others - so coverage is close to 100% on the CD they sell (not sure how much of that is on FindMyPast).
They are working through marriages - covverage is looking to be pretty comprehensive on the latest CD.
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The majority of Berks PRs are online - either at findmypast or familysearch. Of course there will be gaps, some of them notable, but there is a lot out there already.
Only as transcripts and as David was asking about digitisation, I would imagine he was talking about the originals. Its always preferable to see the originals anyway. There are far too many chances for errors in transcripts which if you can't check against the originals could mean following a completely incorrect line
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Only as transcripts and as David was asking about digitisation, I would imagine he was talking about the originals. Its always preferable to see the originals anyway. There are far too many chances for errors in transcripts which if you can't check against the originals could mean following a completely incorrect line
Yes, but David also referred to the Oxfordshire FHS transcripts.
Last I heard (a few years back) the Diocese is still against its PRs being filmed and published (they are happy for ROs to fim them for internal use), and this now includes Berkshire. The three Archivists (Berks, Oxon and Bucks) have made efforts in the past to resolve this issue but, evidently it hasn't happened yet.
One reason why the BRO work with the FHS is that they trust the FHS to do as good a job as practical on the transcriptions - they recognise the problems with poor transcription. They will work with anyone who can demonstrate that their transcription process is rigorous and accurate (eg. The Eureka Partnership who publish several transcripts of non-conformist and other registers from Berks).
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The majority of Berks PRs are online - either at findmypast or familysearch. Of course there will be gaps, some of them notable, but there is a lot out there already.
Oxfordshire were certainly ahead of the game in transcribing, mainly because the Diocese wouldn't allow the Mormons to film their registers (I've never worked out how they managed to film the Berks registers since its the same diocese) and hence transcription was the only way to get the information out there.
Berks FHS have transcribed all of the burial registers in the BRO and some others - so coverage is close to 100% on the CD they sell (not sure how much of that is on FindMyPast).
They are working through marriages - covverage is looking to be pretty comprehensive on the latest CD.
I've only found a very few Berkshire burials for my family on FindMyPast and not well transcribed - my grandfather is transcribed as Helen - his name was Heber!
Looking at coverage of the new CD for Berkshire baptisms, it seems to have less than Familysearch for some parishes. Its coverage of West Challow St lawrence is only from 1607 - 1638 ( 45 baptisms). Familysearch has baptisms up to 1812. How would FS get this information, which it seems the FHS doesn't have?
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Does anyone know if there are any plans to digitalise the parish registers of Berkshire?
I'd like to know too, so I've emailed the Reading Records Office and asked. Will let you know what response I get.
I know that OFHS have done some transcriptions, of parts of Berkshire which are now in Oxon, but there's nothing quite like being able to view the image of the actual register, is there?
STG
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Last I heard (a few years back) the Diocese is still against its PRs being filmed and published (they are happy for ROs to fim them for internal use), and this now includes Berkshire. The three Archivists (Berks, Oxon and Bucks) have made efforts in the past to resolve this issue but, evidently it hasn't happened yet.
From what I've been told it isn't so much the Diocese that is against digitisation but the decision was left to the Diocesan Archivisit. The Diocesan Archivist being Berkshire Records Office's Archivist (as it is the Diocesan Record Office) and it is he who is against digitisation (as was his predecessor when he was the deputy). Now this came from a reliable source so I don't have any reason to doubt it.
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Oxfordshire were certainly ahead of the game in transcribing, mainly because the Diocese wouldn't allow the Mormons to film their registers (I've never worked out how they managed to film the Berks registers since its the same diocese) and hence transcription was the only way to get the information out there.
Apparently the Mormons turned up in Berkshire many years ago and persuaded some CofE parishes to let them film their PRs. When the then Bishop of Oxford found out, he was not best pleased (!) and all of his clergy were instructed not to allow any further access. This has royally messed things up for researchers who can't get to the Oxfordshire History Centre where PRs are deposited.
OFHS transcripts are available to buy on CD but, as has been said, we really need to see the original images. Evidently times have changed, as OFHS have signed a contract with Ancestry who are supposed to be putting the PR images online. When this might happen is anybody's guess - Ancestry have had the OFHS scans for over a year (18 months? 2 years?) but they refuse to discuss timescales.
