FreeBMD-Admins-L Archives

Archiver > FreeBMD-Admins > 2001-05 > 0988741980


From: "Jon Baker" <>
Subject: Re: Counties
Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 19:33:00 +0100
References: <002f01c0d0fa$c5c690a0$52ecfc3e@oemcomputer> <020d01c0d1ab$341b6fc0$fefd883e@vectis10w> <84oret88kab4q7graht4tjmd6k8disjgk4@smtp.ukonline.co.uk>


Hi Dave
I take your point. I don't pretend to know the exact history of the Chapman
Codes but what I do know is that they were based on County Boundaries as
they were about 1880 (?). Prior to this time (specifically as far as
FreeBMD is concerned from 1837), and after (technically until the 1960s but
practically at least into the early 20th century), the correct name for the
County now known as Hampshire was the County of Southampton, or less
frequently Southamptonshire. Since this is what is actually on certificates
referenced from the FreeBMD database (you won't find the word Hampshire), I
think this is what should actually be in the search field (obviously in
addition to the HAM abbreviation).

As an example, say you had a birth certificate for AN Other born in
Christchurch, in the County of Southampton and you wanted to look for the
marriage of the parents, and like many overseas people, and obviously UK
people too, didn't know that this was the former name for Hampshire, what
would you search for?

This is not a major issue, but just a point to be considered. I imagine
there may be other inconsistencies as well, this is not to criticise, just
to make a good system even better.

Incidentally, as FreeBMD covers the period after 1900 as well as before, I
guess you will be adding the post-1974 Chapman Codes, so that we can search
for events in such wonderful places as Avon :-)

Jon Baker
Calne, Wiltshire, UK

Family History: www.vectis10w.freeserve.co.uk
Calne & District Skittles League: www.calneskittles.org.uk

Researching: RYALL (Isle of Wight/S Africa), DOWNTON (Dorset/IOW/NZ), KEEN
(Gloucs/IOW), WALKER (Oxford/Nova Scotia), JOHNSON (Gloucs), BAKER
(London/Hampshire), HAYTER (Hampshire), HUGHES (Co Armagh), STEWART (Co
Down)
----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Mayall <>
To: <>
Sent: 30 April 2001 23:33
Subject: Re: Counties


> On Mon, 30 Apr 2001 20:23:31 +0100, you wrote:
>
> >Maybe FreeBMD should actually include abbreviation for Southampton in the
> >list since this is actually what was shown on certificates? I certainly
> >have a Birth Certificate (not my own I hasten to add) for Bournemouth in
the
> >County of Southampton in 1901.
>
> FreeBMD (unlike the LDS 1881 census) doesn't invent county
> abbreviations. We use the Chapman Codes :-)
>
> --
> Dave Mayall
>
>
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