Now you see it, now you don’t – IGI and FamilySearch
Posted: 07/01/2013 Filed under: Genealogy issues, Genealogy software and data, Sue's family research | Tags: 50 Marriage Mondays, Claverley, Evans, Wilson 1 Comment »I found this marriage of a potential distant relative (1st cousin 5x removed) at the Norfolk Studies Library when the library was at Anglia Square in Norwich, at some time prior to the move to the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library in 2001. At that time, the International Genealogical Index (IGI) was widely available on microfiche and arranged by county. I noted ‘IGI Shropshire’ and the marriage details:
Bride: Mary Evans
Groom: Thomas Wilson
Date: 8 January 1818
Place: Claverley, Shropshire
The Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) started publishing an index in the 1970s, which developed into the IGI. Several editions on microfiche and CD-ROM were published up to 1999 when the FamilySearch website was introduced. By then the IGI contained 285 million entries, which were released by region [1].
So, I should find this marriage on FamilySearch. But, no matter how I searched, I did not find it, making me wonder about my sanity! Time for some detective work.
Book containing transcript of Claverly parish registers in FHL
Consulting the FamilySearch Card Catalogue, I find that a transcript of Claverley parish registers is the likely source of the index entry I found on microfiche. A copy of the book is housed at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, reference (call no) 942.45 B4sh v. 10, a volume I have previously consulted (see Three Wilson-Wilson marriages and the FHL Experience).
Sure enough the marriage is recorded [2] :
1818, Jan. 8. Thomas Wilson, of C., b., & Mary Evans, of Worfield, sp., lic.
Wit: Ann Wilson, John Evans
Are all the records in this book missing from the index, or only some of the records? The result of search for marriage records with this volume’s FHL microfilm no (162094), compared to the book shows missing records:
| year | no marriages in book | no marriages in index | no missing marriages in index | proportion missing % |
| 1813 | 5 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 10 |
| 1814 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 38 |
| 1815 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 56 |
| 1816 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 33 |
| 1817 | 6 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 58 |
| 1818 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 40 |
| 1819 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 43 |
Each marriage should produce two entries in the index, one each for the bride and groom. Some marriages are index by one partner only, giving the .5 figures. The proportion of missing index entries varies greatly and from this small sample, I cannot discern any pattern.
The original 1999 FamilySearch website went off line in June 2012, so I cannot check if the records were included in the original online indexes. In recent years the FamilySearch website was re-organised and now has split the IGI entries into records extracted from original and derivative sources (e.g. parish registers, transcripts of parish registers, bishop’s transcripts etc.) and records submitted by church members. In August 2012, the FamilySearch blog announcement “The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is complete” prompted many comments that data were missing. In October 2012, the Ancestry Insider posted two articles about the IGI update that confirmed that many records are missing and expressed a number of other reservations. In particular, a warning:
The IGI contains a small selection of records in FamilySearch’s microfilm collection. Some films were skipped. Some films were partially skipped. Some records, such as stillborns, were never indexed. Some indexed records were discarded rather than duplicating user contributed entries. That means an entire parish may be present except for a handful of people.
Could this be the root cause of my not finding this marriage? As more than a handful of entries are missing, I suspect there is more to this mess.
[1] https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/IGI
[2]Fletcher, W.G.D. 1907. Shropshire Parish Registers. Diocese of Hereford. Vol X. privately printed for the Shropshire Parish Register Society. p. 411 (FHL microfilm: 162094 item 2, book shelf mark 94245 B4sh v.10) citing Claverley parish registers. Vol. X., Marriages 1813-1837.
© Sue Adams 2013
Three Wilson-Wilson marriages and the Family History Library Experience
Posted: 25/03/2012 Filed under: Genealogy issues, Sue's family research | Tags: Claverley, marriage, Wilson 2 Comments »The will of William Wilson of Claverley, Shropshire, England, made on 17 May 1833 and proved on 4 May 1837 revealed that he had three daughters who each married men with the Wilson surname. Dorothea was the wife of John Wilson of Aston Hall, Claverley, Elizabeth was the wife of Joseph Wilson of Bushbury, Staffordshire and Mary (deceased) was the wife of John Wilson of Astley, Alveley, Salop (=Shropshire).