Unfortunately, even if Ancestry 'release' the images tomorrow, they won't help Berkshire researchers because the former North Berkshire parishes that are now in Oxfordshire (Vale of White Horse district) aren't included - because their PRs were deposited in Reading and OFHS can't scan them! So it's a visit to Reading for those who can, and CDs of transcripts for those who can't ::)
This is probably not what anyone wanted to hear, but it's the situation as I understand it.
Carol
P.S. Some North Berkshire BTs are held at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre in Chippenham. They're extremely helpful.
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I've only found a very few Berkshire burials for my family on FindMyPast and not well transcribed - my grandfather is transcribed as Helen - his name was Heber!
Looking at coverage of the new CD for Berkshire baptisms, it seems to have less than Familysearch for some parishes. Its coverage of West Challow St lawrence is only from 1607 - 1638 ( 45 baptisms). Familysearch has baptisms up to 1812. How would FS get this information, which it seems the FHS doesn't have?
No transcription is perfect - at least two people agreed that Heber was Helen!
FS filmed the PRs - which are all available to the FHS - it just takes time to transcribe and check the transcriptions.
The Baptism CD is the latest of the Berks PR projects - and Oxfordshire parishes like West Challow will be low on the priority list (you can always buy a transcript from OFHS), but the coverage will improve over time. Ultimately everything the BRO has will be transcribed.
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OFHS transcripts are available to buy on CD but, as has been said, we really need to see the original images. Evidently times have changed, as OFHS have signed a contract with Ancestry who are supposed to be putting the PR images online. When this might happen is anybody's guess - Ancestry have had the OFHS scans for over a year (18 months? 2 years?) but they refuse to discuss timescales.
From what I have read the OFHS contract with Ancestry was only signed last Summer so they haven't had the images for 18-24 months, less than 12 months. I've also seen on the grapevine (via the preview pages for OFHS's current journal on their website) that they may well be making an appearance around October time, but we shall have to wait and see.
But, as has already been said, these don't include the former north Berkshire parishes.
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From what I have read the OFHS contract with Ancestry was only signed last Summer so they haven't had the images for 18-24 months, less than 12 months. I've also seen on the grapevine (via the preview pages for OFHS's current journal on their website) that they may well be making an appearance around October time, but we shall have to wait and see.
I'm a member of OFHS and therefore receive their journal which is dated April, August, and December but is usually distributed earlier. The August 2015 edition mentions the Ancestry contract and has a photo of the (then) chairman and the secretary signing the document.
The April 2015 edition states that the deadline for the August issue would be 15 May 2015. I think it's reasonable to assume that the signing took place some time before that date, although as far as I'm aware we haven't been told exactly when it was. It could have been months earlier as the process was 'under wraps' while the details were being sorted out, and that's why I put the longer periods in brackets with question marks. I should have cited my sources!
As I'm away from home I haven't seen the April 2016 edition yet, so thank you for pointing me to the OFHS website. There's also a related thread on the Oxfordshire board where Wendy of OFHS has today mentioned a possible release in October.
Regards,
Carol
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I've just had a reply from the Berkshire Records Office, and it's every bit as bad as I feared :'(
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Thank you for your email.
There are no plans to digitise Berkshire Parish Records. The Berkshire Family History Society (www.berksfhs.org.uk) has published transcripts of many, though I appreciate that this is not the same as looking at originals.
I am sorry not to be of more help.
Yours sincerely
Jeremy Taylor
Archivist
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STG (going off into a corner to sob :'( :'( :'( )
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Thanks STG, doesn't surprise me unfortunately. Until the Archivist has a change of heart, I doubt anything will happen. :-\
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Find My past is now promising the parish records for 6 counties within the next 6 months. They have started with Wiltshire - however, these are only transcriptions: not digital images of the original registers.
Berkshire is supposed to be one of the remaining five counties, making me mildly excited at the prospect. Contrary to previous posts on this thread, there are quite a few gaps in online coverage I've discovered over the past several years.
