RIP Sunderland Registrars Indexes

[specfreak]

Yep, like everyone else, I have experience the lack of being able to search or order certificated from Sunderland BDM :-(.  I too have e-mailed to the registrar to be told it'll be back up soon.
However, over a year has passed now and this was a great resource to use.
I wonder if you can order certificates via Local Studies, though I can easily loose hours in there
researching and I just don't have that long on my lunch break to do it.

The great thing is about this resource is that certificates take around 5 working days to get to you rather than 5+ weeks that GRO take !.

The only other resource I've found better than Sunderland's is the South Tyneside Register Office:
http://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/9966/Register-Search

So for now, we're a bit stuck using:
http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=505

So GRO or physically going there, assuming you can still order certs there.
I think I'll e-mail again but ask if you can still order certs in Local Studies.

[Ryhopelad]

Just to let you know you cannot order the certificates in the actual Local Studies Library, you need to go to the Customer Service Centre it is in the same building but on the ground floor.

As mentioned in  earlier messages this farce which is occurring with the BDM index is not the fault of the staff in the Registrars Office but the total incompetency of the Council.

Perhaps one day in the future a message will appear on here saying the site is up and running again.

Ryhopelad

[Vivsimm]

I don't know about Local Studies (I don't live in England), but  you can still order certificates from the Sunderland Registrar in person or by telephone or e-mail at  0191 520 5553 or registrars@sunderland.gov.uk .  The service is still there despite the unavailability of the BMD index.

If you can give an approximate date and some identifying info. (like name of mother or father or spouse, or age at marriage, etc.), they will do a search.  They've done this for me several times, and I've been very pleased with the service.

[Vivsimm]

Sorry, Specfreak, I should have clicked on the link you provided to see that you already knew the information I posted.

The only thing I can add that might be of use is that I have always paid by credit card.  I don't know if this is for out-of-country people only, but it's worth asking to save the bother of using cheques (I don't actually have any as they're hardly used these days) and money orders.

[specfreak]

Just to let you know you cannot order the certificates in the actual Local Studies Library, you need to go to the Customer Service Centre it is in the same building but on the ground floor.

As mentioned in  earlier messages this farce which is occurring with the BDM index is not the fault of the staff in the Registrars Office but the total incompetency of the Council.

Perhaps one day in the future a message will appear on here saying the site is up and running again.

Ryhopelad

Thanks Ryhopelad, I will bear this in mind.  I'm sure if I requested a cert in the Local Studies room they'd have directed me to the correct place (sorry, that wasn't meant to sound sarcastic if that's now it came across).  The staff I have dealt with have been very kind and helpful.  That said I already knew a few of them from my work place ;-).

Even in the Registrars office at the Civic Centre the ladies I dealt with were also kind and helpful.

The only bad experience I've had is when Royal Mail lost one of my certs and I had to make a claim.
Again, registrar help was second to none to assist with my claim.

Also the newer Microfiche readers are good because you can copy the PDF file onto your USB stick instead of having to print them out, better quality too.  The only shame is that they're not digitised and you need to wade through rolls of film which is time consuming.

Also Ryhopelad, I see that you have Swinhoe/Swinney in your sig...  2 of my 3x Great Grandmothers were Swinhoes.... Margaret Maria Swinhoe (1816-1871) and Jane Swinhoe (1809-1903).  A curious find that my 2x Great Grandparents were 1st cousins :-o, but I have the correct number of fingers and toes ;-).

[specfreak]

Sorry, Specfreak, I should have clicked on the link you provided to see that you already knew the information I posted.

The only thing I can add that might be of use is that I have always paid by credit card.  I don't know if this is for out-of-country people only, but it's worth asking to save the bother of using cheques (I don't actually have any as they're hardly used these days) and money orders.

It's okay Vivsimm, I can visit in person and have done in the past.  Just it was a useful resource for checking in advance.  I've just been using GRO lately which is about 75p cheaper, but takes much longer.  I'll probably visit during my lunch break once I identify who's certificates to order next.

[Knight-Sunderland]

It's still not back up - getting nervous now...

I asked the local studies a few weeks ago what was going on, they said they have been badgering the IT department since the week it went down. Doesn't seem to have helped unfortunately.

[specfreak]

Doesn't look like it will anytime soon either :-(.  I e-mailed the Registrars again and got this reply:
"Unfortunately the online service is currently unavailable and we do not have a timescale as to when this will be reinstated."

So basically, no indication when it might be online, so I fear it's lost.

[briann1]

It appears that the IT lads have sorted out the problem with the indexes. Looks like the page has been deleted so it definitely is R I P.