Sources and Citations

[jeremyf]

Hello,

I have recently started out tracing my ancestors and my biggest problem is understanding sources and citations. As an example, if I look at the census records at Leeds Family Library and locate a relative, the source is the 1851 Census. I assume the publisher is the GRO but is the repository the National Archives or the Leeds Library? Do I need to make it clear that I am citing from a copy of a copy of the original records?

Also does anyone know of any good examples of citations and sources based on UK records? Most seem to be based on US records.

Thanks

[Peter Goodey]

Using the 1851 census as an example, the institution is The National Archives (TNA); the repository is the Public Records Office (PRO). The reference number should be shown in the form HO 107/4567 Folio 23 Page 12: that's the departmental code and series number followed by a "/" and the piece number and then the folio number and the page number. Recto/verso could be used instead of the page number.

Occasionally you might have to add a rider to this if the films in the particular repository you used have been classified differently.

By the way, GRO doesn't come into the picture at all. And before someone screams, the PRO does still exist as a legal entity.

[jeremyf]

Thanks Peter.

I did actually mean PRO. At the time of creation the records were created by the PRO and not TNA. Does this not then make the PRO the authors and TNA the repository? My main problem was as I view the record as a gif at ancestory and not TNA. In this case is the repository Ancestory or can I still point to TNA and mention that the record was viewed at Ancestory.

Thanks

[Rod Neep]

The reference is wherever the original document is held, not where you viewed a copy of it. Simple as that really.

Regards

Rod

[Peter Goodey]

"Does this not then make the PRO the authors and TNA the repository?"No...not that it really matters for most purposes. Records Offices generally have their own advice on how to cite their stuff and it's best to follow their advice so far as it seems sensible to do so. The National Archives have advice on their website. The important thing for most of us is to allow another researcher to find the document for themselves and for that purpose it's the HO107 etc which is the vital information.

[jeremyf]

Thanks to you both. It does simplify things a little. I had a good rumage around TNA but didn't turn up anything specific. I shall have to roll my own. I'm guessing you would both recommend Evidence! by Elizabeth Shown Mills?