I have just recently subscribed to this list and also just recently began researching the family of Geo.F.Ritchie and Mary Jane Kirkpatrick who immigrated to Canada in 1908-09. In one of the list submissions there was a book mentioned re:Massachusetts Vital Records by the NEHGS. Is that the correct name and is it available through a Public Library? I live in Saskatoon,Saskatchewan,Canada. I'd like to borrow this book, through Interlibrary loan if necessary. Thanks...Eleanor
Eleanor, There are books titled the Massachusetts Vital Records and these have been copied by the FHL and are available on microfilm. But most people on this list are referring to the New England Historical Genealogical Society's website, www.newenglandancestors.org. The Massachusetts State Archives has the index available for free, but it does not have the images. The FHL is also putting this information with images on their website under the pilot program. The FHL is free, but at the moment only has a limited number of years. There are any number of subscribers to the website that help out on the various Massachusetts lists. If you are only looking for a few people, my suggestion is you post on this or the GenMassachusetts list for lookups. If you are looking for a lot of names, subscribing to the NEHGS website is a good idea. NEHGS membership with website database access is $75 per year. There are issues with the NEHGS and State Archives databases and the Ritchie surname for at least one five year period is one of them. If you look on the state archives database, http://www.sec.state.ma.us/vitalrecordssearch , database and can't find what you need, please email me directly. Sue Richart Washington State On Sun, Apr 25, 2010 at 10:02 AM, Eleanor Ritchie wrote: > I have just recently subscribed to this list and also just recently > began researching > the family of Geo.F.Ritchie and Mary Jane Kirkpatrick who immigrated to > Canada > in 1908-09. In one of the list submissions there was a book mentioned > re:Massachusetts > Vital Records by the NEHGS. Is that the correct name and is it > available through > a Public Library? I live in Saskatoon,Saskatchewan,Canada. I'd like to > borrow > this book, through Interlibrary loan if necessary. > Thanks...Eleanor >