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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: eadaoin on Tuesday 28 December 10 18:45 GMT (UK)

Title: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: eadaoin on Tuesday 28 December 10 18:45 GMT (UK)
Now that we've all been given lots of new certs for Christmas presents,
don't forget to add the details of each one to FreeBMD.

I feel very virtuous - I've just done mine!

eadaoin
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: copperbeech5 on Tuesday 28 December 10 20:58 GMT (UK)
Hi,

Just read your post and would love to help, but don't know what you mean, please can you elaborate for us, the uninitiated...?

Many thanks,
Copperbeech5
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: eadaoin on Tuesday 28 December 10 21:49 GMT (UK)
the site FreeBMD has the indexes of Birth, Marriage, and Death Certs in England and Wales.

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/

If you're researching a common name, it can be difficult to know which Joe Bloggs is yours!

So, freeBMD allows you to add information to the Indexes from certs that you've bought - it won't help YOU, but you'll help others.

Look at one of the "postems" I added
... search for Gray marriages in Kent 1930-1933 ... you'll see that 2 of these have little envelopes beside them .. if you click on the envelope, you'll get extra info about this marriage.

If everyone adds info for every cert they buy,  it will really help others, and they'll help you

eadaoin
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: Selina on Tuesday 28 December 10 22:15 GMT (UK)
Postems are particularly useful if there are two or more people with the same name and event in the same year.

Even if you buy the wrong certificate, putting the details on a postem can help someone else avoid doing so.

Also great to find one next to a relative who is too distant to warrent purchasing a certificate but who you would like more knowledge of.

Selina
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: copperbeech5 on Tuesday 28 December 10 22:19 GMT (UK)
Hi,

Thanks for the info, I learn something new every day!!

I will now do the same.

Best wishes,
Copperbeech5
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: danuslave on Wednesday 29 December 10 08:27 GMT (UK)
Thanks eadaoin - I didn't know this either   :)

Linda
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: Mark1973 on Wednesday 29 December 10 10:44 GMT (UK)
Forgot about this, got plenty to add, shame you cant link the birth, death, marriage and children together, would be helpful for others.
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: Mark1973 on Wednesday 29 December 10 11:45 GMT (UK)
Actually scrap that, you can paste a link in the postem.
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: coombs on Wednesday 29 December 10 11:46 GMT (UK)
I might start adding them. I have heard a lot about them.
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: Lidfam on Wednesday 29 December 10 16:30 GMT (UK)
Yes Selina but it comes back to the old advice of not trusting second hand information as the truth. As with the I.G.I , which I have found to my own expense, mischievous people can add any old rubbish to these sites, and so any information should be treated with caution, and not as fact.

                                                                           Dale
Quote
Postems are particularly useful if there are two or more people with the same name and event in the same year.

Even if you buy the wrong certificate, putting the details on a postem can help someone else avoid doing so.

Also great to find one next to a relative who is too distant to warrent purchasing a certificate but who you would like more knowledge of.

Selina
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: Mark1973 on Wednesday 29 December 10 16:41 GMT (UK)
I've added some links to mine so far http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=5177209&d=bmd_1291127520

Works quite well, just like a tree :)
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: Selina on Wednesday 29 December 10 16:45 GMT (UK)
Yes quite true Dale, the I.G.I. and Ancestry Family Trees being prime examples.

However I still think it is a worthwhile exercise to add postems, not that I have ever found one attached to any record I am interested in!

Selina
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: Selina on Wednesday 29 December 10 17:09 GMT (UK)
Gosh that looks good Mark, anyone opening that postem up won't be able to believe their luck!

Selina
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: coombs on Wednesday 29 December 10 17:47 GMT (UK)
Pity there are not more postems like that.
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: Jill on the A272 on Wednesday 29 December 10 17:59 GMT (UK)
I wasn't aware of postems before so thanks for making me aware, I think it will be my New Year's Resolution to got through my certificate collection and add some details.
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: ucdom on Monday 03 January 11 23:59 GMT (UK)
Hey

I didn't know about postems, but I think they're brilliant and have just added my entire certificate collection. It's a drop in the ocean I know, but if we all do it, then we may have a modest fraction of pre-1911 maiden names and pre-1866 ages at death sorted without having to badger anyone else to do it for us!

This topic should be put to the top of the common room boards, and everyone who uses FreeBMD and then buys a certificate obliged to enter the data.

Just a thought...

Andrew
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: Selina on Tuesday 04 January 11 00:21 GMT (UK)
I agree Andrew, every drop in the ocean is one drop more!

OK so some may be added from ill intentions but I think the majority will be in good faith.  Everything is so expensive now and any small bit of information is a help and may assist someone who can't afford a certificate.

Selina
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: coombs on Tuesday 04 January 11 05:20 GMT (UK)
Yes I shall add some of my postems. I use the site BMD share as well. Every little helps. I have about 75% of the birth, marriage and death certs of my direct rellies after civil reg commenced. 2 births from 1852 and 1856 were not registered.
Title: Re: FreeBMD - postems .. don't forget
Post by: FosseWay on Wednesday 05 January 11 13:08 GMT (UK)
I didn't know there was a concerted campaign to do this, but I'm glad there is. I've been doing it for a while, ever since I came across the full details for a marriage I'd found, for relatives too distant for me to afford the full certificate.