Almost 100,000 service records of officers who served with the Royal Air Force in the First World War have been made available by the National Archive's Documents Online service. The records, catalogued as AIR76 at TNA, can be searched by first name, surname and date of birth and downloaded at a cost £3.50 each. The website suggests however that many of the records do not record the officer’s date of birth, so it may be worth omitting that if no results are returned.
The site notes that the records contain the following:
At the top of the record are the officer's forename(s) or initial(s), surname, date and place of birth and next of kin.
Spread across the remaining side(s) of the record sheet are usually the date the officer was initially commissioned, any subsequent promotion(s), the unit(s) which the individual served in (including the date of arrival at the unit and the date they left), and details of specialist courses attended. In the case of aircrew, the record will note any Royal Aero Club certificate numbers and the dates they were granted.
Usually found on the back of a record sheet is information about the type of aircraft flown, details of any honours and awards and the date they were announced in the London Gazette.
Many of the sheets are pre-printed with the references MGPRI or AM60. MGPR probably refers to the Department of the Master-General of Personnel, which would have held the forms prior to it becoming the Directorate of Personnel within the Department of the Chief of Air Staff by June 1919.
Finally the record will note the date when an individual relinquished their commission, the date of death or a date of retirement.
Further information at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/air76.asp
(With thanks to Simon Fowler's Ancestors magazine blog.)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Friday, 6 November 2009
History of online family history
John Reid of the Anglo-Celtic Connections blog has an interesting history of the development of the internet for family history research, produced from a simple analysis of the UK's Family Tree Magazine over the last few years.
It is an interesting read, available at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2009/11/recent-family-history-history.html
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
It is an interesting read, available at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2009/11/recent-family-history-history.html
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
DOVE shot in mid-flight - welcome in DIP
A few days ago I blogged that the Digitisation of Vital Events (DOVE) project, designed to digitise the births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales from 1837, had been restarted. Roger Lewry from the Federation of Family History Societies has now provided an update and link to further news on this.
First things first - DOVE is actually dead. The project finished half-completed last year, when the contract for Siemens, the company responsible, was not renewed. It has now been replaced by the blandly titled Digitisation and Indexing Project. The project has the following aims:
* Completion of the digitisation of the outstanding registration records, namely births, marriages and deaths from 1837 to current date.
* Creation of online indexes to these events.
* Enhancements to the existing certificate ordering and production systems to enhance the overall customer experience.
For anybody with relatives in England and Wales hoping for a future ScotlandsPeople style website, this essentially means you're fresh out of luck (as before with DOVE) - the GRO has the following to say on that:
Current legislation in England and Wales does not permit the register entries (certificate information) to be made available online. However, the provision of online access to the indexes will provide greater accessibility and improved ease of use for those people undertaking family history research.
In other words, for this to happen, there needs to be a change in the law, and it looks like the GRO are more than happy to just continue with the provision of an online index instead (replacing the MAGPIE project, another civil service bird that was shot in mid-flight).
The net result of all this is that in time a new indexing system will be made available online by the GRO, replacing the need for access to the current indexes online through sites such as Ancestry.co.uk, The Genealogist.co.uk, FindmyPast.com and FamilyRelatives.com. Ancestry has recently significantly enhanced its indexes in association with FreeBMD - it will be interesting to see if the GRO's index betters it.
A horrible thought that did occur to me was whether the new indexes will in fact be compatible with the old. Could the efforts of FreeBMD and others be redundant within a few months? If so, expect a peasant's revolt from the genealogical community.
Once again, I think it is disgraceful that England and Wales should be prevented from online access to records the equivalent of which are already available online in Scotland, and planned for in Northern Ireland along similar lines in the next couple of years. It affects those of us in Scotland also with families who settled in or originated from England - it is a UK wide issue for genealogists.
If you want access to the digitised records online, rather than writing to your current MP, I suspect a good ploy might be to start writing to the prospective candidates for the next election in your area. The current crop don't appear to be listening, and I suspect that the make up of the next House of Commons is going to be just a tad different to the current set up, whichever party you support!
A full Q&A on the project is online at www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/1090.htm.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Thursday, 5 November 2009
PRONI clarification on closure in late 2010
On September 22nd I announced PRONI's plans for a closure of their services in Belfast late in 2010, to prepare for its move to new premises - see PRONI to close for move to Titanic Quarter. Reaction was swift from many, both on this blog and on other forums, some of it fairly negative, and with an apparent degree of co-ordination. My personal position is that it seems a sensible thing to do, but clearly PRONI has been getting some flack over their announcement. They issued a clarification a few weeks back, which I have only just picked up on, but it seems worth publishing in full, in case anybody is planning on a visit next years. Here goes:
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is concerned to note that inaccurate and incomplete information is being disseminated about its plans for preparing and moving the records to a new building, and the effect this will have on researchers. This note is intended to clarify the matter.