FindMyPast already have transcriptions of the Berks FHS burials and marriages CDs - the former being all but complete: the latter not quite. Their baptism CD has only just started to scratch the surface and a lot of the entries are very 'modern'.
So, I'm hoping that this means FindMyPast's contribution will be digitalised images. However, I'm wondering - why the seismic shift? I thought the Berkshire archivists were deeply entrenched in their refusal to make the PRs available online?
Am I hoping for too much here? Can anyone enlighten me?
Jill
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It wouldn't surprise me if they were just more of the Berkshire FHS transcripts rather than digitised images. The Wiltshire PRs released last Friday were only transcripts and the press release mentions Warwickshire and Somerset too, the originals of which are on Ancestry so again are most likely FHS transcripts.
Now I hope I'm wrong but I definitely wouldn't get up too much hope for copies of the originals, especially in light of the attitude of the RO Archivist to digitising records. I hope he's changed his mind but we'll just have to be patient and wait and see, unless someone has some insider information. I agree though that Berkshire FHS coverage is very patchy even now, although I believe they have released some more recently.
That said, if the Buckinghamshire PRs mentioned in the same press release were from the FHS (rather than the Buckinghamshire Genealogical Society), then I'd be happy with those (would prefer of course images of the originals) as they have pretty much transcribed the whole county.
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Like you, I remain sceptical - but hopeful! The Berkshire archivist retired recently (2015/16) so I was hopeful that his successor may have had a different slant on things.
If only they'd realise that many people (like me) have Berkshire ancestors but don't live anywhere near their Archives office - and their research service is very expensive. I've used it twice and both times without any success to show for it. (I know, not necessarily their fault).
How I'd dearly love to see those digitised originals!
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I may be wrong but I believe when the BRO Archivist who retired he was replaced by his long term deputy who held the same view as him on the digitisation of their records. :-\
That said, he could have changed his mind but I'd be very surprised personally from what I've heard in recent years. Perhaps the Diocese have said they'd like them digitised. ;D Well we can live in hope. Sadly I suspect the big FindMyPast fanfare will turn out to be only more transcripts. :-X Although I'll be very happy to be proven wrong.
I have three separate direct lines who originated from Berkshire, and possibly a fourth, and live no where near Reading so I'm in the same situation. Its a bit too far and expensive for a day trip and, unlike other Record Offices, BRO apparently charge per photograph for a self photography permit rather than the usual daily charge. Would make things very expensive as I'd really like to get copies of a number of Wills aside from viewing the original registers. ::)
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I did follow up the reply I got from the Archivist back in May 2016 with ...
> There are no plans to digitise Berkshire parish records.
Not even, "there are no plans at the moment but we haven't set a timetable", just a straight "no plans".
Such a disappointing response.
To which he replied ....
Thank you for your reply. Berkshire parish records may well be digitised one day, but not in the foreseeable future. Sufficient demand, a provider, and the agreement of the church authorities would be needed. Berkshire’s relatively small population in the past does not make digitisation commercially attractive to potential providers.
I am sorry to disappoint you.
And I countered with ...
Disappointed indeed.
> Sufficient demand ....
How much is "sufficient", please?
And his reply dated 20 Jun 2016 was ....
I am afraid that the question of sufficient demand is very difficult for us to answer. I think you would have to contact the online providers and ask.
I am sure that at some point, someone will be interested in digitising our parish registers. All we can say for certain at the moment is that no proposal has been made.
I am sorry if this is disappointing.
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At that point I gave up :'(
STG
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Doesn't sound too hopeful, does it?
However, on the positive side (I'm trying! ;D), that was nearly a year ago and he seemed to make a thing of the 'supply and demand' angle, so perhaps FindMyPast have made him an offer he couldn't refuse.... and made it 'commercially attractive'! Who knows? :-\
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That is disappointing.
I have so many brickwalls with my Berkshire ancestors, I have almost given up researching them.
On the other hand, it leaves me more time for researching OH's - his lot came from Essex. It's a pity more counties didn't do the same as the ERO. A year's sub for SEAX is a bit pricey, but I'm finding it's worth it for the bmd records and several wills I have found already. Also the ERO staff are very helpful and respond very quickly by email if I have a query.
