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1.1 Issue: Where do I get the free software to allow me to transcribe records?
Response:
We have an application that runs under Windows for data entry called WinREG. It can be found at:
http://www.freereg.org.uk/winreg/index.htm
Unfortunately this software will not run on a Mac. Users with this hardware must use spreadsheet software.
1.2 Issue: What are ATs?
Response:
Each year the local vicar had to make a copy of the births, marriages and burials that took place in his parish and send them to his Bishop. In all counties but Norfolk these are known as Bishop's Transcripts. Norfolk is somewhat different in that the copies were only provided to the Bishop every 7 years, in-between times they went to one of the two archdeacons (Norwich and Norfolk). Archdeacons Transcripts were sent for six consecutive years. On the 7th year the Bishop visited and the copy was given to him instead of the Archdeacon. There are many gaps the AT's apart from the 7th year. In some cases, there are entries in the AT's that do not appear in the PR's......a confusing state of affairs. For example, in the parish of Yaxham, at some point the PR's were copied from another source(s). Some entries were missed in the PR transcription that were included in the AT transcription. Also, there are semi-illegible PR entries that are very readable in the AT's. One good reason for including AT's in FreeREG.
2.1 Issue: How do I change a record that I have entered into WinREG?
Response:
Open the project that contains the record with the error. Find the record in the widow of records. Highlight and then double click on the record to be changed.
The contents will appear in the data entry boxes at the bottom. Make the change you want to make; also make sure that you have also selected the condition or sex from the drop down boxes if they are in the record as WinREG sometimes forgets these entries. Then click "update". This replaces the record in the WinREG file.
(If you clicked "Add", a new additional record would be added).
2.2 Issue: Is there any limit on the length of a Note?
Response:
For all practical purposes there is no limit to the length of any comments you type into the Notes field.
2.3 Issue: Missed record?: I missed a record while entering data into WinREG. How do I go back and do it?
Response:
Simple answer. You insert it at the point you realise you have missed the record. WinREG and FreeREG do not care about the sequence or order of entries. FreeREG is a search facility that locates events associated with a specified name. It does not produce a listing of the contents of an entire parish. As a result, sequence or order has no real meaning within FreeREG. You can enter the data in any order.
2.4 Issue: New Project: I am starting another register for the same parish. Do I start a new project?
Response:
There is no requirement to start a new project each time you start a new register, although some transcribers do so as a way of managing their work. We do suggest, however, that you start a new project once you have 1500-2000 records in a file.
2.5 Issue: Missing data entry boxes: When we start WinREG it does not display all of the data entry boxes and cannot view the "abode" and "notes" fields.
Response:
This problem is usually caused by having too course a screen resolution eg 800x600. WinREG was designed to run on 1024x768 screen resolution. To check or reset your resolution. In Windows XP or 98 go to Control Panel on your Start Menu. Select the Display option. Go to settings and you should see a screen resolution slider. Make sure it is at least 1024x768. In Windows Vista either right click on an empty place on your desktop and select the personalize option alternatively select the personalize option from the control panel. When this opens select the Display Setting button and check/change your monitor resolution so that it is at least 1024x768. If your screen resolution is already better than 1024x768 then your problem is most likely caused by a Large Character DPI setting; see Q and A 2.9 on how to fix this problem.
2.6 Issue: I/O Error 32: When I start WinREG and attempt to open an existing project I get I/O Error 32.
Response:
This is a fatal error caused by a corrupt data file. Unfortunately it is irrecoverable. It is not associated with any data you have entered. The most likely cause was an error while writing to the disk. When this happens there is no easy solution. You cannot end WinREG in the normal manner. You must terminate the program using Windows. Press the keyboard characters Ctrl Alt Del symultaneously. Select the Applications tab; highlight WinREG and select the End Task button. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REOPEN THE FILE with WinREG, if you do then you will have to terminate it with windows again. Delete the file that is causing the problem and reload a backup version. Your coordinator can get you a copy of the last version of the file you uploaded into FreeREG if you do not have a backup copy. This is one of the reasons we encourage you to upload on a regular basis. Then FreeREG acts as your backup.
