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The Newsletter of the Family Records Centre (FRC)
Issue 38 - April 2007

Kew 2008 Update
Prize Competition
GRO Service Targets
New to the FRC?
What's on at the FRC

Closure Dates

2007
Monday 7 May
Monday 28 May
Monday 27 August
Tuesday 25 December & Wednesday 26 December

2008
Tuesday 1 January

Planning For The Future

The National Archives (TNA) and the General Register Office (GRO) are continuing to progress plans to leave the FRC Myddelton Street building in early 2008, and are discussing how services currently provided at the FRC will be provided after both parties leave.

TNA has confirmed that rebuilding works in the reading rooms at Kew, aimed at accommodating additional visitors and incorporating the best aspects of the FRC, will be completed on target. This will enable visitors to Kew to consult under one roof all TNA's experts on census, military, naval and other records, plus of course the records themselves.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is planning for most searches of the GRO indexes to births, marriages and deaths to be possible online by April 2008 and almost all the rest by 2009. It will transfer to TNA at Kew only those indexes at the FRC which have not been made available online.

Microfiche copies of all the indexes and other online versions of them will continue to be accessible at many libraries, record offices and other centres throughout the UK, including Kew. Any index books transferred to Kew from the FRC will be made available only where the microfiche or online versions are inadequate and only until the information is available electronically from ONS.

TNA will not be issuing birth, marriage and death certificates, which will continue to be supplied by ONS.

Both TNA and ONS remain committed to providing a high level of service to customers and delivering more of our resources online so that everyone, wherever they live, can access them easily. Further information can be found on TNA's website at: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/kew2008.htm

DoVE: Digitisation of Vital Events

The civil registration system has changed little since it was first introduced in 1837. A central archive is formed by collating certified copies of all entries made in registers of births, still-births, deaths and marriages sent to the Registrar General by the local registration service.

For many years these certified copies have been microfilmed for the purposes of producing certificates on request. The DoVE project is digitising these records to allow certificates to be supplied more efficiently and to provide improved services for customers. The digitisation of records, some 259 million in total, commenced in 2006 with a planned completion date during 2009. To date GRO has received back from its supplier, Siemens IT Solutions & Services, almost 75% (or 64 million) of the historic birth records (1837-1934). This includes both the scanned digitised image, and also the data required to populate a new index.

EAGLE: Electronic Access to GRO Legacy Events

The GRO is developing a system that will hold the electronic images and index data being delivered by the DoVE project. This project is known as EAGLE and it is scheduled for launch during early 2007. This internal system will enable GRO staff to search for, identify and produce a record that has been the subject of a customer order.

It will also enable full tracking of customer orders, at various stages within the production process, by allocating all customers a unique Personal Account Number, and each order a unique reference number.

MAGPIE: Multi Access to GRO Published Index of Events

As a result of the data capture of records being delivered by the DoVE project, a central electronic index of births, deaths and marriages is being created. This will give GRO the facility to provide online public access to a searchable index of registration events, the aim being then to link this with a new integrated online ordering service. The MAGPIE project started early in 2007 and is currently at the high level design stage.

Prize Competition

This month the FRC bookshop has three signed copies of David Annal's Easy Family History to give away. To win a copy, simply answer the following question.

On which date was the 1841 census taken?

a) 4 May
b) 6 June
c) 7 July
d) 2 August

Answers by email to: frc@nationalarchives.gov.uk with the word 'Competition' in the subject heading. One entry per person please. The closing date for entries is Friday 27 July 2007.

January's prizes (3 copies of Family History Companion) were won by Margaret Mahon, Yvonne Dedman and Mr D Logan. Their names were chosen at random from the hundreds of entrants who correctly identified 1753 as the year in which Hardwicke's Marriage Act was passed. The Act came into effect the following year.

For the Record.

A record two million birth, marriage and death certificates were issued by the General Register Office (GRO) in Southport in the last financial year. If the certificates were stacked on top of each other they would measure 220 metres - 20 per cent higher than the BT Tower!