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The CDs produced by the BFHS are very good, and I like that we can buy individual parishes rather than expensive bundles of several parishes.
However the Berkshire Marriages CD in many cases omits the names of witnesses, even in the section where they claim full details are given. I have checked a few marriages of which I have had sight of the full entries and noted the names of witnesses, but no witnesses appear on the CD.
This is hugely disappointing, as we all know that witnesses can be valuable clues. I do hope they will be added to later editions. In the meantime I feel it should be made clearer that witnesses are not included for every parish featured.
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A report on the WDYTYA Magazine website suggests that the other five counties mentioned by FindMyPast will only add to existing collections, suggesting that it will be transcripts only. See http://www.rootschat.com/links/01jx0/. Family History Societies for Warwickshire, Berkshire and Somerset definitely already have data on the site. I'm not aware of any for Buckinghamshire but may just have missed it. It could of course be just how they've worded it and others may not agree with my interpretation, but unfortunately I suspect this may be the case but only time will tell.
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I have a couple who I suspect married in Berkshire but I don't know where. They baptised a string of children in Steventon but were not married there. The husband was not baptised in Steventon, I don't know about the wife as I don't know her maiden name. I have checked the Oxfordshire records on Ancestry and no sign of a marriage there, but a tentative baptism for the husband in Bampton, Oxon (right name / likely time frame - nothing more concrete than that). It would be very costly to buy CDs for a large number of parishes just on the off chance that I found them, whereas searching an on-line index and downloading a record (assuming I found them) for a couple of pounds worth of credits would be much better value.
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Couldn't agree more, LizzieL - its that flexibility that I'm hoping will locate quite a few missing marriages and baptisms for me in Berks and Bucks.
I agree that the CDs produced by Berks FHS are good ( and a darn sight more than most FHSs come up with) but there's nothing like seeing the originals especially to make sure you've got all information available, as Sloe Gin says. They've just updated their burial and baptism CDs but most of the new stuff is for more recent years and the parishes I'm interested in are not included.
I have bought individual parish CDs from them as well but they do seem to have slowed down in issuing them, presumably because of lack of volunteers. Unfortunately, I've enquired and most volunteer work needs to be done in situ.
As for Bucks FHS - no, Smudwisk, I agree - I think the only Bucks items on FindMyPast are marriage transcriptions and I'm pretty sure these were commercially available rather than supplied by the FHS. Bucks name searches are brilliant - and reasonably priced - and they've issued CDs for a few of the parishes in South Bucks where my branches mostly came from: Hambleden, Little Marlow, Eton. I snap these up as soon as they're issued but the production of these also seems to have slowed down somewhat. Volunteer shortages again, perhaps.
I'm not in any way having a go at the FHSs -both Berks and Bucks FHSs are great. I'm way up here in sunny but chilly Yorkshire, so little chance of getting to their respective Archives and, anyway, I've found from visiting my own local Archives that, however much you prepare before going, there's always something you forget, leave behind etc and have to go back again! I couldn't do that on a special journey to Berks or Bucks!!
No doubt we'll find out on the first Friday in May (assuming their 'once a month' follows a pattern) whether the next PRs to be released are originals or transcriptions, and I think that may establish the way of it.
Jill
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I have No doubt we'll find out on the first Friday in May (assuming their 'once a month' follows a pattern) whether the next PRs to be released are originals or transcriptions, and I think that may establish the way of it.
Jill
Somerset and Warwickshire will be transcripts because the originals are already available on Ancestry. Somerset were only released last year. If the remainder are too it does make you wonder why FindMyPast are trumpeting them so much as they know well enough that people want to see the originals by preference. The Genealogist are the same, they have announced they've uploaded Durham but as far as I can see they aren't the originals so why all the fanfare. Yes transcripts are useful but nothing like seeing the originals because mistakes in transcripts aren't that uncommon. I meant to go and ask at WDYTYA Live last week whether they were only transcripts but forgot.
Sadly, in light of the absolute mess FindMyPast made of Hertfordshire, I don't hold out much hope any of their original register collections will be complete anyway. I know Ancestry are as bad but FindMyPast do like to blow their own trumpet rather and then fall flat when its looked into. And yes I've criticised Ancestry enough, there is still 40 years missing from Enfield St Andrew, which has been missing since the collection was launched some years back.
