Record Office / "The Story" re-opening

[candleflame]

I visited at the open weekend and they said that for access to the computers in the search and discover, it’s not bookable, it’s first come first served and they are going to see how that goes.  However if you want to see actual physical documents , you have to book in advance to look at them in the viewing room or whatever it’s called. It’s nice and light though. I don’t know if it’s changed booking wise since then but that’s what we were told.

[Tickettyboo]

As they haven't brought any of the microfilms readers over and  on 9th July I was informed that only 5 churches' Parish Registers were available on the computers (an increase of 2 churches between when JayG asked on 14 June and yesterday) I'd suggest that before anyone goes to visit they  find out IF original Parish Registers will be available to view  (though a slot and what you want to look at would have to be booked in advance for that) until the  computer access is complete.

I looked at the old site at the list of church registers:
https://durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/search-options/search-church-registers/church-search-results/?SearchType=AtoZ&SearchStart=Y

Clicking on each letter gives a count of the number of churches, the grand total  comes to 1074 - so holding breath for completion would seem to be inadvisable :-)

Boo

[AllanUK]

Hi Boo, thank you for the update. Have you tried to 'phone them? The reason I'm asking is that a friend (lives in Reading) has tried several times but all she gets is a pre-recorded message.

[jon541]

By my calculations, at the current rate of progress (2 parishes added since opening), it will be 45 years before all of those 1074 parishes are available digitally. 

Tempting to make a facetious booking for 2069, not that I will be around then to use it.

[Tickettyboo]

Hi Boo, thank you for the update. Have you tried to 'phone them? The reason I'm asking is that a friend (lives in Reading) has tried several times but all she gets is a pre-recorded message.

No, not tried phoning. I rarely phone any company/ organisation- public or private -with queries because I have no idea how busy they are and  email is less instant - plus I then also have a record of the query and the reply so there's less chance of a subsequent dispute over what was said.

Boo

[Tickettyboo]

By my calculations, at the current rate of progress (2 parishes added since opening), it will be 45 years before all of those 1074 parishes are available digitally. 

Tempting to make a facetious booking for 2069, not that I will be around then to use it.

aww be fair, 'some' of the churches on the list will be tiny so wont take as long :-) I think you can shave a few years off your booking date at least

Boo

[jon541]

I would be interested to know where Durham Record Office/The Story stand legally under the Parochial Registers and Records Act of 1978 vis-a-vis the provision of access to the registers under their care.  My understanding of it is that under a 1992 amendment to the act they are allowed to refuse access to an original register of baptisms or burials on grounds of conservation only if they provide a 'surrogate' (e.g. a microfilm, printed, or digital copy).  For some reason, marriage registers appear to be dealt with separately.

The purpose of the original act was to ensure the preservation of the originals by forcing their deposit in a diocesan record office (in practice usually a county record office) unless the originating parish could prove that they could provide the necessary security and environmental conditions.  This was also partly in response to an increased demand for access from genealogical researchers. I remember consulting the Chester-le-Street registers at the parish hall back in the 1980s as they had, at that time, chosen to retain them on site. 

Perhaps I am misreading the legislation (link below for anyone with a higher boredom threshold than me for reading legalese) but is it really acceptable to say that there will be no access to the records they hold until digitized?  And I know it would seem a bit regressive to have the old microfilm system in operation in their shiny new premises but for the sake of a couple of cabinets and a few readers, would that not have been possible during the interim period while digitizing?

Just thinking aloud here ...!

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/1978/2/contents

[Tickettyboo]

I would be interested to know where Durham Record Office/The Story stand legally under the Parochial Registers and Records Act of 1978 vis-a-vis the provision of access to the registers under their care.  My understanding of it is that under a 1992 amendment to the act they are allowed to refuse access to an original register of baptisms or burials on grounds of conservation only if they provide a 'surrogate' (e.g. a microfilm, printed, or digital copy).  For some reason, marriage registers appear to be dealt with separately.

I hope my post hasn't misled you jon541, I said that checking before visiting to find out IF the originals will be available would be advisable (as most archives, in line with that legislation, only give access if no alternate is available).
I didn't mean to imply the originals are not available as I don't know for sure one way or another.

Though some/any info on the website would 'really' help to clarify things for potential visitors.

Boo

[jon541]

Yes, clarification would indeed be a good thing.  Frankly, I'd be very surprised if their plan is to allow people to see the originals since Durham, in particular, have always been very protective of those (as indeed they have a duty to be). Even in the 1980s when Northumberland used to allow original registers to be piled on top of each other on desks, Durham had gone down the microfilm-only line.

Again, surely the most rational solution would have been to continue with the MFs until there was a viable alternative.  I can't imagine that space is an issue in their new home.