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Archiver > CHESHIRE > 2000-10 > 0971084526


From: Family History Society of Cheshire <>
Subject: Re: [CHS] Listing of BMDs in Cheshire (FWD)
Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 10:42:06 +0100


The message <>
from "Dr. Terry S. Walker" <> contains these words:

> About three days ago I posted a general question on the list asking if listers could tell me what
> they knew about parish registers which have not yet been included in the various publicly available
> databases. Although I was not specific I believe my message implied that I meant inclusion in not
> only the IGI but also such databases as the Betram Merrill index and the various marriage indices
> that apply the different geographic areas of Cheshire. [...]


Coverage of the IGI is very poor for Cheshire -- only an estimated
20% of baptisms and marriages up to 1850 in the latest edition.
Unfortunately the last time the Mormons themselves published a list
of parishes covered was back in 1988, and it was sufficiently vague
as to be useless! For example, 'Runcorn baptisms 1538-1800' could
mean that all the baptisms for this period had been transcribed, or
that there was just one entry in 1538 and another in 1800 -- there
was no way to tell !

When the last edition of 'Cheshire Parish Registers: A Summary Guide'
came out in 1998, the Bertram Merrell and Hartley Jones indexes had
not yet appeared on CD-ROM, which is why no information could be
included. But the booklet does indicate the coverage of the North
East Cheshire and Mid-Cheshire Marriage Indexes, as well as all other
known published transcripts and indexes, MIs, and microfilm copies of
the parish registers and BTs for each of the 418 C of E churches and
chapels in Cheshire.

A new edition of the booklet will be required before very long, since
many more registers have been deposited, microfilmed and transcribed
over the last couple of years. I hope it will then be possible to
indicate the coverage of the Merrell index, although I'm still
waiting to receive a fully detailled list of parishes and years from
the compiler.

BTW, all the proceeds from the 'Cheshire Parish Registers' booklet go
to the Family History Society of Cheshire, and prices/ordering
information can be found on the FHSC and Genfair web-sites.


Hope this helps,

Brett Langston
The Family History Society of Cheshire
http://www.fhsc.org.uk/

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