The on-site closure is due to begin in September 2010. PRONI has given twelve months forewarning in order to enable customers to plan their research programmes accordingly. Visiting groups and individuals will, therefore, know that they should not make plans to visit during the period of disruption, but that they may re-schedule to visit earlier or later. If later, then they will be visiting PRONI in its new premises with its much enhanced research facilities and improved overall service. There are well known deficiencies in the present service, owing to the age of the building and its inadequate storage facilities. A properly-conducted move and adequate time for testing new systems in the new building will lead to a much better experience for researchers.
It is important to realise that the temporary on-site closure will last no longer than 8 months. If the necessary work is completed before that, the re-opening date will be reviewed. The estimate of up to 8 months for the move of the records from Balmoral Avenue to Titanic Quarter is a worst case scenario and is based on a pilot exercise carried out 2 years ago when 14 Km of material was re-located. The compartmentalised nature of PRONI’s Balmoral Avenue stores restricts large-scale movement of people and records, and makes the removal of large amounts of material cumbersome and time-consuming. This time 40 Km of records, amounting to millions of documents, almost all of them irreplaceable, have to be moved to the new building. We are also dependent on the new building being completed and handed over on schedule. A systematic move of the records and their relocation in the new building is a major logistical task.
PRONI’s first responsibility is for the preservation and security of the records. Temporary on-site closure to the public is in the best interests of the records, to get them prepared and moved methodically and safely. The successful accomplishment of this task and the subsequent updating of location data will ensure that the records can be retrieved with speed and accuracy in the new building, which will undoubtedly benefit researchers. Other UK record offices have closed for similar or longer periods to expedite moves. Dr Chris Kitching, former secretary to the Historical Manuscripts Commission and the UK’s leading expert on new archive buildings, who is also the external archival expert to PRONI’s New Accommodation Project, considers PRONI’s proposed on-site closure duration to be reasonable. He has given assurance that comparisons are favourable with other archives and libraries in the UK which have relocated *
The temporary on-site Closure is also in the best interests of our public because there are considerable health and safety issues when heavy lorries are being brought onto what is a seriously restricted site. In an effort to mitigate the effects of the Closure on customers, PRONI will be providing details for the public on alternative sources for information, and working with partner organisations (for example, discussions are continuing with the Northern Ireland Library Authority) to make available as much information as possible at an off-site location. Researchers should keep checking PRONI’s website www.proni.gov.uk for further information on this.
Much of PRONI’s day to day business will carry on as usual. Staff will continue for as long as possible to provide a limited written enquiry service. So, if customers cannot have on-site access to the records, there is the option of using a limited, paid search service for specific enquiries. To facilitate this, the most popular records will be last to move. The annual release of official Government papers under the “30 Year Rule” will also continue as normal.
Sources for genealogical research, both commercial and personal, are not restricted to PRONI. The 1911 Census, which covers all of Ireland, is now available on-line, at no charge, at www.nationalarchives.ie; the 1901 Census for Ireland will also be available before any disruption to PRONI’s on-site service takes place. These are key sources for family history. Another key source, Griffith’s Valuation, is also now on-line, again at no charge, at www.askaboutireland.ie.
Within PRONI, the recent launch of a number of 19th century street directories is another new and free on-line resource for family history research. Others will follow in the coming months, including the surviving fragments of three 18th century Census returns, adding to the PRONI sources already available on-line. There will, therefore, be a range of archive material for researchers to work on while they’ are unable to access PRONI’s premises.
* Wiltshire and Swindon Archives closed to the public for 6 months to move 28,000 boxes. PRONI is moving 115,000 boxes and box equivalent.
Norfolk and Norwich Record Office, which holds a similar amount of material to PRONI, took 7 months just to move, without the amount of data-updating that PRONI needs to do.
The John Rylands Library took 8 months to move only 17.5 km of records/books. PRONI has to move 40km.
Glamorgan Record Office is estimating up to 6 months closure to move less than a sixth of what PRONI holds.
Personally speaking, I wish PRONI all the very best with its move, and I look forward to the new online resources and facilities in due course.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is concerned to note that inaccurate and incomplete information is being disseminated about its plans for preparing and moving the records to a new building, and the effect this will have on researchers. This note is intended to clarify the matter.
