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Cornwall Compiled Genealogies: Difference between revisions
Cornwall Compiled Genealogies (view source)
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Genealogical research principles are generally along the same lines as those in England, and the civil registration, which began in 1837, is part of the same system as is used throughout England. Records, such as birth, marriage, and death certificates are obtained the same way and from the same sources. Census enumerations are also part of the same system as is used in the other counties of England. Names of people and places are often unique to Cornwall, and may present a challenge in research. Many of them have their origins in the Cornish language and are not found elsewhere in the UK. Illiteracy was widespread for centuries and still quite common until the end of the 19th century. This has resulted in a lack of standardization of name spelling, and even the spelling of places until recently. One may find as many as a dozen different spellings for a surname, with many variations for the same individual during a lifetime. The Cornish names can also be a problem when searching records of Cornish people who have emigrated from Cornwall to England or other countries, as the enumerator has written what was heard and which may have been spoken in a Cornish dialect that is very much unlike that which is spoken elsewhere in England. The result is that the spelling for both names and places often bears little resemblance to the correct current Cornish spelling, and a search may be unsuccessful because of incorrect recording in the original record or inaccurate indexing in computerized databases or transcriptions. | Genealogical research principles are generally along the same lines as those in England, and the civil registration, which began in 1837, is part of the same system as is used throughout England. Records, such as birth, marriage, and death certificates are obtained the same way and from the same sources. Census enumerations are also part of the same system as is used in the other counties of England. Names of people and places are often unique to Cornwall, and may present a challenge in research. Many of them have their origins in the Cornish language and are not found elsewhere in the UK. Illiteracy was widespread for centuries and still quite common until the end of the 19th century. This has resulted in a lack of standardization of name spelling, and even the spelling of places until recently. One may find as many as a dozen different spellings for a surname, with many variations for the same individual during a lifetime. The Cornish names can also be a problem when searching records of Cornish people who have emigrated from Cornwall to England or other countries, as the enumerator has written what was heard and which may have been spoken in a Cornish dialect that is very much unlike that which is spoken elsewhere in England. The result is that the spelling for both names and places often bears little resemblance to the correct current Cornish spelling, and a search may be unsuccessful because of incorrect recording in the original record or inaccurate indexing in computerized databases or transcriptions. | ||
Resources for genealogical research are among the best to be found in the United Kingdom. The GENUKI pages for Cornwall are unmatched by those of any other part of the United Kingdom, and they are essential to Cornish research. The pages for individual parishes are extensive and detailed with accurate information that is of great value. There is often more information provided on the listing of a single small parish in Cornwall than is found for an entire county elsewhere in the UK. The site is meticulously maintained and kept current. There is such extensive information provided, that it is beyond the scope of this posting to even begin to describe what is there. | Resources for genealogical research are among the best to be found in the United Kingdom. The GENUKI pages for Cornwall [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Cornwall/ http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Cornwall/] are unmatched by those of any other part of the United Kingdom, and they are essential to Cornish research. The pages for individual parishes are extensive and detailed with accurate information that is of great value. There is often more information provided on the listing of a single small parish in Cornwall than is found for an entire county elsewhere in the UK. The site is meticulously maintained and kept current. There is such extensive information provided, that it is beyond the scope of this posting to even begin to describe what is there. | ||
The Cornwall Family History Society has a large and active worldwide membership. They have their own library and research facilities and publish a very useful journal four times per year, as well as sponsoring or maintaining a presence at relevant events. Research services are also offered. Some parish record transcriptions are available for purchase from the society in booklet, PDF file, or CD form. They have also recently produced a transcription summary of all records from the county prison (Bodmin Gaol) to the year 1900 available on a set of CD's. Information is available at [http://www.cornwallfhs.com www.cornwallfhs.com]. | The Cornwall Family History Society has a large and active worldwide membership. They have their own library and research facilities and publish a very useful journal four times per year, as well as sponsoring or maintaining a presence at relevant events. Research services are also offered. Some parish record transcriptions are available for purchase from the society in booklet, PDF file, or CD form. They have also recently produced a transcription summary of all records from the county prison (Bodmin Gaol) to the year 1900 available on a set of CD's. Information is available at [http://www.cornwallfhs.com www.cornwallfhs.com]. | ||