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Archiver > FREEBMD-DISCUSS > 2008-08 > 1218375823


From: "Chris Sitton" <>
Subject: Re: Errors in original GRO Index
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:43:43 +1000
References: <045D978B711F400AAA66ECF60D0C93B1@Richard1>


Richard Oliver Wrote:

>>Maybe someone knows the answer to this one:

>>What happens when we find a genuine error in the Index? Do we inform the
>>GRO? And if so, do they do anything about it? This question arises from
>>a >>hand-written scan I was second-keying last week, where one record read

>>Bailey,Ellen,Uxbridge,X,297

>>As a backup to BMDVerify I use Multicheckpage, the valuable little
>>checking program that shows up anomalies, and in this case both the Volume
>>code >>and Page number were way out. It turned out the clerk had made a
>>slip of the quill, and the District should have been written in as
>>Axbridge. So, as >>regards FreeBMD I TWIS, but added an extra line
>>(#THEORY District should be Axbridge).

>>But what happens if some descendant of Ellen's, reading the reference off
>>a fiche, decides not to bother ordering a certificate ("it can't be her,
>>great->>grandma was from Somerset"). Or, if a certificate is ordered
>>anyway, do the GRO say "sorry, no record could be traced under this
>>reference", or would >>they be aware of the mistake, or at least,
>>investigate?

>>Richard Oliver

Richard, my experience is that yes, you should advise the GRO. They should
order up the original certificate and check it for themselves. If the error
is confirmed, they will make a record of the change required to the index
and advise you of their findings and action they propose internally.

Unfortunately, the old fiche and scan reproductions of the paper index
records are no longer accessible by the public and none of the internet
sites that offer viewing facilities of those index pages will be notified
neither will they be updated. So searchers looking at those pages will
continue to see the original erroneous entry.

However, once you have received your confirmation email from the GRO you
could request a SYSTEM entry via the FreeBMD corrections co-ordinator, with
a copy of the certificate if you have it. He will then decide whether or not
to generate a searchable SYSTEM entry on FreeBMD. As far as I know, there is
no facility yet to attach files (emails and certificate copies) to requests
to the corrections co-ordinator. However, if you report the error through
the normal channels with brief details and your contact email address, he
should contact you and request the details to be submitted to him by normal
email. This has worked successfully for my appilication concerning a similar
indexing error incident.

As the DOVE project progresses it will be interesting to see if such index
errors are eventually corrected in the search results on that system.

Chris Sitton.



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