Index of Questions
2.7 Issue: Correct an entry: I've just deleted an entry in order to replace it. Is it possible to just edit an entry?
Response:
You do not need to delete an entry in order to correct it. Scroll to the relevant entry in the window of entries and double click on it. The contents of the record appear in the boxes at the bottom of the page. You can then edit to your heart's content. Click the Update button. (If you clicked Add you would now have two records. The old incorrect one and the new one) A word of warning though - sometimes the contents of the drop down boxes in WinREG eg the sex of a child, disappears so you need to make sure that these are re-entered. The same applies in marriages as to the condition of bride and groom (spinster/bachelor etc).
Index of Questions
2.8 Issue: Uncertain Character Format (UCF): I've studied the instructions for UCF. However I have a squiggle that might be a character or it might be a flight of fanciful lettering. I followed what I thought were the rules and put in {0,1} and was told by WinREG that commas are NOT allowed. I've obviously misunderstood a lot here!
Response: You are correct. WinREG is not. Unfortunately, this version of WinREG does not fully support the UCF. It will not allow you to use a comma. The next version does fix that problem.
2.9 Issue: There are no scroll bars on the image viewer: When we start the image viewer in WinREG it does not display any scroll bars for us to see other parts of the image.
Response:
This problem is usually caused by having too large a Character Font dpi setting. WinREG was designed to run with a screen resolution of 1024x768 or better and a normal character dpi setting of 96. If you are using a setting of 120 for Large Characters then WinREG will not display all of the data entry boxes nor will it display the scroll bars on the image viewer. To check your dpi setting in Windows XP or 98 go to Control Panel on your Start Menu. Select the Display option. Go to settings and you should see a screen resolution slider. Click the advanced box just below the screen resolution slider. Make sure that the character size dpi setting is 96. The standard setting. In Windows Vista either right click on an empty place on your desktop and select the personalize option alternatively select the personalize option from the control panel. On the top left of the display that appear you will see Change Font Size (dpi). Click that button. You will have to tell Vista that yes you started this operation. In the ensuing display make sure the 96dpi option is selected NOT the large character size option.
2.10 Issue: I cannot find my file: I started a project in WinREG and added some records. Exited WinREG and when I tried to reopen the project it was not there.
Response:
This problem is caused when Windows does look in the correct place for the file. Most likely Windows is being too helpful and looking in the Documents folder and not in the transcripts folder. By default WinREG stores the project files in the folder C:\Program Files\WinREG\Transcripts\. When you re-open a project make sure that Windows is looking in the folder C:\Program Files\WinREG\Transcripts\. You may have to tell Windows to navigate to this location by starting off looking in My Computer (the icon on the left of the Open Box window) then in the main Open Box Window selecting the hard drive C: then Program Files then WinREG and lastly Transcripts. You files should appear. Select the file you want.
2.11 Issue: WinREG is loosing my additions: I have been happily adding records to a WinREG project but it is most saving them. Every time I go to reopen the project the additions are not there.
Response:
This problem is caused by inadvertently getting two copies of the file. One where it should be in the Transcripts folder and the other in another folder (most likely Documents or My Documents). When you open the file you are opening the one in the other folder not the one in the Transcripts folder. WinREG is updating the one in the Transcripts folder but you are reopening the other one each time. (You can confirm this by searching for the file*.CSV using the Windows search capability; but make sure that you are searching your full hard drive C: and not a subset. You will likely find that you have a duplicate copy of the file in a somewhere other than the transcripts folder) When you open a project make sure that Windows is looking in the folder C:\Program Files\WinREG\Transcripts\. You may have to tell Windows to navigate to this location by starting off looking in My Computer (the icon on the left of the Open Box window) then in the main Open Box Window selecting the hard drive C: then Program Files then WinREG and lastly Transcripts. You files should appear. Select the file you want.
