BMSGH Search Services

	UNRELATED CERTIFICATES INDEX Co-ordinator: Mrs Yvonne Harrison, 54 Exe Hill, Torquay, TQ2 7RA Fees The Index is a voluntary undertaking and the fees charges support the work of the Index itself. Ł4.00 non-returnable search fee per three surnames, with named variants, to receive a breakdown of the number of entries per surname and the number of certificates containing these entries. The cost of providing ALL information from a certificate is Ł1.00 per certificate. Quotations for requests for more than ten certificates at one time can be provided. Cheques and crossed postal orders should be made payable to BMSGH and a stamped, addressed envelope or 3 IRCs must be included for your reply. Payments from overseas must be by sterling cheque or sterling money order only. BMSGH members must include their current membership number on all correspondence to qualify for the members discount of 25%. Also you may make payment using PayPal to account address:- searches.yh@bmsgh.org What is the Unrelated Certificates Index? The Unrelated Certificates Index is a rapidly growing collection of individual surnames from mainly British Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates which have been kindly donated by family historians, which are either not relevant or nor longer required. There are also a few entries from other miscellaneous holdings such as Wills, Burial Certificates, etc. It is estimated that the collection currently amounts to approximately 100,000 individual names. Computerisation of this index has recently been completed. This development has speeded up the massive task of indexing each name from every certificate and also provides enquirers with additional information when making the initial request. A computer print-out from our database is supplied to enquirers together with an information sheet which contains the key to interpreting the information supplied. Every decipherable name from each certificate is entered in the database together with relevant dates, and locations etc. Please remember that transcription is sometimes difficult and that we can only do our best in interpreting handwriting styles and poor printing. Gifts of unwanted certificates and clear photocopies are always welcome, but because of storage and language problems no overseas certificates or other documents, please. When donating certificates it assists transcription it difficult to read or unusual names are repeated in pencil above each entry. When donating certificates it assists transcription if difficult to read or unusual names are repeated in pencil above each name. Please remember that transcription is sometimes difficult and that we can only do our best in interpreting handwriting styles and poor printing. How can enquirers use this Index? You can check for surname entries yourself using the five currently published BMSGH booklets and fiche containing lists of names in the Index. These are often available in the family history section of public libraries or held by family history society libraries. These collections and any other information regarding publications and postage may be obtained from:
	Publications Sales Officer - e-mail: bookshop@bmsgh.org Martin Harrison, 75 Draycote Close, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 9PS
	The booklets mentioned above will gradually be phased out by computerisation as they fail to keep up with the current level of certificate donation and, in any event, give less information than the computer print-outs now available. A request for a surname printout is now a much better first step.