As you would guess we always have several Genealogical projects running at any one time and following a suggestion from a member and others, I intend to try and give updates on how some are going.
1. Parish Registers
Although a lot of registers were transcribed and published in Hardback book form a century ago, there are still several that haven't been published, so together with Shropshire Archives last year we started a trial project using St Mary's & St Leonard's both in Bridgnorth. We had the original Registers professionally scanned and then after a very long wait have them loaded on a web-site where our volunteers can download the image wherever in the world they are to work on. Our Chairman has created a software tool that the transcriber can enter the data into; because we will also be using the output in our Marriage Index CD and Banns are relevant information John has had to make modifications to allow the entering of Banns for the transcribers. Heather who co-ordinates the transcriptions recently reported that 27/29 batches of images for St L's and 29/45 for St M's had been transcribed so far, once they are all transcribed then they will all need checking by a different transcriber, so it isn't a quick job.
Update 090329 from Heather: All batches for both Bridgnorth Parishes have either been transcribed or have been allocated. We have now started the task of checking the transcriptions.
2. BMD Indexing
We have been approached by the Registrar in Shrewsbury to see if we can supply volunteers to start transcribing the Birth, Marriages & Death Indexes for them to be added to the UK BMD Project, Currently this hasn't yet started and we are trying to gauge how much effort is needed, however we believe a visit in person by the transcriber will be needed.
This Project is on hold whilst we await agreement to us having access to the Registers from the Registrars Office.
3. Marriage Indexing
We have already published the first Edition of the "Shropshire Marriage Index CD" this was based on information from two older paper look-up indexes (Lewis & Gwynne) that were left to the Society, blended with a long term electronic project of Chris Potter, this was aimed at areas that were not in the IGI; but as is always the case there are more that can be added and so Chris is steadily working away transcribing more entries so they can be added at a later date.
4. Photographic Gravestone Recording
Mike Hulme, a few years back, started a scheme to try and digitally photograph gravestones and electronically store them for future generations. Whilst this is obviously a tremendous idea for benefit of future researchers trying to trace ancestors when all the stones have their inscriptions weathered away, laid down, recycled or vandalised; you only need to consider the number of churchyards and multiply it by the average number of remaining headstones to start to grasp the size of this project. Currently only for new MI Transcriptions tasks are the volunteers encouraged to take photographs, but for this to take off properly we need a volunteer co-ordinator, Mike created a "How to" document all we need now is someone to pick up the reins.
5. Volunteers at Shropshire Archives Project
Two volunteers, on a rota, spend the hours between 10:00am and 1:00pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at Shropshire Archives making themselves available to any visitors who need help and guidance using the records or equipment for their genealogical research.
If you are interested in joining the team of volunteers, contact the co-ordinator, Liz Roberts via Email: archive_volunteers @ sfhs.org.uk
(remove spaces to use). Training is given by SA staff from time to time and certainly when you start. nb. A CRB check is required and a basic knowledge of researching for one's ancestors.
6. Shropshire Burials Index (contributing to the National Burials Index)
Now up to edition 4 and with over 400,000 records, the SBI has become a staple of the CD sales we make. It rides on the back of an immense amount of work by volunteers who transcribe, enter into computer and check the records. With the period between 1813 and 1837 complete, we have been concentrating on the pre 1813 period, much of which has come from the printed registers the society holds, which task has virtually been completed. We were fortunate enough to be given a 'card' index of the parishes in the South East of the county and these too have been entered. The remaining registers for this period are much slower work because they were not transcribed and published and so require dedicated transcribers to go to Shropshire Archives and work from microfiche or, in the event of their unreadability, the original registers.
Checking the data also needs to be done at SA or even from the Bishops' Transcripts held at Hereford and Lichfield. We need transcribers who can enter their own data into the computer, software provided, but also volunteers who are happy to transcribe on paper but not into the computer. These transcriptions would then be sent for data entry to volunteers who could be anywhere in the World, thus including members who are happy to volunteer but cannot get to Shrewsbury. Help in co-ordination and even (non-techies can close their eyes for this bit) anyone familiar with VB6 programming or converting to VB.net.
Contact John Ravenscroft if you are interested in any of these jobs via Email: NBI @ sfhs.org.uk
(remove spaces to use).
The output of these projects aren't likely to be published for many months maybe years, but if you are a member and would like to volunteer to assist, then please email us on the link that follows, asking for your details to be passed on the relevant Committee Member/Co-ordinator.
Click here to open up an email
If there is a project that you are working on for the Society and would like to write a précis to be added to this page then, please do so and email it to me at webmaster @ sfhs.org.uk (Remove spaces to use)
