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Genealogical Computing
7/1/2002 - Archive
| July/August/September 2002 |
Vol. 22.1 |
England's A2A: Cyberpath to Discovery
Untitled Document
References, sources, bibliographies—I collect them. They are full of tempting
treats, making my mind race with the optimistic idea that somehow, sometime, I
will be able to see the books or documents behind the titles and numbers.
Online catalogs have become a favorite place to browse—not only for resource
ideas, but because they are early stops along the way to finding answers. I can
check references against the contents of archives and libraries before ordering
films or paying a visit. Precious time is saved because the catalog has been consulted
in advance.
There is, nevertheless, a catch. The sources for a subject can be in surprising
places. For example, it is logical to presume that material on a farm in Cornwall,
England, is deposited with an archive there; however, investigation turns up the
papers in Surrey. The collections of a family rooted in one county can be stored
at the other end of the country.
As time-saving as the Internet is, most of us rarely set aside hours for trolling
through a series of catalogs one after the other. What is required is one giant
catalog that points family historians to the right place.
In the British Isles, this is happening with the development of archives networks.
These networks are useful when planning research, particularly because they facilitate
the discovery of scattered and obscure resources.
The English part of the archives network project is known as A2A (see figure 1),
translated as Access to Archives. It is spearheaded
through the combined efforts of the Public Record Office, the Historical Manuscripts
Commission, and the British Library. Financial support to date has come from the
British government's Invest to Save Budget and the national Heritage Lottery Fund.
The current count shows an involvement of more than 165 institutions and in excess
of 500,000 pages of digitized catalogs. These are very impressive numbers, and
for the family historian, they hold some very exciting opportunities for identifying
and locating both isolated documents and relevant collections.
Purpose of A2A
The network is being prepared to help archive users identify and locate material
for research. But what sounds simple is an amazing project involving a main management
team and regional teams all contributing to this huge virtual catalog. As of 4
April it contained in excess of 3 million references. It is geographically diverse;
participants include more than 50 major regional or county institutions, and almost
all the ancient counties of England are represented. Anyone, anywhere, is able
to search for archival sources
whether they be national, regional, or local. It really is a cyber-path to discovery.
From the start, the managers have strived to keep A2A user-friendly, broad in
content, and stimulating. How else can they hope to awaken the curiosity of those
unfamiliar with archives? The principles behind the project are public access
to heritage, education, social inclusion, regionalism, knowledge, economy, and
common standards.
This philosophy generates the goals: create a one-stop resource; keep it easy
to understand; raise awareness of archives among those trained to depend on the
electronic environment; and increase cooperation among archivists.
What's in it for Family Historians?
The inquisitive family historian explores a multiplicity of documents and studies
the unexpected. Frequently he or she has no idea where the path is leading, and
when an odd topic emerges, the researcher finds it a real challenge to pursue.
This problem illustrates why A2A is so useful. The array of material and the choice
of search techniques, using keywords, themes, and collections, offer new opportunities
to flush out hitherto unknown record groups and/or documents that fit the family
background. Anyone familiar with the treasures of archives and the excitement
of working with documents will immediately grasp the significance of A2A.
The novice researcher may benefit even more. In fact, the "electronic genealogist,"
currently reliant on databases and mailing lists, may experience a revelation.
This site has the potential to awaken interest in new sources and new methods
of research.
Performing an A2A search is simple to learn and results often reveal far more
than a catalog number and title. Document descriptions taken from notations on
the scope and content of records can and frequently do produce facts about relationships,
dates, and precise locations.
Standard Searches
The simplest and, therefore, the best place to start is the keyword or key phrase
search (see figure 2); it is where the home page "Search" button leads.
Enter a surname into the keyword line at the top, and select "Search."
I did this with the name "Caley" and it produced a list of 104 results,
which was considerably more than I expected. There are several ways to make lengthy
lists more manageable: repeat the search using Boolean terminology; repeat the
search selecting a range of years and/or a geographic limitation; or choose the
sort option on the results page.
I chose to sort the 104 results by archives location; the other options are to
sort by date or number of hits. As the family had moved in the 1700s from Yorkshire
to London, these entries were of interest. Under the name of each archives, the
number of hits is indicated and I selected the East Riding of Yorkshire Records
Service with 29 (see figure 3). It led to brief record descriptions. Among them
was one about the will and property of William Caley. Not only does the entry
contain helpful information, it pinpoints an important document likely to lead
to others.
