Today I spent several more hours poring over films at my Family History Center (FHC). Thanks to the hard work of Christina, Jan and others, my Gormans are listed on the Longford website under church records, so I had the names, dates, parish, etc. Even WITH all that--knowing exactly what I was looking for--I had a hard time reading the records and finding the records I was looking for. Being written partly in Latin was the least of it!! Try reading scrawl some 150 years old, with smeared ink, on dark paper (that doesn't film too well), and you've got the idea. I am absolutely amazed at some of the transcribing that was done. People must've been experienced in hieroglyphics to have deciphered some of that writing! Kudos to the ones who did it!! By contrast, another researcher called me over to see the records he was looking through--German church records. The writing was almost a work of art--akin to calligraphy! Wish the Irish priests had thought ahead into the future and printed the records neatly, so we 21st centurions would have an easier time! Thanks again for all the work on the website. I don't know how you did it! Agnes

Hi Fellow Researchers, During a recent trip to Ireland, I spent several hours pouring over records and photographing them with a digital camera. These records were in latin of course and yes, some of the writing would even make my Doctor envious:):) These records were at Killahsee, as far as I know I've never seen them available publicly. What made this trip rather personable and enjoyable was that Father Kelly, who was quite an elderly gentleman, was there lending support not so much for the "Latin", but because he was familiar with the text, smudges and all. What I'm saying is like anything else, once you get used to looking at it several times and truly get into it, its quite rewarding. This brings up another thought, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has used a digital camera in photographing Irish RC records. What would it take to pool resources, of all who have done so with the Killashee records or others such as Templemichael, Clongesh etc... and make them available online, Christiana probably has already thought of this, I'm sure. I know that these records are precious, I'd just like to see them available to all. Before I get to many questions with regards to the records at Killashee, I'd have to preface my remarks by saying, that my photographing was limited to McCormick and Milnamow surname. Daniel http://homepages.rootsweb.com/martin/mm bklyn wrote: > Today I spent several more hours poring over films at my Family History > Center (FHC). Thanks to the hard work of Christina, Jan and others, my > Gormans are listed on the Longford website under church records, so I had > the names, dates, parish, etc. Even WITH all that--knowing exactly what I > was looking for--I had a hard time reading the records and finding the > records I was looking for. Being written partly in Latin was the least of > it!! Try reading scrawl some 150 years old, with smeared ink, on dark > paper (that doesn't film too well), and you've got the idea. I am > absolutely amazed at some of the transcribing that was done. People > must've been experienced in hieroglyphics to have deciphered some of that > writing! Kudos to the ones who did it!! > > By contrast, another researcher called me over to see the records he was > looking through--German church records. The writing was almost a work of > art--akin to calligraphy! > Wish the Irish priests had thought ahead into the future and printed the > records neatly, so we 21st centurions would have an easier time! > Thanks again for all the work on the website. I don't know how you did it! > Agnes > > ==== IRL-LONGFORD Mailing List ==== > Try your luck if you're looking for ancestors in Pennsylvania, USA: > Subscribe to the Pennsylvania Census Lookup list: > mailto:PA-CENSUS-LOOKUP-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=subscribe

Agnes, Lest the website take undeserved praise...we used a typed version which was available via microfilm at the FHC. The Longford Historical Society deserves the praise for the work they did on the typed copy. However, I hasten to add, that I do not know that other parishes have had this transcribing done. (I have been asked that.) I agree that the films of the church records I want are "beyond the beyond" as Frank McCourt likes to say. I have thrown up my hands at finding much. Such a shame as they are a treasure trove of information. If only they were legible. Best wishes, Christina ----- Original Message ----- From: "bklyn" <bklyn@webcom.com> To: <IRL-LONGFORD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 7:49 PM Subject: [LONGFORD~] church records > Today I spent several more hours poring over films at my Family History > Center (FHC). Thanks to the hard work of Christina, Jan and others, my > Gormans are listed on the Longford website under church records, so I had > the names, dates, parish, etc. Even WITH all that--knowing exactly what I > was looking for--I had a hard time reading the records and finding the > records I was looking for. Being written partly in Latin was the least of > it!! Try reading scrawl some 150 years old, with smeared ink, on dark > paper (that doesn't film too well), and you've got the idea. I am > absolutely amazed at some of the transcribing that was done. People > must've been experienced in hieroglyphics to have deciphered some of that > writing! Kudos to the ones who did it!! > > By contrast, another researcher called me over to see the records he was > looking through--German church records. The writing was almost a work of > art--akin to calligraphy! > Wish the Irish priests had thought ahead into the future and printed the > records neatly, so we 21st centurions would have an easier time! > Thanks again for all the work on the website. I don't know how you did it! > Agnes >

Thanks for clarifying that, Christina. I was trying to remember the source of the records that were put online. I noticed the handwritten records had some additional info that doesn't appear on the database. Specifically, names of sponsors at baptisms. In one case, a Gorman relative is baptized and ANOTHER Gorman is a sponsor, but I can't for the life of me read the first name of the sponsor. I'd like to have that info. Is it available on the transcriptions that you have? I can fwd you the specific entry if it is. Thanks alot for your help Agnes When the Longford Hist. Soc. transcribed the records At 10:11 AM 11/02/2000 -0500, Christina Hunt wrote: >Agnes, >Lest the website take undeserved praise...we used a typed version which was >available via microfilm at the FHC. The Longford Historical Society deserves >the praise for the work they did on the typed copy. >However, I hasten to add, that I do not know that other parishes have had >this transcribing done. (I have been asked that.) >I agree that the films of the church records I want are "beyond the beyond" >as Frank McCourt likes to say. I have thrown up my hands at finding much. >Such a shame as they are a treasure trove of information. If only they were >legible. >Best wishes, >Christina > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "bklyn" <bklyn@webcom.com> >To: <IRL-LONGFORD-L@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 7:49 PM >Subject: [LONGFORD~] church records > > >> Today I spent several more hours poring over films at my Family History >> Center (FHC). Thanks to the hard work of Christina, Jan and others, my >> Gormans are listed on the Longford website under church records, so I had >> the names, dates, parish, etc. Even WITH all that--knowing exactly what I >> was looking for--I had a hard time reading the records and finding the >> records I was looking for. Being written partly in Latin was the least of >> it!! Try reading scrawl some 150 years old, with smeared ink, on dark >> paper (that doesn't film too well), and you've got the idea. I am >> absolutely amazed at some of the transcribing that was done. People >> must've been experienced in hieroglyphics to have deciphered some of that >> writing! Kudos to the ones who did it!! >> >> By contrast, another researcher called me over to see the records he was >> looking through--German church records. The writing was almost a work of >> art--akin to calligraphy! >> Wish the Irish priests had thought ahead into the future and printed the >> records neatly, so we 21st centurions would have an easier time! >> Thanks again for all the work on the website. I don't know how you did >it! >> Agnes >> > > >