re are a lot of parishes that refuse transcriptions, items can only be > taken from registers for personal use any passing on of this information to > a third unrelated person can be challenged in court. Case law says it would > be upheld and the perpetrators found guilty. Pewsey in Wiltshire is a > parish that has continually denied access to anyone except relations. That is illegal - the relevant law says that access must be available 'at any reasonable time. Set the Archdeacon on him, failing whom the Bishop. Problem is, the 'reasonable time' is theirs, not yours. The late and once well known genealogist, Robert Massey, wished to search the registers of a Bucks parish where the rector was a strnage withdrawn man who hated everybody. Having been refused, Bob had a word with his friend, the Bishop, who send a reprimand to the rector. Rector then agreed that Bob could search the registers, but only if he arrived at 7am. This Bob did, to find the rector still in bed. Bob luckily had a local friend who was amenable to an early visit, and gave him coffee. After two return visits, Bob finally got in at 9am and was then locked in the vestry and left till lunchtime.. As he remarked 'By that time, I had had four cups of coffee - and - harrumph - thank God the windowsill was low.' EVE Author of The McLaughlin Guides for Family Historians Secretary, Bucks Genealogical Society