Disposing of all FH Records

[Shropshire Lass]

You don't have to wait until someone deals with your will.  Follow up the possibilities now and lodge your research somewhere suitable, keeping the option to update it for them as you gather new information.

[Redroger]

I think in perpetuity at the Bank is the best option so far, though I don't know this to have happened (yet0 I imagine it is possible for a local FHS or even the SoG to become dufunct.

[Redroger]

I think in perpetuity at the Bank is the best option so far, though I don't know this to have happened (yet) I imagine it is possible for a local FHS or even the SoG to become dufunct.

[Guy Etchells]

Except that it would cost money to do so and as soon as the money stopped the bank would dump the research.
Cheers
Guy

[clayton bradley]

The Congleton Chronicle has a regular feature of 100 years ago, 50 years ago, etc and also asks people to send in photos from Congleton's past. You can find them on the web.There is also a museum in Congleton and the Cheshire Family History Society is about to move its library from Alderley Edge to Mobberley. If you contact one or all of those you may find someone wishing to take the Congleton records at least. Even if not a member, you could contact other family history societies and ask them to publicise the names of the families on which you have information. You might find someone who wants to take up your research, best wishes, claytonbradley

[Bethgem]

The good advice keeps coming in! Cheers folks.

I expect the banks to charge for its services, and so the event of the money running out or stopping is a danger as they would probably dispose of the items, as you say. Not unless it is policy to write to the relatives to remind them of payments - but then people move away and then that's that.

Lodging my research somewhere suitable while I am still around seems to be the best option. No more thinking about it then. All family members would be told about it so it would be up to them if they want to take a look.

It would be good to keep it all together though, so finding the place where these items can be stored, and for free, is like looking for a needle in a haystack! So then, there is no central, general place to send them all to, it would seem. Maybe one day there will be. I'm still wondering how this problem is met by other researchers.

As I was typing, a post from clayton bradley came in. The news about the Congleton Chronicle is very interesting. In the past they said they could not help me in my research to find a photograph which they had shown in their feature about old times in Congleton. I wonder if they will help now? I'll have to find out.

Bethgem

[Redroger]

Possibly a family solicitor would preserve them at a very minimal or even free charge?

[smudwhisk]

If you leave them in a safe deposit box at a bank or with a solicitor, they aren't likely to benefit anyone other than immediate family and if the family aren't intersted would just gather dust.  Additionally, as you mention multiple areas it's unlikely that one FHS would be that interested and libraries are known to have clear outs every so often so it could go that way.  It would also be worth noting that some academic libraries are rather reluctant to allow access to non-students (as per my own experience) so it wouldn't benefit the ordinary researcher that much in such institutions however grand it may sound.

The SOG have about as much chance as anyone at surviving, and probably more so than an FHS.  And yes they do charge non-members to access resources, but at least it would be known as your collection in there.    At least there you know it would benefit people in their research whatever the area and I know that some resources are being made available to members online if they donor agrees so it would perhaps be a fitting legacy.

[Bethgem]

Thanks for that info, smudwhisk. That's what I would like, actually, to have other researchers to be allowed to see my documents and photos, if interested. So then, the SOG it could be, but who are they? Sorry if that is a daft question. Perhaps I have just forgotten, but as a guess are they Society Of Genealogists? I am probably showing up my ignorance now, but I really cannot remember. Sorry folks