On 9 Nov 2009 at 16:13, Nivard Ovington wrote: > Hi Heather > > Its not that unusual, try Berkshire, its the same problem there > > It would presumably be the decision of the Bishop, who for some reason > or other does not want to make the information available > > Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) > > > > > Hi there > > > > I've just heard back from East Riding Archive and Local Studies > > Service about the Scalby parish records. They confirm that they > > hold them but "under instruction from our Diocese, the microfiche > > are not available for sale." > > > > They kindly attach a list of researchers I could contact but I enjoy > > reading the old registers myself and seeing if there are any other > > notes, rather than reading/relying on transcripts by others. > > > > Has anyone ever come across this before? Can anyone offer an > > explanation why a Diocese would object? > > We seem to be confusing two different things here... 1) The public's right to inspect parish registers. 2) Making them generally available for sale. As Nivard says, it seems to vary from one diocese to another. Some are happy to make them widely available for sale, others are not. And, of course, there have always been bloody-minded, stupid vicars who think the registers are their own personal property and are not to be shown to anyone else! Offhand I don't have the time to dig it out, but I am certain there is legislation somewhere that makes it quite clear that people have a right to inspect the registers. Our old friend Guy Etchells will know for certain. Of course, this may mean undertaking a long journey to the record office or getting a local researcher to do it for you, which is inconvenient. The Church of England, on the whole, is at least far better than the Roman Catholic Church which seems to guard its records jealously and secretively with a degree of obsessiveness approaching paranoia! -- Roy Stockdill Professional genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE