Name the church

[social-butterflies]

following all the info, thanks for the updates

[king otg]

Here is the “successful deposit” list. These are all excellent record offices:

Aberystwyth - National Library of Wales (WGI)
Bromley, Kent (GLGI, SEGI)
Cambridge (EGI)
Canterbury (SEGI)
Chippenham (SWGI)
Doncaster (NGI)
Durham (NGI)
Gloucester (WGI)
Hawarden (WGI)
Huntingdon (EGI)
Leckwith (WGI)
Northallerton (NGI)
Oxford (SWGI)
Stafford (WGI)
Wigston Magna (EGI)

The following record offices will definitely receive theirs in early August. There should not be any subsequent difficulties:

Bexley Library (GLGI, SEGI)
Ilford Library (GLGI)
Maidstone (SEGI)
Matlock (EGI)
Reading (SWGI)
Shrewsbury (WGI)
Warwick (WGI)
Winchester (SWGI & SEGI)

The following are currently in slight doubt for the reasons given:

Chester (WGI) persistent no reply
Chichester (SEGI) reconsidering basis of deposit
Newcastle (NGI) lost in post
Norton Fitzwarren (SWGI) appears normal subject to final checks
Strood (SEGI) lost in post
Woodhorn (NGI) awaiting receipt

NO OTHER RECORD OFFICE is currently authorised to make the database available although there is nothing to stop them from requesting a copy for their region at any time in the future. The stimulus should come from their customers.

Many gipsy and traveller families are spread out all over England & Wales. If you are planning to make use of the database in your region and wish to explore further afield you can tell the archivists about your interests and ask them to apply to me for a copy of the database for whichever region you are interested in. You can then examine it at the same record office.

Approval is not automatic. The information that is passed to me needs to be clear enough to identify the correct database and what contribution the requested file could make. In other words, Surname and County. Examples include ‘SMITH in Worcestershire’ or ‘BOSWELL in Lincolnshire’. The alternative is to go to a record office that holds the database you wish to see.

As mentioned previously I have finished my work so I will be moving on to other projects in the coming months. The record offices, mentioned above, will deal with all enquiries and requests.

The Society of Genealogists has kindly offered to accept the full paper version subject to discussions about terms and conditions.

TL

[amandas123]

Wow! this collected data is unbelievably valuable.  I for one am so glad and grateful that you are making these collections available through the Register Offices. 

Am I right in thinking that Beverley will be the correct office for: Northern England Gipsy Index (NGI) covers Cumberland, Durham, that part of Lancashire now included in Cumbria, Northumberland, Westmorland, Yorkshire, Scottish Borders (231pp) ?

What would be the procedure to access the records?

I believe this is the region where my ancestor (Jeremiah Sowden and his wife, Jane and their family) will be recorded as am still looking for his marriage to Jane, his birth (abt 1755) and other births to them.  You have already generously helped me in my search and taken me forward.  Once I can get over to England I would love to be able to visit the appropriate registry offices to continue the search.   

Very best wishes - Amanda Stone

[king otg]

The Northern Gipsy Index is currently available at Durham, Woodhorn (near Ashington) and Doncaster.

The other record offices that were originally sent the NGI, Beverley and Newcastle, have had problems. The one that went to Tyne & Wear archives was lost in the post although another copy will be sent to them if it does not show up. Beverley have returned theirs because we could not come to a suitable agreement about terms of use. So the answer is, 'No, Beverley is not the correct office'.

The following website, under Local Centres then Record Offices, then Yorkshire South (for Doncaster) Northumberland (for Woodhorn and Tyne & Wear) and Durham (for Durham) leads to the relevant county websites to clarify their opening hours and whether an appointment is needed

www.ancestor-search.info/

Thanks for your kind words.

TL

[king otg]

For those who had a glimpse of hope when seeing the last sentence of Reply #19, which suggested the possibility of depositing the paper version at the SoG, unfortunately that outcome has been cancelled.

Just like four other depositories that have had to return their CD-ROMs, the SoG automatically expects to take full control of the database and that is not acceptable to the author. In practical terms this means that the paper version will be destroyed for lack of space to store it.

It is quite right to resist the standard deposit forms because they propose agreement to a number of proposed developments which, considering the subject-matter, might be frowned upon by some members of the community. The database is not just genealogy. Conclusions can be drawn from it.

Placing the database online is one of the proposed developments. Ask yourself if you want everybody around the world to see the comical remarks that some clerics have made in their registers such as describing one family as a "shower of wild beasts".

Do you want the police to analyse the data from the perspective of historical territories? My strict rules ensure that this cannot happen.

The database is free but it is not a free-for-all.

TL

[amandas123]

I am very concerned.  Am I correct in understanding that you have nowhere to place these paper records? 

This is a hugely precious resource both historically and personally for you but also for many who have benefited from it.  I think what you seem to have amassed is insurmountable and should be treated as such.  I know about the problems of storage of such things as my late father created a huge resource in folk history which my daughter is now cataloguing and thankfully has found a caring home. 

I appeal to all those who may or defintiely have a gypsy heritage - this is an important issue and should be taken in hand. 

Best wishes
Amanda Stone

[amandas123]

As an aside: 
I quite enjoy the comical remarks - the clergy were openly disgusting in their treatment of anyone who fell outside a very narrow range of what they considered respectable.  Anyone who has trawled the original records will have noticed that their contempt is almost palpable. Since most of us came from common folk anyway - we will not be deterred.  No wonder the Methodist and similar movements took off.  Glad to say one of my ancestors were amongst the first to choose the registry office for their marriage - good on them.   

A

[social-butterflies]

I to like all the little comments that are written in the registers etc. chuckled away in those registry offices many a time while searching.
It is such a shame that these records are not offered storage as their information would benefit us all. Please don't give up trying to "home" them just yet king otg.
You never what's round the corner!

[king otg]

I have started to disassemble over 200 ring-binder files.

Approximately 50,000 factual entries have been uploaded as if they were parts of a giant jigsaw puzzle with plenty of contextual clues without necessarily doing all the work. I believe that family historians prefer to make their own discoveries and the information is now gathered for that purpose.

The material being destroyed consists of 1) additional evidence, which can still be seen by following the indexed information to its source, and 2) speculative pedigrees which gather details from a variety of sources. They can be reproduced by putting all the available information together including certificates, census extracts, other people’s contributions and JGLS notes.

Nothing less than a very large, factual, well organised and easily accessible database is going to be fit for purpose and, after division into six regions, the database has been deposited at 30 record offices. Since some of the depositories are still to officially acknowledge receipt and because we are still sorting out the conditions of use I will delay giving a final list.

There is also a list of Record Offices that will not be participating and a large number of Record Offices that know nothing about the database and can still be approached and educated about it.

TL