In a message dated 25/02/2004 23:19:05 GMT Standard Time, janetchopkins@hotmail.com writes: > Hi Robert, > I'm curious how much the Stepping Stones 1851 for County Durham costs, and > whether the CD's are indexed, or is it an onliine search thing? > I bought the 1871 London CD set from S&N genealogy, looking for some > relatives, but the onlline indexes are so far behind, that I haven't in fact > > found even one individual, after spending 160 dollars Canadian. The site > doesn't mention of course, the percentage of names that are indexed. So, do > > consider how searchable the information will be before you go ahead. > Janet in Canada > Robert: If other Stepping Stones publications are anything to go by, the 1851 census will be a facsimile of the original and therefore unindexed. Think of it as buying the complete set of microfilms for the county and you will see what a bargain it is! I am not allowed, of course, to quote the price, even if I knew it, but while relaistic, I would not expect it to be out of this world - something about the same as, or perhaps a little less than, the S&N county censuses. I am always a little disappointed when I see people either assuming there will be, or sometimes almost demanding, an index. Indexes are of course a wonderful help to searching - if they are good ones! I use indexes professionally all the time, but I usually know how reliable they are, and often know the indexer as well! However, if you want to know whether there are any references to a name etc in a document there is no substitute for line-by-line searching to find out. Yes, it will take longer and no, it will not be as exciting as the instant gratification of an index, but instant gratification is not what historical research is about! Painstaking, careful, thoughtful, research is more to the point. You have asked about the price (which I am not allowed to tell you), but I think I can say this - it will be about a quarter (my guess) of what it would have been if someone had to spend all the hours it would take to commercially compile an index to it. Most of Co Durham's 1851 census has in fact been indexed, by the NDFHS, Cleveland FHS and others, all volunteers, but in many parts. If you know the town or the census Piece you are interested in then you could always buy the relevant index. Geoff Nicholson 57 Manor Park, Concord, WASHINGTON, Tyne & Wear NE37 2BU NBL/DUR family history research in depth by THE local expert. Record searching service: you name the records, I search them!