Hello All, As so many Villages we are researching, go over the County boarder into Berkshire. Newbury, Greenham, Brimpton etc., I thought you would like to know about this new CD. The CD is 1851 only. The format is MACH2 - The data is the complete transcript as per the fiche (exactly the same data). The format is Windows only. Everyone may be interested to know that the 1851 Census for Berkshire will be out on CD next month - £22.50 plus P&P. However a PRE-RELEASE OFFER is presently available on the Berks FHS website www.berksfhs.org.uk for £20 incl. U.K. postage and £21 incl. Overseas postage. This offer ends on 28th February 2003. The Berkshire 1851 Census CD holds indexed transcripts for ALL of 1851 Berkshire. It also has a small amount of data for adjoining parishes or part parishes. Simplistically this is what is generally known as "old Berkshire" and includes the parts lost to Oxfordshire in 1974. 1851 Berkshire was the result of fairly major changes in 1844 (or was that 1846?) and remained pretty constant until 1974. You will find birthplaces in the transcript that reflect the 1840 era boundaries - like Langford, Berks or Shinfield, Wilts - which can be confusing! The CD will contain a gazetteer and mapping features that will help with the basics of Berkshire geography - but several of us at Berks Family History Society also have the dream of a far more extensive gazetteer of "Berkshire over the years" which would show the changing face of Berkshire. A lot of work is involved before we can get that out! Regards Barbara Mallyon Basingstoke, Hants, UK BarbaraMallyon@lewmal.co.uk Listowner

On Sun, 16 Feb 2003 14:59:45 -0000 Barbara Mallyon wrote: > As so many Villages we are researching, go over the County > boarder into Berkshire. > Newbury, Greenham, Brimpton etc., I thought you would like to > know about this new CD. > The format is Windows only. For that reason I'll not be getting this CD Buying the fiche for the parishes of interest to Kingsclere researchers will work out a bit cheaper than getting the CD at special offer price, and I'll have the consolation of knowing I can read them with nothing more complicated that my trusty fiche reader <grin> If your Berks interests include the east or northwest of the County then getting the CD is probably a better bet. The fiche are quite good and have familes listed 'as enumerated' and have a name index so you can look up an individual and see where to look for him on the fiche. The fiche you need for the parishes adjoining Kingsclere are Vol 1:1 Thatcham, Vol 1:2 (£4.50), Newbury (£5.50) and Vol 7 Bradfield (£7.50). This will cover all the northern border of Kingsclere RD from Enborne to Aldermaston and beyond. -- John Lewis <jayellatntlworlddotcom> from Bournemouth, Dorset, UK. using Debian GNU/Linux and GeneWeb genealogy software