Disposing of all FH Records

[pinefamily]

That is an interesting thought though, one that has crossed my mind on more than one occasion. As much as my wife and son take an interest (albeit at times a glazed one), I'm not sure they would be willing to keep and store the myriad documents, photos, papers, letters that I have accumulated in 31 years (on and off).

Darren

[Guy Etchells]

The obvious answer is to write to the various archives, libraries, organisations etc. and see if they would be willing to accept your material.

Try the Society of Genealogists, local Family History Society, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in addition to the local archive(s) relevant to your research.

You may find that none of the above are willing to accept your material or you may find that all or some are willing to accept it.
The main thing is organise it first before writing (changing) your will.
Cheers
Guy

[majm]

Hi there  Darren,

Notice you are Australian based.  The Mitchell Library in Sydney has been known to have an 'open door' policy on anything to do with Australia, not just Sydney, not just NSW.  There are many many 'family papers' lodged with The Mitchell, you can specify when these folders can be opened (some are sealed by the benefactor for say 'not to be opened for 50 years after my death', while others are freely available for researchers.  I am aware of 'private family papers' from the 'lowliest' to the 'leading lights' to have been lodged there.  I am not sure of the current arrangements, but it has been my understanding that The Mitchell has not turned any donation of private family papers away.  Their curators may have sensible suggestions of the types of papers to include or to cull out, but originals of bdm certificates abound in many of the folders in their holdings.

I am not sure if this helps Bethgem, but hope the concept does.

Cheers,  JM 

[pinefamily]

Thanks JM,
That is another option to consider. I had thought of our local library, which has an excellent family & local history section. Also, as much as I have had beefs with them, I have considered our SAGHS here in SA.
Firstly though, I will have to sit down and have a serious discussion with my family, immediate and extended, and see if there is anyone to pass "the torch" onto, even if only a custodial sense.
Possibly the best option is if someone is interested/willing, I will leave them the options we have discussed.

[weste]

The archives may have rethought what they said originally.  I would probably be more inclined to go to the local family history society. The one i'm a member of actively acts for stuff.  Photos get displayed on open days and they take orders and charge a small fee for copies. They also sent me a copy of a family tree when i first joined, unfortunately it was a different branch. 3 separate areas of the surname, we knew of  a marriage between 2 branches and i've found a link between one of my other lines with the one sent.  Your family history may provide some links for others. Would n't we all like to be in receipt of that suitcase full of stuff found recently!

[cati]

My local FHS cannot take files etc - for reasons of storage space -  but will take trees on CD-ROM. 

My local archive - recently extended - has miles of unused shelf space at present, so I'm hoping when the time comes that all my papers will go there, and a CD-ROM to the FHS, with a note to say where the original papers are...

So it's going to be worth exploring all the oprions

Cati

[Bethgem]

Hello everyone,

Many thanks for all your suggestions. I had hoped that there would be a general place to send everything rather than to sort it out and send bits to different, but relevant, areas.

My areas in the UK are Manchester, Congleton and Buxton, basically in the middle of England. Old photographs are the main item. A few original copies of BMD certificates but mainly photocopies of them. A record though, just the same.

I also have some original old newspaper clippings. The publisher has already told me they would not be able to store them so they could go to the history society in that area. The other things I have would have to be offered in another area.

In all, they should be interesting as a story of a family in "olden times" as it were. I am certainly not going to throw them in the bin! I will keep looking for the best way to dispose of them all. And using a CD-ROM is a good idea.

Thank you all again for your help and advice. I'm sure this thread will be useful to folks.

Bethgem

[cati]

A thought has just struck me -  what about a university?  Some of them have extensive holding of various materials and might be happy to take your papers if there is a reasonably local connection, or if they have collections of materials relating to a specific trade.

Cati


You never know - you might be immortalised as 'The Bethgem Collection' ....

[Bethgem]

  Yes cati, I can just see that! 'The Bethgem Collection'

You have a good idea there, which had not occurred to me, to take them to a university. All these ideas will be listed in my last instructions for my family to take heed.