Even though Wilson is a common surname, I wondered if it could possibly be true! The first step in verifying the will is to find records of the three marriages. English civil registration started too late (1837), so my best option is to turn to parish registers starting with Claverley, the place most strongly associated with the couples, followed by Bushbury and Alveley. The 40 years prior to 1833, the date the will was made, is the most likely time frame.
Normally I would use the IGI and any other online resources I could find to narrow down which original registers to examine. Viewing the originals could possibly entail travelling from Norfolk (on eastern side of England) to the visit the Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire County Records Offices.
But I was in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, the home of the Family History Library (FHL), the largest in the world. If you are wondering what I was doing in SLC see my previous post.
How much clobber do you take to archives, repositories and libraries? Notebook, laptop, camera, pencils, change for photocopies, library card or other identification, spare batteries for gadgetry, … You could probably add to the list. I wanted to travel light, so I left the heavy stuff behind. I could have taken just this:
Yes, a flash drive! Not an empty drive. It had my research plan, copies of related documents and other stuff on it. I used one of the many computers in the library to read the contents of my flash drive and consult the catalogue. All the records I consulted were available on microfilm or fiche, so I used the free film scanners to copy the records I wanted directly onto my flash drive.
Getting back to the three marriages project.
First, I found that a published transcript of the Claverley parish registers was available:
Fletcher, W.G.D. 1907. Shropshire Parish Registers. Diocese of Hereford. Vol X. privately printed for the Shropshire Parish Register Society. (FHL microfilm: 162094 item 2, book shelf mark 94245 B4sh v.10)
p 332
1795 June 21 John Wilson of Alveley, b. & Mary Wilson, lic by Matthew Pilkington, Clerk.
Wit: James Wilson, Sarah Wilson
p 337
1808 Apr 21 Joseph Wilson of Chetton, b. & Elizabeth Wilson, sp., lic.
Wit: Dorothy Wilson, Wm Wilson
Note that these are transcriptions of the parish registers, not the originals. The book contains a detailed description of the registers and their contents and claims the transcript is faithful to the originals. The originals comprise ten volumes: vol VII contains marriages from 1795-1812 and vol VI contains marriages from 1774-1795. According to the transcript, both marriages are in vol VII.
The will indicates Elizabeth married Joseph Wilson of Bushbury, so why is he recorded as of Chetton on the marriage? Chetton is ca 15 km west of Claverley. Bushbury is in Wolverhampton ca 15 km NE of Claverley.
Then, I searched the FamilySearch index for a marriage between John and Dorothea Wilson which lead me to this:
Bishop’s transcript, Brewood (FHL microfilm: 425497, entry no 11)
8 July 1816 Brewood, Staffs John Wilson of Aston Claverley m Dorothea Wilson of this parish [Brewood] by license
Witnesses: Wm Wilson, Beatrice Hill
This clearly seems to be the marriage of our Dorothea, but why is she recorded as being resident in Brewood, and not Claverley? Brewood is near Wolverhampton, ca 13km ne of Claverley. This is the bishop’s transcript, a copy of the original register that was submitted to the bishop periodically (usually quarterly).
So, these do look like the marriages of William Wilson’s daughters, but not all the details match up. How many other Wilsons were there in Brewood, Chetton, and other locations? If the husbands were as mobile as seems to be indicated, then I should check surrounding areas to rule out other possible men of the same names.
Map of locations connected to 3 Wilson-Wilson marriages and apparent movements of people involved. Interactive version of map here
Other considerations are:
- The records I found in the Family History Library are copies, so may not be reliable.
- The index (e.g. IGI) entries on FamilySearch are derived from the FHL holdings, and may not refer to original or the most reliable records.
- There are original parish registers available, but not at FHL.
Before I can truly claim to have cracked the three Wilson-Wilson marriages case, I need to:
- resolve the apparent discrepancies
- complete the search in likely locations and extend the search area
- identify and rule out other possible husbands
- as all three marriages were by license, search Lichfield and Worcester diocese records
Lots still to do then!
