RootsChat.Com
Census Lookups General Lookups => Census and Resource Discussion => Topic started by: bibliotaphist on Tuesday 18 March 14 14:45 GMT (UK)
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I can see that the BMDshare website (www.bmdshare.com (http://www.bmdshare.com/)) has been displaying the following maintenance message since at least January 2012 (https://web.archive.org/web/20120123010931/http://www.bmdshare.com/):
"BMDshare is undergoing essential maintainance (sic) and will be back on-line as soon as possible. Please bear with us during this time and accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience."
Is there anyone here who is close to this website and knows whether the maintenance is likely to be completed? My suspicion is that it is defunct and not being actively maintained, but I'd love to be proved wrong.
I've tried logging in and clicking on the "submit certificate" links, but I just get what looks like a database error ("FF_FORM_TITLE").
Does anyone know of any alternative websites where I can post and share BMD certificate details in a structured and searchable way?
Paul
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Not used the site before but there is a contact us button and a form you can fill in. It might be worth asking the site direct for an update of the situation.
Regards panda
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According to one of the lookup sites, the domain has been registered until 2016. The entry gives full details of the person who registered it - name, postal and email addresses. If nothing else works, I'd suggest making contact with one of these.
Arthur
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Does anyone know of any alternative websites where I can post and share BMD certificate details in a structured and searchable way?
Paul
I put the information on freebmd as a postem, that way anyone searching can view the information
Rosie
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Thanks all. I have tried the contact form on the website. Let's see if anyone replies. If not, I'll try the domain registrant.
@rosie99 (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=39730) - have you got an example of one of your FreeBMD postems I could look at, please?
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You could of course, use a less structured, although searchable way right here on RootsChat.
Here are the unwanted BMD certificates A-G for example. To order it by surname click on the "Subject" at the top of that page, useful for browsing:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?board=146.0
(I've attached an image, complete with doodle on how to do this, just for you :) ).
For searching it, press the search option in the menu (next to 'help).
Click on "Choose a board to search or search all" and untick "Check all", select the unwanted BMB board, and press "Search".
It's not perfect though, but it's better than a poke in the eye.
Trystan
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@rosie99 (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=39730) - have you got an example of one of your FreeBMD postems I could look at, please?
Birth -William Game Westron -June qtr 1878
Marriage -George Ellis-Dec qtr 1897 Lancaster
Death-Benjamin A Piper -Dec qtr 1905 Hastings
Rosie
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Birth -William Game Westron -June qtr 1878
Marriage -George Ellis-Dec qtr 1897 Lancaster
Death-Benjamin A Piper -Dec qtr 1905 Hastings
Thank you @rosie99 (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=39730)! That's a useful quick'n'dirty way of sharing the information. It's a shame that (see http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/postems-help.html (http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/postems-help.html)) they're limited to 250 characters, aren't structured or searchable, aren't (easily) correctable or deletable, and there's no clear statement of licensing/ownership of the data.
And thank you @trystan (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=5) for the link to the unwanted BMDs boards here on Rootschat. At least those boards are searchable as you say - although still unstructured, and I don't think I'm ready to part with my certs just yet(!) ...Edit: P.S. I've just spotted your doodle :-P
Both suggestions very much better than a poke in the eye.
BTW I haven't heard back from the BMDshare site.
Paul
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A reply from the BMDshare site owner:
Yes the error relates to the maintenance work. I am hoping to ... update the site this summer and will email all members once it has been completed.
My sincere apologies for the inconvenience until then, but the site can still be searched, just not added to at present.
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It's good you got a reply - and thanks for coming back with the update too. :)
Trystan
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A postem on freebmd is very handy. I put on all the details from a certificate, names, relationships, dates, addresses, witnesses if a marriage etc.
If someone is looking they can check and see if the information is useful to them. It's a site that gets searched as a matter of course, and people are looking for specific names, usually in a county or place.
