From: "Annabelle Sutton" <annabelle@sutton86.fsnet.co.uk> > Roy said, > > Use Google sensibly - that is, or should be, always the first starting > point, rather than asking vague questions here. > > You have given some good answers to the questions asked, however you > have spoilt it by your ending. > Please indulge me by answering one for me. > > What is the point of this list.? > > I was under the impression that it was for all matters pertaining to > West Riding. No one knows the lay of the land or where to get the > information more than the Yorkshire listers. > > Of course we do not know Yorkshire very well, it is our ancestors who > grew up there,so please pardon our ignorance,and be patient, we are on > this list to learn.> Of course we are here to help with queries, but we do like to see that people have done a bit of homework and tried to help themselves first. That is why I always recommend those who are unfamiliar with the geography of Yorkshire to use Google extensively and also the Yorkshire pages of GENUKI, which can normally answer just about everything you need to know about the county. For instance, there is a whole section at GENUKI called "Where is it in Yorkshire?" I seem to recall from your original message that you were asking someone to search every parish between Leeds and York for you. That is simply not a practical proposition and could take months! Both Leeds and York themselves are covered by many parishes, not to mention all the ones in between the two cities. My purpose in suggesting you first use Google and Genuki to research Yorkshire is because so many newcomers seem to have little idea of how vast the county is - well, in UK terms anyway. I believe I am right in saying that North Yorkshire alone is geographically the largest county in England, and that is without counting, West, East and South Yorkshire (of course, there never was a South Riding, just West, North and East Ridings. South Yorkshire is a post-1974 invention). In population terms, Yorkshire has always held within its borders around 10 per cent of the population of England and Wales, and its population today is about the same as the whole of Scotland and over twice that of Wales. Yorkshire's population is also larger than that of Ireland, even with Northern Ireland and the Republic added together. This is why I always emphasise the sheer size of the county when newcomers blithely ask for look-ups. -- Roy Stockdill Editor, Journal of One-Name Studies Guild of One-Name Studies website: www.one-name.org Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE

Roy said, > I seem to recall from your original message that you were asking > someone to search every parish between Leeds and York for you. That is > simply not a practical proposition and could take months! Both Leeds and > York themselves are covered by many parishes, not to mention all the > ones in between the two cities. Hello Roy, first my appologies for talking to you via another persons heading, I should not have done this. Now to make my position clear.I would never, never , ask someone to search several parishes for me as I know how time consuming it would be.I would also like to add that if someone does me a favour I would hope to be able to reciprocate in some way. I have been on the India list for some time now,a lot of my ancestors left England to go out and serve with the East India Company.People have done lookups for me, and I , in turn ,have done a lot of transcribing and look ups in old books , that was my way of saying thank you,not just for those who helped me, but for others as well. I was lucky when I came on this list to be offered a lookup by Anne Lucas for my ancestor Samuel Firth,however,he did not turn up in the Dewsbury records, where he finally decided he was born.(He originally said Barnsly.)Anne offered to look at further parishes for me, but, I would not dream of taking advantage of her big hearted offer.I think I have now found him , through the L.D.S.on line records, in Birstall, something I shall have to follow up at a later date. You seem a very knowledgable person and obviously offer a lot to this list.I on the other hand as a newbie,have a lot to learn.I came on this list hoping I might find a connection to my line of Firths, having failed on all other avenues, and to learn a little about West Riding.I hope that is what I will do. regards from, Annabelle.