Forward from Charlotte Smith [charlotsmith@prodigy.net] the LDS site online ;has lots of good material and the library catalogue and also you can order CD;s from that site. They also copy material for people and mail from Salt lake City Utah. C Smith > -----Original Message----- > From: Jane McCann [mailto:jhmccann@ozemail.com.au@hn.ozemail.com.au] > Sent: Monday, October 29, 2001 2:42 PM > To: Jane Lyons; IRL-LAOIS-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: {not a subscriber} Re: [IRL-LAOIS] Interest in genealogy - a > can of worms............ > > > I would buy records of Co. Laois. In my three years of searching, I have > not found one clue on any of the my husband's ancestors except from a cousin > in the States. I'm beginning to think that he might not have any. > > While I'm writing, I have a question on the LDS Family History Centres. > Numerous emails say go to your local FHC. That's fine if you have one, but > I'm in Australia and there is only one FHC in the state and that is about a > 12 hour drive away. Not much good if you work during weekdays. Does anyone > know if you can buy copies of their microfich? > > I suppose, what all this means is that I'd buy any CD that I knew held any > information relating to the family. > > Jane > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jane Lyons" <jlyons1@iol.ie> > To: <IRL-LAOIS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 10:57 AM > Subject: [IRL-LAOIS] Interest in genealogy - a can of worms............ > > > > and I guess that is what I will open as soon as this mail hits the > > lists.............and I intend to send it to more than the Ireland_ > > Genealogy Group that I have set up. > > > > I'm not too sure how I will handle the replies though. That I have to > think > > about. > > > > Before I begin, I apologise to those who will see this on many lists, I > feel > > there is a need to try and get as much response as possible - *and* I > think > > this will be a long email. > > > > Many who know my name have heard me 'whinge' over the years because if I > > want to publish my graveyard transcriptions then I have to pay for the > > publication.........and I have to find the people who would want to buy > any > > such publication. Many realise how important gravestones are. Many hear > of > > this or that publication re the area they are interested in and want so > > badly to get a copy............ > > > > Few know of the many publications on gravestone transcriptions that have > > been done in Ireland. For most cases they have been published in > > Archaeological and Historical Journals, or even as stand alone Memorial > > Transcriptions for a county - limited publications, a few donated to > various > > libraries around the world. > > > > I am writing this mail because an Ireland_Genealogy subscriber wrote to me > > telling me of someone who has transcribed a number of parish records for > one > > Irish county - many years work - and who cannot get this published - > > *because* there is no proof that there are any people who would buy such a > > publication. > > > > I'll tell you a little about transcription works.......for those of you > who > > aren't familiar with records. I once set out to transcribe the parish > > records for the county I have so many gravestone transcriptions for, I > > wanted to match everything up (simple amn't I? <g>), I set myself one year > > at this project. A friend asked me how long it would take - exactly - to > > complete the whole county and I said I hadn't a clue. How on earth can you > > estimate something like that? My friend said "You've a brain, you're an > > analyst - go figure" So, I went in to the National Library the next day > and > > got my film..........I timed myself writing out the first page of each > > section of the register........the information on each page was different, > > it took me between 20 and 30 mins to write down what was there. I would > > have had 8+ separate entries on each page. Then, I counted how many pages > > were in each register on the film. All in all (and I'm working off the > top > > of my head here) I calculated that it would take me 365 days of 5 hours in > > the archives to transcribe the material - after that I had to go home and > > put it all into my computer - and after that, I would have had to print it > > out and check it all. > > > > For all that work, I would have covered somewhere between 8 and 10 parish > > registers for my one county..........and they were only RC registers - I'd > > still have had to head to all the other films and all the other religions. > > > > Now, I continuously see people talking on the mail lists about Family > > History Centres here in Ireland, those who have records on film or who are > > transcribing records - and very few have a nice thing to say about them. > I > > continuously see people refer to the fact that in Ireland, it is young > > people who had no jobs to whom the transcribing of records was handed > over. > > I know myself, that I have sat looking at the records for a parish and a > > professional genealogist was standing behind me at the time and that > person > > said something about one of the surnames in the records - and while the > > surname sounded like the one I was thinking of, it was a different > > surname...............I believed it to be one name and the other person > > another - each of us would have written down a different surname if we had > > been asked what it was. > > > > I believe I have some experience with records and script. I know the > other > > genealogist to be a very experienced and knowledgeable person where Irish > > genealogy is concerned. > > > > Who-ever would have been correct is irrelevant for the moment - what is > > relevant is that you have to be familiar with names in an area. It > matters > > that it was young inexperienced people who did the transcribing of Irish > > records for those of you who want the information - but it should also be > > recognised that at least some effort was made to transcribe these > records - > > for most who do manage to employ a Family History Centre here or a > > professional geanalogist and who do have a surname that can be confused > with > > another - then you know that you need to double check. > > > > I would put it to