Hugh Wallis batch numbers.

[jannic]

Good morning,

Does anyone know if the Hugh Wallis IGI batch numbers are updated if/when there are more transcriptions added?

I've used the site quite regularly but it was after a comment from a contact about a recently added file that I started wondering about how I could find out when new files were available. I have used LDS films, but find the wait annoying when I could arrange a visit to a record office in half the time to follow up a clue.

Jan

[Marie C..]

Well for what it's worth if a visit to the record office is easy/close enough then I would opt for the record office as you can romp through the registers willy nilly.... but with Hugh Wallis site... absolutely invaluable as it is.. from one who spends hours on it, often just the thing you want(ie Brierley Hill marriages) are not on it.As for new additions to it. I expect they are there but I have not noticed. M

[jannic]

Hi Marie,

Not quite "willy nilly" but often enough - I have a very understanding other half who likes midweek breaks at far flung hotels!

Anyway I still need to know where to look, for instance I have a Joseph CLARK born c1800 in Somerset. Now I can get to the record office in around 3 hours but I DON'T want to spend the whole days searching every register hoping to come across him - I'll happily search though the same registers though to follow up a lead.

Is the IGI and Hugh Wallis' site updated - and if so where is the information to be found.

Thanks Jan

[ChristineR]

Hugh Wallis' batch numbers only relate to indexed parish registers found on the IGI - which is an index of the religious dealings of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints.

There are many other records of dubious value to be found on the same FamilySearch site, pedigree resource files, etc, submitted by members of the public and LDS members. These file numbers are not recorded on Hugh Wallis site.

[Marie C..]

Hi,
Have you any idea where in Somerset? Was he alive in 1851 census as that might give actual place. Marie

[Kerrywood]

Is the IGI and Hugh Wallis' site updated - and if so where is the information to be found.

I believe Hugh no longer updates his site.

The IGI does get updated with new batches of extractions and (of course) patron submissions, but there has never been much coverage for Somerset, and I doubt if that will change. You would need to put any specific queries to the LDS support team, who can be emailed easily enough.

Meanwhile, you'll probably find that FreeReg (http://freereg.rootsweb.com/) has better coverage for Somerset.

If you have the option of visiting the record office, to my mind there is no contest. You are looking there at primary sources, while the IGI is a selective index to a relatively small number of records. If the IGI happens to have the records you need, it can signpost you in the right direction, that's all.

Kerrywood

[jannic]

Hugh Wallis' batch numbers only relate to indexed parish registers found on the IGI

Hi Christine,

Are you saying that the IGI is static - that there are not going to be any more indexed parish registers added?

Jan

[Marie C..]

Your Joseph wasn't born in STreet Somerset was he? Did he marry Martha Gillet and was he a farmer? with a son called Joseph? M

[jannic]

Hi Kerrywood,

Many thanks for the info on Hugh Wallis - I suspected as much but had hoped it wouldn't be so as it's such a help to see which places/years are indexed and available. The Somerset example was just that, one of many lines of relatives traced to the 1841 census who wasn't born in that place. I know that my Somerset rellies should eventually appear on freereg but that cannot be said of the Scottish ones.

I'll try emailing the LDS and seeing if they have an up to date list of their extracted registers.

Many thanks
Jan

[jannic]

Hi Marie,

Unfortunately not, he was married to Frances/Fanny HOYLE, but was not born in either the place he married or eventually lived.

Jan

[jannic]

After hours of googling the following article answers not only my question but gives a very easily understood account of the IGI.

http://www.berksfhs.org.uk/journal/Jun2001/jun2001SomeIGIConfusionsUntangled.htm

[Kerrywood]

But do bear in mind that the BerksFHS report is 8 years out of date. Many batches prefixed I, J and K have been added to the IGI on FamilySearch since then. If you search our own BG forum you'll find a number of threads that refer.

Kerrywood

[MarkJ]

Just a quick note about Hugh and his Batch Numbers :)

Hugh presumably runs the site as a service to other researchers. As far as I am aware, he is not paid to do that and it must take a huge amount of time to index all the batch numbers and go through checking for new ones.
Although the site is hosted on the Roosweb freepages (thus presumably not costing hosting charges), maintaining a website does take a lot of time up - especially one as popular as Hughs. Remember the problem last year which meant he had to pull down part of the site and revert to a back up - it all takes time.

Regarding the "not finding" of specific areas - Hugh has listed the batches excatly as the LDS have. So any variations in spelling need to be checked as well. For example, Saint Somewhere and St Somewhere may well both exist - depending on the LDS member who entered the data. But Saint and St will contain different data! So remember to double check for spelling errors /differences!

Not all parishes were indexed by the LDS anyway of course - many refused to allow the LDS access to the records for various reasons.

Mark