As a regular user of the Berkshire Record Office (I visit around 10-15 times annually) I realise that I am in a privileged position with regards to other Berkshire researchers, for example Peter Hyde in Canada. My research, therefore, has allowed me to acquaint myself with the services that the Berkshire Record Office and the Berkshire Family History Society have to offer, and what records are held.
Firstly, although I agree with Peter about the County Archivist and his staff not exactly complying to the terms of their ethos, I also understand that their hands are tied with the Copyright being held by the incumbant of individual parish churches, the Diocesian structure and the unique way that Berkshire has been divided into Unitary Authorities, each with their own separate District Councils and systems. Therefore, I feel it is unfair that the County Archivist and the BRO itself is to 'blame' for not allowing their records to be published digitally, or indeed scanned by the LDS. The power to sanction this is not entirely in their hands, and rely on many other different organisations to comply. That, and the fact that Copyright of these records would be almost impossible to enforce, mean that the BRO and the 'board' are reluctant to allow access to their records online. Understandably so, for although this would provide free and more liberal access to the records at our leisure, it would also mean the death of the BRO as although I am aware that the Parish Registers aren't ALL what they have to offer, a large part of the attraction of genealogists and local historians to BRO itself is reliant on the Parish Registers they hold.
In my opinion, it is wholly unjustified to be solely critical of the system that the BRO and BFHS maintain with regards to the Parish Registers. For although individual parishes may remain untranscribed or undeniably difficult to access, there are many publications produced by the BRO in conjunction with the BFHS, covering a variety of topics. In fairness to the BRO, they are allowing less familiar records to be transcribed and made more available to the general public through companies such as the EurekA Partnership. Although Genealogy in the 21st Century is a huge thing, I can't help but think that the main progression into popularity in this day and age is the Internet. The LDS online have many Berkshire parishes covered, and although there is little progress made by FreeReg, and a lack of records on subscription websites such as FindMyPast, at least records online do exist for Berkshire. Inevitably, that is little comfort for researchers who live far away from the BRO, but at least progress is being made, although I understand that the BRO are reluctant to put these records online, but understandably so.
With publications such as the Berkshire Burial Index and the newly-released Berkshire Marriage Index, I feel it is unfair to brand the BRO as unwilling to release these records. Granted that these records may be pricey, they do offer an unparalled advantage over other Counties. I am unaware of any such project available today produced by any other CRO or FHS, but please do correct me if I am incorrect.
As for the extortionate amount to pay for records printed or photographed at CRO's and BRO especially, I am of a split opinion on this matter. On the one hand, the prices are extortionate at 50pence per A4 or A3 copy, or #1 per photograph (which at #5 for an all-day camera pass at Centre of Bucks Studies or free at The National Archives is outrageous), I believe that one must compare these fees with the bigger picture, so-to-speak. In comparison to the price of Certificates in England and Wales, being #9.25 each, the 50p printout does not seem as exhorbitary, especially if these printouts are being sought from Parish Registers, which offer very similar information to that given in Certificates. I feel that Genealogy is not a 'cheap' hobby strictly speaking, and one could spend a fortune on it, but that if we choose to continue with our hobby, we must be prepared to spend money to receive the information requested (although I definitely agree that the price VicWinAnn was quoted is absolutely outrageous). After speaking with various Genealogists and Rootschatters, who concede that while the pricing is high at CRO's and at the BRO in particular, the money they receive from the printouts and copies, etc, contribute to a large proportion of the money they receive. I feel I am digressing.
The point I am trying to make is although, as stated before, the BRO do nothing but offer the 'bare minimum' in terms of their free services to the general public, the cost of allowing these records to be digitised and put online could cause a greater detramental effect to the BRO due to lost revenue, and ultimately mean that the records we seek to see online will no longer be purchased, or kept, by the BRO.
All in all, I believe that each and every one of us will have our opinions on what records should be released, to whom and when. But ultimately the power lays out of our hands and in the hands of the Diocese, the local government, the BRO and the various UA Councils. I neither agree that the BRO is incorrect in not allowing their Parish Registes to be digitised and released, nor disagree. I feel that the situation is a complex one that has many possible solutions and answers, which I am afraid I cannot give.
Matt
Aged 16 years.
