Author Topic: serious changes of opening hours at the NRO  (Read 8526 times)

Offline PrawnCocktail

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serious changes of opening hours at the NRO
« on: Tuesday 25 July 17 22:25 BST (UK) »
This went on the NRO's Facebook page yesterday:

Important Information: From 21 August 2017, opening times for free access to the Archives Service will be as follows:
• Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 9am to 1pm
• First Saturday of the month only, April - October: 9am to 4pm

The times during which researchers can visit the Archives Service are being increased. Appointments can now be booked, in advance and for a fee, to view original documents during the following times. The current fee is £31.50 per hour.
• Monday & Friday: 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 4pm
• Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 2pm - 4pm
1-1 personal consultations can also be booked in advance for an hourly fee during the following times:
• Monday to Friday: 9am - 4pm


This leaves only three mornings a week when the records are freely available, as the fee is far too large for most of us to pay. I'm aware the number of researchers has dropped off sharply since the PR's went on Ancestry, but three mornings a week seems very poor!

 >:( >:(
Website: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~towcesterfamilies/genealogy/
Towcester - anything, any time
Cheshire - Lambert, Houghland, Birtwisle
Liverpool - Platt, Cunningham, Ditton
London - Notley, Elsom, Billett
Oxfordshire - Hitchcock, Smith, Leonard, Taunt
Durham - Hepburn, Eltringham
Berwickshire - Guthrie, Crawford
Somerset - Taylor (Bath)
Gloucestershire - Verrinder, Colborn
Dorset - Westlake

Offline davidft

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Re: serious changes of opening hours at the NRO
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 25 July 17 22:40 BST (UK) »
Well I don't like the new hours, they are not very helpful for people that have to come a long way to visit the archives.

Instead of

free access to the Archives Service will be as follows:
• Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 9am to 1pm

I would prefer

free access to the Archives Service will be as follows:
• Tuesday, & Wednesday : 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm

I wonder who they consulted before coming up with the hours
James Stott c1775-1850. James was born in Yorkshire but where? He was a stonemason and married Elizabeth Archer (nee Nicholson) in 1794 at Ripon. They lived thereafter in Masham. If anyone has any suggestions or leads as to his birthplace I would be interested to know. I have searched for it for years without success. Thank you.

Offline sugarbakers

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Re: serious changes of opening hours at the NRO
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 25 July 17 23:25 BST (UK) »
Oh dear, it used to be a joy to go and work there for a couple of days each week  >:(
Almeroth, Germany (probably Hessen). Mawer, Softley, Johnson, Lancaster, Tatum, Bucknall (E.Yorks, Nfk, Lincs)

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Offline Jomot

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Re: serious changes of opening hours at the NRO
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 25 July 17 23:36 BST (UK) »
I had to read that several times as I was certain it couldn't be right..... £31.50 an hour  :o :o :o

Who on earth has that kind of money?
MORGAN: Glamorgan, Durham, Ohio. DAVIS/DAVIES/DAVID: Glamorgan, Ohio.  GIBSON: Leicestershire, Durham, North Yorkshire.  RAIN/RAINE: Cumberland.  TAYLOR: North Yorks. BOURDAS: North Yorks. JEFFREYS: Worcestershire & Northumberland. FORBES: Berwickshire, CHEESMOND: Durham/Northumberland. WINTER: Durham/Northumberland. SNOWBALL: Durham.


Offline sugarbakers

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Re: serious changes of opening hours at the NRO
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 26 July 17 00:30 BST (UK) »
I had to read that several times as I was certain it couldn't be right..... £31.50 an hour

It makes the Ancestry sub look like peanuts. 
It'll drive folks online when there's so much great stuff at NRO that's not censuses and parish registers.
Almeroth, Germany (probably Hessen). Mawer, Softley, Johnson, Lancaster, Tatum, Bucknall (E.Yorks, Nfk, Lincs)

Sugar Refiners & Sugarbakers ... www.mawer.clara.net ...
50,000+ database entries, 270+ fatalities, 210+ fires, history, maps, directory, sales, blog, book, 500+ wills, etc.

WDYTYA magazine July 2017

Offline PrawnCocktail

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Re: serious changes of opening hours at the NRO
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 26 July 17 17:27 BST (UK) »
Things appear to have moved on a bit.

The Record Office have put out a statement half an hour ago saying,
"A further statement about the changes to opening hours will be made tomorrow."

There's a blizard of comments on Twitter and Facebook. All negative.

And someone has started a petition
https://www.change.org/p/northamptonshire-county-council-northamptonshire-county-council-don-t-charge-for-visiting-archives

The petition has gone to 100 supporters in 2 hours, and now climbing rapidly.
Website: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~towcesterfamilies/genealogy/
Towcester - anything, any time
Cheshire - Lambert, Houghland, Birtwisle
Liverpool - Platt, Cunningham, Ditton
London - Notley, Elsom, Billett
Oxfordshire - Hitchcock, Smith, Leonard, Taunt
Durham - Hepburn, Eltringham
Berwickshire - Guthrie, Crawford
Somerset - Taylor (Bath)
Gloucestershire - Verrinder, Colborn
Dorset - Westlake

Offline BumbleB

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Re: serious changes of opening hours at the NRO
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 26 July 17 17:34 BST (UK) »
A worthy cause, but a shame that Change.org appear to want to charge for signing the petition.

Transcriptions and NBI are merely finding aids.  They are NOT a substitute for original record entries.
Remember - "They'll be found when they want to be found" !!!
If you don't ask the question, you won't get an answer.
He/she who never made a mistake, never made anything.
Archbell - anywhere, any date
Kendall - WRY
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Offline PrawnCocktail

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Re: serious changes of opening hours at the NRO
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 26 July 17 17:50 BST (UK) »
A worthy cause, but a shame that Change.org appear to want to charge for signing the petition.

Charge?  There was no mention of a charge when I signed?
Website: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~towcesterfamilies/genealogy/
Towcester - anything, any time
Cheshire - Lambert, Houghland, Birtwisle
Liverpool - Platt, Cunningham, Ditton
London - Notley, Elsom, Billett
Oxfordshire - Hitchcock, Smith, Leonard, Taunt
Durham - Hepburn, Eltringham
Berwickshire - Guthrie, Crawford
Somerset - Taylor (Bath)
Gloucestershire - Verrinder, Colborn
Dorset - Westlake

Offline Redroger

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Re: serious changes of opening hours at the NRO
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 26 July 17 17:51 BST (UK) »
A try on from the beginning.They want to restrict  access to the legal minimum. The only people who can afford those fees are the researchers who will add it to the fee charged, which means those who can afford to hire them will pay. This is to fund the next round of expenditure cuts required by government.
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