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Archiver > GENBRIT > 2002-01 > 1010279547


From: Eric youle <>
Subject: Re: 1901 Census
Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2002 11:12:27 +1000
References: <9d.20e3cef0.29646b8d@aol.com>, <007301c19613$4ce36300$0100a8c0@mshome.net>


G'day Denise

denise.light wrote:

> It seems to me that the sensible solution is for all English and Welsh
> family historians with access to their local libraries and archive offices
> and the fiche/film of the 1901 census make a concentrated effort to
> transcribe their own area!
> This would then satisfy all the people who do not have access to local
> indexes and free up the internet for people who actually want to see the
> original images rather than just a transcript!
>
> Regards
> Denise
>


This is much what has happened with the earlier censuses. But you have
to ask, given the existence, if not access to the PRO version -

A. if the PRO would give permission for its fiches to be used,

B. if the FHS would take the financial risk, to produce competing products

C. if people are prepared to wait the number of years until the FHS
could produce a viable product (one has only to look at the 1891 census
to see how little National coverage there is 10 years on).

(And of course it would take far too long to produce the local indexes
to be of any help with the short term internet access.)


It would seem to me that the most logical way to proceed it to back the
PRO version, assuming that access becomes reasonable in due course
(certainly within the production and distribution time for the touted
fiches). Then to encourage the PRO to address any transcription errors.
This can easily be done on the centralized master copy, with
instantaneous global publication, a situation which becomes increasingly
difficult the more copies (fiches) which are in existence.

Then the FHS could become involved in checking accuracy and advise
corrections to the PRO, to update the master copy. Also of course
additional interpretive field could be added over time, eg to add the
counties or "correct" errors in the census original.




Eric
Mooloolaba




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