2.12 Issue: How do I convert to running on Microsoft Vista: I have purchased a new computer that uses Microsoft Vista. How do I move my files to the new computer?
Response:
WinREG runs OK on Microsoft Vista.
I would download and install a clean version of WinREG from the website.
When you install make sure it installs in C:\WinReg\ when
it ask you. Do NOT accept the default location as doing so will make access to your transcriptions difficult.
Transfer your existing files from one computer to the other using either
a CD,DVD or memory stick.
Copy all files FROM C:\Program Files\WinReg\Transcripts on your old computer
onto your transfer medium and then copy TO the C:\WinReg\Transcripts folder on new computer.
You may want to make a desktop icon for the transcripts folder to make
it easier to find. To so do, go to Computer on the Start button,
navigate down to the transcripts folder under WinREG; right click on its name and select the "Send to" option; on the drop down menu that appears, select
desktop (create shortcut).
If you run into any difficulties you may want to run the program in XP compatability mode. When the program is installed go to the location where you installed it. To so do, go to Computer on the
Start button, navigate down to the WinREG folder do a right click on
WinREG.EXE and select properties. Go to the compatibility tab and tick
the button for run in compatibility mode and in the drop down menu box
select XP Service Pack 2.
3.1 Issue: Alias: Occasionally in a register you can come across an entry such as: Susan dau of Edward JONES alias WILLIAMS.
Essentially this means that the person Edward JONES was also know in the community as Edward WILLIAMS. How should this entry be entered into FreeREG.
Response: The recommended action is for there to be TWO entries.
The first
Susan, dau of, Edward, JONES,,,,Alias Edward WILLIAMS.
The second with the same date etc would be Susan,dau of,Edward,WILLIAMS,,,,Alias Edward JONES.
This ensures
that searching either for JONES or WILLIAMS retrieves the record.
3.2 Issue: Entered into Church: You will often see the reference in an entry such as: Peter, Jane and Susan Children of Richard WILSON entered into church.
Response: This usually means that there
had been an earlier private baptism of the children. At the time of this new entry they were being publicly admitted to the congregation of the church.
If there is evidence of the earlier baptism then this entry may be ignored.
If, however, there is no evidence of the actual baptism then enter this entry as a baptism BUT with a note stating that this is NOT a baptism entry but an entry
into the church and that the date of baptism is unknown.
3.3 Issue: Missing Surnames: In the Burnham Norton burials, there are three burials of persons washed up on the beach, as it stands at the
moment the entries are obviously almost irrelevant because you cannot search for a blank column. Has
the project thought of entering a code in the SURNAME section that would allow this type of entry to be researched if the code was publicized..
Response: There is already a way of doing this that is a little more general. Enter either an * or a ? in the field where there is a missing name.
And the comment lost at sea or something similar in the Notes field. The search engine permits a search for either * or ?. So this and similar events can be retrieved.
3.4 Issue: Banns: The register I am transcribing contains a set of entries entitled Banns of Marriage. Do I transcribe them?
Response: Normally, FreeREG does not use the entries from the register of Banns of Marriage. This is because, in most cases, they add no additional information to that contained in
the marriage register. Nor do they of themselves indicate that a marriage actually took place. The one case where banns might be used is when the actual marriage register
has been lost. Your county coordinator can tell you if this is the case and what they want done with the Banns.
3.5 Issue: (late SMITH): A baptisms register entry contains the entry "late" followed by a name.
I take it this is the mother's maiden name? What about when it appears in a burial register?
Response: You are correct; this is usually the mother's maiden name. It should be entered into the mothers' surname field in the baptism record.
The same notation occasionally appears in a burial register. In this case, since there is no place for the maiden name, place the "late SMITH" information in the Notes field of the record.
3.6 Issue: Year Only: I have an entire year of AT's with no day or month given! Will FreeREG accept just a year for a date? Is there any way of at least showing the sequence of the baptisms, marriages and burials?
