View Full Version : British Newspaper Archive - findmypast
kiterunner
06-11-12, 07:07
This is the same database as is on the British Newspaper Archive website, but now included in your Findmypast sub.
I got an "unexpected error" on the first image I tried to view! Also there seem to be some matches that aren't displayed on the list of results but are included in the total. I'm sure these are just teething problems, though. But if you don't have a sub and have to use credits, probably worth waiting a little while till it's working properly...
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/content/news/british-newspapers
kiterunner
06-11-12, 07:11
One big improvement looks to be that you can tick the "include name variants" box.
kiterunner
06-11-12, 07:15
Oh dear, it seems to be completely broken now. :( Hope it was nothing I did.
Langley Vale Sue
06-11-12, 07:35
I think it might have been me :(
Oh dear, I hope it's worth waiting for ;)
kiterunner
06-11-12, 08:49
I see they've removed the announcement from their home page.
kiterunner
07-11-12, 07:21
The announcement is back and it is actually working now! Let us know what you find.
kiterunner
07-11-12, 07:30
I'm sorry to say that although the search screen has a box for "first name(s)" and one for surname, it will not put them together and then search only for that name, as I have found that searching for my 2xg-grandfather Walter Horner Brown comes up with 642430 results, and that was without ticking the "name variants" box! It looks as though it just brings back any articles that include all the names you have entered, although it could be one person with the first name you were searching for and someone else with the surname.
kiterunner
07-11-12, 07:40
Hmmm, my best tip at the moment for FMP subscribers, unless you are searching for a very rare name, is to go onto the British Newspaper Archive website advanced search (link below) and put the name in as a phrase, with the "exact search" box ticked, and then when you have found articles you would like to view, note the publication and date and use those as search criteria on findmypast to narrow your search down.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/advanced
Mary from Italy
07-11-12, 22:27
Which FMP subscription are you supposed to have to view the images? I have the old Explorer subscription, which I think should cover them, but when I click on an image it takes me to the payment page.
kiterunner
07-11-12, 22:45
It says "Britain Full and World" but I think the Explorer subscription was the equivalent of the Foundation subscription which they have now? And that is basically just BMD's and census.
Oh, no, wait, I found a blog post from Oct 2010 which says "What if I have an Explorer subscription?
Any of you out there with a current Explorer subscription will still be able to renew this subscription from 90 days before it expires. We’ll still add any new records we publish to your Explorer subscription."
So that does suggest that if you still have an Explorer subscription, the new records should be included. If I were you I would contact FMP and ask them about it.
Mary from Italy
08-11-12, 01:07
Yes, I found that too; I suppose it may be just a teething problem, so I'll wait a couple of days and e-mail them if it doesnt sort itself out.
I've found some good snippets, with the folk with less usual names or who lived in small villages (other names/places just throw up too many hits).
My 3 x gt grandfather is mentioned as occupier of a cottage for sale in an auction. His daughter's husband's sudden death provides details of the death as well as information about his 2ndary occupation as a coal seller.
Also found an ad offering a 10s reward for return of a lost dog called "Don", owner Mr Gray,but frustratingly it doesn't indicate which Mr Gray, so not sure which of my relatives had lost his pet!
My gt x 3 aunt Mary Gray Rudrum, married a farmer and they had several children. He had an elaborate gravestone put up for her after her death. I've just found they were done for assault!
1867 Petty Sessions Loddon, Norfolk
"Daniel Rudrum, of Hardley, farmer and shopkeeper, and Mary, his wife, were charged by John Plow, of Hardley, wheelwright, with assaulting him on Feb. lst, and sentenced the former to pay costs 10s, and the latter a fine of 10s, and costs £1 3s." Mary was 53 at the time!
1863
"Daniel Rudrum, butcher, carrying on business at Hardley, for 3s. 6d., which Plow alleged he had sent by Rudrum as a Christmas box to some relative, and which had not been delivered. Rudrum denied receiving the money". Plow was found not to have a case, was ordered to pay costs and defaulted.
An example of how you get some detail about ancestors is that my gt x 3 grandfather John Dunt's cottage was in a lot to be auctioned - the information told me it comprised a cottage, shop, outbuildings, garden and valuable meadow land. A bit more information about his life than I'd glean from the census.
He drowned in July 1850 whilst on holiday in Sheerness. But it really wasn't his year - in February a man stole a watch from his shop in Bishopsgate, City of London, by causing a distraction throwing gunpowder into the gas light!
Poor James was buried at Christchurch, Spitalfields, only to be disturbed when the buried were moved during renovations.
I'd found x's gt x 2 grandfather in Parkhurst Prison for receiving stolen goods. I've now found he and his wife Caroline (I know its them as it gives their address of Playhouse Yard) were tried for the crime but no evidence was offered against Caroline. William was sentenced to 5 years.
kiterunner
10-11-12, 09:13
Wow, you have found a lot, Nell! I haven't found anything new yet!
