USING A LDS FAMILY HISTORY CENTER #4 PARISH & VITAL RECORDS LIST In an attempt to save time by locating previously compiled research, you must check the Parish & Vital Records List (P&VRL.) What is the Parish & Vital Records List? The list which consists of microfilm numbers and titles of vital & church records is expanded when the record has been reviewed as part of the Name Extraction Program. This is an organized, systematic process, coordinated by the LDS Church, to review original parish records and place the names & dates in the International Genealogical Index (IGI) for viewing at local FHCenters on microfiche or CD-ROM format. Volunteers are trained in deciphering handwriting peculiarities and in the use of the UDE computer indexing program. They are assigned the task of reading photocopies of pages from a microfilm of an original parish record. For example, our local LDS stake participated in such a project computerizing the christening records for a Catholic church in Mexico City in the 17th century. Photocopies are used in order that volunteers may take the work home to enter the data on their computers. The microfilm remains in the possession of the supervisor. Double entry system prevents transcription errors. The first volunteer views the photocopies and makes a computer entry for each child christened along with the date of the christening and other information mentioned in the record, such as the name of the parents. The second individual uses the same computer disk, but cannot see the first person's entry as he types in the same information. The computer compares what each volunteer has typed. Inconcistencies are then reviewed by a supervisor. If necessary all three individuals look at the microfilm to arrive at the best evaluation of the entry for a particular christening record. Results are entered in the IGI. The final results of the Name Extraction Program are entered into the IGI, which is available on CD-ROM and fiche format through local FHCenters. Such results are considered very reliable since two and possibly three trained individuals are deciphering an original record. Certainly their work is more reliable than I could provide, without the training and experience with page after page of similar handwriting. Where can I view the Parish & Vital Records List? Parish registers for birth, marriage & death, as well as state & vital records which have been extracted (or are in the process of being extracted) are listed in the Parish & Vital Records List. This P&VRL is produced in microfiche format and distributed to each of the 2,500+ local LDS Family History Centers. Why is this important to you to know about? This allows you to prioritize your research time. Make note of the areas which will shortly be appearing on the IGI. Then put your research efforts in other localities. How do I use the P&VRL microfiche? At your local FHCenter, open the fiche drawer, and read the fiche headings for the LOCALITY you desire, perhaps England. Then browse through the subheadings for the county, perhaps Lincolnshire. The P&VRL tells which of Lincolnshire's parish registers have been extracted or will shortly be completed. The P&VRL also reports whether a Bishop's Transcript has been substituted for the original parish register. What are Bishop's Transcripts? Parish priests were required to send quarterly reports to their governing bishop, which became known as Bishops Transcripts (BT). Bishop's Transcripts would not be considered primary records, since it they are handwritten copies of the items the priest entered in his actual parish register. There could be copying errors and skipped entries on the BTs. However, if the original parish register was destroyed by fire/age/etc these BTs are a wonderful substitute. BT is the abbreviation you will find in the Parish & Vital Records List. What about damaged parish records? Also, if the record was hard to read or partially destroyed, the extractors insert a % figure to report their findings. If the indication was 65%, this means that the extractors who reviewed the record estimated they were only able to transcribe about 65% of the book, because pages were damaged or missing for whatever reason. What to do next: When researching in a particular area, check the PARISH & VITAL RECORDS list to determine if name extractions have been done or will soon be completed. -If your ancestor's parish is listed, check the IGI (International Genealogical Index) for the christening, marriage or burial entries extracted. - Obtain a photocopy or print-out of the IGI entry. - Request a photocopy of the original entry using the PHOTODUPLICATION request form available at your FHCenter. -If your ancestor's parish is not listed, then order the original microfiche, and begin reviewing the original records on your own.