Suffolk parish registers to go online?

[coombs]

A glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel while we wait for digitisation of the records is, Suffolk FHS have made their transcription CD's downloadable, and I just bought the Suffolk Burial Index CD Volume 3 and the Loes and Orford deaneries Baptisms indexes. This means you can download them after buying them and get instant access and not have to wait for delivery.

Do these CDs have stuff on that isn't available so far on Ancestry and/or FindMyPast?

Yes it can be good, the Suffolk burial Index Vol 3 contains all known burials for every parish in Suffolk from 1538 to 1900 (taking into account the occasional gaps in PR's and some parish records do not survive as far back as 1538 when PR's began). The Burial CD has helped me a great deal.

You'd have to check the Deaneries, as some Deaneries have baptisms and marriages as far back as 1650, and it will be info that is probably not yet available on Ancestry and FindMyPast or FamilySearch.

Bosmere, Clare, Stow, Blackbourn and Thedwastre and Colneis/Samford Deaneries for example have their known baptisms transcribed back to 1650. It can help immensely. It is all work in progress and they aim to have all known baptisms and marriages for Suffolk transcribed from Start to 1649 as well.

[Trevor Rix]

This demonstrates what would be possible if Suffolk were to face reality.

https://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2021/01/digitised-east-sussex-records-are.html

[coombs]

Those Suffolk FHS downloadable CD's have helped immensely. I think virtually all 1754-1812 baptisms have been covered by the CD's, and several deaneries for 1650-1753 have been covered, such as Clare, Thingoe, Blackbourn, Fordham, Colneis/Samford, Stow/Thedwastre and Bosmere and Claydon. No pre 1650 baptisms have yet been published but all in good time, and some 1650-1753 deaneries are yet to be published such as Hartismere, Dunwich, Carlford and Loes and Sudbury Deaneries.

I commend the transcribers.

[Trevor Rix]

Indeed, now with 20% discount for Suffolk FHS members. Or the majority are on Findmypast.
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/historical-records?region=united-kingdom&keywords=suffolk

[coombs]

The Suffolk Baptism Index on FindMyPast is mainly 1754 onwards.

So the 1650-1753 CD's for baptisms will contain several parishes that are not yet available on FindMyPast or Ancestry. I have found several candidates for ancestors with the CD's and never found them on those 2 min sites.

For instance my ancestor Samuel Mayhew who wed Mary Peake in 1746 in Stonham Aspall. I found a Samuel Mayhew baptised in Creeting St Peter in 1724, and a Mary Peake baptised in the same village in 1725, and Creeting is just a mile away from Stonham Aspal. Before I bought the Stow and Thedwastre and Bosmere and Claydon CDs, I had never come across a likely baptism, there was one in Mickfield in 1726 but he died as a baby.

[Trevor Rix]

From: Andrew Reid (SCC Councillor) [mailto:Andrew.Reid@suffolk.gov.uk]
Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2021, 7:32 PM
To: Richard Kemp (SCC Councillor)
Cc: trevor@trevorrix.co.uk
Subject: Digitising Suffolk parish registers

Dear Richard,

Yes, this is my portfolio and I have now had the opportunity to follow up on Mr Rix’s request for an update on the project to digitise Suffolk Parish Registers.

Since the last message Suffolk Archive Service has received expert legal advice from specialists in intellectual rights. Based on that advice it is apparent that in order to get the best outcome for both the service and Suffolk residents we need to be guided in any future procurement exercise by experts in this area of law and further resource will be needed from the Council’s procurement, legal and IT teams to support this major project.

Since March the priority for the service has been the movement of collections into The Hold from 4 sites around the county, the development and launch of 2 exhibitions, a new public outreach programme and much more.  Suffolk County Council is contracted to deliver the various elements of The Hold countywide Suffolk Archives transformational programme by 30 September 2022, which is where Suffolk Archives Service resources are concentrated at present. Essentially, this programme is really a series of projects in their own right. Our IT resource is currently committed to helping Suffolk Archive Service improve its website, digitise maps and get new GIS map layers and more catalogue information online and to improving online ordering etc. We cannot unfortunately lever in more resources to do another IT project until these are completed.

Kind regards

Andrew Reid
Cabinet Member for Public Health, Public Protection and Communities
Suffolk County Council – Wilford Division
Tel:  07545 423799
Email: Andrew.reid@suffolk.gov.uk

[Trevor Rix]

So, the can has been kicked down the road yet again.

"get the best outcome for both the service and Suffolk residents".
What they still don't realise is the millions of people of Suffolk descent worldwide who potentially wish to view and download high quality colour images of original Suffolk parish registers from their own homes 24/7 at a reasonable cost. The market is not just Suffolk residents.

[JosiahS]

It seems that some are now appearing on The Genealogist website.  At the end of July they added information from the following parishes:

Ashby, Belton, Blundeston with Flixton, Bradwell, Burgh Castle, Carlton Colville, Corton, Fritton, Gisleham, Gorleston with Southtown, Gunton, Herringfleet, Hopton, Kessingland, Kirkley St Peter & St John, Kirkley St Matthew, Knettishall, Lound, Lowestoft Christchurch, Lowestoft St Andrew, Lowestoft St John, Lowestoft St Margaret, Mutford, Oulton Broad, Oulton St Michael (Oldton), Pakefield, Rushmere, and Somerleyton

[Trevor Rix]

Parish register images for those parishes in north-east Suffolk have been available on FamilySearch, and more recently on Ancestry, for years. Because that are included in the Norfolk images.