Anyway, only time will tell, I just think everyone need to not get their hopes up too much as I suspect we'll be disappointed, although in the case of Bucks and Berks I'm happy to be proven wrong.
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Anyway, only time will tell, I just think everyone need to not get their hopes up too much as I suspect we'll be disappointed, although in the case of Bucks and Berks I'm happy to be proven wrong.
That's just it, smudwhisk! You can't help but get your hopes up. I'm already making a mental list of my outstanding brickwalls in Berkshire!! ::)
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Quote from LizzieL:
I've only found a very few Berkshire burials for my family on FindMyPast and not well transcribed - my grandfather is transcribed as Helen - his name was Heber!
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I've only ever encountered the name Heber once: in my medical records from Royal Hants County Hospital in relation to the eminent Orthopaedic Surgeon LANGSTON.
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Well, that's confused me! FindMyPast have delivered Kent PRs today - they weren't one of the 6 counties mentioned in the original article/press release, were they? (Can't find the blessed thing now to check).
These Kent ones are 'only' transcriptions, so it does not bode very well for the rest. What's that saying? Something about hope triumphing over experience? Clinging on by my finger nails.... ;D
Jill
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LizzieL -
I have a couple who I suspect married in Berkshire but I don't know where. They baptised a string of children in Steventon but were not married there. The husband was not baptised in Steventon, I don't know about the wife as I don't know her maiden name. I have checked the Oxfordshire records on Ancestry and no sign of a marriage there, but a tentative baptism for the husband in Bampton, Oxon (right name / likely time frame - nothing more concrete than that). It would be very costly to buy CDs for a large number of parishes just on the off chance that I found them, whereas searching an on-line index and downloading a record (assuming I found them) for a couple of pounds worth of credits would be much better value.
If there's a likelihood they were married in either Oxfordshire or old North Berkshire, which is covered by Oxfordshire FHS, may I recommend the Oxfordshire FHS's Search Services? Only £1.50 for a lookup in our databases! See Surname Search Services on the left at www.ofhs.org.uk
Wendy
OFHS Helpdesk
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BTW, The archivist is also charging 10 pounds for each digital image of a document, making any remote use of the archives impossible.
The problem with the archivist is larger than just his opposition to making the parish registers available for research.
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Thank you for your reply. Berkshire parish records may well be digitised one day, but not in the foreseeable future. Sufficient demand, a provider, and the agreement of the church authorities would be needed. Berkshire’s relatively small population in the past does not make digitisation commercially attractive to potential providers.
I am sorry to disappoint you.
This is nonsense. The LDS would be willing to go in and make copies without charging anyone. I am willing to personally hire someone to take images and place entire parishes online and make them available for free, but there is no way I could obtain permission to do so.
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Find My past is now promising the parish records for 6 counties within the next 6 months. They have started with Wiltshire - however, these are only transcriptions: not digital images of the original registers.
Jill
As it is, I'm starting to think the original promise was a typo and it should have read "6 counties within 6 years"! Every Friday I check the site only to be disappointed.
I agree with Brad about Berkshire Archives prices. Steeper than other Archives by a long way. I don't know what they're charging for research these days but the last time I used them (some years ago now) it was pretty high as well. I also got the impression that it wasn't so much 'research' they were offering but merely a list of anything that resembled the names you had submitted. Perhaps I'm being harsh and they really couldn't find what I was looking for!
I still say the Berks Archivist will cave if he gets an offer he can't refuse!! That's how I translate:
I am afraid that the question of sufficient demand is very difficult for us to answer. I think you would have to contact the online providers and ask.
I am sure that at some point, someone will be interested in digitising our parish registers. All we can say for certain at the moment is that no proposal has been made.
Cynical, moi? ::)
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Findmypast website indicates Berkshire parish records will be available online in 2017.
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You may be interested...
A couple of days ago I emailed FindMyPast to inquire about the Berkshire records they'd promised back in April as part of this 6 counties in 6 months thing. I basically got fed up waiting and waiting, even though we'd collectively come to the conclusion that they'd probably be a disappointment when they did appear.
