'Registers with incumbent' ??

[SooCatt]

I have just looked up on Genuki to see where to find the parish records for Thorne (near Doncaster) in West Yorks and it says they are 'with the incumbent'.

Does this mean the vicar still holds them?  If so does this mean that they are not accessible?

I've never come across this before.  All other records I've needed have been deposited at County Record Offices.

Susan

[Little Nell]

Does this mean the vicar still holds them?

Yes it does.

If so does this mean that they are not accessible?

I'm sure if you write to him nicely and offer a small donation to the church roof fund (or similar), he might be happy to look something up for you.   

Nell

[SooCatt]

Thanks Nell

Do you know why some registers haven't been deposited in Record Offices?  Is it down to the personal preference of the local priest or something more formal?

[Little Nell]

Possibly, but in some very rural churches, the registers which were started in 1812 or 1837 might still be incomplete!  I see that a microfilm of some of the registers for Thorne is held by the SoG and I would think that some entries are on the IGI.  You could order the film from your local LDS Family History Centre.

Nell

[SooCatt]

Thanks again Nell

It is covered by the IGI - that's where I tracked down a marriage and some children- leading to me try to find out where the parish records were held. 
(You know what they say about the IGI...you should always check with the original parish records)
I hadn't thought of the SoG though so thanks for that.  I'll make a note for when I next plan to visit the LDS centre.

Ta 

Susan

[Su]

Hi Susan
The same thing happened to me.  I was trying to trace the marriage of a great great Uncle, only to be told by the Regiser Office that it was still with the Church, because it hadn't been completed.  They gave me the name of the church and vicar.  I wrote to him and asked if he would be kind enough to tell me the details on the marriage certificate and sent a donation for the Church.

He sent me a lovely letter back together with a copy of the marriage certificate plus other details of the baptisms, marriages and deaths of my family on the Church Registers.

I visited the church (now only open at certains times of the year as it is very old and beautiful), with a relative from Australia, and we sat in the pew in silence and imagined our ancestors sitting where we were, and being married and baptised there.  It was a very special occasion.

Hope you are lucky enough to find such a kind vicar.

Su

[Mobo]

Does this mean the vicar still holds them?

I'm sure if you write to him nicely and offer a small donation to the church roof fund (or similar), he might be happy to look something up for you.     Nell

 

Unfortunately, the only experience I've had of this kind of thing, was a negative one.

I wrote to the Vicar of a small rural church in Huntingdonshire (who shall be nameless) asking for his help.  After a two month wait, I received a letter saying that because he looked after 3 churches in the diocese, there would be a charge of £15.00 per hour as he had to make special arrangements to be there.  Wonderful, given that my researcher charged the same amount. 

Anyway, because I needed the information desparately, I agreed to his charges, only to discover later from the researcher that the Parish Record Book was not being kept properly - ie; in a fireproof, damproof, securely locked box, (as is the law and which he seemed to think was funny).

The researcher and I then wrote to the Dean of Ely and the local Archivist pointing out this blatant flouting of the law and received replies saying it was a very serious situation and would be dealt with immediately.  That was four years ago, and things are just the same !!

 

[SooCatt]

Su, that's a lovely story.  I like to visit places associated with ancestors too.  It brings them to life somehow.

On a little side note the people that I'm currently hot on the trail of are my husband's mother's family and I've just found out that hubby's Gt Gt Gt Grandfather was born in Finningley which is where my husband and I met while serving in the RAF - small world eh!

Don't you just love family history  

Susan

[SooCatt]

Oh Mobo that's awful.  I hope the person concerned was indeed disciplined.  He has such a responsibility to look after these historical documents - it's sad to think that he didn't take it seriously.