The next 10 years

[Rhonddagirl]

I'd like to see the 1921 Census become available as soon as possible.
Nicki

[Parmesan]

*sigh!*

... I'd really ... REALLY ... like to see The National Archives website turn into something I can actually find my way around!  And maybe they'd organise things so that I can find information online ....

Amen to that, it completely baffles me that site!

[Jeuel]

Since I've been doing family history (about 10 years) I've seen the 1901, 1911 censuses be released, more censuses on Ancestry, parish registers both transcriptions and digital images be made available.

I'm only too happy with what is around.  My husband's cousin started doing their family tree from America, having to go to St. Catherine's House in London on rare trips over here and didn't have access to the 1891 census.  Poor man died without knowing why he couldn't get further back with James Carter and I discovered later its because he was born Dennis McCarthy!

So just appreciate what you've got!

TNA catalogue does take a bit of getting used to, but practice helps!

[Windsor87]

I would like to see the online records for England and Wales to rise to the standard of Scotland's online service.

(And the abolition of Ancestry)

[Daisy Loo]

I would like to see the online records for England and Wales to rise to the standard of Scotland's online service.

(And the abolition of Ancestry)

Not sure I understand about the abolition of Ancestry?  Why??  I live in Ireland, and cannot visit Records offices etc for my ancestors in the UK, so Ancestry has been a HUGE help for me. 

I am happy so far with what is available, would like to see more parish records, or at least catelogues and/or indexes of parish records online.

[millymcb]

I think we will see more commercial partnerships with the national archive to digitize records (like ancestry and FindMyPast have done with the army service papers).  Presumably this is a profitable enterprise for the companies and they will continue doing more.  And the mopre they do they more money they make...so the more they will do. etc etc.  I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of National Archive material available that way in 10 years time.

Also - possibly the local archvives will find partners to work with too although these would not be as profitable due to the local nature of the material so it may not be so financially attractive.

Also - the search functions of the major sites will probably be a lot more sophisticated.  Even in the last couple of years they have become much more able to do do complex searches - just imagine how good they will be in another 10

Milly

[Nick29]

I would like to see the online records for England and Wales to rise to the standard of Scotland's online service.

(And the abolition of Ancestry)

Not sure I understand about the abolition of Ancestry?  Why??  I live in Ireland, and cannot visit Records offices etc for my ancestors in the UK, so Ancestry has been a HUGE help for me. 

I am happy so far with what is available, would like to see more parish records, or at least catelogues and/or indexes of parish records online.

I don't understand the Ancestry comment either.  I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford subs to Ancestry, FindMyPast and The Genealogist, and I have to say that the one which has helped me the most in the last year is Ancestry, because I've discovered far more from the release of the LMA archives than I have from the 1911 census.  Also, the newly-released probate stuff on Ancestry looks promising too, although most of my ancestors were too poor to leave wills 

[Parmesan]

the new Probate stuff is excellent.  Not that many of my forebears had twopence between them! 

[newburychap]

I think that over the next 10 years, more old newspapers will come on line, especially some of the long lost off our streets,  more Parish Records will be available on line and my big wish that the GRO will find some way around the law and issue certs. on line.

More of the records held in county archives become available online, and the LMA releases more of its extensive collections online.

Although I sincerely hope that you are right, I wouldn't like to take a bet on it 

When you are in a library, you can whizz through microfilms to find what you want, but you can't do that on a computer online.  To be able to access stuff online, it has to be digitised, indexed, transcribed, and stored, and all these things cost money.  The records on the LMA pre-1813 are very difficult to photograph and transcribe, because of the condition of the originals.  I'd love to see local newspapers online, but unfortunately these would also need to be digitised, transcribed, and cross-referenced, which again would be time-consuming and costly.

I'm not sure which elements of Plummiegirl's predictions you are dubious about - but:

Many more newspapers will appear (Brightsolid have already signed up to digitise the BL collection), the BL is desparate for this to happen because it will make the closure of Colindale more acceptable and raise some much needed funds;

Many more parish records will appear online (the LDS are already putting up digitised PRs and many, many more will follow);

Record offices are less likely to do so much as they are facing massive funding cuts - but they might find a way to raise some funds through putting records online;

The GRO may well follow the GROS in making register info available online, but the future of Civil Registration records is up in the air at present, the last government wanted to make historical registers public (local registers transferring to county record offices or similar to enable public access),  who knows what the present lot will do?