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Your Genealogy May Already Be Compiled:
Identifying
and Using Collections of Other British Researchers
c 2007 Arlene H. Eakle, PhD
From 1977-79, I was a member of the University of Utah Center
for the Study of Historical Population and assigned to compile a descriptive inventory
for the microfilm holdings for England at the Family History Library (then
using its legal name—Genealogical Society of Utah). We read the whole
shelf list for the Library looking for buried and hidden items in the collection.
Then we personally checked over 35% of the 60,000 reels of microfilm for
England. And compared what we found against the microfilmer's reports and
the card catalog just to ensure that we missed nothing of importance. I still
have all of the notes we made—including the forms for each and every
parish—Anglican and Non-Conformist.
The Descriptive Inventory of the English Collection was published by the
University of Utah in 1979. It's now out of print. Many libraries purchased
copies, and you can look for a copy in the genealogy library you frequent.
Section V: Personal Records is still the most significant in my opinion:
- 1. Monumental Inscriptions, by county
with name of collection/compiler
- 2. Personal Papers, by surname of compiler/owner
- 3. Collections “for the history
of...”, by compiler/owner
- 4. Pedigrees, by surname or locality
- 5. Family Histories in manuscript, by
surname of family
In late June 2007, I personally re-checked the online Family History Library
Catalog, with all of its new descriptions against our work. Some additional
entries are present. The microfilming of most of these “Personal Records” however,
was done between 1950 and 1975, and I found few additions to these personal
records among the new microfilm.
What is new in the collection for the British Isles
since 1979: Printed
indexes, updated versions of in-house indexes created by British archives,
original documents from national repositories and county record offices,
histories of local communities, analytical assessments of major records.
How to Find the “Personal Records” Collections in the FHLC:
Since the Library restricted us from including call numbers in the inventory
(they were being changed for several parts of England), here is how you find
the entries in the current online FHL catalog:
- 1. Consult the
Descriptive Inventory of the English Collection, Section V: “Personal
Records” for
your surname or your locality. (this section of the Inventory is reproduced
as a 36 pg PDF, 5megs in size)
- 2. Search complete
name of compiler or
personal owner of materials in author catalog. If no entry--
- 3. Search complete
name of compiler or
personal owner as keyword search. Watch for other identifiers we used in
the Descriptive Inventory. Re-search keyword with these identifiers: locality,
date of death or fl., etc.
- 4. When you get an entry that matches,
read it all. You will notice that authors' names are links. Always click
the link to see what else this particular author/compiler/owner has done.
If you see joint authors, each will be linked to their works. Check
them all.
The Family History Library people who determined what should be microfilmed
in Wales, in Ireland, in Scotland, and in England were among the premier
genealogists of their day. They personally knew many of the compilers or
had used their works. They personally knew the genealogists in the archives
and library world who could recommend what was essential to film and identify
what was questionable. Frank Smith, and David Gardner, and Evan Evans made
the microfilming selections themselves upon the advice and knowledge of this
premier genealogy world of which they were a part.
In our rush to find British ancestors quickly, we have too often ignored
the work of previous genealogists! And our generation of genealogy teachers
has emphasized the original documents—and we still do. Yet, we have
massive record loss, under-registration of genealogy data, incomplete indexes,
illegible or badly written documents to deal with in the British Isles.
Break your losing streak! Your genealogy probably has been compiled
and all you need to do is plug your research into this genealogy and verify
that the information is correct. You may not have to wade through all of
the original documents on which it was based. |
