IGI - Complete?

[mshrmh]

In addition to the IGI a few parish records are online at
http://freereg.rootsweb.com/search/index.htm
You may also find some on a website for an individual church or a local area - it's worth checking on the GENUKI pages for the area and doing a "search" on the parish name eg  place + "parish records"; or place + "church records"; or just searching to see if the church has its own website which may have links.

Even local records offices don't have everything - I recently discovered that records for one church that covered the area some of my family were in are still at the church with no copy at the records office.

[julianb]

Some of the commercial sites have some parish records - but far from a full picture (the best is still the IGI).  You might want to check what Family History Online have - they are the commercal outlet for the Federation of Family history Societies:

http://www.familyhistoryonline.net/database/index.shtml

JULIAN

[Ewan]

Thank you Julian and mshrmh for your additional replies.

I do go into both the websites that you have suggested and so far have had no luck with any records I am looking for, will keep looking though, there are changes/additions all the time.

All the best and thank you
Ewan

[Simon G.]

In other words is the IGI online complete?

Far from it, the vast majority of events are unrecorded in the IGI.  Even if it were complete, it would still be advisable to check out the original parish registers...the IGI is only as good as the person who has transcribed the records, and the IGI contains many details from personal research which may or may not be accurate.  At the end of the day the IGI is meant to be an index of those who have been "baptised" by the LDS, and can never hope to replace the primary source material.

[Ewan]

Thank you Simon for your comment.  I have found just a few records from the IGI and have been lucky enough to verfiy them from actual parish records.

It is comforting to know that this index is incomplete anyway.

Ewan

[Lavenda]

Hi Ewan

Living in Australia, I am envious of you being able to go "off to the record office" 

For areas where you are not so easily able to do this, check the film library on the family search site
(which is not working in my world at the minute so I can't give you a link). The LDS have films of MANY parishes that have not been indexed on the IGI. You can then visit your local LDS centre & order and view these films - not as good as the Records Office, but the best for those of us living far distant from same.

Trish

Trish I am an Aussie too and have been searching for so long. I had real help and copies of records at very reasonable prices from www.scotsfamily.com. You only pay if they find something.  They came across records I had no hope of finding, such as burial records, marriage, and from these I now have more info....... so searching again  .  Any Aussie looking for Scots records would find their site a help, I think.

Rainie

[trish251]

Hi Rainie and welcome to RootsChat & many thanks for the link.

I don't have alot of unknowns with my Scottish families - having met many nice folks online who have checked for me - and the SP records are very comprehensive & I find the IGI useful for my parts of Scotland as well - but it is always good to have other options. I would just love to be able to "browse the registers" in a records office, rather than test my eyes against very old film readers   

If you are in Southern Queensland - do have a look at our meeting threads
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,235001.0.html

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,236332.0.html

Trish

[Lavenda]

Hi Trish,

Thanks for your reply Trish, I live in country WA

Trish pardon my ignorance but what is the SP  and the film readers, you refer to?

Yes the IGI has been really helpful for me too, though I still have a long way to go.

Wish I did live in your QSLD area, your meets sound great.

Kind regards

 Rainie

[MarieC]

Hi Rainie,

And welcome to Rootschat from me!  I'm a friend of Trish's and we both go to the Rootschat meets here.  Yes, I wish you could join us - but WA is just a tad far away!!! 

I think Trish was referring to scotlandspeople (very good website), and to the microfilm readers at the LDS, some of which are indeed very ancient!  But we Aussies are grateful for them, as at least we are able to see parish records on film, even though we can't get to the records offices! 

MarieC