LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter February 1999

British Isles Vital Records Index. If you have used the computer at the Latter-day Saints library on Haslingden Road you will be familiar with this index. It is similar to the IGI but it contains more names and is more flexible. The LDS Church has now released the British Isles VRI as a set of six CDs . The systems requirements are said to be a minimum Pentium PC running Windows 95 or NT40. There is no mention on the packaging of Windows 98 but it should run equally well. The front cover states that these CDs contain 5 million births, christening and marriages taken from a partial collection of records in the British Isles dating from 1538 to 1888. The British Isles VRI is available in the UK solely from the LDS Church Distribution Centre, 399 Garretts Green Lane, Birmingham B33 OHU (Tel. 0121 784 9555).

The price for the unbelievably low price of £13.50 includes delivery.

I have abstracted this from a much longer article in January’s Family Tree Magazine. This magazine is on sale here monthly. It has just increased in price to £2.20 per issue but it is the best way to keep up to date with what is going on in the genealogy world especially in the computing field

1881 Census Indexes.

The Federation of Family History Societies is offering for sale the National sort of the 1881 Census Transcript in both the Surname Index and Birthplace Index formats. These are both substantial sets of fiche as there are 1116 fiche in each set. The cost to members of the Federation of the National sort Surname index will be £260.16 which includes 25% discount. For the benefit of individuals arrangements have been made to issue the index in sets e.g. A-Ba, Ba-Cad. Further information and order forms are available from the FFHS Finance Officer, 1 Tenterk Close Close, Bleadon, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset BS24 OPJ with sae.

National sort Birthplace Index. This is only available as a complete set at £258.16

There is a £2 handling charge.

CD-Rom version of 1881 census will be released on CD-Rom from the LDS Church in the near future and will only be available through the church. If you have computer facilities you should wait before purchasing the fiche.

Coming Events. Talks, Conferences, Exhibitions.

Saturday 27 February 1999. The FHS of Cheshire will be holding a Family History Open Day to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Venue the Memorial Hall, Norwich - 10am - 4.30pm. Admission £1. Free Car Park.

Saturday 17th April 1999. NW Group of Family History Societies. 22nd Annual Conference hosted by Liverpool & SW Lancashire FHS at the Western Rooms, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral St. James’ Mount, Liverpool. There is ample parking space at a fee of £1.00 for the day payable on arrival. Fee £13.50 to include all lectures, coffee on arrival, buffet lunch and afternoon tea. Send to David Guiver, 11 Bushys Lane, Formby, Liverpool, L37 2DX. Bookings to arrive by 27th March.

Saturday 24 April 1999. Computers in Family History Conference. The Society of Genealogists and the Manchester & Lancashire Society will be hosting a one day conference in the Chapman Building of the University of Salford.

Saturday 1 May and Sunday 2 May 1999 Society of Genealogists. Annual Fair, London.

Saturday 30 October 1999 NW Group Family History Fair (sometimes known as the Stockport Fair) will this year be held at the Guild Hall, Preston.

NW Group of Family History Societies. This small federation of FHSs consists of

North Cheshire FHS, FHS of Cheshire, Rolls-Royce FHS, Liverpool & SW Lancs. FHS, Cumbria FHS, Catholic FHS, LFH&HS and S. Cheshire FHS. Each year one of this group hosts the annual conference. Last year we were in Cumbria the year before we went to Rolls Royce. This year the conference is being hosted by Liverpool on the 17 April (see above). I only received a limited number of programmes but if you are interested please look at the notice board for details 

Rossendale Ancestry.

Mrs E. Paulett, 6 Woodchester Close, Rosemount, Nambour, Queensland, Australia 4560 is interested in the family of George Forsyth born 1872 at Higher Booths, his older siblings were Sarah, Mary Ann and William. She thinks their father came from Scotland to manage an estate. George married Susy Heap about 1896 and had four sons Maurice, Owen, William & Cyril. She would also like to know about Richard Heap, born 1832 at Goodshaw. He married Ann.... approximately 1858. They had seven children Sarah, Alice, Alfred, Richard, John, Susy and James. In 1881 they were living at 5 Smiths Houses, Dunnockshaw.

And Finally..... What’s in a name?

A member of the Blackburn Branch decided that she would like to do a One Name Study of the name Entwistle. She contacted the Guild of One Name Studies (the Goons) and asked if anyone else had registered this name. They told her there was no one else listed, so she duly paid a registration fee. Then they sent a letter of apology saying that someone else was registered after all, so would she like to research another name instead?