Printable version. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader which you can download FREE from Adobe's website (link opens in a new window).

The Newsletter of the Family Records Centre (FRC)
Issue 32 Autumn 2005 (19th online edition)

Closure Dates

Monday 26 December to Wednesday 28 December (Christmas)
2006
Monday 2 January (New Year)
Friday 14 April to Monday 17 April (Easter)
Monday 1 May (May Bank Holiday)
Monday 29 May (Spring Bank Holiday)
Monday 28 August (August Bank Holiday)

Henry Irving Exhibition

On 11 October, a major new exhibition was opened at the Family Records Centre by the actor, Sir Donald Sinden.

The display commemorates the centenary of the death of a great actor from another era, Sir Henry Irving. Irving (born John Brodribb) was the first actor to be knighted and the first to bring an air of respectability to the profession. He died on 13 October 1905 following a performance of Becket at the Theatre Royal in Bradford.

Among the documents to be featured are copies of Irving's birth, marriage and death certificates and census returns relating to him and his family.

Also present at the official launch of the exhibition were John Irving (the actor's great grandson) together with representatives from the Irving Society and the Theatre Museum.

Family History Surgeries

Our Tuesday morning surgeries are now available for booking up to and including 2 May 2006. If you've come up against a brick wall in your research, our expert staff are on hand to help you work your way through the problem.

The surgeries are free and are held every Tuesday morning (with the exception of Tuesday 27 December when the FRC is closed). Each surgery lasts for half an hour with sessions starting at 10:30, 11:00, 12:00 and 12:30.

Basic Computer Skills for Family Historians

Following a successful trial in the summer, we are now offering basic computer skills tutorials as part of the FRC's regular service. The half-hour one-to-one sessions will take place every Thursday at 11.00, 11.30, 14.00 and 14.30.

If you would like to book a family history surgery or a basic computer skills tutorial, please phone us on 0208 392 5300 or email us at: frc@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

The National Maritime Museum Needs You!

On 22 November, staff from The National Maritime Museum (NMM) will be at the FRC to deliver a talk on "Researching Your Maritime Ancestor At The National Maritime Museum".

Following the talk, at approximately 3pm, we will be hosting a focus group which will look at questions such as:

• How often people go to NMM and how long they have been going
• What facilities they use there
• Which other facilities they have used and how these compare to NMM
• How they like to work in the library or archive - specific needs, likes/dislikes
• Whether they tend to use the library/archive at certain times of the year, day or week
• How they use the enquiry service
• The strengths and weaknesses of the current facilities
• What they find at the NMM that is not available elsewhere

If you would like to take part in the focus group, please contact Verity Winn at: Verity@matthewsmillman.co.uk.

All participants will be presented with a copy of the recently published Waterline publication (retailing at £30) charting the history of early twentieth century cruising and the lives of the people on board.

The FRC Family History Lectures

This year's series of Thursday evening lectures is now complete but we are hoping to hold some more next summer. Watch this space for further announcements.

New FRC Factsheets

We have recently produced a number of new factsheets aimed at answering the most frequently asked questions about a wide range of family history topics. The latest additions are: The British in India and Catholic Records. Factsheets on Divorce Records and Jewish Records are also in the pipeline.

SoG at the FRC

We're pleased to announce a new partnership between the Society of Genealogists and the Family Records Centre. Starting this autumn, the FRC will be hosting a number of family history courses and tutorials organized by the Society. The first event is a six-week beginners' course entitled 'First Steps in Family History' with sessions covering:

• Getting Started
• Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Census Records
• Church Records
• Wills
• Other 19th and 20th Century Records

The sessions will take a practical look at the records and how they can best be used to research your family's history. For details of how to book a place on the course, please phone the Society's events administrator on 020 7553 8799 or send an email to: events@sog.org.uk.

New in the Reference Area

• A General Guide to the India Office Records M Moir
• Jewish Ancestors? A guide to reading Hebrew inscriptions and documents R Wenzerul
• Phillimore's Parish Maps A set of large scale parish maps, county-by-county

Open Meeting

The next open meeting will take place on 15 November at midday. All customers are invited to come along to meet the FRC's management team and raise any matters of concern.

New Chief Executives

Both The National Archives and The General Register Office have recently appointed new Chief Executives. Karen Dunnell has replaced Len Cook as the Registrar General for England and Wales and Natalie Ceeney has taken over the position of Keeper of the Public Records from Sarah Tyacke.

In a message to her staff Karen said: "I am delighted to be starting my role as Registrar General for England and Wales. I will be working closely with the Executive team to find the best way to meet the challenges we face."

Natalie Ceeney is also looking forward to her new challenge. "Coming from the British Library, I know how quickly the information environment is changing, and what that means for organisations like ours. This is a very exciting time to be joining."

