At last night's Salt Lake Chapter of the UGA (Utah Genealogical Association) - DearMYRTLE's Study Group meeting at the Family History Library, we actually broke out of the classroom to research in the Library. That's perhaps the BEST reason to have our meetings held there. As new research possibilities open up, participants can get right to the film, fiche, book or map in question. That is quite a different model for genealogy society meetings, isn't it?
A little less talk and a lot more action!
Such was the case for one researcher working his Lupton line in Rothwell, York, England. During our meeting in the B1 classroom of the Family History Library, we ran across several items in the Family History Library Catalog including this entry under the category of "Church Records - Indexes". So Ol' Myrt sent the researcher out of the meeting directly to the British Isles Floor B2 to pull the microfilm.
But there were some definitions that eluded this researcher:
Computer printout of Rothwell, Yorks., Eng (means it was the result of some computer work)
Extracted for the controlled extraction program and published by the Genealogical Dept. of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (means the work was done through the indexing program that predates Family Search Indexing)
Extracted from microfilm copies of parish registers and bishop's transcripts on film nos. 0990765-0990766, 0990767 it. 1, 0496810 it. 1, 0496811 it. 2 (means the indexers were using the microfilm of original parish registers and if they were missing, the bishop's transcripts were used. "it." is the abbreviation for "item number" -- see below for more info)
Bishop's transcripts (are the annual reports made to the bishops by the local parish priest by copying from the parish registers)
WHAT'S NEXT?
Once the computer printout (index listings) for the Lupton surnames are found and copied, then one by one the original parish entry for each Lupton can be easily located in the original microfilms. This saves Lupton researchers tons of time sifting through microfilm of the original records where handwriting is usually challenging at best, often obscured by fading ink or bleed through from the opposite side of the page.
It is good to trust the Extraction Program computer printout because of the double, blind data entry process, and arbitration of even a single keystroke variance for each entry. [Those who are active with FamilySearchIndexing.org know that this system is about as reliable as it can get. Once indexers have been working a few pages of a record group, they tend to get the hang of the handwriting, and improve transcription skills.]
So the researcher went to the microfilm drawers on the British Isles Floor B2 and pulled the following films to locate LUPTON family christenings, marriages and burials reported in the Computer Printout.
- 990765-0990766 Bishop's transcripts for Rothwell, 1599-1900 Church of England. Parish Church of Rothwell (Yorkshire)
- 0990767 it. 1 Item 1 Bishop's transcripts for Rothwell, 1599-1900 Church of England. Parish Church of Rothwell (Yorkshire)
- 0496810 it. 1 Item 1 The registers of the parish church of Rothwell, Co. York Church of England. Parish Church of Rothwell (Yorkshire)
- 0496811 it. 2 Item 2 The registers of the parish church of Rothwell, Co. York Church of England. Parish Church of Rothwell (Yorkshire)
All in all, I'd say it was a particularly productive evening.
PS - Owing to the Salt Lake Institute in January 2010, this study group won't meet until the second Tuesday in February, the 10th to be exact.
Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
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