The Transcriptions Project

Quite recently I started to help the F.O.D by photographing records at the Gwent records office and offering some of my transcriptions from my website
that contain Forest parish records or are Monmouthshire parishes along the county border.

I am persistently having to face objections to what I am doing from a certain person at the Gwent R.O.

I have recently been told that a new policy at the Gwent R.O restricts users from photographing registers on film & fiche, even though users with pay a fee to use their cameras. What is crazy about this policy is that I am allowed to photograph original registers to my hearts content. The registers on film are held at the National Library of Wales. I have written to them and they have given me permission to photopgraph their films as they own the copyright. The County Archivist answer to this point was that " I dont care I am in charge here".

I would like to know from users of this website who are involved in transcribing records, how the Glos records office reacts to what you are doing. For example I hold the largest amount of Monmouthshire parish record transcripts and have offered copies to the Gwent R.O, but this has not persuaded them from working with me in ensuring that family historians who viist the office get as much help as possible with the use of transcripts.

Finally what amazes me, is that several years I gave the Gwent R.O photocopies of the Bishops Transcripts for every parish in the county which they do not have which cost me over £2,500. there's gratitude for you.

Mike John

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A team of us visited the Gloucester Archives today and photographed over 30 original registers. I gave them a list a few days before and they had them all ready for us when we arrived. The staff have always been very helpful, there are no charges for using cameras and laptops, and they even allow us free parking. I provide them with copies of all our transcripts and am hopeful that they will soon make these freely available to users of the Archives.

The treatment we receive at the Hereford Record Office is also excellent.

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Graham

I would love to get the same treatment, but it seems my project of getting parish & church records transcribed, has fallen on deaf ears with the Gwent Records Office. I have my suspisions why my good deeds are being ignored, it is because they are being offered free of charge like yourselves.

We in Gwent have to pay to use our Cameras and are not allowed to photograph microfilm or fiche, and are also not allowed to see the original records that are in these formats. There is a move afoot now that the LDS has been allowed to film all Monmouthshire church records to withdraw all original records from the public.

By hook or by crook I will eventually transcribe all the records that are available, but I am afraid I will not be giving any of these transcripts to the Gwent records office.

Mike John

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For those of you who may not have come across Mike John before, (I imagine you have with Monmouthshire being our neighbour) he personally must have saved individuals incredible amounts of time by providing information about someones family tree often without being asked directly. That or he has pointed people in the direction of the invaluble data he has amassed at his monfamilies / my family history web sites.

We have all benifited from the genorousity of people such as Mike, and those who are here at his FOD website, and I for one would welcome anything he has to offer. With so much of West Dean BMD being registered in Monmouth, this on going project to supply information regarding these overlapping Parish records will be hugely benificial for anyone researching in this area.

Anyone who goes to the Monmouthshire Family History site will not find anything like this, the information isn't up front, that's why Mike Johns site proved more valuable to me, I could search for myself if he didn't offer the information.

It's the same for most counties it seems, or at least the ones I have researched. But here we have people hard at work simply trying to make it easy (and cheap) to find out details of their families past.

I would love to see a website like this that covered the Monmouth area, the area this side of Raglan which seems to be almost an other county, much like The Forest of Dean cut off by the Severn like the poor relation of Gloucestershire. The old photos found here must be so valuable to those on the other side of the world who may never see where their family came from. Maybe there could be a section here for photos that would take in the areas covered by this new transcription project? It makes sense.

I'm not sure if I'm correct in saying that Census and Parish information is "Our Information" it is our right to be able to access and see it, and while I am happy to pay for any service that helps me find out more, is information being held and used purely for financial gain? I suppose the answer is yes.

Thanks to all of you who helped when I was starting out on my quest to find out more, I try where ever possible to help anyone I can, it's wonderful that some people are so generous with their time. cheers Fred Beach

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