"Item: [no title] - ref. QDB/3/25 - date 9 Jan 1737/8
Will of William Caley of Lelley gent. Bequests to sons Leonard and John C.; daughter
Ann Burgess. William C. exor. Pp.88-89: --Bean Close, Brewer Close, 1/2 oxgang
with Forby Lands adjoining (8 ac.), and 2 1/2 oxgangs; messuage and garth, 2 Forby
Butts, 2 Hassack Marr Butts and site of a demolished messuage; Raven Close, all
in Beford alias Beforth --; Witn. John Richardson, Tho. Fairweather, Thos. Champney.
Probate 29 Apr 1738."
This is the simplest way to work with the database. Keyword or key phrase searches
can be controlled by using the available Boolean operators and wildcards. Limitations
may be placed on the search by using the date or date range boxes, and by selecting
an archives location or region of England. Other interesting search options are
to search by archives and a specific year or to use the "Location of Archives"
and "English Region" drop-down menus to browse A2A catalogs. Selecting
one of the "Help" buttons to the right of the entry boxes provides further
information.
Extended Searches
The Extended Search option adds three input fields to the Standard Search. These
are "Catalogue Reference," "Archive Category," such as parish
registers, and "A2A theme" (see sidebar). Noticing that one theme is
for the London Metropolitan Archives Family and Individual Collections, I used
this extended option and submitted Bramley in the top line, a date range 1750
to 1820, and this particular theme. Out of six hits one states, "London Metropolitan
Archives: Bramley, Joseph [1801-1801]."
Joseph Bramley is my ancestor. By selecting the entry, the document was identified
as a marriage settlement for his second wife, with its reference. From that screen
I was able to select "Show the whole catalogue," which produced more
detail, including the precise location of family property in Stamford Hill, Middlesex.
A word of caution about this choice: Use the "Table of contents for this
catalogue" link first to judge the size.
Special Interest
The third search area targets particular catalogs according to several defined
terms: subject, corporate name, family name, personal name, and place. Instructions
are simple and clear and involve four steps. If you follow the routine precisely,
the search will work, but be prepared for the "sorry" message fairly
regularly. Results appear on a page that may or may not have a scrolling feature;
it depends on the number of hits. The titles of catalogs that are particularly
relevant to the search criteria are listed. You can browse the full text of each
catalog by selecting one of these.
Figure 4 shows the Special Interest page, which includes some suggested input
beside each field entry box. Test each of these because they do produce results
and are therefore good practice. Reverse the sample inputs for the Family Name
Index and the Personal Name Index; i.e., input "davi*" into the Personal
Name Index and "alex*" into the Family Name Index. It demonstrates that
they are different searches. Be aware, too, that the Corporate Name Index is not
confined to business searches. I experimented with "new*" and among
the results was Newchurch in Rossendale Methodist Church Lancashire. Following
the prompts to find out more, I discovered the catalog summary for the Rossendale
Methodist Circuit 1804 to 1979.
When to Use A2A
A2A can be used at virtually any stage in genealogical research. How productive
and useful any search is depends upon understanding the content and purposes of
A2A, and starting with enough facts to recognize family connections and relevant
topics. Searching A2A is never an end in itself. Just as any index points to an
original source, A2A catalog entries point to documents. In both instances, the
job is not done until the record is examined.
The obvious recommendation is not to be afraid to experiment. Print out the Boolean
search operators and wild cards and then begin testing family surnames, full names
of individuals, places, and topics. Topics, by the way, should avoid generalities
like "genealogy." Occupations or something like "manors in Lancashire"
are more likely to produce results. The information at the site warns users that
A2A does not function like a search engine. It does not find similar words and
there are no rankings of results. When there are results, however, they are precise
references to, and summaries of, documents and collections that match the search
terms.
Conclusion
Growth of A2A will continue, so you will want to check the site regularly for
news of additions and projects under development. Do the same for the record offices
and libraries that hold identified sources of interest. Many of the participants
in A2A do not yet have their catalogs online and it will be useful to know when
that happens.
Big databases tend to get the headlines, but in recent years there have been other
equally exciting advances for family history. One was the online catalog of the
contents of the Public Record Office; note that
it is not part of A2A. Another was the developments at the website of the Historical
Manuscripts Commission including ARCHON (Archives Online) and the National
Register of Archives. Now there is A2A.
Whether planning a research trip, instructing a research agent, requesting copies
of specific documents, or simply "fishing," these virtual pathways open
up resources that were previously hidden from view.
Sherry Irvine, CGRS, FSA(Scot) is a teacher, lecturer, and writer specializing
in English and Scottish family history. She is the author of Your Scottish
Ancestry (Ancestry, 1997) and Your English Ancestry (Ancestry, 2nd ed.
1998). She has served more than five years on the board of APG and is currently
its president. She can be reached by e-mail at cpi@pacificcoast.net.
Return to the GC Summer 2002 Table of Contents.
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