This may be of interest. Of more interest to our list BathBMD is also complete: http://www.bathbmd.org.uk/ -------- Original Message -------- Subject: FFHS-NEWS UKBMD indexes Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 21:14:30 +0100 From: News from the Federation of Family History Societies Following my recent emails about indexes on websites such as CheshireBMD and CumbriaBMD (due to go live on 15 October) I have been asked to clarify the difference between the indexes on these websites and the indexes on FreeBMD. The answer is on the home page of the UKBMD.org.uk website: "There are two sets of Birth, Marriage and Death indexes in the UK; the original indexes held by the local register offices and a secondary index created by the General Register Office." FreeBMD.org.uk holds the GRO's indexes and their volunteers are doing a fine job of transcribing the GRO data accurately, but as the GRO indexes are well known for their errors and omissions, then FreeBMD will have these errors and omissions too. The websites such as CheshireBMD.org.uk hold indexes based on the original data held by the local register offices. Although no index could ever claim to be 100% accurate, the local BMD indexes by virtue of being based on the original registers are more complete and with less errors. In the vast majority of cases the marriages are paired fully and also they tell you the venue for the wedding. Where the registrar has allowed it, the birth indexes also contain mother's maiden name for all years, and the death indexes have age at death for all years. The UKBMD website was set up to provide links to all known BMD websites, hence its menu contains "Local BMD" and "GRO BMD" pages to steer you to appropriate BMD websites. When sites such as Cheshire BMD are completed it could be argued that the GRO's flawed indexes are redundant... For example, here's the result of a search for Mary Carr in 1842 in Yorkshire, showing her spouse and also the second marriage on the same register page: From FreeBMD.org.uk Surname First name(s) District Vol Page _____ Marriages Sep 1842 (>99%) _____ CARR Mary Pickering 24 393 TAYLOR Elizabeth Pickering 24 393 WALLS Charles Pickering 24 393 From YorkshireBMD.org.uk Marriage Indexes Surname Forename(s) Spouse's Surname Spouse's Forename(s) Year Church / Register Office Registers At Region Reference CARR Mary WALLS Charles 1842 Middleton St Andrew, Ryedale Harrogate Yorkshire C42RY/1/49 <http://www.yorkshirebmd.info/cgi/pma.cgi?date=1842&county=yorkshire&referen ce=HE%3AC42RY%2F1%2F49&file=C&pos=3970&surname=WALLS&forename=Charles&area=H E> HOGGARD Thomas TAYLOR Elizabeth 1842 Middleton St Andrew, Ryedale Harrogate Yorkshire C42RY/1/50 <http://www.yorkshirebmd.info/cgi/pma.cgi?date=1842&county=yorkshire&referen ce=HE%3AC42RY%2F1%2F50&file=H&pos=29229&surname=TAYLOR&forename=Elizabeth&ar ea=HE> As you can see, the indexes based on the originals tell you more and are not missing names for partners. Thanks to Ian Hartas for help with preparing this explanation. Roger Lewry FFHS Archives Liaison -------- Original Message ends -------- -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk http://www.savethegurkhas.co.uk/