Changes

A new Family Search website was introduced in 28 April 2010. '''[https://www.familysearch.org/ FamilySearch]'''. '''This is a free website'''.<br>Details:<br>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 period of time there were two websites in existence, the handy new and the oldfeature available from c October 2014). There The direct link is now only the one website[https://familysearch.org/search/collection/location/1927063 '''India''']. If you want to search a particular database (for baptisms, marriages or burials), click on "view all collections". India related baptisms, with the exception of the Library Catalogue which marriages and burials can also be researched at [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list#page=1&region=ASIA_MIDDLE_EAST still exists in two versions'''Asia and Middle East Records''']. The searchable India records are '''transcriptions''', the new are described as index records and the olddo not contain images.

''' Changes introduced 28 April 2010'''<br>'''Family Search placed new records on a new website [https://www.familysearch.org/ FamilySearch]'''. First click on Search To access the India and Ceylon From this group of 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 [https://familysearch.org/search/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, but are not searchable. Note, this web page takes some time to load. This An India List post gives some hints for browsing these [[Ceylon]] images.<ref>India List post [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2011-02/1297851646 post"LDS - Asia & Middle East - Sri Lanka/Colombo"] gives some hints for browsing these [[Ceylon]] images. dated 16 February 2011 </ref> Another series of images, only (not searchable)(added March 2013), accessible from the same link is [https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/India,_Gujarat_Diocese_Church_Records_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records) '''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 [https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/File:India,_Gujarat_Diocese_Church_Records_DGS_7251285_3_Baptism.jpg sample records] shown. To confuse matters, the (small) number of records for "other" areas in Asia such as [[Macao]], [[Singapore]], [[Bencoolen]] etc available 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.org/search/collection/1783956 World Miscellaneous Births and Baptisms], [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1809045 World Miscellaneous Marriages], [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1809046 World Miscellaneous Deaths and Burials]

To confuse matters, the (small) number of records for "other" areas in Asia such as [[Macao]], [[Singapore]], [[Bencoolen]] etc available 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.org/search/collection/1783956 World Miscellaneous Births and Baptisms], [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1809045 World Miscellaneous Marriages], [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1809046 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.<ref>[https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/World_Miscellaneous_Births_and_Baptisms,_Coverage_Table_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records) World Miscellaneous Births and Baptisms, Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)] FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 19 September 2014</ref> The LDS website previously described the 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|church records]] at the British Library , including the N/5 [[Princely states|Indian States]] records.<ref>India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/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.<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 data.</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>

The LDS 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 ''' *''' <ref> [httphttps://www.familysearch.org/engblog/Libraryen/FHLCsearching-wildcards-familysearch-2/frameset_fhlc.asp '''old version Library Catalogue'''Searching with Wildcards in FamilySearch] is still in existence for all FamilySearch Blog</ref> Note that the LDS microfilms, and there is FamilySearch databases are also a catalogue available on the new pay site. Currently July 2012Ancestry, (world wide subscription) under the catalogue on the new website has some problemstitles "India, Select Marriages 1792-1948"; "India, Select Marriages, 1792-1948"; "India, Select Deaths and it is recommended you continue 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 old version '''[https://familysearch.org/catalog-search FamilySearch Library Catalogue.catalogue]''' <br>

'''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 will soon (estimated date '''2013''') be is an alternative way to obtain a copy of a record, when as most of the record images become are now available on the pay website Find My Past[[Findmypast|findmypast]].