Genealogy Chat

ALISON & VERA Bless you for explaining things. I'm planning a trip to the LDS family centre in Plymouth in the not too distant future, so at least I won't end up sounding like a complete pillock!! There are so many initials and numbers floating round all the sites that I tend to get brain ache and sometimes total melt down when I just stare at it all and nothing makes sense! I do hope other people get like this too!!! Mary South Devon

Mary I'll try to explain in terms of looking at a book. But the numbering is slightly different in a Census Schedule. So - RG11 would be the title of the book; 2886 would be the Chapter; 123 would be the page and 56 would be the paragraph. Example: RG11 2886 123 56 RG11 - is the reference number of the 1881 census. RG12 is the number of the next census in 1891, RG 13 is the number of the 1901 census. 2886 - is the Piece number. The area of the census. 123 - is the Folio number. It is STAMPED on the top right of the page. In an open book there are two facing pages and these are called the folio sheets. The left hand page is no 123 and the right page is left blank as it is part of the whole. In some cases they are numbered 123a and 123b so that we know which page to look at for the info we require. 56 - is the Page no. This is PRINTED on the page as in a normal book. Each page has a number. There are corresponding numbers on the fiche which makes it easier to find the record/household you want. I hope I have explained it to your understanding. If not I am sure someone will correct me, with thanks. Regards Vera, Manchester

The numbers on the LDS site are their own. They refer to the fiche and the transcribers at their family history centres. Not all the info stored at the centres is online and if you are near to a family history centre it is worth while to go in person and look at the records there. If they do not have the fiches you are interested in they will send for them hence the fiche no. If you use the Hugh Wallis site( the address is on this board somewhere) you can search IGI records by Parish this is useful as sometimes entire familys appear.

I've been finding a lot of useful info from the LDS 1881 census site, but could somebody please enlighten me about all the figures used and how to use them in more searching. Family History Library Film eg. 1341443 PRO: eg. RG11 (actually, they ALL seem to be that!) Piece/Folio eg. 1830 / 9 Page Number: eg. 11 The last two don't seem to tally with the GRO record numbers, so if anybody can explain to this particular numpty what it's all about, she'd be very grateful!! Many thanks. Mary South Devon