IGI

IGI stands for International Genealogical Index. This terminology originally applied to the entire enormous database created and maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or LDS, also known as the Mormons, but now has a more restricted meaning. Please note this page is not an official LDS page.

The Mormons have an extensive program to microfilm vast numbers of old records which are an aid to genealogy. For example, they microfilm records of churches of all denominations, ancient land tax records, military records, shipping lists, census records and so on. They make these microfilms available to all people, regardless of religion, and depending on your location, the microfilms can be viewed for free or for a specified charge.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or LDS, now has a website FamilySearch. Records may be found in two sections of the website under the category Search, subcategories Records (also called Historical Records) and Genealogies.

Records found in the Historical Records category include index transcriptions of microfilmed records, and are accurate records, apart from transcription errors or omissions. In addition, there are digital pages of images of church, and other, records which have not been transcribed, so it is necessary to browse these collections.

The category Genealogies contains records and family trees submitted by users. The website states: "Accuracy of the data in these genealogies varies from tree to tree; we encourage you to validate all data". The term IGI is now restricted to a subcategory of submitted records in Genealogies.

India records

The transcribed Historical Records deal almost exclusively with Europeans and Anglo-Indians (Eurasians), as they are records from Christian churches.

The details following refer to records from Christian churches.

A new website was introduced 28 April 2010. FamilySearch. This is a free website.
Details:
First click on Search. To access the India and Ceylon records, then click on the map for “Asia and Middle East” and select either India, or Sri Lanka. Click on "Start researching in India".This will bring you to a Search facility which searches all the searchable databases for India (a handy new feature available from c October 2014). The direct link is India. If you want to search a particular database (for baptisms, marriages or burials), click on "view all collections". India related baptisms, marriages and burials can also be researched at Asia and Middle East Records. The searchable India records are transcriptions, are described as index records and do not contain images.

From this group of records, Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records 1677-1990 are also available with images online, but are not searchable. Note, the images may take some time to load. An India List post gives some hints for browsing these Ceylon images. Another series of images only (not searchable)(added March 2013), accessible from the same link is India, Gujarat Diocese Protestant Church Records, 1854-2012 Some of the records are in the Hindi and Gujarati languages, but there are some records in English, as evidenced by one of the sample records shown. A further set of images only (not searchable) was added May 2015, India, Madras Diocese Protestant Church Records, 1743-1990, baptisms, marriages and burials from the Church of South India, Madras Diocese. These are the type of records known as Bishop's Transcripts, copies sent by parishes to the Diocesan Office. Hints for browsing these records. Note:The category date range allocated by FamilySeach for these latter records may be very unreliable. As an example for Marriages: 1872 Jul-1877 Jun, page 1 shows some marriages from 1843, and the majority of the records on the first four pages are either earlier or later than the dates specified. (The images for Madras Diocese Protestant Church Records appear to be extracted from, or perhaps may be the complete set, of eighteen microfilms, catalogue entry).

To confuse matters, the (small) number of records for "other" areas in Asia such as Macao, Singapore, Bencoolen etc available on the FamilySearch website now are not found in the Asia category, but in the “All Published Collections” category, subcategory "Other", in a group of records called "World Miscellaneous" and may be accessed through the following links: World Miscellaneous Births and Baptisms, World Miscellaneous Marriages, World Miscellaneous Deaths and Burials. Included in this group are records from St. Helena, China and a small number from Indonesia, Iran, previously Persia, and a few records from India and Bangladesh.

The LDS website previously described the transcribed records for India as "Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records" for births and baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. The current description is "Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City". They in fact appear to be based on the India Office church records at the British Library , including the N/5 Indian States records. However, it appears that the records from the Madras Ecclesiastical Returns - Omissions and Corrections 1777-1884 are not included. Please note that on an individual basis the LDS record does not show all the details available on the original. Also not every India Office church record is recorded in the LDS database. Some individual entries are known to have been omitted, probably due to error. In addition, for privacy reasons there appear to be no records shown for dates of birth after January-March 1910, or marriages after January-March 1935. (For alternative records, refer below). Death records are available to 1948. Some of the records contain the description Race: White. This should be disregarded as it is a fabrication as the original IOR church records do not contain a classification for race at all. (The few records that do have a classifation for race use the terminology European not white).

