The Lancashire ORACLE The A-Z of Genealogy

Objectives This page explains a number of abbreviations and cryptic terms which can bewilder the newcomer to genealogy. It also contains an awesome set of Internet links to useful research resources. The Internet is ephemeral however so don't be surprised if you try a link and it doesn't work. If this happens I'd be very grateful if you'd let me know by email so that I can fix it. The Keeper of the Oracle -Peter Cox. Credits Compiled by Mark Howells ([email protected] ) helped by Chris Hicks ([email protected]) of the Norfolk list . Edited by Liz Blackshaw ([email protected] ) to reflect Lancashire interests. I've also put my two pennorth in here and there:-)

This picture shows the Leeds-Liverpool canal as it approaches the Mile Tunnel at Foulridge, near Colne. Travelling South takes you into the "cotton belt" through Nelson, Burnley etc then on to Liverpool. Travelling North East takes you through beautiful countryside into Yorkshire, going through Skipton and on to Leeds. The Mile Tunnel does not have towpaths so in the old days the boatmen had to lie on the roof of their barge and "walk" along the roof of the tunnel.

A-Z of British Genealogical Research - The Emery Papers

What better place to start this list than with another list prepared by Dr Ashton Emery. It contains some excellent overviews of genealogy topics and is well worth visiting, especially by those new to genealogy. You will see specific topics from this source mentioned elsewhere on this site.

Click here to visit the Emery Paper (take a flask and sandwiches with you, it could be tomorrow before you've had enough)

Archaic Medical Terms

If you didn't know that "abasia-astasia" is a "Hysterical inability to walk or stand" then this is the site for you.
Click here for things archaic

BMD - Births, Marriages, & Deaths:

The index of civil registration for the United Kingdom from 1837 to the present day. This index was formerly called the St. Catherine's House index due to its former location in London. The index is available on microfiche from your local Family History Center, at many major libraries in the UK, and at the Family Records Centre in London among other locations. The index is used to locate index information on birth, marriage, and death registration certificates which can then be ordered directly from the UK's Office for National Statistics.

The Family Records Centre
The Office for National Statistics
Ordering Birth Registration Certificates from England & Wales

BTs - Bishops' Transcripts:

Copies of the annual entries into the parish registers were to be sent to the local Bishop from about 1598. For some parishes, the BTs have survived while the original parish registers have been lost. Be aware that these are copies of the originals and not the originals themselves. In parishes where both the original registers and the BTs exist, a wise researcher will consult both.

The Emery Paper - Bishops' Transcripts 

Chapman codes Full list of Chapman reference codes for counties:

C of E - Church of England:

The established church of England, also known internationally as the Anglican or Episcopal church. Since the late 1500s, the Church of England was required by the state to maintain various records on its local parishioners - essentially the entire population due to its status as the only officially- recognized church. Thus it is to the local parish records which family historians turn for research purposes. The vast majority of genealogically-relevant records generated by the C of E are now in the various Record Offices throughout the country.

The Emery Paper - Parish Registers
The Church of England web site

DNB - Dictionary of National Biography:

The standard British biographical dictionary with detailed biographies of some 40,000 British notables. The current edition runs to 32 volumes published from 1885 to 1990. Available in printed form and on CD-ROM. This is undergoing a massive revision - due for publication 2002-2004. Info on this at the web address given. Some talk about this being put online as a chargeable service so worth keeping an eye on the web site.

The New Dictionary of National Biography

FHC - Family History Center:

 A network of over 3,000 centers world-wide provide access to the loanable materials of the Family History Library. Usually found in association with an LDS church, these centers are usually staffed by LDS volunteers who can assist you in your research endeavors. They are open to all, you needn't be an LDS member to use them and you will not be proselytised there.

Cyndi's List - Family History Centers - General Information
Cyndi's List - Family History Centers - Locations

FHL - Family History Library:

 Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this library is the largest repository of genealogical materials in the world. Microfilm and microfiche copies of a large amount of its materials are available on loan to your local Family History Center.

Search the Family History Library Catalogue
Cyndi's List - The Family History Library

FHS - Family History Society:

The main societies for the promotion of family history in Lancashire are:

Cumbria FHS
Furness FHS
Lancashire FH & HS
Lancashire Local History Federation
Lancashire Parish Register Society
Lancaster FHG
Liverpool & SW Lancs FHS
Manchester & Lancashire FHS

North Meols FHS Mr G Wright, 108 High Park Road, Southport, PR9 7BY
Ormskirk & District FHS Mr R Janes, 85 Wigan Road, Latham, L40 6HY

The Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire

FRC - The Family Records Centre:

The Family Records Centre at Myddleton Place in London is the 'new St. Catherine's House'. It combines the public search rooms of the ONS' General Register Office (indexes for births, marriages, and deaths back to 1837) formerly at St. Catherine's House with the census and wills rooms of the Public Record Office formerly in Chancery Lane.

The Family Records Centre

FreeBMD at RootsWeb

An Internet project for transcribing all the England and Wales GRO indexes to an on-line database. This is a HUGE undertaking - over 100 million events to transcribe - but it will be of enormous benefit to the British reseracher when the data base is available via the Internet.

I'm personally involved in this project and encourage all who can to become volunteer transcribers
FreeBMD Home Page

FTM - Family Tree Maker:

The most commercially successful of the many software packages for genealogy. You either love it or you hate it.

Family Tree Maker
Also see - Cyndi's List - Genealogy Software Programs

FTMag - Family Tree Magazine:

The most widely circulated snail mail magazine for UK genealogy, Family Tree Magazine is a monthly publication chock full of useful information.

