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First visit to main British Library (other than Colindale)

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  • First visit to main British Library (other than Colindale)

    I've done the pre-registration, so have to make sure I take the correct ID stuff. May need to come to an agreement, when we've had so many things shifted to online recording to save paper, and what isn't is probably in my husband's name, not mine!

    Once I get in, has anyone any hints? - I'm after the India Office records.

    Christine
    Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

  • #2
    Hi Christine,

    I always find it quicker to use the lockers rather than queue up at the manned Cloakroom - just continue past the cloakroom and turn right, the locker room is on the right. Last time I went, they still wanted a £1 coin in the locker, which you retrieve on leaving. Clear plastic bag available to take your essentials with you to the reading rooms.

    The Oriental & India Office collection is on Floor 3.

    These days, I use the signature on my debit card and the first page of my Bank Statement which gives my name and address - all other paperwork, as you say, is online or in my husband's name. They will also accept a driving licence - I still have an old green one!

    Hope you have an enjoyable and productive visit.

    Carol

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    • #3
      The India Office is brilliant! The only problems for me there are that sometimes you have to wait to use the microfilm printers - there aren't many of them, and as they only have a self-service photocopier rather than a scanner, you have to get approval before you copy anything. They wouldn't let me copy some Army records.I had to order them - more expensive, it took a few days and they messed my order up! If you're looking for BMD's you can certainly get a lot done in a day.
      The National Archives, Kew – Research Service Offered
      Contact me via PM on Family Tree Forum or via my personal website - www.militaryandfamilyresearch.co.uk

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      • #4
        Thank you both.

        I rang up and confirmed that the combination of passport and old driving licence should be OK for the ID.

        I'll remember the lockers/£1 idea - certainly sounds simpler and quicker (i.e. like the system at Kew, but with a deposit).

        I usually do take a clear plastic bag to archive-type places - but was on the way to forgetting, so thanks for that. I'll have to be careful - I shall also be carrying my music for an audition later in the day!

        I had hoped for the scan option, rather than ph-copy, since it's mentioned as a general facility on the website. Was it recently that you found that not to be available, Ann?

        I'm not quite sure what I shall be looking for, apart from a birth and a couple of deaths (one of which, in 1954, is probably too late to figure, according to the dates mentioned online).
        It's all early C20th.
        A great uncle is supposed to have worked in some capacity for the Maharajah of Balrampore (which, being a transliteration, is open to alternative spellings) - probably to do with cars.
        His younger brother was in the Indian Army - his burial shows up on the online database.

        Christine
        Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

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        • #5
          Yes, I last went there a couple of months ago. Perhaps a scanner is available elsewhere in the library, just not in the India Office??
          The National Archives, Kew – Research Service Offered
          Contact me via PM on Family Tree Forum or via my personal website - www.militaryandfamilyresearch.co.uk

          Comment

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