In a message dated 23/10/2009 13:21:11 GMT Daylight Time, gordon@adshead.com writes: Is the best place to look for relevant mining and vital event records definitely Woodhorn ? Or are there other record offices or libraries in the area that might glean a gem ? Also - Is Saturday a good or bad time to visit Woodhorn ? Gordon: Given that you seem to be primarily interested in the 18th century CMB, and in mining records, the best place to see microfilms of any Northumberland C of E parish registers is Woodhorn. However, you might well find things easier if you go to Newcastle Central Libary (New Bridge Street, Newcastle). There you can look at the H M Wood transcripts, which cover almost every parish in the county, from the start of the registers to 1812. They have the microfiche edition of the IGI, which covers the baptisms and marriages in most of them, and so which you can use as a sort of index. The convenience of having all those, plus the relevant censuses, plus the H M Wood transcripts for Co Durham also, all under one roof, with lists of monumental inscriptions and lots and lots of published material (ie books) on local background and on the mining industry, more than makes up for you having to use transcripts for the registers. Even though Woodhorn has the original registers, all you would be allowed to look at would be microfilms anyway. In central Newcastle you are also in a handy place for accessing Tyne and Wear Archives should you need it (they cover the modern Tyne and Wear), as well as the NDFHS LIbrary at Bolbec Hall and next door but one to that, the NEIMME Library (that of the North-East Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers), though that is useful mainly for actual engineering details, not for the personnel involved, unless, of course, they were engineers themselves. One last tip that may finally persuade you to try Newcastle before Woodhorn. Apart from being 15+ miles away from Newcastle, Woodhorn will charge you a considerable amount (used to be £2 per time, but I have a feeling I've heard it has increased) for car parking, and the only eating place on site has a very limited menu etc, with the nearest alternative, at Woodhorn Grange, about a mile away by road. In Newcastle, while car parking is still expensive, many manage to travel in and out on the Metro, which I find an excellent and efficient transport system. Also, there you will be surrounded by a wide choice of cafes, restaurants, pubs, etc, to sit in and ponder your findings! Very little material survives for mining personnel records, so if that is what you seek, you should look at the Woodhorn on-line catalogue and if you find none there you could save yourself a trip. I have never been to Woodhorn on a Saturday but i am told that it is no busier than weekdays. I would say, however, "Try to avoid school holidays" as in spite of what they would have you believe, noise, some of it from their own exhibitions, can be heard clearly when in the search room there, and the automatic doors seem to be looked on as playthings by some children, whose giggles are a further distraction. They mus have parents but are usually effectively unsupervised. Geoff Nicholson