Nothing lost by filling in a postem on there, as well as on rootschat, and anywhere else that might come in useful I always think. :) :)
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I think the postems are a great idea too. I've ended up with sending off for so many death certificates for my Robert Roberts I decided to start updating the wrong ones for my own records. It saved me from sending for another one a couple of times ;D ;D
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All my BMDs have had Postems added to FreeBMD
So
Births - I will add DOB and parents names (including mothers maiden name)
Marriages - if more than 2 entries I will add a postem to bride and groom, giving Date of Marriage and Fathers names
Death - DOD and name of informant.
And if during my research I find through another source a marriage or christening (normally via Parish records) I will add that data as a Postem too.
Postems are an underused source for sharing information. I love 'em. And love it when a record I am looking at has a postem added. They are just so helpful.
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Postems are an underused source for sharing information. I love 'em. And love it when a record I am looking at has a postem added. They are just so helpful.
I couldn't agree more. ;D
The good thing about putting them on freebmd is it is regularly used by lots of us for BMD lookups so you don't have to go looking elsewhere. I have to confess that I had never heard of BMDshare before this post. :-[
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Does anyone know of any alternative websites where I can post and share BMD certificate details in a structured and searchable way?
www.rootschat.com/links/0yyx/ is worth a look.
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Again, thanks all for the suggestions.
The Certificate Exchange site looks excellent - except that I don't want rid of my certificates (at least, not yet!); I just want a way of publishing the transcribed information in a way that will be most discoverable and useful to other people.
I've been convinced by everyone's arguments in favour of FreeBMD postems. So, I've added my first postem: for my great-grandfather's birth index entry. (His was the first certificate I ordered from the GRO.) I'm going to work my way through all my certs and do the same.
It's here: http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=RGjiylbZVan3dELVOdKFBg&scan=1 (http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=RGjiylbZVan3dELVOdKFBg&scan=1)
(Edit: for GRO certificates, these stanzas below will be my self-imposed format for postems, leaving out any sections or lines that don't apply. It's a shame not to transcribe the certs verbatim, but FreeBMD's 250-char limit means that isn't possible. Perhaps they'll fix that in a future database upgrade.
Births:
<Forenames> <Surname> [a.k.a. <Known alternative names>]
b. <dd>st|nd|rd|th <Mon> <yyyy>, <Place of birth>
father: <Forenames> <Surname>, <Occupation>
mother: <Forenames> <Surname> formerly <Surname>, <Occupation>
[N.B. <Noteworthy comment>]
[Postem: <my email address>]
Marriages:
<dd>st|nd|rd|th <Mon> <yyyy>, <Place of wedding>
<Forenames> <Surname>, <Age>, <Occupation>
father: <Forenames> <Surname>, <Occupation>
<Forenames> <Surname>, <Age>, <Occupation>
father: <Forenames> <Surname>, <Occupation>
witnesses: <Forenames> <Surname> / <Forenames> <Surname>
[N.B. <Noteworthy comment>]
[Postem: <my email address>]
Deaths:
<Forenames> <Surname>, <Age>, <Occupation>
d. <dd>st|nd|rd|th <Mon> <yyyy>, <Place of death>
cause: <Cause of death - only if noteworthy> / <Second cause> / <Third cause>
informant: <Forenames> <Surname>, <Qualification>
[N.B. <Noteworthy comment>]
[Postem: <my email address>]
All of that also means that I can retrieve all of my postems by searching http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/ShowPostems.pl (http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/ShowPostems.pl) by searching for my email address.
Cheers, all.
Paul
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All my BMDs have had Postems added to FreeBMD
So
Births - I will add DOB and parents names (including mothers maiden name)
Marriages - if more than 2 entries I will add a postem to bride and groom, giving Date of Marriage and Fathers names
Death - DOD and name of informant.
And if during my research I find through another source a marriage or christening (normally via Parish records) I will add that data as a Postem too.
Postems are an underused source for sharing information. I love 'em. And love it when a record I am looking at has a postem added. They are just so helpful.