you that Ireland and Irish records are no different than > > in any other country in the world - that for every country there are > > probably the same problems - but because you look here and Ireland can be > so > > very far away, it becomes an even bigger problem. > > > > Now, many records have been published in the past, in our old journals. > > Many people today weep and gnash their teeth because there are no records > > for this or that area - we have had many genealogists or family historians > > who transcribed our records before the fire in 1922............only few > know > > of these publications. We have many parish records that are not part of > the > > general 'parish record' listing for any county, becasue they simply > survive > > as manuscripts held by the National Library and not as part of the general > > something donated or filmed and belonging to any religion. > > > > Many complain of the lack of interest that the Irish have in their family > > history. That they hold onto information passed down through generations. > > I personally have over 60 first cousins on one side - I only know those > who > > were born in the same era as myself - if I even know that many - why would > I > > want to find more relatives? It's the same for all the Irish in > > Ireland....... > > > > But it's not for you. > > > > I'm trying to explain us and our attitudes..........while I also want to > get > > something else across. > > > > Here in Ireland, genealogy is not recognised as being all that > > important...........we have other things to do. Most complain about the > few > > Irish in Ireland they will find on mail lists - that those few who do lurk > > are not willing to help. Few realise how many there are who want > > information compared to the numbers who have some interest and would > help - > > statistically. > > > > My inbox currently has 1000 emails - yet, I have all the county lists I am > > subscribed to with folders of their own and mail filtered to them. The > > earliest date on my mail is July 2001. Maybe that says something. (I > have > > computer problems :-)!! > > > > When I was big into my graveyards - and the amount of work, time, energy, > > and even visible monetory costs that go into the transcribing of one small > > graveyard is a lot - I contacted various publishers and I was told that > > there was no interest in graveyard transcriptions. > > > > To me, those transcriptions are so important, because I know the kinds of > > questions you all ask. I know that parish records are so > > important.............they are what you really, really seek - the basic > > starting point. > > > > You, are the people who seek, some of us Irish in Ireland or Irish abroad > > are the people who have and who can't publish - *because* we have no > > inkling, no proof of how much interest is out there. > > > > How many people are there who if they knew the parish records for their > area > > were published would buy them...... > > > > How many people would buy graveyard transcriptions.......... > > > > It's my opinion that there are many, that the rootsweb mail lists and any > > others only represent a very small proportion of the 'searchers'. I see > and > > hear so many people in the various Irish archives who haven't got a clue > on > > how to do their research.......I think it's something like they're on > their > > way to Ireland and suddenly realise what it means to them and then begin > to > > work on their family history.............. > > > > The internet is a very big place - it makes the world so > > small............but in reality, it's really very small itself - compared > to > > the numbers who want to find their Irish Ancestry. > > > > This has been long...........and it may have been in my usual rambling > > fashion. > > > > It just so happens that I am in a position where I may in the future be > able > > to show a publisher whether or not there would be an interest in > > publications from Ireland with parish record data, with gravestone > > transcriptions........ > > > > I'd like to be able to say all you have to do is tick this or that box and > I > > can work it all out statistically as towhat you want to see published - > what > > you would support - and I mean that word 'support' - there's no point in > you > > saying I'd like to see this or that........and then for you to go asking > on > > the web if anyone has a copy that they'd look up for you. > > > > There's no point in you all giving out about Ireland and the Irish here, > not > > if you look to your own country, to those who regardless of reasons make a > > profit from genealogy. My mothers cousin was over from Washington a few > > years ago and she brought some genealogy magazines for me - and the main > > message that was coming across was how much of a business it all is. > > > > I've seen many stones thrown our way............and there are so few of > us > > on the web - there's no way we will stand up for ourselves. > > > > For once and for all - and for the moment I'll leave it at county basis. > > > > two questions then - maybe it can get broken down from here. > > > > Records - would you buy them if they were available for your > > area...........would you encourage your local family history society to > buy > > them? > > > > What kind of records do you want? Pure genealogy? The history of the > area? > > Irish stories and history...... > > > > Would you buy something even though it did not help you specifically - > > simply to encourage those with Irish records to publish? > > > > I'm only trying to think here - what do the researchers want? What is it > you > > would encourage people to publish? > > > > It all boils down to economics. > > > > That's life............whether we like it or not > > > > Jane > > I would appreciate it if you would forward this mail to anyone who you > think > > may be interested in commenting on my last few questions. I have my > family > > history - and my family..........I would like to show others that there is > > an interest in Irish family history. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== IRL-LAOIS Mailing List ==== > > To contact the listowner: > > Ninah@carolina.rr.com > > > > > > > > ==== IRL-LAOIS Mailing List ==== > To contact the listowner: > Ninah@carolina.rr.com >