Re: Why do British records cost money when other countries are free?

On Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:41:37 +0800, Peter Davidson wrote:

My line is a pain.

You've only got a reason to complain if you have a line of SMITHs (I
have only one mercifully), TAYLORs (3 of them), ADAMSes (only one)
and EVANs (only one but, yep, in Wales!)

So my patience is thin when the only way to confirm that one is on
the right track is to buy a certificate only to use the penny to
eliminate a line of enquiry. (It'll cost a fortune).

It only costs a fortune if you don't use the resources that are
available to help you eliminate those that are not yours. Genealogy
is a hobby that requires patience. If you don't have that patience
then genealogy isn't for you.

I've been doing this malarkey for the past ten years.

You're still a beginner then. I've been researching for just over 40
years and there are several people here who've been researching for
even longer.

[...] but
British records are just like searching thru a haystack.

No they aren't, even if there were such an animal as "British
records". There are English & Welsh, Scottish and Irish. The
Scottish ones are an absolute dream and they're online :))

I've had far more trouble finding and obtaining US records. If it
hadn't been for a very kind US friend who put herself out to contact
some offices, I'd never have been able to obtain some documents. Some
states don't even allow for anyone outside of the US to order or
purchase documents - and they don't answer emails from overseas
either!

Instead of grumbling, why not try finding yourself a relative or
friend in England and/or Scotland who'll help you.

Maybe Genealogy in Britain is just a rich man's hobby.

There are thousands of people on fixed incomes (pensions and the
like) with limited disposable funds who manage to enjoy genealogy and
family history and make progress with it.

All hobbies cost money if you're serious about them.

Certificates are handy birthday and Christmas presents. My husband
has a long list of certs that I'm after getting. Whenever someone
asks what I want for a gift, he sends them part of the list so that no
one ends up buying the same cert as someone else :))

I can no
longer afford to buy the way I once did (10 at a time @ a cost of
£50), purchasing the next batch when I picked up the previous one.
The same as I can no longer easily visit the record offices I need
access to.

And, yes, we do have a Freedom of Information Act but since the
resources are freely available to the public, they don't fall under
the remit of the FoI. Freely available doesn't mean they have to be
free of charge.

--
Genealogy: is it a thing of the past??
.

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