Genealogy Chat

Hi all, please see below

I mentioned on an earlier thread that I was waiting to hear back from the GRO about the new birth marriage and death indexes which are currently being digitised. Some good news, it seems, these indexes will be available to the public and not only the GRO staff for searching, from the email I received today: Thank you for your e mail concerning the digitisation of vital events ( DoVE Project ) The project will provide a considerable improvement on the current index data to allow for mother's maiden name for births, surname of other party to marriage and age at death to appear for these events from September Quarter 1837, and, in accordance with the Registrar General's statutory responsibility, will be made available to the public to provide a search facility. In regard to your second point the DoVE Project is simply a process which will scan and data capture all records of births, still births, deaths and marriages and will not provide any form of record linkage. Therefore it will not be possible to make a series of applications for siblings born to a particular family. I trust this has helped clarify the points raised in your mail but if you do have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Hi John, Thankyou for that. I read some time ago (in a FH mag) that the GRO were re-indexing BMD, and B would ALL include mmn, M would all be cross referenced & D would all have age at death, right back to 1837 for each category. These would replace the current index. I assume this is the same project?? I do wonder if there will be a charge to consult the index though, unless it is being funded from the lottery? Jay

John Thanks for posting this. I have been interested in the progress of this project since I first heard of it. From what I understood at the time, it will be possible to download a copy of the relevant certificate for a cost of (?£3?). These copies will of course be non-certified, so would be useless for anyone embarking on identity theft. I also understood that this downloadable stuff would be historic only, with something like 100 years for births, 50 years for marriage and50 years for deaths (I may be wrong about those parameters). If this is so, it will be a wonderful advance for Family Historians - a fully searchable index (will that be free to search?) and an instant download - no more waiting endless weeks for a cert, and you will already have the spouse's name from the index! Sounds too good to be true, to me, lol. Olde Crone

thanks so much for this John, do you have any idea about how we would search this index? will it be like a subscription to Ancestry you think, how will Ancestry compete with an index like this? or will they be able to get access to it for their members? so many questions....sorry x

Great news, but does anyone know when this is likely to be available? Are we talking months or years? It must be a huge job. Lynn

Lynn It was originally promised for 2006 but I have read that they are experiencing difficulties with scanning some of the very old registers and the last date I heard of was 2008! I should live that long hopefully. Olde Crone

Glad the information's come in useful for people. I honestly don't know any other details like where you'll be able to search these indexes or anything like charges, or downloading images, but I think the fact you'll have these extra details to search on right back to 1837 will come in very handy. I read somewhere that the project should be completed by 2008, but who knows how long after that it will take for the public to be able to access the indexes. I don't know why I didn't think of asking that in the same email, it's funny isn't it, you only think of these obvious questions sometimes afterwards. Anyway, if I hear anything else will post about it All the best John

Thanks Olde Crone, I thought it would be too much to hope that it woud be ready soon. At least it should be out before the next census! Lynn : - )

Maybe it will operate a bit like Scotland's People, with credits to download uncertifed records. Christine

Yes, Christine, I think that is what is intended.I can hardly wait - it means two certs for the price of one, and a far better chance of getting the right one first time. Olde Crone

nudging cos loads of others must be like me and have never heard of this before! Maz. XX

I hadn't heard about this until a couple of weeks ago to be honest. And yes, Christine, please feel free. I personally hope that these indexes will be free to search, but have a feeling they won't be if the system will be like Scotlands People. The Scotlands People site is great, but it can get more expensive than a trip up to Scotland if you have a lot of events happening there. For anyone who has a lot of ancestors from Scotland by the way, i'd recommend visiting New Register House yourself and searching through for the events you want, you can even see copies of the certificates without having to pay extra for that, then you can just transcribe everything, that is of course unless you really do want copies.

Nudging this one :)

I was watching the Budget Speech on telly when Blair announced this - think it was 2004??? In my opinion, the only good deed he has done for this country!!! Olde Crone

Thanks for the info John. Can't wait for those dates. Hopefully will give me the answers I have been searching for years to find out. Fingers crossed they don't take to long for us all. Maureen

Wow that's fab!! Thanks xx

If GRO are simply scanning the indexes, how will that link to the full information and enable researchers to download the full info regarding BMD. It sounds a bit too good to be true....I guess we just watch this space - which is the best source of info, don't you think. Jacquie

Jacqui No, they are scanning the certificates, ready to make them downloadable. I dont know what they are doing about the indexes! Olde Crone