Family Tree Magazine

GEDCOM - Genealogical Data Communications

The GEDCOM standard is the data format by which genealogists trade their research information on computer files. All major genealogy software packages will convert data into GEDCOM format.

The GEDCOM Standard Version 5.5

GENUKI - UK & Ireland Genealogical Information Service:

The most complete single source for UK genealogy on the Internet, GENUKI is a co-operative venture relying on volunteers to place genealogy information on the Internet in an organised manner.

GENUKI web site
Lancashire GENUKI web site

Gibson Guides

Genealogy records guide books authored by Jeremy Gibson. This series of books are published by the Federation of Family History Societies in the UK and reprinted by Genealogical Publishing in the United States. They are concise guides to specific types of genealogically-relevant record types.

Gibson Guides for sale at the FFHS
Genealogical Publishing Company
Emery Paper on Guides

GOONS - Guild Of One Name Studies:

This society helps co-ordinate one name studies - research into particular surnames regardless of pedigree. For example, a one name study may be collecting all the occurrences of the MANGLEFRITZ surname whether they are related or not.

Guild Of One Name Studies

GRO - The General Register Office:

A part of the Office for National Statistics, the GRO is responsible for the recording of births, marriages, and deaths in the England & Wales since 1837. It is to the GRO one applies for certified copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates.

The General Register Office
Note that Scotland has its own GRO(S):

The General Register Office for Scotland

Scots Origins web site

IGI - International Genealogical Index.

Developed by the LDS (Mormon) Church's Family History Department, the IGI is a finding aid for millions of individuals. Originally on microfiche, then on CD-ROMs at your local Family History Centers, part of the IGI is now available on the Internet Search the IGI

Search the IGI
All About the IGI

IGI Batch numbers

Click here for a website with batch numbers for most counties
If you can add to this extremely useful resource, mail to: [email protected]

 Kelly's - Kelly's Directories.

A series of local directories published by the most prolific of the Directory publishers in the United Kingdom. From 1799 to 1939, the Kelly's series provides an excellent source for placing one's ancestors, particularly in the larger towns. The Lancashire County Records Office has a very good selection of Trade Commercial and Street Directories in Lancashire, but by far the greater coverage for the county is in the County Library Headquarters, Commercial Street, Preston where the Local Studies Department HQ holds volumes of Slaters or Kelly's for every 3-4 years from 1850-1924. Prior to 1850, various years, and after 1924 and up to date, many various years. Microfilm of the Universal British Directory of Trade and Commerce 1791-1798, Baines History, Directory and Gazetteer of the County Palatine of Lancaster 1824-1825.

Emery Paper on Directories
Kelly's (yes, of course they are still in business)

 Kew - The Public Record Office's primary repository at Kew.

 Located in Rusking Avenue in Kew, Surrey near the Royal Botanical Gardens, the PRO's facility at Kew houses almost all the records in the PRO's care save for the census and wills rooms now at the Family Records Centre in London and a few other specialised records.

The Public Record Office
The PRO at Kew

LDS - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Often referred to as the Mormons, members of this denomination have a duty to research their ancestors in order to perform religious rites over the dead. Because of this obligation, the LDS church has developed the largest single repository of genealogy information in the world at their Family History Library. They are gracious enough to share this information with everyone, both LDS and non-LDS.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The LDS FamilySearch genealogy service web site

MIs - Monumental Inscriptions:

Those remembrances inscribed on the tombstones of our ancestors. MIs are often recorded by the local Family History Society or other organisation.

OED - Oxford English Dictionary:

The ultimate reference work on the English language. An excellent source for archaic and obscure words and terms. Available both in a full printed edition and also on CD-ROM. The bibliophile's bible. The Oxford English Dictionary

ONS - Office for National Statistics:

 The ONS is responsible for the conduct of the English and Welsh censuses and, through it's GRO branch, for the registration of all births, marriages, and deaths since 1837. The Office for National Statistics

PAF - Personal Ancestral File:

The computer software package put out by the LDS church, PAF probably has more users than any other genealogy software.

Order PAF on-line from the LDS
Also see Cyndi's List - Genealogy Software Programs

PRO - The Public Record Office:

The Public Record Office is the repository of the national archives for England, Wales and the United Kingdom. They are the keepers of the nation's records back to the Doomsday book of 1086.

The Public Record Office
The PRO - Who Are We and What We Do

RO - Record Office:

 The repository for historical records of all kinds. Lancashire Record Office Bow Lane, Preston PR1 8ND http://www.lancashire.com/lcc/ro/index.htm Closed the first complete week of each month Cumbria Record Office 140 Duke Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria LA14 1XW

Cumbria Archive Service
Greater Manchester County Record Office 56 Marshall Street, Manchester M4 5FU
Click here for their Home Page
Liverpool Record Office William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EW
Their Home Page

SKS - Some Kind Soul:

 Usually used when begging the favour of a lookup or an explanation on a mailing list.

SoG - Society of Genealogists:

 This is the premier society for the study of genealogy and family history in the United Kingdom. Their library in London is excellent, the have a terrific on-line shopping book shop, and their publications are often must-haves for serious research.

The Society of Genealogists
The SoG's On-line Book shop

UK Telephone Directory:

There is a searchable index of UK telephone numbers.
Click here to see it

WI - Women's Institute:

 The Women's Institute is a women's benevolent society which is also involved in preservation work. Among other good works, they have conducted churchyard surveys in the United Kingdom. These surveys include recording the surviving tombstone inscriptions (see MIs) of the churchyards surveyed.

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That's it folks, if you have any further contributions please email them to:

The Keeper of the Oracle -Peter Cox.