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Archiver > AUS-VIC-NORTHWEST > 2002-11 > 1037069804


From: "Bill & Lone White" <>
Subject: [AUS-VIC-NorWest] Fw: British Government would destroy "foreign vital records"
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 13:00:10 +1000


Hi List
Apolgies for cross posting but this seems pretty important

Cheers

Bill
----- Original Message -----
From: ivytrott <>
To: Bill & Lone White <>
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2002 4:05 AM
Subject: Fw: British Government would destroy "foreign vital records"


> I only know the Tas and Convicts lists, but I think this should be
> advertised widely as it could affect us all - would you like to send it
> where you think it would do most good? I doubt any genealogical
association
> has been consulted! Go well! Ivy.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Denis Beauregard <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 2:08 AM
> Subject: British Government would destroy "foreign vital records"
>
>
> No idea if reliable, but it deserves some attention if it is.
> >From another newsgroup:
>
>
> Pour ceux qui ont des ancètres d'origine anglaise. Le service des
> Archives publiques se propose de détruire les documents de BMS d'outre
> mer. C'est à dire tous les actes passés dans les colonies, sur les
> bateaux etc.
>
> Bien sur tout est en anglais
>
> J.R. Y
>
> Dorothy Kew a *crit :
> >
> > Hi fellow listers:
> >
> > The following email was sent to me by a correspondent on another list.
We
> > definitely need to be aware of this proposal by the Public Record
Office.
> >
> > Dorothy
> >
> > ===========================
> > Subject: [CCC] British PRO comtemplates destruction of records
> > ===========================
> > Dear listers,
> >
> > I wonder if others are aware of proposals by the PRO to destroy some
> > 'overseas records' due to needing more storage space?
> >
> > Responses are needed by the 15th of November so please do read to the
end
> of
> > this email.
> >
> > I have not been able to find any announcement on the PRO website, but
> there
> > is a good summary on the Federation of Family History Societies
> > page at: http://www.ffhs.org.uk/Societies/Liaison/News.htm
> >
> > May I urge everyone to visit this page. You can download the entire
> > proposal document using a link there. (You need Adobe Acrobat but that
> > is freely available on the internet.)
> >
> > You may feel that as you do not have any 'overseas' events, it doesn't
> > concern you; please look at the FFHS page anyway! We all know about
> > mistakes in records, particularly copies, and sometimes even in
> > originals....
> >
> > The PRO will always have 'problems' with storage space, and the FFHS and
> the
> > Society Of Genealogists have already offered to take these 'spares' so
> they
> > could be saved for checking in the future. (Sometimes copies have been
> > corrected and are more accurate than originals.)
> >
> > 'Overseas' includes bmd's at sea, on aircraft and hovercraft amongst
other
> > places!
> >
> > Please do look at the FFHS page and send a response to the PRO. Once
the
> > decision to destroy the records is taken they will be gone forever -
like
> so
> > many others! I understand that they were looking to re-house some Wills
> and
> > were approached by the SOG with an offer of safe-keeping. When they
looked
> > for the Wills they realised that they had been destroyed 10 years ago!
> >
> > Many emails from individual 'users' could make the difference!
> >
> > Judy L Slocum
> > Rockford, Illinois
> > ===========================================
> > FFHS Website Information: Source:
> > http://www.ffhs.org.uk/Societies/Liaison/News.htm
> >
> > PRO CONSULTATION DRAFT OPERATIONAL
> > SELECTION POLICY 18 - OVERSEAS BMD
> > On 6th August 2002, the PRO published a 14 page Consultation Document
for
> > developing an Operational Selection Policy regarding Records of
> Registration
> > of Births, Marriages and Deaths of UK citizens occurring overseas.
> > The PRO invites comments on the draft document from users of the records
> or
> > archive professionals by 15th November, 2002. The draft considers:
> > Birth and death registrations made by the Civil Aviation Authority.
> > Records of births, marriages and deaths[BMD] of Royal Navy, Army and RAF
> > personnel made overseas by the Ministry of Defence.
> > Records of BMD and lex loci marriages [ marriages of British citizens
> > overseas conducted under the law of another state] at British Consular
> > Offices made by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
> > Records of BMD in states overseas where the UK has no consular
> > representation made by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
> > Records of deaths on board offshore installations held by the DTI and
> > registered by the Registrar of Shipping and Seamen.
> > Records of births and deaths on board British civil and military
> hovercraft
> > overseas made by the DTI and the Ministry of Defence.
> > Registrations of births and deaths on British merchant ships at sea and
> > foreign merchant ships carrying passengers to or from British ports made
> by
> > the Registrar of Shipping and Seamen.
> > Registration of "Marriages" conducted on British registered merchant
> > vessels.
> > The PRO's Acquisition Policy requires it to select documents that are
> > relevant to "The economic, social and demographic condition of the UK,
as
> > documented by the state's dealings with individuals, communities and
> > organisations outside its own formal boundaries."
> > The Policy also states that "the cost of selection and of storage
must.be
> an
> > explicit element in appraisal decisions and, as part of this, the rate
at
> > which the PRO acquires records must be carefully controlled."
Consequently
> > the Draft document states that where the records mentioned above
duplicate
> > information already held by the Registrar General, the PRO WILL NOT
select
> > them for permanent preservation.
> > My initial comment is that it would be totally wrong to destroy the
> > duplicate copies particularly as the duplicates have not been checked
> > against the master copies. As family historians we are well aware that
> major
> > differences exist between the local Registrars' books of Births,
Marriages
> > and Deaths compared with the books held by ONS, as well as the huge
> > differences between Parish Register entries compared with the so called
> > duplicates - the Bishop's Transcripts. There are certain to be
differences
> > in the overseas registers so to destroy the duplicate copies would
result
> in
> > significant historical information being lost. The duplicates must be
> > retained not only to help check queries but also to stop further
> destruction
> > of consular records that may already have been destroyed.
> > The full text can be read/downloaded from:
> >
>
www.pro.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/acquisition/osp18overseas-registration.pdf
> > The FFHS Executive Committee has made its formal response and this
follows
> > below. But comments from Family History Societies and individuals will
be
> > welcomed by the PRO and you are strongly urged to submit them, even if
you
> > merely say that you agree with and support the views expressed by the
> FFHS.
> > Your comments should be sent by 15th November 2002 to: Howard Davies,
> > Records Management Department, Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond,
Surrey
> > TW9 4DU or by e-mail to
> --
> 0 Denis Beauregard http://www.genealogie.com (français)
> /\/ Genealogy Web site: http://www.francogene.com (English)
> |\ >>Adresse modifiée souvent/email changed frequently<<
> / | Relationniste - www.sgcf.com
> oo oo Société généalogique canadienne-française
>
> ______________________________
>
>
>


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