Genealogy Chat

Hi Please see first message

HI Can anyone tell me where the BETA records have gone off Ancestry please? I have scrolled down the list and it is only showing the normal records not Beta??? Help please Thanxs Lesley :~)

Search Page They are on the left birth marriage and death Sue

its in the bmd section .you get the choice on the next page which records to search the ones to 1983 (the old beta ones) or the freebmd ones. Shirley

Home page More collections - England & Wales BMD Index click there and you will get the complete images (what used to be called BETA) and the partial index (freeBMDs)

Are you loged on to the US site? go to the (.)co(.)uk then on the home page click on, England & Wales, BMD Index, under MORE COLLECTIONS UK & Ireland Parish and Probate Records England & Wales, BMD Index Pallot Marriage Index Irish Immigrants: New York Port Arrival UK Census Collection It is not called beta anymore, its the, Search the complete images. Roy

Thank you all. :~))))) I was looking for it to say Beta lol Thanxs will go hunting now :~) Lesley :~)

Hello, I also can't find the 'beta '.......even with your kind instructions that helped Loopey in Lancs Home.....More Collections......I cann get only America Home page to Search Page.....View all 13...fine but get only free bmd Can anyone explain to an old man......I thought that they had been deleted Thank you Colin

Nudge up for others to read incase they having problems

What is Beta?? Can anyone explain to me the difference in the different sites? Are some more reliable than others or should the same information be found on all? Are some easier to search? When I search for a more up to date birth on ancestry say 1943, I can't find it and I know it happened...am I missing something? All very technical stuff I haven't got me 'ead round yet!

Hello Tixy..... I have had problem just sorted..... Home page on Ancestry ...then go to the bottom of the page and click on the little Ancestry UK thing and it should take you to a page where you can click on England and Wales BMD .... this will take you to another page which has all years from 1837..............it does not search by name.... you have to go through year by year

Tixy, the FreeBMD index only goes up to about 1920 (can't remember the exact date). The beta index (now called 'Search the Complete Images') goes up to the present day, but you have to look at each name individually, quarter by quarter, so searching takes a lot longer.

I think I am already on UK though and selecting all years...? Oh dear!

Thank Heavens that nobody relies on my brains! I thought because it said up to 1983....? It is going to be a long search for me tracing my ancestors isn't it...? When I'm doing it wrong!!

You're right, it's misleading that it says up to 1983. It will eventually get there, but volunteers are transcribing the indexes, and it's a slow process. You can see here what's been transcribed so far: http://www.freebmd.org.uk/progress.shtml

So what are your tips for the most effective search methods on ancestry? I suppose it depends on what you are looking for?

BETA just means it is a new trial programme and problems should be expected with it, they need people to use it and report any problems they have with it so they can be corrected, the more problems reported the better the final product for the end user. Bren

Nudge up

Hi all I have just seen this thread and literally typed in 'beta ancestry' and it took me to the link with the page. Thanks all. Bev

Am I right in thinking that you now can only search by year - then quarter - then initial? It's just taken me aaaaaaaaggggggeeeeeeeesssssss!!!!