FreeREG: Aims & Objectives

FreeREG Statement of Aims and Objectives

This page is specifically for the information of County Record Offices and Family History Societies and for those researching their ancestors The overall aim of FreeREG is to make it easier for researchers, no matter where they are in the world, to locate a record relating to their ancestor, free of charge.
FreeREG does not believe in "pay to find" or "pay to locate". We believe that step in the research process should be totally free. Everything that FreeREG offers is free.
FreeREG is not involved in the publication in any form whatsoever, of whole or partial photographic copies of registers, whole or partial transcripts, or even an index to the records of a parish. Many of the County Record Offices, Bishops and Clergy do not think that would be appropriate. We respect those views.
What is possible on FreeREG on the Internet, is for an individual researcher to enter an ancestor's name, specify a search for a baptism, marriage or burial, state a date range to search, state a county, (and optionally, narrow it down to one town or village), and then search the database for the match using those criteria.
In other words, we are making it possible for a person, for personal research purposes, to locate a record relating to an individual ancestor.
An actual full transcript of the register will not be made available.
It is not possible to "cheat" the system by requesting a search of all records for one church or parish, or to do a search for everyone whose name begins with "A", then "B" etc. Every reasonable possible precaution has been made to prevent access to the complete database.

When a FreeREG volunteer enters the data from a church register into the database, then the only copy of the full transcript, with an index, can be given freely to those County Record Office cooperating with FreeREG through the provision of access to their records. This may be used in any way that the Principal Archivist sees fit. The Principal Archivist, may, at his discretion, allow the local family history society to have a copy, for example, or make it available to visitors to the Record Office.

At present, family history researchers usually need to visit a County Record Office to search for records of their ancestors. We appreciate that it is the remit of the County Record Office to make those records available for personal research only. With the considerable increase in interest in genealogy world-wide, it is not easy for most people to make a personal visit. FreeREG simply fills that gap by providing a "finding tool", free of charge, which individuals may use for their personal family history research.
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