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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Lincolnshire Lookup Requests => Lincolnshire => England => Lincolnshire Completed Look up Requests => Topic started by: LizzieW on Saturday 15 March 08 15:11 GMT (UK)
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I posted this the other day, but on the Lincs Resources Board, which is probably the wrong place, so I've locked that topic (couldn't see how to delete it all together).
I had saved Lincolnshire Marriage Index in my favourites, but when I wanted to look at it recently it wasn't available. Then I saw on the Lincs Resources board a different website address. That doesn't work either. Has it gone for good? It was really useful at finding the right marriage before buying the certificate.
Lizzie
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There's been no specific announcement on the "Lincs List" http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ENG-LINCSGEN/2008-03
I would have though that if anything significant had happened, then it would have been announced there as Ann, the coordinator of the transcription team, posts there.
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Thanks Geoff. I'll leave it a few days and then try the website again.
Lizzie
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It's back today, with Holbeach didstrict updated to 1870 :)
http://s10.freefronthost.com/mi/index.html
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Thanks Geoff, I hadn't got round to checking it. I was a bit worried because when I tried last week, I got a message stating it would be back in December! Obviously their update took longer than expected.
Lizzie
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I suppose you know you can download the spreadsheets and save them on your computer?
(Right-click on spreadsheet name then Save Link As)
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No Lizzie, the update didn't 'take longer than expected', i.e. from December 2007 till now, because the site was available at least two weeks ago. Either a few wrong buttons got pressed when the Holbeach update was loaded within the last few days, or some sad illegitimate body with nothing better to do in their life decided to do a bit of hacking.
For the record, the Lincolnshire marriage index 1837 onwards is nothing to do with Lincolnshire County Council.
I'm not sure who was providing the funds though I think it was central government, but several years ago councils/registration services were offered money to put BMD indexes online. Some areas did this and you can see the results at http://www.ukbmd.co.uk/
Lincolnshire declined the option, so Anne Cole and some of her friends decided to produce their own version. This is based only on those parish registers which have been deposited at Lincolnshire Archives, so will not include marriages which took place in registry offices nor in the majority of non-conformist chapels/churches.
Whilst on the subject of transcribing and parish registers, nowadays there is neither reason nor excuse for anyone to simply sit on their backsides and let others do the work because most of the PRs which need transcribing for FreeREG can be sent out on CD. Yes, some parishes are larger than others, in which case volunteer to do just one year, but surely you can all spare the time to transcribe 100 entries.
Start here http://freereg.rootsweb.com/
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Pam - Thanks for the explanation. It was only last week that I had tried to view the Lincs site, so perhaps it was something to do with the latest update, or even a hacker.
I agree with what you say about transcribing. I'm always happy to do this and did volunteer in the past, but despite what the site in question said, it used to take hours and hours of my time and a lot of it was checking and re-checking other people's work. I'm retired but even so found it a very onerous task.
I do put BMD's on a website when people who have bought the wrong ones are unable to do it, that only takes me a few minutes, so I'll try again with Rootsweb.
Lizzie
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Hi Lizzie,
I have to emphasise that my 'little rant' about transcribing wasn't meant to you personally, but to the wider genealogical community who just sit back and say 'when is this going to be available'.
Having transcribed the marriages for Boston St Botolph 1851-1870 to go on the post-1837 Lincs marriage index I know that transcribing ain't something that you can do in half an hour, which is why I said 'one year or 100 entries'. Even if it took someone an hour to do 10 entries, then surely they could spare an hour a week for 10 weeks? Or half-an-hour for twenty weeks. :)
So all you so-far-non-volunteers, get volunteering.
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I suppose you know you can download the spreadsheets and save them on your computer?
I'd never thought of it to be truthful. Thanks for the tip Geoff.
Pam - (I suppose we've gone off topic here, but it was my topic so I don't mind!) I agree an hour to do 10 entries is fine, but the amount I was given was taking 4-5 hours a night every night until in the end I thought it was taking goodwill too far. Do you volunteer to transcribe the area where you live, or the area you are interested in? I looked on the site you gave and it seems that one of the areas I'm interested in seems to be complete - is that possible?
Lizzie
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Hi Lizzie,
4-5 hours per night is definitely far too much unless you're in the publishing industry when the quicker you produce something then the quicker you start to make money. Must agree that was taking goodwill way over the limit.
I volunteered to do Boston Stump because I used to live in Boston and I also knew it was a big parish and would take some time to do. But I found it extremely interesting. I found the marriage of John Fisher, one of the founders/father of one of the founders of Fisher Clark, at one time one of the largest employers in the town. I found the marriage of the parents of a great uncle who married into my family. And every time I saw a couple of names I knew what the occupation was going to be - fisherman - because those families were still fishermen when I was young.
Yes, it is possible that the area you're interested in transcribing on FreeREG is complete, but it would be best to email the county co-ordinator to confirm this. I'm not sure if the aim is eventually to be able to double-check the entries. If so, perhaps they would accept you as a proof-reader/double checker for that parish.
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Thanks Pam.
Lizzie