FreeREG - FAQ - general

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - General Questions

What is involved in contributing to FreeREG? The simple answer is your time. How much time? As little as an hour or so a couple of times a week to as much time as you are willing to commit. The key is doing enough that you can see yourself making a real contribution. But any time that you can devote to our project will be appreciated by all of the researchers around the world who will find an ancestor because of your work.
You will need a computer with an internet connection. It does not need to be especially powerful or modern and a dial up connection does work, although broadband does help. You do not need to be a computer expert but some familiarity with basic key-boarding and folder navigation is desirable. We do have a computer program that you will have to download, install and learn to use. But there are people to assist you every step of the way. After a week or so much of it will become second nature to you.
The most important thing is patience in reading old texts and learning to recognize what the Vicar or Curate wrote several hundred years ago. So while good eyesight helps, a willingness to to train yourself to read older scripts, that sometimes seem to have been written in magic ink, is far more important.
One thing to remember is that you are not on your own in this effort. There are several hundred volunteers from every part of the world who have already gone through the learning process working in the same manner as you will learn. We have teenagers as well as octogenarians; likely far more of the latter rather than the former.
Have more questions or feel ready to join us? Simply send an email to our Volunteer Coordinators. In the email let us know your questions and interests as well as the county you want to be involved.
FAQ Index | General Questions Index | FreeREG Home Page

What is FreeREG ? FreeREG stands for Free REGisters.
The FreeREG Project's objective is to provide free Internet searches of baptism, marriage, and burial records, which have been transcribed from English parish registers and non-conformist church registers. The recording of baptisms, marriages and burials in parish registers began in 1538.
This is a companion project to the FreeBMD project, which is a database of the GRO birth, marriage and death indexes from 1837
Records will be made freely available through a search engine only. For complete transcriptions, where available, refer to the local County Records Offices, Family History Societies or to the microfilm/fiche holdings of the Church of the Latter Day Saints.
FAQ Index | General Questions Index | FreeREG Home Page

Are transcripts of parish registers available to view or download ? No. It is not the objective of FreeREG to make transcripts or indexes of any parish register available to view on-line on the Internet, or available to download.
The FreeREG project allows you to search the databases for an individual surname or person. Separate searches need to be made for baptisms, marriages and burials.
Some local family history societies sell transcripts and/or indexes either in booklet form or on microfiche. We recommend that you contact the relevant county family history society. Transcripts and indexes may also be available to view at a County Record Office.
FAQ Index | General Questions Index | FreeREG Home Page

Are Scotland and Northern Ireland included in FreeREG Yes !

Can I purchase a transcript of a register from FreeREG ? No. FreeREG does not sell transcripts or indexes.
Some local family history societies sell transcripts and/or indexes either in booklet form or on microfiche. We recommend that you contact the relevant county family history society. Transcripts and indexes may also be available to view at a County Record Office.
FAQ Index | General Questions Index | FreeREG Home Page

How do I search FreeREG ? FreeREG has three databases, one each for baptisms, marriages and burials. Only one may be searched at a time, and for one person or one surname only.
See : Searches
See : Tips for Searches
See : Examples of Searches
FAQ Index | General Questions Index | FreeREG Home Page

What is involved in contributing to FreeREG?	The simple answer is your time. How much time? As little as an hour or so a couple of times a week to as much time as you are willing to commit. The key is doing enough that you can see yourself making a real contribution. But any time that you can devote to our project will be appreciated by all of the researchers around the world who will find an ancestor because of your work. You will need a computer with an internet connection. It does not need to be especially powerful or modern and a dial up connection does work, although broadband does help. You do not need to be a computer expert but some familiarity with basic key-boarding and folder navigation is desirable. We do have a computer program that you will have to download, install and learn to use. But there are people to assist you every step of the way. After a week or so much of it will become second nature to you. The most important thing is patience in reading old texts and learning to recognize what the Vicar or Curate wrote several hundred years ago. So while good eyesight helps, a willingness to to train yourself to read older scripts, that sometimes seem to have been written in magic ink, is far more important. One thing to remember is that you are not on your own in this effort. There are several hundred volunteers from every part of the world who have already gone through the learning process working in the same manner as you will learn. We have teenagers as well as octogenarians; likely far more of the latter rather than the former. Have more questions or feel ready to join us? Simply send an email to our Volunteer Coordinators. In the email let us know your questions and interests as well as the county you want to be involved. FAQ Index \| General Questions Index \| FreeREG Home Page
What is FreeREG ?	FreeREG stands for Free REGisters. The FreeREG Project's objective is to provide free Internet searches of baptism, marriage, and burial records, which have been transcribed from English parish registers and non-conformist church registers. The recording of baptisms, marriages and burials in parish registers began in 1538. This is a companion project to the FreeBMD project, which is a database of the GRO birth, marriage and death indexes from 1837 Records will be made freely available through a search engine only. For complete transcriptions, where available, refer to the local County Records Offices, Family History Societies or to the microfilm/fiche holdings of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. FAQ Index \| General Questions Index \| FreeREG Home Page
Are transcripts of parish registers available to view or download ?	No. It is not the objective of FreeREG to make transcripts or indexes of any parish register available to view on-line on the Internet, or available to download. The FreeREG project allows you to search the databases for an individual surname or person. Separate searches need to be made for baptisms, marriages and burials. Some local family history societies sell transcripts and/or indexes either in booklet form or on microfiche. We recommend that you contact the relevant county family history society. Transcripts and indexes may also be available to view at a County Record Office. FAQ Index \| General Questions Index \| FreeREG Home Page
Are Scotland and Northern Ireland included in FreeREG	Yes !
Can I purchase a transcript of a register from FreeREG ?	No. FreeREG does not sell transcripts or indexes. Some local family history societies sell transcripts and/or indexes either in booklet form or on microfiche. We recommend that you contact the relevant county family history society. Transcripts and indexes may also be available to view at a County Record Office. FAQ Index \| General Questions Index \| FreeREG Home Page
How do I search FreeREG ?	FreeREG has three databases, one each for baptisms, marriages and burials. Only one may be searched at a time, and for one person or one surname only. See : Searches See : Tips for Searches See : Examples of Searches FAQ Index \| General Questions Index \| FreeREG Home Page