I forgot to say thanks Plummiegirl particularly for your good advice here. This is what I'm aiming to do; keeping the postems as structured as possible.
There are some good eccentric postems out there! Some of them make for interesting and slightly surreal reading...
Paul
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(I'm aware that I'm just replying to my own replies now, effectively talking to myself. I'm OK with that if you are.)
I've just read this:
"Getting back to the postem point, which I've seen promoted elsewhere, and a minor note of caution. FreeBMD operate with the blessing of the GRO. I expect this policy is to encourage the sales of certificates. Postems which might reduce the need for the purchase of a certificate might well not be regarded with unbounded joy in Southport, making life more difficult for FreeBMD if taken up to any great extent. (http://forums.lc/genealogy/index.php?threads/freebmd-adding-postems.384/#post-5835)"
(http://forums.lc/genealogy/index.php?threads/freebmd-adding-postems.384/#post-5835 (http://forums.lc/genealogy/index.php?threads/freebmd-adding-postems.384/#post-5835))
What do people think? Am I queering the pitch for FreeBMD by transcribing my certs into postems, potentially damaging future GRO certificate sales revenue and damaging FreeBMD's relationship? Or is that paranoia and irrelevant now the index cat is out of the bag?
And while I'm being paranoid, I'm a little bit concerned that FreeBMD don't have a clear statement of terms for user-submitted postems. Effectively, I'm gifting my transcriptions to the FreeBMD project ("All rights in data submitted to the site are now owned by the charitable trust. (http://www.freebmd.org.uk/FAQ.html#10)") as an anonymous IP address user, with no agreement about how they will be used now or might be used in the future. That doesn't seem like good practice. I'd prefer a clear statement about ownership and licensing of user-submitted content.
On balance, I'm happy to take the risk. But I'm surprised FreeBMD are happy to rely on such sparse T&Cs as these: http://www.freebmd.org.uk/terms.html (http://www.freebmd.org.uk/terms.html)
Paul
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Sorry - unintended reply. Please ignore.
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I don't think the GRO has anything to fear from postem entries on freebmd.
The vast majority of certificates supplied by the GRO are for legal and official purposes where a paper copy of the cert is physically required.
Take a sideways step....
How many postems have you found on freebmd? I very rarely find one of interest.
There is a chart here
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/EntryCounts.pl
which shows how many entries there are on freebmd. You have to be extremely lucky to find a relevant postem which enables you not to have to purchase a cert.
If you have a problem with the T&C's at freebmd you should take the issue up with them.
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How many postems have you found on freebmd? I very rarely find one of interest.
Thanks dawnsh. I suppose you're right, it's a drop in the ocean compared to the number of potential index entries out there. So far I've found one (!) FreeBMD entry with a postem relating to a person in my tree.
If you have a problem with the T&C's at freebmd you should take the issue up with them.
I'm composing an email for FreeBMD-Discuss-L.
Paul
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Can't believe it never crossed my mind to fill in a "postem" note. However, I did know the site has something to do with anc---y so I've surfed and found this:-
<<This is Google's cache of http://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/legal/Partners. >>
<<FreeBMD is an ongoing project, the aim of which is to transcribe the Civil Registration index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales. The transcribing of the records is carried out by teams of dedicated volunteers and contains index information for the period 1837-1983.
Ancestry.com proudly sponsors the work of FreeBMD, which is also an Ancestry 'Super Affiliate', meaning that FreeBMD maintains a significant presence on the Ancestry.co.uk website, maximizing its own brand exposure.
In return, FreeBMD's databases are hosted and updated monthly on Ancestry.co.uk, providing a high quality, vital resource for family history enthusiasts.
FreeBMD is a part of FreeUKGEN family, which also includes FreeCENN (Census data) and FreeREG (Parish Registers).>>
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Do not think Postems are any threat to the GRO.
All I hope to do is ensure that those who do want to order any Certificates does not order the wrong one.
