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Free access to some National archives collections...

Genealogy, Local, General
Wyneric
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Free access to some National archives collections...

#303492

Postby Wyneric » April 27th, 2020, 7:07 am

This might be of interest...

Free access to some digital records from National Archives while the Kew record office is closed...

You will be able to download records digitised by The National Archives and published through Discovery, our online catalogue. These include:

First and Second World War records, including medal index cards
Military records, including unit war diaries
Royal and Merchant Navy records, including Royal Marine service records
Wills from the jurisdiction of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury
Migration records, including aliens’ registration cards and naturalisation case papers
20th century Cabinet Papers and Security Service files
Domesday Book


There are some restrictions to amounts downloaded and you have to register....
For some reason I can't post a link .....but if you go to the main National Archives website page and click on the link at the top...

GoSeigen
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303509

Postby GoSeigen » April 27th, 2020, 8:35 am

Wyneric wrote:This might be of interest...

Free access to some digital records from National Archives while the Kew record office is closed...
[...]
There are some restrictions to amounts downloaded and you have to register....
For some reason I can't post a link .....but if you go to the main National Archives website page and click on the link at the top...



Welcome to Lemon Fool Wyneric.

As an anti-SPAM measure new users cannot post links until they have made a few legitimate posts.


Here's a link in the meantime, and thanks for the tip!

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/abo ... downloads/


GS

Wyneric
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303542

Postby Wyneric » April 27th, 2020, 10:38 am

Thanks...
I was Tymeric in a previous life but the system totally locked me out some time ago.... so I changed my name...

yorkshirelad1
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303557

Postby yorkshirelad1 » April 27th, 2020, 11:34 am

Wyneric wrote:This might be of interest...
Free access to some digital records from National Archives while the Kew record office is closed...
(snip)


I had a quick look at this last night, and was not super impressed. The National Archives (NA) already make a lot of their stuff available via ancestry and findmypast (FMP). If you want to look at the material that the NA has that is already hosted by ancestry and FMP, ancestry and FMP are not providing free access.

Info https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/digital-downloads/

NationalArchives wrote:The free access will apply to the digitised collections on our website, but it will not extend to our collections on other sites run by our commercial partners, such as Ancestry, Findmypast and The Genealogist. These sites are usually free to search with a subscription charge to view and download records, although most offer a 14-day free trial and some are currently offering selected free access to their collections.


So it's not necessarily all it's cracked up to be, but nice if you want to get access to some of the specialist items on the NA's site, that aren't available via ancestry or FMP.

On the other hand, many county councils offer access to online services by their libraries. For example, my own county (the clue is in my forum id) library service offers access to FMP and ancestry, but usually only in the library. During covid19 lockdown, they have opened those two services up to home users (with library card login), which is a nice move on their part

Wyneric
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303600

Postby Wyneric » April 27th, 2020, 2:01 pm

but nice if you want to get access to some of the specialist items on the NA's site

well yes....for 50 records a month with a saving of £3.50 a pop...not bad..as it happens I'm interested in the Merchant Navy records but there are also the WW1 War diaries that are not to be sniffed at....whatever....

Likewise, I've been getting access to FMP through the County Library...but here they have strict limits on access...Library access was blocked after a week.

PinkDalek
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303726

Postby PinkDalek » April 28th, 2020, 12:37 am

Wyneric wrote:[... as it happens I'm interested in the Merchant Navy records ...

Me too and thanks for mentioning the facility in the OP.

I found something which was available and of interest. Not that I understand what I've downloaded. Are you aware if WW2 Merchant Seamen were discharged and, if so, did they receive medals of some sort. I ask as I've found a matching name and date of birth for what I believe to be a relation.

Wyneric
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303758

Postby Wyneric » April 28th, 2020, 8:15 am

Are you aware if WW2 Merchant Seamen were discharged and, if so, did they receive medals of some sort



Hi PinkDalek...

I'm no detailed expert on actual MN personnel records but should be able to point you in the right direction...
In general, each Merchant Seaman had a Discharge book (still got mine somewhere), hence they were "discharged" from the ship and were off pay until
they signed on again...

(In the early part of the War, situations arose where a MN ship would be manned by a MN crew and RN Gunners. If that ship was torpedoed and sunk and everyone took to the lifeboats, there was the ironic situation where the RN Gunners would remain on pay, but the MN crew would be off pay because they were no longer "at their place of work". The first that family members would know was when the paid allotment stopped...)

Re medals...

Nine types of medals were awarded to British merchant seamen who served in the Second World War and who met the qualifications for each medal. Eight of them are searchable here whilst the ninth, the Arctic Star, was not awarded until 2012 and records of its award do not exist at The National Archives

There are some good research guides on the Archives website, just not well laid out.....I still can't post links which is a pain but if you remove the space before uk..

nationalarchives.gov. uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/merchant-seamens-campaign-medal-records-1939-1945/

...scroll down and you will see examples of the types and descriptions of medals awarded

If you have access to the MN registers on FMP you might see groups of numbers on the records...these will be "Official Numbers" of the ships sailed on.

Also worth looking here....(same again with the space)

nationalarchives.gov. uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/merchant-seamen-serving-since-1918/

Although some of the above are not available online, at least you'll know whether records exist, especially the "Seaman's pouches"
Where I can help is with particular ships/shipping companies...I've been collecting books on Merchant Navy convoys/ships in WW2 for many years and can generally find information on them or know where to look....(although there were many small, 1 or 2 ship Companies in operation at the time and info maybe scarce)
Cheers

PinkDalek
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Re: [Merchant Navy] Free access to some National archives collections...

#303828

Postby PinkDalek » April 28th, 2020, 11:46 am

Thanks. I've sent you a PM for privacy reasons. A few more posts from you will enable links, as has been said previously.

Looking now at https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-wi ... 1939-1945/ and https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-wi ... ince-1918/

Wyneric
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303872

Postby Wyneric » April 28th, 2020, 1:43 pm

Thanks for the PM...very interesting but sadly I can't reply to that either... :roll:

How does one contact Admin...?..maybe I can get my old account re-opened...

PinkDalek
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303887

Postby PinkDalek » April 28th, 2020, 3:26 pm

Wyneric/Tymeric

Post a few more times and your PMs should become available, as if by magic, unless they already have on your 5th post as my PM appears to have been read! (Edit: in my haste I didn't read that you could open but not reply)

If you go to The Biscuit Bar viewforum.php?f=21 you could post your old profile memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=51 there and ask about how to resurrect it.

There have been previous topics along those lines over there but I've no time to search. I think it may need some input from stooz (site admin).

csearle
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303891

Postby csearle » April 28th, 2020, 3:35 pm

Wyneric wrote:Thanks for the PM...very interesting but sadly I can't reply to that either... :roll:

How does one contact Admin...?..maybe I can get my old account re-opened...
At the bottom of each page it says: To contact the owners send an email to stooz at lemonfool .co .uk

stooz
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Re: Free access to some National archives collections...

#303898

Postby stooz » April 28th, 2020, 3:57 pm

Wyneric/Tymeric

I have sent you an email about your accounts.

Regards


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