To be fair to FM, their reply was very quick:
"Unfortunately, we are unable to offer any specific date for release of these records at the moment. The records are from an external source and although our customer’s interest is very important to us, we do have to consider the external resource and their wishes also.
However, once we do have dates for release, we will send out a newsletter to our customers advising them of the latest, exciting developments".
I know it doesn't tell us much, time-wise, but I did wonder about the 'external source' and their 'wishes'! Berks FHS or Berks Archives?
Jill
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Sadly I see from the FindMyPast blog released this evening that they are, not exactly unexpectedly, only transcripts. So the wait for the originals to ever get digitised on one of the commercial sites continues. :-\
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Unless I'm mistaken, these are just transcriptions of the CDs already available fronm Berks FHS, which most researchers (like me) with serious Berkshire ancestry will probably already have bought.
I have checked on FindMyPast for parishes missing from the FHS Baptisms CD which really only contains baptisms from previously released parish CDs and other parishes only from about 1813. This is why I didn't bother upgrading my Baptisms CD when the updates came out a while ago.
I shall have to take a closer look but that is my immediate conclusion.
Disappointing, but - sadly - predictable.
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I was at the local LDS FHC today to continue going through a Scottish graveyard, but there was also one marriage in Shrivenham that I wanted to look up. I thought I'd seen a little camera next to the Shrivenham parish records which meant that I could see them at a FHC. I had, but 1871 isn't included. It has been microfiched though, so next time I'm in Salt Lake City....
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I thought I'd seen a little camera next to the Shrivenham parish records which meant that I could see them at a FHC. I had, but 1871 isn't included. It has been microfiched though, so next time I'm in Salt Lake City....
Hurworth, the later PRs have actually been digitised as they have DGS numbers but they've for some reason not been made accessible. There have been a number of digitised microfilms like this in the catalogue for some time. Some were made accessible I think at the end of February but still waiting for the rest to be resolved. As there are copies of those films at several other FHCs or affiliate libraries, there can't be a access reason for them being unavailable or the microfilm copies would have had to be removed I would have thought. May be worth a message to Familysearch support asking why they aren't available even though there are DGS numbers, but if you do please mention the fact there are copies at other FHCs as their standard reply seems to be "restricted access for contractual reasons" which in this case I don't think applies. Somebody has messed up by the looks of it when they've uploaded the images and not made them accessible. Hopefully the rest will be fixed sometime but when remains to be seen. I know some of the FHCs have been enquiring about this but not getting an answer.
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Thanks smudwhisk.
The only reason I know the date and place of their marriage is because it comes up on England Marriages GS Film number 1041798. Is it reasonable to assume they married in the church at Shrivenham?
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1041798 is definitely showing in the Catalogue as Shrivenham. Who and when is the marriage? I could check the OFHS transcripts for you to confirm.
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Thanks smudwhisk for your kind offer.
The happy couple were Thomas Thrupp and Mary Wiltshire who married on 20 August 1871.
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Hi,
In the Shrivenham transcripts from the OxfordshireFHS is this marriage;
20-8-1871 Thomas Thrupp (x), 30, (widr), Labr, s/o John, Labourer to
Mary Wiltshire, (x), 26, sp, Servant, Shrivenham d/o Thomas, Labourer
wits; William Mattingley (x), Harriet Wilson.
(x) = signed with their mark
I couldn't find any bapt. or burials entries for either.
Alan
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Thanks very much ribbo. That's very helpful.
His details (son of John, occ labourer) match the man I'm looking for who lived in Great Coxall, and now with a first name for Mary's father I might be able to find her before her marriage too.
If I have the correct couple I believe they emigrated soon after the marriage.
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Hi hurworth,
I think we are getting away from the heading and suggest you may like to start a new thread.
In the meantime there are a few entries that you may be interested in (all Gt.Coxwell, Berks);
13-12-1840 Thomas Thrupp bapt. (s/o John & Mary)
19-11-1864 Thomas Thrupp, fa, bach, labr, (s/o John, Labr) to
Elizabeth Woodward, fa, sp, (d/o Darius, labr.)
5-5-1868 Elizabeth Thrupp bur. aged 37, of Gt.Coxwell.
