parish records

[deandewis]

i have been to my local library to look at baptisms around 1773 on microfilm but could not read them ,i can only assume it was bad copying. if i go to the county records office will i see the original books or a better copy than at my local library

[Phoenix]

Once they have been filmed, you can almost never see the original. Only plea might be that the copying is illegible!
Are they dark, or out of focus? If the latter, then all copies are likely to be the same. Copies at the CRO may be even more worn.
It's always worth looking, though. There may be a transcript somewhere. If the copies are really poor - and some are abysmal - then it's worth complaining. If enough people do so, then perhaps they'll get refilmed.

[Anne in Carlisle]

I think its definately worth going to the Record Office/Archive. Firstly their fiche might be a better copy than the one in the library. Secondly if it isn't they will be very likely to get the book out for you.

Of course the fiche is just a filmed copy of the book, so it will still be the same writing BUT it will be a bit bigger and sometimes black on white is easier to read than the white on black of a fiche.

Anne

[deandewis]

copy is very dark and writing missing where page is turned over.

[Grampa Jim]

Sounds like typical lack of care on the part of the photographer.

Some of the copies I have seen have been so bad, especially on CD that I have been tempted to send it back for a refund. We can only hope that eventually all the old records may be properly rescanned and a final definitive version made which is legible and clear.

[Olde Crone Holden]

One good point about going to the CRO to look - if the film is really bad there, then you can complain and they will put it on their list for refilming. I don't think the local library will bother.

I can still remember my utter disappointment at the very first film I ordered from the LDS, donkeys years ago. When it finally arrived, it was so bad, completely black, I wanted to cry. Complete and utter waste of film and the photographer's time.

OC