The on-site closure is due to begin in September 2010. PRONI has given twelve months forewarning in order to enable customers to plan their research programmes accordingly. Visiting groups and individuals will, therefore, know that they should not make plans to visit during the period of disruption, but that they may re-schedule to visit earlier or later. If later, then they will be visiting PRONI in its new premises with its much enhanced research facilities and improved overall service. There are well known deficiencies in the present service, owing to the age of the building and its inadequate storage facilities. A properly-conducted move and adequate time for testing new systems in the new building will lead to a much better experience for researchers.
It is important to realise that the temporary on-site closure will last no longer than 8 months. If the necessary work is completed before that, the re-opening date will be reviewed. The estimate of up to 8 months for the move of the records from Balmoral Avenue to Titanic Quarter is a worst case scenario and is based on a pilot exercise carried out 2 years ago when 14 Km of material was re-located. The compartmentalised nature of PRONI’s Balmoral Avenue stores restricts large-scale movement of people and records, and makes the removal of large amounts of material cumbersome and time-consuming. This time 40 Km of records, amounting to millions of documents, almost all of them irreplaceable, have to be moved to the new building. We are also dependent on the new building being completed and handed over on schedule. A systematic move of the records and their relocation in the new building is a major logistical task.
PRONI’s first responsibility is for the preservation and security of the records. Temporary on-site closure to the public is in the best interests of the records, to get them prepared and moved methodically and safely. The successful accomplishment of this task and the subsequent updating of location data will ensure that the records can be retrieved with speed and accuracy in the new building, which will undoubtedly benefit researchers. Other UK record offices have closed for similar or longer periods to expedite moves. Dr Chris Kitching, former secretary to the Historical Manuscripts Commission and the UK’s leading expert on new archive buildings, who is also the external archival expert to PRONI’s New Accommodation Project, considers PRONI’s proposed on-site closure duration to be reasonable. He has given assurance that comparisons are favourable with other archives and libraries in the UK which have relocated *
The temporary on-site Closure is also in the best interests of our public because there are considerable health and safety issues when heavy lorries are being brought onto what is a seriously restricted site. In an effort to mitigate the effects of the Closure on customers, PRONI will be providing details for the public on alternative sources for information, and working with partner organisations (for example, discussions are continuing with the Northern Ireland Library Authority) to make available as much information as possible at an off-site location. Researchers should keep checking PRONI’s website www.proni.gov.uk for further information on this.
Much of PRONI’s day to day business will carry on as usual. Staff will continue for as long as possible to provide a limited written enquiry service. So, if customers cannot have on-site access to the records, there is the option of using a limited, paid search service for specific enquiries. To facilitate this, the most popular records will be last to move. The annual release of official Government papers under the “30 Year Rule” will also continue as normal.
Sources for genealogical research, both commercial and personal, are not restricted to PRONI. The 1911 Census, which covers all of Ireland, is now available on-line, at no charge, at www.nationalarchives.ie; the 1901 Census for Ireland will also be available before any disruption to PRONI’s on-site service takes place. These are key sources for family history. Another key source, Griffith’s Valuation, is also now on-line, again at no charge, at www.askaboutireland.ie.
Within PRONI, the recent launch of a number of 19th century street directories is another new and free on-line resource for family history research. Others will follow in the coming months, including the surviving fragments of three 18th century Census returns, adding to the PRONI sources already available on-line. There will, therefore, be a range of archive material for researchers to work on while they’ are unable to access PRONI’s premises.
* Wiltshire and Swindon Archives closed to the public for 6 months to move 28,000 boxes. PRONI is moving 115,000 boxes and box equivalent.
Norfolk and Norwich Record Office, which holds a similar amount of material to PRONI, took 7 months just to move, without the amount of data-updating that PRONI needs to do.
The John Rylands Library took 8 months to move only 17.5 km of records/books. PRONI has to move 40km.
Glamorgan Record Office is estimating up to 6 months closure to move less than a sixth of what PRONI holds.
Personally speaking, I wish PRONI all the very best with its move, and I look forward to the new online resources and facilities in due course.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Graves desecrated in West Lothian
Several gravestones were damaged by vandals on Hallowe'en night at Manse Road Cemetery in Whitburn.
Inspector Michaela Kerr of Lothian and Borders Police said: "This is a despicable crime and one which causes great distress to families who have already suffered the loss of a loved one. I am sure the local community will be keen to support the police in their efforts to identify the culprits and bring them to justice."
Anyone with any information on the vandals responsible should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 01501 740222, or Crimestoppers for complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.
