Changes

There are currently two A new Family Search siteswebsite was introduced in April 2010, and for a period of time there were two websites in existence, the new and the old. There is now only the one website, with the exception of the Library Catalogue which we will call "Family Search" still exists in two versions, or the new website and "Previous version Family Search", or Pv Family Searchthe old.

'''Previous version Family SearchChanges introduced 28 April 2010'''<br> You can view the Indian data '''Family Search placed new records on a new website online using the [httphttps://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_searchFamilySearch]'''.asp Advanced First click on Search] on To access the LDS’s India and Ceylon records then scroll down the page to “Browse by location” and select “Asia and Middle East”. However, India related baptisms, marriages and burials can be researched more directly at [httphttps://www.familysearch.org/engsearch/collection/list#page=1&region=ASIA_MIDDLE_EAST '''Asia and Middle East Records''']. From this link '''Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records 1677-1990''' are also available with images online. Note, this web page takes some time to load. This India List [http://defaultarchiver.asp Previous version Family Searchrootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2011-02/1297851646 post] gives some hints for browsing these [[Ceylon]] websiteimages. Select country "India" Another series of images, (or Singapore etcadded March 2013) You can also search using , accessible from the same link is [httphttps://www.familysearch.org/englearn/searchwiki/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igien/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true IGI SearchIndia,_Gujarat_Diocese_Church_Records_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records) '''India, Gujarat Diocese Protestant Church Records, 1854-2012''']. The data is almost Some of the records are in the Hindi and Gujarati languages, but not quite there are some records in English, as extensiveevidenced by one of the [https://familysearch. Select region “Asia”org/learn/wiki/en/File:India,_Gujarat_Diocese_Church_Records_DGS_7251285_3_Baptism.jpg sample records] shown. Then select country “India” or To confuse matters, the (small) number of records for "All countriesother" for a wider area including countries areas in Asia such as [[Macao]], [[Singapore]], Malaysia [[Bencoolen]] etcavailable on the Family Search website now are not found in the Asia category, but in the “All Published Collections” category , in a group of records called "World Miscellaneous" and may be accessed through the following links: [https://familysearch. There is a facility to add batch numbersorg/search/collection/1783956 World Miscellaneous Births and Baptisms], [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1809045 World Miscellaneous Marriages], see below[https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1809046 World Miscellaneous Deaths and Burials]

The Pv Family Search LDS website also includes a previously described the records 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|church records]] at the British Library , including the N/5 [[Princely states|Indian States]] records.<ref>India List [http://pilotarchiver.rootsweb.familysearchancestry.orgcom/recordsearchth/startread/india/2010-10/1286947107 post 13 October 2010]</ref> However, it appears that the records from the [[LDS Microfilms for Church Records outside of the usual Presidencies#Madras Ecclesiastical Returns - Omissions and Corrections 1777-1884|Madras Ecclesiastical Returns - Omissions and Corrections 1777-1884]] are '''not''' included.html#start Record <ref>Email to User:Maureene dated 20 July 2011 indicates two brothers, Joseph Thorpe, 18, who died 23 Dec 1853 and was buried in the "Old Cemetery" at Guntoor, Hyderabad Residency and George Benjamin Thorpe, 23, who died 29 Jun 1858 at Jaulnah , who appear in the Omissions Film for Madras Burial (“film B265”) are '''not''' included in the Family Search Pilotdata.</ref> 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.<ref>India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2010-04/1272583754 post dated 30 April 2010]</ref> In addition, which is a pilot project '''for privacy reasons there appear to access online images be no records shown for dates of databirth after January-March 1910, or marriages after January-March 1935'''. Currently (June 2010For 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 contains is a fabrication as the data mentioned in 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 following paragraph, but this may change in the futureterminology 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 ''' Changes intoduced 28 April 2010?'''<br>, or the multiple character wildcard asterisk '''Family Search has placed new records on a new website, (which is still "under construction") [https://www.familysearch.org/ FamilySearch]*'''. To access the India and Ceylon records from this site, scroll down the page to “Browse by location” and select “Asia and Middle East”. However, India related records can be researched more directly at <ref> [https://www.familysearch.org/sblog/collectionen/list#page=1&region=ASIA_MIDDLE_EAST '''Asia and Middle East Records''']. From this link '''Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records 1677searching-wildcards-1990''' are also available with images online. Note, this web page takes some time to load. This India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2011familysearch-022/1297851646 post Searching with Wildcards in FamilySearch] gives some hints for browsing these [[Ceylon]] images.FamilySearch Blog</ref>

The original website [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp Previous version FamilySearch] continues and in time the two sites will be merged into the new site. The LDS website description of the records is "Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records" for births and baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. They in fact appear to be based on the India Office [[Church records|church records]] at the British Library , including the N/5 [[Princely states|Indian States]] records. 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. There appear to be no records shown for dates of birth after January-March 1910, or marriages after January-March 1935. 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). In addition, the Previous version Family Search website contains the LDS [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp '''old version Library Catalogue'''] is still in existence for all the LDS microfilms, as does and there is also a catalogue available on the new site. Currently June 2010July 2012, the catalogue on the new website has some problems, and it is better recommended you continue to use the original website for the old version Library Catalogue. <br> [http://www.londonfhc.org/ London Family History Centre] has a film catalogue for the [http://www.londonfhc.org/content/catalogue?p=Indian+Subcontinent Indian Subcontinent] and for [http://www.londonfhc.org/content/catalogue?c=221&p=Indian+Subcontinent,India India] in a different format to the main catalogue, classified by geographical region.

'''If you have found a record from the India Births, Marriages or Burials on Family Search, 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 or photocopies may be found in the article [[Family History Centres]]'''. Photocopies are free in the majority of circumstances. Note also that there is an alternative way to obtain a copy of a record, as the record images are now available on the pay website Find My Past

Note that some films have been transcribed by LDS. To read how LDS batch numbers can help you search ,and to help you to cut down needlessly searching elsewhere, refer to [[India Office Ecclesiastical Returns Microfilm Numbers and the LDS equivalent]] *[[Using LDS Microfilms | How to Use Church Records on Microfilm]]:Instructions on how to use the microfilmed copies of the Ecclesiatical Returns and their indexes at an LDS [[Family History Centres| 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.

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

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

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

: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.

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

: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 recordsand "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.  == References ==<references /> {{#widget:Google PlusOne|size=small|count=true}}