I know if I find a certificate I want to order and it has a postem on it, I will probably still order it anyway. Just love 'em!!!!
I did used ShareBMD when I first started out, but Postems are by far the easiest way to get the info out there.
And as for the other sites (including the thread on here) for unwanted certs. seriously who has the time to trawl through all those names just on the off chance one you want is there. Life is far too short.... ;)
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Do you want the certificates - or do you want the DATA on them?
I've got loads of certificates I don't want - right ones and wrong ones - cos I've now got the data.
I think FreeBMD Postems are the best way forward to dispose of unwanted certificates and I've just added a few more drops to the ocean.
This is my standard postem "Unwanted certificate available free from sdrawkcabtasserddaliameym" <<<.... well not quite, but I'm sure you can work it out.
It's a cheap way for someone to find out whether they are going to buy the right one! ;)
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I put all my certs info on Postems. It is particularly useful for researchers trying to identify the correct bride or groom when there are four people listed on the Page. The Postem will eliminate one of the choices. ;)
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Do you want the certificates - or do you want the DATA on them?
I've got loads of certificates I don't want - right ones and wrong ones - cos I've now got the data.
I think FreeBMD Postems are the best way forward to dispose of unwanted certificates and I've just added a few more drops to the ocean.
This is my standard postem "Unwanted certificate available free from sdrawkcabtasserddaliameym" <<<.... well not quite, but I'm sure you can work it out.
It's a cheap way for someone to find out whether they are going to buy the right one! ;)
The one certificate would then benefit the one person who got it. I put all the details from the cert onto the postem, names, dates, addresses, witnesses, father's names, occupations etc etc. Anyone can benefit then, and someone could still get the cert.
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Very true. But I want rid of the paperwork because I spend more and more of my time in a Motorhome and storage is going to become an issue.
Did think of sending them to various Family History Societies, even SOG in London, but they all have the same storage issue - storage is why 70% of the UK's shipping Crew Lists ended up in Newfoundland!
I am going to Scan the BMD certs and keep the digital image. Once the original certificate has gone I can then either send an image to any subsequent enquirer or at the very least send them a summary. Scanning is why I no longer need any certificate or other copy paperwork for that matter.
I looked at this long and hard - what are my kids going to do with my records when I'm dead? They'll chuck em away. So I might as well get rid of them where they'll do some good.
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An update to earlier posts....
Discovered that the Society of Genealogists in London were more than happy to take any certificates I didn't want!
So the wife and I scanned all the certificates we had, that's both the ones which were relevant to our trees and the ones which were not, and then gave them to S.O.G. Just over 400 of them.
If I understood them correctly, S.O.G. have an upcoming project regarding BMD certificates. So at some future time it might be worth contacting them before purchasing from the GRO. In the meantime it looks as though they will happily take all those unwanted certificates - I'm sure they'll even take them from non-members! ;)
Just in case the drives holding the scans die, we've attached copies of the scans to our trees (we use Family Tree Maker) and have then backed up our trees on line to Ancestry. So our trees and data and scans won't die with us.
Minor point: A typical scan of a BMD certificate as a .jpg file creates a file about 4 Megabytes in size. One scan on it's own is not a problem but a couple of hundred starts to create a huge file when all brought together, as in linking to a tree. To overcome this we compressed the scans to approx. 1/10th their original size. We used Microsoft Office Picture Manager but I'm sure that most image software packages could do the same. Compression doesn't destroy the image or data, and it makes a collection much more manageable.
Lubricated
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Re Martha Harrison
Hi Lubricated, I'm still trying to work my way around finding things on Rootschat so bear with me.
I came across a very old entry of yours re Charles Cecil & Martha Harrison from which I too am descended. You say you have info on Martha and her death certificate. Could you possibly help me with this info and say where I will find your reply (if any) on Rootschat please. Thanks
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Hi Prelli
Welcome to Rootschat ;D
I think this may be the topic you are referring to.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=457060.msg4758354#msg4758354
Dawn