Comments on: BETA: Link to feedback survey added

By: mark

mark — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:46:56 +0000

Debbie,

I got this from “Ancestry web site”

“The 1911 Census is currently only available via a pay-per-view agreement on the 1911 Census website.
Ancestry.co.uk is keen to offer members the richest and most diverse range of family history content available and has begun to discuss with The National Archives the possibility of securing a license to offer our own online access to the 1911 Census in the near future”

I very much doubt Ancestry would ask for an additional subscription just to cover the 1911 census. But the worry I have is that FMP will ask for an additional subscription to cover the 1911 census, either as a stand-a-lone or as a top up to existing subscrpition.

All FMP keep saying is “sometime in the near future”. I, like most, would like a firm commitment as to when and how much a subscription package will be. And if FMP want my money please let us know. Or are they making more money by having a pay-per-view package only at the moment while there is still a rush on to have a look.

mark

By: iantester

iantester — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:26:11 +0000

@debbie: there will be a subscription service available on findmypast.com in the future which will give you access to all censuses including 1911.

By: Debbie

Debbie — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:29:42 +0000

I wont be using this until there is a subscription service like Ancestry.

Many of us have already paid for Ancestry.co.uk and to pay out such a large sum of money per doc is not viable. My family tree is now large and I need to look at many 1911 records, I cannot afford to do this on a pay by view basis.

I will relunctantly consider a monthly or annual charge, but bear in mind it is only one cencus you are offering unlike Ancestry

By: Sam Culpin

Sam Culpin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:28:28 +0000

What a ridiculous high price for viewing records - at over £3 for an original image I just won’t be bothering!

By: Norma Niven Chantler

Norma Niven Chantler — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:59:12 +0000

I have read the comments and agree in total with the comments regarding images and transcripts. I do find the cost prohibitive in regards the two. I do have to say though that the information that I was able to garner in regards to the family was correct - everyone I expected to find was there.

My only complaint, was the timing. Living as we do in Canada, we had company from England and I was busy preparing for them, etc. etc. The wrapping of presents and preparing for family dinners etc. was a prerequisite. Also being secretary for our parish church, I was busy with duties there too. I think a pre launch in January of 2009 would have been appreciated more.

Keep up the good work though. I am looking forward to the full launch, and do hope Scotland will be considered. nhnc

By: Maria

Maria — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:37:37 +0000

All my ancestors are 100% Northern and none of counties were on the beta trial. However I did find some escapee’s who had moved south and using 1911 search facility coupled with Findmypasts BMD indexes I was able to confirm the research and family stories I had on these lines.

As the amount of information available from the search results is limited, it could become very costly to search an ancestor with a common name such as SMITH.

I can’t comment on census images or trasnscripts as I think the cost to view transcripts at £1.20 and the original image £3.40 is nothing short of extortionate. I appreciate it has taken you a lot of time and money to scan the 1911 census [which is bigger than previous ones] Is this a ploy to stop too many people using the site when it all goes live and stop it crashing like the 1901 census did. You would easily recoup costs if the 1911 census was available to view on a subscription basis as I am sure many would sign up to look at the 1911 census. So my purse is staying shut until the cost of the census is a more reasonably priced.

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:19:35 +0000

What a fantastic early Christmas present the beta 1911 Census was. A real surprise when i got home from work on 19 Dec.

Thank you for allowing early access.

I’ve been able to find most of my blood line ancestors plus throw up some queries with my previous research. Trouble is I’ve spent the best part of £50 and thats a real shame particularly in the current economic climate

The theme in these threads appears to relate to price and i have to agree that paying for transcripts and images is really too much. I would suggest a year subscription service along the lines of Ancestry.co.uk that gives unlimited access to all 1911 Census records, i.e. transcriptions and images.

I have many more ancestry threads to investigate and the current high charges will prevent me from completing this.

By: Graham

Graham — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:12:12 +0000

I agree entirely with the comments regarding cost, the charges are far too high. Particularly so when compared to Ancestry annual subscription where every Census, all BMD records and several additional databases can be viewed on an all inclusive and unlimited basis. (No, I don’t have any connection to them)!
The image quality was good and searching seemed OK but there was only one county available that I was interested in, so my use was limited.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:17:57 +0000

I agree with Brian,
I can also see that there has to be a charge for using/maintaining the website but I to do not understand why we should have to pay 3pounds sixty pence to see the original image and 1pound twenty to see a transcription.
Family history research demands that you should always check the main source with your own eyes that way if there is an error found later it is yours, In this case the source is the image of the original document.
As I have already found what appears to be many spelling errors of names in the indexes, which could be very costly for a researcher if it sends him/her down the wrong trail. I certainly would be reluctant to pay the sort of prices being asked to view the original documents. I suspect
that there will be many unemployed / families on fixed incomes where money is in short supply who will be scared off from even starting a family tree as a hobby.
The census’s were paid for by the British Tax payer, the storage and care of the documents for the last one hundred years before there release, has been paid for by the British Taxpayer, the information in the census’s are the records handed down by our Ancestors, The British peoples family history. To be asked to pay such a high price to see it is out of order, yes a small charge for digitising and storing the data and making available on the internet is acceptable but these charges are highway or should I say family history robbery. Better to make it accessible to tens of millions paying a reasonable charge and coming back time and time again, than just a few thousand paying a high charge and never returning.

By: Carol H

Carol H — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 02:55:39 +0000

I agree with a lot of what has been said in the above blogs. As I understand it when 1911 goes live it will be available through the Findmypast website. Please correct me if I have got hold of the wrong end of the stick! This site of course does have an annual subscription rate as well as pay per view facilities so hopefully when 1911 is up and running, not just being tested as at present, a lot of the cost “problems” will be resolved.
I’m very interested in the answer to Stephen R’s query as that had crossed my mind also, though I have downloaded the “bought” documents to my PC.