Essex Ancestors Launched

[Sue from Southend]

Just in case Kite misses my post on the other thread!!

Off to see what I can afford!

[Sue from Southend]

Just read this - could be worth checking before you pay your money....

"First, Church of England parish registers deposited in the ERO. These registers, from over 400 parishes, cover almost the whole of the present county of Essex, including Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock, and also parts of north-east London that used to be in Essex. For a few parishes the registers go back to 1538, when parish registers were introduced, but in most cases the surviving registers start somewhere between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. Essex Ancestors includes images of all deposited registers of baptisms, marriages and burials up to 1837, together with post-1837 registers from parishes A-F (excluding marriage registers after 1957). Currently (October 2011) there are about 277,000 images of parish registers available. Post-1837 registers from parishes G-W will be added later.
Please note that the alphabetical lists of parish registers on the Essex Ancestors webpage are in the process of being updated. They do not yet say 'digital images' against every register where images are available. To be certain, click on the 'View' button.

Essex Ancestors also includes images of some original wills from Essex and eastern Hertfordshire, 1441-1720. These come from a single court of probate, run by the Bishop of London's Commissary in Essex and Hertfordshire. Images of pre-1720 wills from other local courts, and of wills from all the local courts for the period 1720-1858, will be added later."

As most of OH's family are from Upminster/Ockendon I think I'll wait. How disappointing!

[maggie_4_7]

Well the parishes I am interested in fall in the first part of the alphabet at the moment. Lets hope I find something.

[Nell]

I'm interested in Coggeshall and Chelmsford so I'll investigate!

[maggie_4_7]

Be careful the enhanced viewer does not work for me so the images are useless because you can't see them I can't see a search function other than for each parish and then the church but you then have to browse each register but you can't see the images because of the enhanced viewer not working!

[Nell]

Hmm. Looks like its just the stuff that was available for free earlier. They don't seem to have added any of the post-1837 stuff which is what I want.

[kiterunner]

They have added a lot of pre-1837 stuff, apparently, but they haven't updated the list that shows what's available, so you have to click on the "view" button to see if there are images or not. Although that doesn't do you much good unless you have a very big magnifying glass!

[maggie_4_7]

They have added a lot of pre-1837 stuff, apparently, but they haven't updated the list that shows what's available, so you have to click on the "view" button to see if there are images or not. Although that doesn't do you much good unless you have a very big magnifying glass!

:D :D :D

I don't know why I'm laughing... but its a typical council cock up.

[Nell]

I think its a shame they didn't link up with Ancestry or FMP - at least that way the images would be indexed.

[maggie_4_7]

I think its a shame they didn't link up with Ancestry or FMP - at least that way the images would be indexed.

That would have been a good idea but I think some counties seem very protective of their information for some reason.

I think Norfolk is the only county that seem not to mind who has their information.

[kiterunner]

Essex say in their FAQ's that the reason they didn't link up with ancestry or FMP was because then they would have to share the income.

[maggie_4_7]

Essex say in their FAQ's that the reason they didn't link up with ancestry or FMP was because then they would have to share the income.

True.

But being the nerd I am I have been thinking about this. I think about these sort of things on a daily basis and I'm a socialist. But its not difficult is it any normal thinking person would understand it.

Councils are notoriously mismanaged and underfunded and the money they do get because they are mismanaged is frittered away in many cases even on the essentials.

Its a gleam in someone's eye ooooh make money but to do that with integrity you have to give a service that people are willing to pay for, you can't charge for a rubbish service (bearing in mind most councils do that on a daily basis), but councils do because we are at their mercy of contracts and tenders and planning permission with people that haven't got a clue how to run a company and service their clients.

Councils seem to think they are an entity of their own but they need to recognise that WE are clients and they need to have joint ventures on stuff that aren't necessarily essential services i.e. archives and any type of activity that other people know how to do better. No investment and half the profits seem a lot better to me than all the profits and no service and eventually no clients.

Certain things they have to provide and they should concentrate on that and get their moneys worth for the borough/county. Other stuff the peripheries need to be outsourced entirely. Activities that aren't essential to most of the people of that borough/county and have no interest in it.

I think they've picked up on the Family History boom and think its a CASH COW without thinking it through.

Edit to say: I do realise that people on this forum would understand that and I am explaining how to suck eggs to you but I wish I could knock some heads together at some of these councils. Its one of my minor rants.

[Merry]

No investment and half the profits seem a lot better to me than all the profits and no service and eventually no clients.



Absolutely!

[kiterunner]

There don't seem to be any options for enlarging the image any further once you've loadedthe enhanced image, or am I just missing it? If not, then could anyone who has a sub and good eyesight (or who knows how to enhance the image) please have a look at East Ham - St Mary Magdalene Baptism Register 1803-1812, image number 9 and help me decipher it?

About halfway down the left hand page is
Sarah Dr of Joseph & Sarah Brown born ??? 12th(?) 1809 baptised Feby 17th 1811
Eliza Dr Joseph & Sarah Brown born Jany(?) ?????? baptised Feby 17th 1811.

Can anyone make out the ?????? bits please?

[maggie_4_7]

I've looked and no I can't make out the ???? sorry.

[kiterunner]

Thanks for trying, Maggie.

[maggie_4_7]

At least the enhanced viewer is working now...


Trouble is the quality of the images are still wanting.

[Kit]

I don't have many Essex people so I don't want to look just now.

Is it expensive or is it good value? Assuming that they sort out the problems you are mentioning now.

[Nell]

Well I'm glad I got most of the info I wanted by a) visiting Essex RO a while ago and b) looking at the images they have available (which isn't all of them by a long chalk) while they were free.

[kiterunner]

I don't have many Essex people so I don't want to look just now.

Is it expensive or is it good value? Assuming that they sort out the problems you are mentioning now.

I would say expensive, Kit, but I suppose compared to the cost of a few certificates it's not too bad. I don't think there are serious problems any more.

[Nell]

Kit


I think its expensive, but I suppose you have to decide how much you need the information and whether you can obtain it for less elsewhere.

I wonder if its free to use at Essex RO?

[Sue from Southend]

Yes, it is free at the ERO. Still don't know about Essex Libraries though!

I've negotiated with OH that he'll pay for a weeks sub and free the PC for me for the duration so I can try get further back on his tree!

[kiterunner]

From their FAQ's:

4.2 Is there anywhere that I can see the images in Essex Ancestors without paying?

Yes. All the images on our website, including the images in Essex Ancestors, are free to view in the Essex Record Office searchroom in Chelmsford. For details of the Record Office's location, procedures etc. please see www.essex.gov.uk/ero. The Essex Record Office searchroom has 25 terminals available for all purposes including Essex Ancestors. There is no booking system.

You can also see the images without charge at the Record Office's Archive Access Point within Saffron Walden Library, but please note that the Access Point has limited opening hours and only a single public terminal.

4.3 Can I see the images free of charge in Essex Libraries?

No. Essex Ancestors has first to cover its development costs and then to raise money to support the archive service. Free access in libraries would undermine its financial basis

[Sue from Southend]

"4.3 Can I see the images free of charge in Essex Libraries?

No. Essex Ancestors has first to cover its development costs and then to raise money to support the archive service. Free access in libraries would undermine its financial basis "

But it would be great customer relations for them!

[Kit]

I would say expensive, Kit, but I suppose compared to the cost of a few certificates it's not too bad. I don't think there are serious problems any more.

Thanks for the answer Kate and Nell.

My rellies aren't close ones so I can wait for now.