If you are searching for a name which could have various spellings, you can search using a single letter replaced by a wildcard question mark ?, or the multiple character wildcard asterisk *

Note that the FamilySearch transcribed databases are also available on the pay site Ancestry, (world wide subscription) under the titles "India, Select Marriages 1792-1948"; "India, Select Marriages, 1792-1948"; "India, Select Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948". These records are transcriptions without images.The privacy restrictions appear to be the same as the FamilySearch restrictions.

To find out details of microfilms which may be ordered from FamilySearch, use the FamilySearch Library catalogue
London Family History Centre has a film catalogue for the Indian Subcontinent and for India in a different format to the main catalogue, classified by geographical region.

You can view all online data at FamilySearch Centres (previously known as Family History Centres) (FHC) if you do not otherwise have online access. You may need to book a computer at the FHC.

This website has maintenance done in the middle of the night Utah time, when it may be unavailable, or perhaps partially available when it may become unreliable when searching. Come back another time. (Utah time is UK time less seven hours)

If you have found a transcribed record from the India Births, Marriages or Burials on FamilySearch, as stated previously please be aware that this is not a full record. It is recommended that you view the original entry from the microfilm quoted. This will almost always contain occupational information which may provide a valuable clue for the location of further records. In addition, you can check that there have been no transcription errors. Information about ordering microfilms may be found in the article Family History Centres. Note also that there is an alternative way to obtain a copy of a record, as most of the record images are now available on the pay website findmypast. If the image is available on findmypast, this will be the most convenient method for most people.

Using LDS microfilms

See the Fibiwiki pages below for more details.

• Using LDS Microfilms

Instructions on how to use the microfilmed copies of the Ecclesiatical Returns and their indexes at an LDS Family History Centre. Read these instructions if you are searching for records of births after 1910, or marriages after 1935 which are not shown online on FamilySearch because of privacy reasons. Note however the records sent to England declined in number from the early 1930s with minimal numbers in the 1940s.

• LDS Microfilms for Bengal Presidency Church Records

A list of all the microfilm numbers for the LDS copies of Bengal church records.

• LDS Microfilms for Madras Presidency Church Records

A list of all the microfilm numbers for the LDS copies of Madras church records.

• LDS Microfilms for Bombay Presidency Church Records

A list of all the microfilm numbers for the LDS copies of Bombay church records.

• LDS Microfilms of Church registers in India

A list of microfilm numbers of registers from churches throughout India, except the Portuguese colony of Goa. These are records which are not covered by the APAC holdings. The majority are Roman Catholic churches but also included are records from the Church of Scotland in Bombay and Madras, together with some Syrian and Armenian churches and a few miscellaneous entries.

• Goa Church Records

A list of microfilm numbers of registers from churches in the former Portuguese colony of Goa

• LDS Microfilms for Church Records outside of the usual Presidencies

Lists of microfilms of European church records in India that do not fall under the usual three Presidencies. These include Native States, some Catholic records and post-Independence church records and "Madras Ecclesiastical Returns - Omissions and Corrections 1777-1884"

• India Office Ecclesiastical Returns Microfilm Numbers and the LDS equivalent

Contains microfilm numbers for the three Presidencies and explains how LDS batch numbers can help you search, especially if you are researching unusual names which may have various spellings.

Unfilmed church records

Should you wish to suggest to a church that they allow FamilySearch to digitise their records,you should advise the church to use Contact Us applicable for Records Custodians and Archives. "FamilySearch field representatives can help you determine the best approach to gather, preserve, and share your valuable records and data". (An earlier contact reference was Film Digitisation Requests: FamilySearch Wiki but it would be best to check first with FamilySearch Help (top right hand corner of the website) that the contact details are current).