I'm so excited, on a real high at the moment. I hope you find something soon KR!
maggie_4_7
10-11-12, 10:26
The search page is broken ;(
kiterunner
10-11-12, 10:35
It's working o.k. for me, Maggie. *touches wood*
maggie_4_7
10-11-12, 10:36
It's working o.k. for me, Maggie. *touches wood*
I won't load for me all the other search pages do ;(
kiterunner
10-11-12, 10:37
Try a different browser?
Mary from Italy
10-11-12, 11:53
I read somewhere that you have to have the World sub to view the newspaper images - is that the one you all have?
kiterunner
10-11-12, 11:56
My sub to the UK site is a "Full" one, and I can see the images, Mary.
iantesterFMP
13-11-12, 09:50
Hi All,
Ian from FMP here. For those of you with Explorer subscriptions, we have made a "hot fix" to the website this morning - you can now access the newspaper search http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/newspapers. Apologies for the mess-up, we are ever so slightly embarrassed about this.
Incidentally, if you do still have an Explorer subscription, keep your eyes peeled for some VERY exciting news from us about this - coming to your inbox soon!
Mary from Italy
13-11-12, 11:17
Thanks very much Ian, I got the e-mail from FMP this morning to confirm it's included. Your quick response is much appreciated.
Mary from Italy
13-11-12, 11:48
If you're still around, Ian, is there any chance you could improve the search facility so that you can search for a phrase, as you can on the original British Newspaper Archive site? As it stands, the search function on FMP is much less useful.
kiterunner
13-11-12, 12:11
Oooh, something I've just found - you can search for a phrase on FMP's search if you put it in the "keywords" box with quotes around it. Also you can put quotes around a first name and middle name in the "First name(s)" box and it will search for them together instead of anywhere on the page. I don't see this anywhere in the help on FMP's site but maybe I have just missed it.
Although after you have viewed a page, if you click on "back to search results" it will forget that you used quotes and you will have to redo the search.
Mary from Italy
13-11-12, 13:55
Ah, well done Kite, I hadn't thought of trying that.
Lemon Nelly
13-11-12, 14:41
Really fed up! I paid a years subs to the original site, if I had known it would have been better value going n FMP....some times Ihate this expensive obsesson
Really fed up! I paid a years subs to the original site, if I had known it would have been better value going n FMP....some times Ihate this expensive obsesson
But you can find the stuff you want so much easier on the official site. Some of the references I have found range over three pages of newsprint. Not only is it very difficult to find the correct page, but the software only allows you to download the first page.
And, when I refine a search to produce a maneagable number of hits, the refinements are lost on page two of the results. hopefully both glitches will get resolved.
ElizabethHerts
19-11-12, 12:37
I'm so frustrated with the search facility and the results.
I have had hits where I have viewed a page and can't for the life of my find the article/name I want. Nothing is highlighted so it's like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Phoenix, it is so irritating when you click to go to a subsequent page of results and nothing happens. Even using "xxxx", for example, I still get irrelevant hits.
A lot of work needs to be done to make this database easily usable.
I have had good results from ignoring the titles on the boxes and just entering everything I need in the forename box. I did a search:
"David Maynard" Whittlesford
(all typed in the forename box)
and got just two results, both of which opened on the right page (apparently) with the article highlighted BUT I was unable to read the article as the page would not remain still. Any movement of my mouse caused the page to shoot around the screen and using the various arrows and/or zoom controls were also a nightmare. I never managed to get the right part of the highlighted area on screen and I gave up in the end because I already have the articles from the Gale site (so I knew exactly which bit of text I needed to look at and still I couldn't find it!!), so wasn't inspired to try harder to see them on FMP.
ElizabethHerts
20-11-12, 07:31
Merry, I've just used my method for my ancestor Daniel Jeffcoat, but when I looked at the results the usual ones I get about his bankruptcy are missing.
I'll keep perservering.
I don't know what I'm doing right/wrong but I have had a lot more success with FMP than with the British Newspaper Archives website.
Rishile
I've just had another go using my desktop computer rather than the laptop. I looked for the same two entries as before and did find I could manipulate the images more easiliy this time, but the highlighting on the article vanishes when I zoom in and having no highlighting on the actual words searched means it would take an age to find anything especially as the whole page isn't in focus at the same time, making speed-reading impossible!
For 22 years I have believed my 3xg-grandfather was punished (fined £50 :eek::eek::eek:) for selling tea without a license in 1846. I've at long last found an article about it in the Hampshire Advertiser on FMP and................"Case dismissed" lol Though the reason (that he was set up!) sounded a little doubtful to me!! I hope no bribes changed hands?!
What a struggle though. Doing the search and finding the page was easy (despite him being a Smith!), but the image wobbled about too much to read, so I saved it (pdf) first. The highlighted column turned out to be the wrong one, so I had to read about half the page to find the entry. I then did a 'snapshot' of the bit I wanted, open it in Photobucket, re-save as a jpeg and Bob's your uncle! lol
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