Library Subscriptions

TheGenealogist has introduced a Library Subscription, intended to meet the needs of family history societies and other institutions. The subscription can only be used on one computer at the organisation's designated venue, but it is up to them whether to make a charge for its use. Potentially this is an excellent source of revenue for a small society.

The Library Subscription provides three different types of subscription. The Library Plus subscription costs £240pa for 4,000 credits, or £500 for 10,000 credits. The Library Premium subscription is credit-free and costs £1,995 per annum.

Project to put Parish Records online

There is a high demand for online parish records, but the sheer volume of them makes transcription a mammoth task for any company to undertake. However, as their census transcription project draws to a close, TheGenealogist is switching focus to the transcription of parish record material.

Subscribers can access sample parish record transcriptions from Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire, and more will follow. An Advanced Search option means you will eventually be able to search on fields such as marriage witnesses, father of bride or groom, etc.

Taking the work out of wills

This site has recently added a new Wills and Testaments Index Viewer, plus wills and probate information for Bristol, Edinburgh, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Yorkshire.

I tried out the Yorkshire volumes, covering wills proved in the York courts from the 15th to the 17th centuries. These include the Ridings of Yorkshire and beyond, but remember that the complex ecclesiastical court system means that other courts would have proved wills in that area, too.

Although the form suggests you can only search by forename and surname, I found it was also possible to search by place if you entered it as a surname. To discover the will's full content you will have to order a copy, but this is a useful finding aid.