The two millionth certificate was ordered online by David Robertson from Bath. It was of his great-great-grandparents' 1863 marriage and Mr Robertson was surprised to discover that his great-great-great-grandfather was a publican.

The number of certificates issued by GRO has been rising steadily over recent years and increased access to the Internet has helped contribute to this new national fascination with our ancestry. Over 80% of certificates are now ordered online at www.gro.gov.uk.

1911 Census Announcement

The National Archives is delighted to announce that ScotlandOnline will partner the UK government's official archive in the forthcoming project to put the 1911 census for England and Wales online.

The 1911 census (document references RG 14 and RG 78) is huge  - it currently occupies 2 kilometres of shelving at Kew. Comprising over eight million household schedules and a further 38,000 enumerators' summary books, it details information relating to approximately 35 million people then living in England and Wales.

Once digitised the census will take up an equally large ½ a petabyte of computer memory or, physically, 800 data tapes. The digital scanning alone in preparation for digitisation will create 18 million images - 14 times the number of images created in advance of the 1901 census being launched online in 2002.

Kew Coach Party Bookings

The relocation of the Family Records Centre to Kew has prompted a change in the coach booking procedures for the Kew site. From January 2008 TNA Kew is effectively adopting the FRC model relating to access and coach parties. The new procedures are:

Coach parties. Pre-booking will no longer be required for coach parties. Instead, groups will be invited to notify us when they intend visiting. These will then be publicised both onsite and on the website so that other group organisers can plan ahead.

Access and reader tickets. We are also planning, by April 2008, to streamline access for coach parties, and others, by allowing visitors to use the general research areas without having to get a reader ticket. A reader ticket will be required only for those who wish to consult original documents, with the tickets being issued in the reading rooms themselves, subject to the usual identification procedures.

Full details of the new arrangements can be found on The National Archives' website at: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/kew2008.htm

GRO Service Targets

Certificate production is monitored against a number of targets on a monthly basis. The table below details GRO performance over the period 1 January 2007 to 31 March 2007 for some of the areas monitored. The target set for each area is for 95% of applications to be processed within the set number of days. The figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number. As you will see, all the targets for the last three months have been exceeded.

Ancestors Onboard

The Ancestorsonboard website, which was launched earlier this year in association with findmypast.com, has now been extended to cover outgoing passenger lists for the years 1890 to 1919.

Who Do You Think You Are? Live

Staff from the Family Records Centre will be representing The National Archives at this major event, taking place at Olympia, London on 5-7 May 2007. Over 15,000 people are expected to attend the event which incorporates the Society of Genealogists' Family History Show, now in its 15th year.

Open Days at Southport

The General Register Office in Southport will once again be holding Open Days this summer, giving you the chance to find out more about how birth, marriage and death certificates are produced. You'll have the opportunity to view exhibitions from various GRO departments and from invited external family history organisations, and you'll also get to see a demonstration of the certificate production process. There's also a chance to attend one of our popular family history talks.

The Open Days will take place on Saturday 2 June and Saturday 9 June 2007 from 10am until 4.30pm. Please note that places must be booked in advance. If you would like to attend one of the Open Days, please contact the Public Relations Unit on 0151 471 4530 or 0151 471 4508 (8am to 4pm Monday to Friday).

New Books From The National Archives

Just published by The National Archives:

Henry VIII: Court, church and conflict - David Loades (£18.00)

Leading Tudor historian David Loades probes the intriguing man behind the monarch in this new book. Drawing upon original documents and contemporary images it highlights Henry's volatile relationships with his courtiers, churchmen, advisers and wives. The author explores Henry's policies and strategies and his manipulation of key players such as Cromwell, Wolsey, More and Fisher, and considers the tangible legacy that this most high profile of monarchs left behind.

