Tutor: Dave Carr. Email. carrspace@mac.

com

Read my blog at http://davecarr.posterous.com

BECOMING A
FAMILY HISTORY
DETECTIVE
Course Overview
Over this 10 week course we will look at the following areas:
Research Basics
Census Records
Civil Registration
Church Records
Finding Your Ancestors
Each week will include time for individual on-line research supported by Dave

1. Church Records using IGI with FamilySearch

This section will help you to :
a. Describe Church of England parish registers
b. Search the International Genealogical Index to find your ancestors
c. Use the Family History Library Catalog to find church records
d. Test your learning
a. Describe Church of England parish registers
From 1538 (mainly from mid 1600‘s) to the present, the Church of England parish registers
include:
• Baptism records
• Marriage records
• Burial records

Bishops’ Transcripts are copies of the original parish registers that local
parishes were required to send to the
bishop annually. If they are available, search both the parish registers and
Transcripts as they may say different things.

The difference between types of Records

CIVIL REGISTRATION CHURCH RECORDS

Birth Baptism or Christening can take place

shortly after birth or even just before
marriage.

Marriage Marriage

Death Burial
b. Search the International Genealogical Index
Go to the FamilySearch Web site to search the International Genealogical Index (IGI) and the
Family History Library Catalog. Web address: www.familysearch.org
1. Click on the Advanced
Search option
3. Search for John Williams birth/Christening born
1862 in Hereford

2. Click on the International

Genealogical Index option
4. Click on 10 , JOHN THOMAS WIL-
LIAMS. The capital letters means that
the information has been extracted
from original parish records or Bish-
ops Transcript. Other information can
simply be from other people re- 5. Click on Results and then the Source call No:
searching their family history and so 0994229. This refers to the FamilySearch microfilm for
is less reliable. the original record this information was taken from.
6. Click on the Source Call number and this will take you to a list of the copies of the original
documents held by FamilySerach.

This provides you with the information you need to order the Film from your local Family Search
centre.
Mannamead Road, Plymouth, Devon, England
Phone: 01752 668666
Hours: Mon. 11am-3pm; Tue 10am-2.30pm; Weds & Thurs 10am-3pm; Tue & Th 7pm-9pm.

Wonford Road, off Barrack Road, Exeter, Devon, England

Phone: 01392 250723
Hours: Tue 10.30am-3pm; Weds 10am-3pm; Thurs 10am-3pm; (Weds 7pm-9pm LDS only).
Closed: until early 2010
 Exercise
• Select an individual in your family who lived in England in the mid–1800s.
• On the FamilySearch Web site, search for the person in the International Genea-
logical Index (IGI).
• Record the details here, including Source Number.
c. Use the Family History Library Catalogue
Maybe your ancestors are not in the IGI? You might know the location but your ancestors details
have not been indexed yet.
Go again to the FamilySearch Web site check the Family History Library Catalog. Web address:
www.familysearch.org
1. Click on the Library Catalogue option

2. Click on the Place Search option

4. Enter Cradley (for example) as the place, as part of England

5. Select (in this example) Cradley in Hereford

6. This will show you where you can SEE the

documents in the Family History Catalogue.
Click on the record
7. You will see a list of documents held in the Family History
Catalogue. In this example select Church records.

8. You have the choice of both

Bishops Transcripts and Parish
registers.

In this example select Parish

registers.
9. This provides details of the document , in particular note the Format. If the docu-
ment is on Film (sometime called Microfilm) you need to click the ‘View Film Notes”.

10. This brings up the Film Notes. In

this case their is a film that would
cover Baptisms for 1862 (the date of
JOHN THOMAS WILLIAMS baptism
from our previous ancestor search.

NOTE: The Source code 994229 is the same on both this Library Catalogue search and the pre-
vious IGI search. You now need to order the film from your local FamilySearch centre.
This is the actual Baptism Record for JOHN THOMAS WILLIAMS.
NOTE. Mothers maiden name is not given. This is usual although there are a few exceptions.
 Exercise
• Select an individual in your family who lived in England in the mid–1800s. You
should know the County that the event took place in and if possible the parish or
place.
• Use the Family History Library Catalog to find microfilmed copies of the church
records in which the person would appear.
• Record the details here, including Source Number.