Hi Judith I feel pretty sure that Ancestry just 'gateway' the FreeBMD records. I've had similar instances where entries appear to show up on Ancestry but not FreeBMD, but it has always turned out to be a quirk in the way the search has worked. I remember that in the early days of FreeBMD, they asked people to submit records from their research. I came across a record from the 1940s in a search a few days ago & assumed it was from that category. Could be wrong tho'! Rosemary -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.12.4/146 - Release Date: 21/10/2005

Civil registration for English & Welsh BMDs began in July 1837. From that time indexes have been compiled. Information based on these indexes on Ancestry falls into 3 categories -: 1. A database of electronic information which is now pretty well complete from 1837 to close to 1920. This is available because Ancestry links to FreeBMD although that's not clear when you do the search. If you look at the source information at the bottom of the Ancestry search, you will see that FreeBMD is credited. My understanding is that Ancestry sponsors FreeBMD so this is all quite legitimate. Ancestry does NOT have a separate or different database. Presumably Ancestry does not charge for this information because the transcription has been done by volunteers. That said, it is sometimes worth searching via Ancestry as well as FreeBMD because the searches operate in different ways. Ancestry imposes its seach structure onto the database - you can get different results. Although not if you ask EXACTLY the same question! Have a look at FreeBMD FAQ http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/FAQ.html And to check progress & for any gaps in the information http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/progress.shtml They reckon that the whole of the indexes from 1837 to 1983 will be transcribed by 2011. 2. An ongoing electronic datebase compiled by the ONS. This began in 1984 & continues; the last time I looked Ancestry had this database up to 2004. 3. From 1837 to 1983, digitised images of the original indexes can be viewed. If you do a search, the result is a facsimile of the original index page compiled way back when. It's like searching on fiche at a library but easier & more convenient! For those who have never done this before, this gives you in excess of 100 entries in alphabetically order on a typeset page & leaves you to find what you're looking for. It has to be done quarter by quarter. The link I have to get to all 9 of these datasets - one of each type for births, deaths & marriages is - http://www.ancestry.com/search/locality/dbpage.aspx?tp=3257&p=3251&categoryFilterID=34&showPaging=true It follows therefore that from the most recent FreeBMD work, (somewhere before 1920) & up to the end of 1983, searches can only be done via digitised images, downloading each quarter. A more tedious & low tech procedure than interogating a database. Hope this makes it a little clearer for those who haven't used these datasets before. Rosemary Ackroyd -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.12.4/146 - Release Date: 21/10/2005