The National Archives publishes a wide range of titles for family historians. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced researcher, we've got the book for you. Here are just a few of our bestsellers:

Tracing Your Ancestors in The National Archives - Amanda Bevan (£19.99)
Easy Family History - David Annal (£6.99)
Smart Family History - Geoff Swinfield (£6.99)
Army Service Records of the First World War - William Spencer (£9.99)
The Genealogist's Internet - Peter Christian (£12.99)

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

The Chart

The current top sellers in the FRC bookshop:

1 My Family Tree Book (for Children)
2 Workhouse - Simon Fowler
3 Parish Registers - Eve McLaughlin
4 Family History on the Web - Stuart Raymond
5 Illegitimacy - Eve McLaughlin

New to the FRC?

During February and March 2007 we piloted a new service for visitors to the Family Records Centre. 'New To The FRC?' is a 20 minute drop-in session aimed at helping first-time visitors and newcomers to family history research to get the best out of the facilities available at the FRC.

The format has proved so popular that we have already taken the decision to make 'New To The FRC?' part of the regular FRC service. Sessions take place in the Meetings Room on the first floor at 11.30 every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

Open Meeting

The next FRC Open Meeting will take place on Wednesday 2 May at 12.30. This is your chance to meet the FRC's management team and discuss our plans for future service delivery. There's no need to book - just come along to the Meetings Room on the first floor. All are welcome.

Family History Surgeries

We're now taking bookings for Family History Surgeries up until the end of October 2007. Over the years, hundreds of researchers have taken advantage of this free service as our expert staff have helped them to get over their personal brick walls. If you're stuck with your research, why not give us a ring today?

To book a family history surgery or computer skills tutorial, please phone us on: 0208 392 5300 or send an email to: frc@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Across The Irish Sea

The FRC's second one-day family history conference took place on Saturday 10 March with a full house enjoying a whole day dedicated to Irish ancestry. Delegates were treated to five talks covering various aspects of family history research from both sides of the Irish Sea.  Michael Gandy, Audrey Collins, Paul Gorry, Helen Kelly and John Grenham provided delegates with an excellent introduction to the particular problems confronting those of us with Irish blood.

The event was sponsored by Tourism Ireland and a number of organisations set up stalls in the lobby area and spent the coffee and lunch breaks talking to delegates. We're hoping to stage a similar event this October focussing on Scottish family history.

Silver Surfers' Day 2007

The FRC is proud to be involved in this year's Silver Surfers' Day, a national event which forms part of Adult Learners' Week.

This year the FRC will be converting the Online Quiet Area on the first floor into a Silver Surfers' zone where visitors will be able to attend a short presentation on getting the most out of computer technology, followed by an opportunity to try it out for yourself, with staff on hand to point you in the right direction.

It's all free and there's no need to book - just come along to the first floor anytime between 10am and 4pm on Friday 25 May.

Summer Lectures

The FRC is once again hosting a short series of evening lectures this summer. Dates confirmed so far are:

• 21 Jun - Scottish Ancestry with Audrey Collins
• 19 Jul - Huguenot Ancestry with Michael Gandy

Tickets are free and can be collected from the FRC from 3pm on the day of the event. The lectures will start at 5pm and finish at around 6.30.

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

There's another full programme of talks coming up at the FRC this Summer. All talks start at 2pm. Saturday talks for beginners are in italics.

• 5 May - Family History on the Internet
• 8 May - Births, Marriages & Deaths at the FRC
• 15 May - One-Name Studies
• 22 May - DNA In Your Family History
• 29 May - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors in The National Archives (Kew)
• 2 Jun - Tracing Your Ancestors at the FRC
• 5 Jun - Jewish Sources at The National Archives
• 12 Jun - Births, Marriages & Deaths Online
• 19 Jun - Newspapers for Family Historians
• 26 Jun - Finding Family History Resources Online
• 3 Jul - Education Records at TNA, Kew
• 7 Jul - Census Returns Online
• 10 Jul - Wills For Family Historians
• 17 Jul - Tracing The History Of Your House
• 24 Jul - London Metropolitan Archives
• 31 Jul - The Society of Genealogists
• 4 Aug - Family History on the Internet

Please note: Tickets for the talks are free and can be collected on the day of the event from the New Customers desk on the first floor. Places are strictly limited. Tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis and 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)