For more on the story visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8344024.stm
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Inspector Michaela Kerr of Lothian and Borders Police said: "This is a despicable crime and one which causes great distress to families who have already suffered the loss of a loved one. I am sure the local community will be keen to support the police in their efforts to identify the culprits and bring them to justice."
Anyone with any information on the vandals responsible should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 01501 740222, or Crimestoppers for complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.
For more on the story visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8344024.stm
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
FamilyRelatives adds more military records
Family Relatives (www.familyrelatives.com) has added several new collections to its site today. They are:
The Peninsular Medal Roll 1808-1814
De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1918
Harts Army List - several editions, mid 19th C
Whilst the datasets are not all new to the internet - the Peninsular Medal Roll is at FindmyPast.com from 1793-1814 and De Ruvigny's roll is on FindmyPast.com, the Genealogist.co.uk and Ancestry.co.uk (as of yesterday) - they are still important additions to FamilyRelatives' site, which has one of the most comprehensive military records sets online. If doing military research, it is well worth checking out the site.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
The Peninsular Medal Roll 1808-1814
De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1918
Harts Army List - several editions, mid 19th C
Whilst the datasets are not all new to the internet - the Peninsular Medal Roll is at FindmyPast.com from 1793-1814 and De Ruvigny's roll is on FindmyPast.com, the Genealogist.co.uk and Ancestry.co.uk (as of yesterday) - they are still important additions to FamilyRelatives' site, which has one of the most comprehensive military records sets online. If doing military research, it is well worth checking out the site.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Last day to vote for 40 best genealogy blogs
The American based Family Tree Magazine has a public vote on the go just now to find the top 40 genealogy blogs. There's a list of 131 blogs to choose from, to be narrowed down to 80, from which the magazine will then select their final choice of 40, to be published in May 2010.Today's the last day for voting, and Scottish Genealogy News and Events has been nominated in the Heritage category, which is defined as follows:
Heritage
Here, blog content focuses on a particular heritage group, such as African-American, Jewish or Irish. We had some tough decisions in this category, as some family-related genealogy blogs by nature also examine that family’s ethnic heritage.
It's great to be nominated, and if you'd like to see the blog make it to the final 80, now's the time to get in your vote! A big thanks to all those who have done so already.
There's more on the vote at http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2009/10/5/Family%20Tree40BlogVotingisOpen.aspx, and the full list and all categories is available at www.familytreemagazine.com/article/40BestVoting, where you can place your votes.
Whether SGNE makes it through or not, I still love you all, and will keep bringing you all the latest Scottish news regardless!!! lol :)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Ancestry on the stock exchange
Ancestry.com, the parent company of Ancestry.co.uk, is being listed on the stock exchange this week in the USA. An interesting analysis on whether that is a good idea or not is in the current issue of New York's Business Week at www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2009/tc2009114_319946.htm. It examines the growth rate of the company and potential threats to it from social networking sites.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
AbeBooks for second hand books
A useful site for the purchase of second hand books that can help with your research is www.abebooks.com. The website now releases information on the most expensive sales that it makes each month, and for October, it was a Scottish book - The Scots Musical Museum by James Johnson, for $8,500. The book was a pivotal collection of Scottish music compiled by Johnson with contributions, both musically and editorially, by Robert Burns - published in 1792 as four volumes, with this edition bound in two. The collection gained international recognition after arrangements by Haydn and Beethoven.
Usually the books I buy from AbeBooks are on the somewhat cheaper end of the scale! Last month I purchased a rare book on the history of Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary in Ireland for just under fifty Euros, which contained an account of Irish civil war battles in the area in which my wife's great grandparents' generation were involved. A useful resource, and always worth a quick browse!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Usually the books I buy from AbeBooks are on the somewhat cheaper end of the scale! Last month I purchased a rare book on the history of Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary in Ireland for just under fifty Euros, which contained an account of Irish civil war battles in the area in which my wife's great grandparents' generation were involved. A useful resource, and always worth a quick browse!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Irish directories from 1905 at the Genealogist
The Genealogist website (www.thegenealogist.co.uk) has today released the following directories on its site:
1905 Belfast Kelly's Directory
1905 Connaught Kelly's Directory
1905 Dublin Kelly''s Directory
1905 Leinster Kelly's Directory
1905 Munster Kelly's Directory
1905 Ulster Kelly's Directory
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
1905 Belfast Kelly's Directory
1905 Connaught Kelly's Directory
1905 Dublin Kelly''s Directory
1905 Leinster Kelly's Directory
1905 Munster Kelly's Directory
1905 Ulster Kelly's Directory
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
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