Nonconformist BMD Records

[Peter Goodey]

The National Archives´ collection of nonconformist birth, marriage and death records from 1567 has now gone on line.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/n...?homepage=news

Only RG 5 and RG 6 is online so far!

[Mythology]

"Only RG 5 and RG 6 is online so far!"

It seems to be hit and miss so far.
The National Archives page says "BMD Registers provides access to the non-parochial and nonconformist registers 1567-1840 held in RG 4 and RG 5."
not RG5 and RG6, so I suspect that was maybe just a typo of yours, and a random surname search brings up RG4 and RG5 entries, but...
I tried a few that I already have from RG4/3541, and they don't seem to be indexed.
Specifically, in case I'm not being imaginative enough when allowing for mistranscription and you can see them:
Mary Ann Barfield born 8 October 1832 (incorrectly shown as 1835 on the IGI)
William Fuller Barfield born 31 March 1835
Elizabeth Jane Barfield born 3 January 1837

[Mythology]

Similarly, I have a Joslin (or thereabouts) family who, irrespective of where they were living at the time, had their kids baptised at the Independent Chapel in Billericay, and are in RG4/1499:
(Child, parents, abode, birth/baptism)
John, Samuel & Hannah Joseline, Laindon, 20 Nov 1791/13 Dec 1791
Ann, Samuel & Hannah Joseline, Laindon, 16 Dec 1793/17 Jan 1794
James, Samuel & Hannah Joseline, Butsbury, 10 Feb 1796/15 Mar 1796
Joseph, Samuel & Hannah Joseline, Butsbury, 30 Jul 1798/17 Sep 1798
Hannah, Samuel & Hannah Joseline, Great Burstead, 4 Mar 1801/29 Mar 1801
Samuel, Samuel & Hannah Joslin, Great Burstead, 28 Jul 1803/6 Nov 1803

They don't seem to be there either.

[Peter Goodey]

I suspect that was maybe just a typo of yours

I don't like to skimp on typos

Thanks for the correction.

[Mythology]

And, while anything is, of course, worth a shot if you can't find someone, and while it may prove an economic way of getting the images for those who can't get to Kew, a local record office which has the films, or an LDS FHC, etc., so it has its uses, it appears to be yet another job farmed out to peasants who they dragged out of the paddy fields and threw half a bowl of rice to as payment.

Description given for various Barfields 1827-1835 on the IGI:
Church Lane Ind, Thatcham, Berkshire, England
Description given in TNA's catalogue:
RG 4/89 BERKSHIRE: Thatcham Church Lane Chapel (Independent): Baptisms
Description given when looking for these Barfields on bmdregisters.co.uk:
Thatham, Berkshire

If they can't even get the place name right, it doesn't say much for it, does it?

[Mythology]

"I don't like to skimp on typos"

Hey - they're my speciality - haven't you noticed all those "edit" notes in my messages!

[Mythology]

"while it may prove an economic way of getting the images for those who can't get to Kew, a local record office which has the films, or an LDS FHC, etc., so it has its uses"

While, personally, I don't need to spend a penny on this site, I had a look at their pricing system, and will offer this suggestion for the benefit of those who do want to make use of what's on offer:

A "credit" costs 50p.
Basic search is free.
Advanced search is 1 credit (50p).
Full record is 5 credits (£2.50)
Image is 5 credits (£2.50)

As they say, "If you do a standard search and then are able to tell which is the correct person from the results list and decide only to view the full record, it will cost a total of 5 credits. However, if you do an advanced census search (1 credit) then view the full transcript record (5 credits) then also decide to view the original page image (5 credits) the total would cost 11 credits (£5.50)."

I have not, of course, seen the images, but I would suggest that once you have identified your person in the search, which may or may not cost you 50p, the next move should be to look at the image, not the "full record".
Even if you don't think you are very good at transcribing, I would think it unlikely that your own reading of what is shown will be less accurate than theirs.
And unless they have been really nasty and cut the reference number slips off the images, you should be able to tell by checking the reference number in TNA's catalogue which register the entry has come from, thus saving yourself £2.50.

[Pam Downes]

A "credit" costs 50p.
Basic search is free.
Advanced search is 1 credit (50p).
Full record is 5 credits (£2.50)
Image is 5 credits (£2.50)

Am I being incredibly mean, or does anyone else think these prices are a bit steep?
(And in saying the next bit, I do appreciate that not everyone has a local LDS FHC.)
I've just checked for 'my' surname. Out of 4 births, 3 are on the IGI which means I can order in the film at my local LDS FHC for less than £4.
Three burials in Greenwich might be slightly harder to find as there are at least three chapels to choose from for the time frame, though I suppose I could pay for one then get the LDS film for the other two.
Pam

[Mythology]

And another possible money-saving thought...

Again, I have to point out that I haven't seen their images, so I could be wrong here, but...
It is quite common in nonconformist registers to find a whole batch of kids of one family registered at the same time.
For example, those 1832-1837 Barfields in RG4/3541 were all registered together. William Fuller Barfield is the last entry on one page, then Mary Ann Barfield and Elizabeth Jane Barfield are the first two entries on the next page. So, there are only two *pages* to look at for the three entries.
On the assumption that their "image" is the page of the register, not a cut-out of the individual entry, if you have a number of kids in the same family, do look at the first one you bought before spending money on another image that is actually the same one!

The same may apply to things like the Dr Williams's Library records. I don't know if they've used the register entries, the accompanying copy certificates, or both, but I have for instance, five kids in one family, with birth dates from 3 January 1805 to 5 January 1816, who I see are in their index, albeit with one of the names wrong - all registered on 1 July 1818, so all on the one page of the register.

[Peter Goodey]

In case some people haven't twigged, many (all?) of these records have already been indexed in the IGI and BVRI. So check there first!