28-10-1829 John Thrupp married Mary Robey
Hope these help.
Alan
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Hi hurworth,
I think we are getting away from the heading and suggest you may like to start a new thread.
ribbo, hurworth had posted about the fact that some of Familysearch's microfilms for Berkshire are available to view at FHCs which may be of interest to other RCers. I offered to check that the marriage he was interested in was definitely in Shrivenham, you pipped me to it. From reading the reply, hurworth I believe was just giving context to your response rather than asking for information from Great Coxwell.
My suggestion to hurworth about contacting Familysearch to see if we can get the digitised PR made available still stands though. If more than one of us does this, perhaps they'll fix the problem sooner than later as I believe its an issue rather than restricted access for those registers as copies are held at places other than the SLC Library.
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I wanted to look at a Newbury PR while I was last at Kew - but it was not available via the normal LDS system. I enquired and one of their volunteers was able to call the film up on screen for me to look through - apparently it was not on the main system because it had not yet been indexed.
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Interesting NC, did it have a DGS number against it in the catalogue but with no camera icon?
If that was the case, it seems some of the "staff" know how to access the films in different ways. Mind you I think the volunteers at the FHC I go to aren't popular with the powers above as they have been trying to find out what is happening with those that have DGS numbers but aren't accessible, and now are getting ignored when they ask. These are church members too. :-\
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david64 needs to be re-read. So many of my contacts bemoan the lack of basic records of Berkshire on line. Australia is particularly vociferous. Is it the loss of revenue which prevents this leap forward? Surely it is because one has found something interesting in parish records that one makes the effort to visit the BRO and discover more. The major on line providers would be very supportive and regular income would follow. Please think again BRO. Toby.
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It seems FindMyPast have finally added some Berkshire records:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/berkshire-releases
But turns out they are indexes, apparently added to their current records from Berkshire FHS.
Not apparent where these records have come from.
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These will be taken from the CDs produced and sold by Berkshire FHS. Ongoing compilations of transcriptions that have been in progress for some years. Berkshire Burials was the first to be tackled and is the nearest to completion. Baptisms is the most recent and is still quite sparse.
The CDs do include full transcriptions of the PR entries (or should do - I know of one parish where marriage witnesses are omitted because an old transcription was used. This will be amended in time.)
It's all done by volunteers so for obvious reasons there hasn't been much progress during the pandemic. They are prioritising parishes in present-day Berks as the Old North Berks parishes are also covered by Oxfordshire FHS.
https://berksfhs.org/berkshire-burials-12th-edition-cd/
https://berksfhs.org/berkshire-marriages-4th-edition-cd/
https://berksfhs.org/berkshire-baptisms-3rd-edition/
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Disappointing that these are transcriptions and not up to the standard of Wiltshire on Ancestry where original pages can be seen.
The first go I had showed 2 entries for the same marriage with the bride's surname being spelt in 2 different ways - not good enough!
T
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They haven't added 2.1 million records this week.
That number is what the headline says is "now available". For context, the Berks FHS burials make up about 800,000 of that.
There is some new stuff, shown with a FindMyPast copyright. The given source is "Berkshire Archives" (who they?), but they do include Berks Record Office references. There are also bishop transcripts from "Berkshire Archives" (and here's me thinking they are at Wiltshire & Swindon Archives).
There is new stuff. On just a quick look I found baptisms for Enborne, Shaw, Speen and Greenham which are not in Berks FHS 3rd edition (I'm a Newburian!). And I've found some extra details (witnesses, parish of residence) on marriages I know of, which don't appear in some of the older Berks FHS transcriptions.
I wonder if these updated transcripts come from a collaboration with FamilySearch? No doubt all will be revealed in due course.
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Toby - re your different spellings.
Is one a parish register entry, and the other the bishop's transcript?
I came across a case which had the same date and bride - but the BT had a different groom!
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I have given myself a firm rap on the knuckles!
I relied on looking under "All Record Sets" and the listed number of entries for combined baptisms, marriages and burials comes to 1,550,746.
However, if you search the three sets, without any search terms, you get a total of 3,620,874.
An updated coverage list would be helpful.