I’ve been working on my wife’s English ancestors the last few times I have been at the Family History Library. One frustration has been that the civil records have not been microfilmed–and yet the index of Civil Registrations is online at http://freebmd.rootsweb.com. Before I get too irritated, I have to remember that the church records generally have been microfilmed. I use the online index to give me an idea of dates of death and probable parishes where the information should be recorded.
Of course, I should still search the parish records page by page for all family members but sometimes there just simply is not time.
Remember there may be more than one way to get at the information you need. Keep your eyes and ears open and ask questions.
In this case, if I decide I need the civil record, I can still order it once I’ve seen the church record to know I have the right person. In many cases, I don’t bother to order to the civil record as those copy charges add up.
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