Recycling at the FRC

Earlier this year, the FRC introduced a new waste management system in partnership with Bywaters. Clearly-labelled containers for the disposal of glass, plastic, cans, paper and general waste are now provided throughout the building. Bywaters carry out a weekly collection and all the recyclable materials are sorted at their plant and passed on to companies for recycling.

At the Family Records Centre, we are fully committed to recycling and we appreciate your co-operation in helping us to help preserve the planet for future generations.

News From The GRO, Southport

The GRO User Group Forum

Twice a year the GRO invites regular users of its certificate services to a User Group Forum held in Southport. Different attendees are selected for each forum and are chosen randomly from all customers who make their applications by telephone, by post or online.

The most recent forum was held on 27 September 2005 and again proved very valuable in terms of providing a customer perspective on our current services and future developments.

Presentations took place on various topics and the group were actively engaged in discussion and consultation on the following issues:

• Update on changes/developments from the previous User Group Forums
• New and amended GRO literature
• The new GRO Call Centre
• The Digitisation Of Vital Events project (DOVE)
• The Overseas department of GRO
• Civil Partnerships

Feedback from attendees was positive and they were keen for the forum to continue. The next User Group Forum will be held at the GRO during Spring 2006.

GRO Service Targets

The table below gives a breakdown of our performance over the last 3 months in four key areas.

The target for each area is for 95% of applications to be processed within the set number of days. Figures have been rounded to the nearest whole figure.

News From TNA, Kew

Seamen's Service Records Online

You can now search and download the service registers of more than 500,000 seamen who joined the Royal Navy between 1853 and 1923. The records, which give details of an individual's service along with their date and place of birth, are available on the DocumentsOnline website.

You can search the index for free and download digital images of the documents for £3.50 each. Access is free onsite at the FRC and at The National Archives, Kew.

New Books from The National Archives

Look out for a bumper selection of new books this autumn from The National Archives. There really is something for everyone, so why not put one on your Christmas list this year!

The Genealogist's Internet (3rd edition) - Peter Christian (£12.99)
Now fully updated to include all the developments in online services during the past two years.

Family Skeletons: Exploring the lives of our disreputable ancestors - Simon Fowler and Ruth Paley (£19.99)
Every family has its secrets and digging up the past can be a risky business. This compelling book investigates the murky world of our ancestors.

Gunpowder: The Players behind the Plot - James Travers (£19.99)
A radical new perspective on one of the most famous plots in British history. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is a book to enjoy in the run up to Bonfire Night and beyond.

Bound for Botany Bay: British convict voyages to Australia - Alan Brooke and David Brandon (£19.99)
The story of the 162,000 men, women and children who were forced to serve punishment beyond the seas during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Easy Family History: The stress-free guide to starting your research - David Annal (£6.99)
Just what it says on the cover! This is an easy-to-use guide to help you to trace your family tree, with plenty of tips and expert advice. The ideal beginner's book - at a price and size to suit all pockets!

All books are available from the shops at the Family Records Centre and The National Archives, and bookshops throughout the country. They can also be purchased by telephoning 01904 431213 or online from: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/bookshop.

TNA Newsletter

You can keep up to date with all the latest from The National Archives with a free subscription to TNA's e-Newsletter by following this link: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/enewsletter.

We're Talking To You - in association with Ancestors magazine

The FRC's programme of family history talks continues, with a short break over the Christmas/New Year period.

The full programme for the next few months is as follows (Saturday talks in italics).

• 5 Nov Tracing Your Ancestors at the FRC
• 8 Nov Family History Sources at Kew
• 15 Nov Births, Marriages and Deaths at the FRC
• 22 Nov The National Maritime Museum
• 29 Nov A2A: Using the Access to Archives website
• 3 Dec Family History on the Internet
• 6 Dec Census Returns Online
• 13 Dec Tracing Your Ancestors at the FRC 2006
• 7 Jan Census Returns Online
• 10 Jan Tracing Your Ancestors at the Society of Genealogists
• 17 Jan Online Databases for Family Historians
• 24 Jan What's New at Hyde Park Family History Centre
• 31 Jan The Making of the Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes
• 4 Feb An Introduction to Family History

Tuesday talks take place at 2pm while the Saturday beginners' talks start at 11:30.

Tickets for the talks are free and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the event. Spaces for the talks are limited and tickets cannot be booked in advance.

Further information

If you would like more information about any of the items in this newsletter please telephone us on 0845 603 7788 (GRO enquiries) or 0208 392 5300 (TNA enquiries). You can also email us at:

frc@nationalarchives.gov.uk

or visit our website at:

www.familyrecords.gov.uk/frc

To subscribe to the electronic version of the Family Record please send an email with the word 'Subscribe' in the subject heading to:

FRC-Newsletter@nationalarchives.gov.uk

The Family Record is jointly produced by the General Register Office (GRO) and The National Archives (TNA)