Response: FreeREG will be quite happy for you to simply enter the year (or month and year). There is no way of showing a sequence of events within the transcription of a register; or is it required or meaningful to do so. FreeREG is a search facility that locates events associated with a specified name. It does not produce a listing of the contents of an entire parish. As a result, sequence has no real meaning within FreeREG.
3.7 Issue: Same Register Entry Number: I have two registers with the same Register Entry Number. Does it matter?
Response: The Register Entry Number has no special significance to FreeREG. It is kept in the record solely to assist the researcher locate the entry when they review the original register. Larger parishes have multiple registers many of which will start with a Register Entry Number of 1. The early registers did not have a number; in this case the field is left blank.
3.8 Issue: Missing Forename: I have a burial entry that says "A child of YYYYY" and also one that reads "The Widow XXXX".
Response: The preferred solution is to put ? in the forename field. The ? has two meanings. One that you are uncertain of the entry or two that an expected entry for a field is missing. Alternatively you can leave the field blank. Use the Notes field to indicate what was actually written; "The Widow JENKINS", "an infant", etc.
3.9 Issue: More than 4 witnesses: I have a marriage entry with 4 witnesses.
Response: Place two witnesses in the available fields. Make a duplicate entry and place the other two names in the available witness fields. Add a note to each record saying that you have duplicated the record to allow for the inclusion of all four witnesses. This makes all 4 witness surnames searchable. If the additional 2 witnesses had been placed in the Notes field they would have not been retrievable by the search engine.
3.10 Issue: Extraneous notes: I have a page in the register that has a two line note on the
bottom of it regarding the vicars. Do i put that anywhere? It doesn't actually pertain to the people in the register.
Response: If the note does not pertain to any of the persons in the register then you may ignore it.
3.11 Issue: Abbreviations: How do I record an abbreviation? The website seems confused on this matter.
Response: With abbreviations we normally adopt the usual rule of transcription, i.e. type what so see, with a couple of modifications. Transcribe as it was written. i.e. Robt. or Will or Will or Guilliam. Deviations are a) We do not normally superscript characters, so Saml, where the l is a superscript, would be entered as Samuel b) If there is an abbreviation character used, usually the horizontal bar across part of the name (see the example for Robert on the website) in this case we insert the missing characters directly. (We cannot use the standard approach of Rob[rt]t because the [] are used in the Uncertain Character Format http://www.freereg.org.uk/howto/transcribe.htm ). c) Any non standard abbreviation are entered in full.
4.1 Issue: How do I correct a record that contains an error? I have to correct an entry that has already been loaded into FreeREG. How do I do it?
Response: You upload a replacement file with the corrections made to it. How? Sign on to the FreeREG Upload page just as you would to upload a file. Find the file in your list of files. Click on the replace button and then the files name. Tell FreeREG where to find the replacement file on your computer. Click Replace. The file will be checked for errors and if error free
your new file will replace the old one at the next FreeREG update.
4.2 Issue: How often is the database updated?
Response: The database is re-created every 4 weeks commencing on the Monday of the week in which the update is scheduled. The re-creation involves the incorporation of all files that have been loaded onto the FreeREG server. This ensures that all corrections, additions and deletions are incorporated in the database.
4.3 Issue: My proposed USER ID (or password) is rejected by the system.I have tried to register with FreeREG but it will not accept my proposed UserID or password.
Response: This problem usually arises when you have tried to use a space in the User name. Only upper and lower case letters and numbers can be used in a UserID or password. Special characters and most importantly the space cannot be used. Occasionally the UserID will be rejected because it is already in use. Please try another.
4.4 Issue: I cannot log in to the upload server? I cannot log in to the upload server even though I am using the correct UserID and Password. I still cannot login even after changing my password.
Response: The most common source of this problem is that you are trying to login to the server through the Rootsweb portal and not the FreeREG main portal. You must access the upload server through http://www.freereg.org.uk/cgi/Login.pl The Rootsweb access to the upload server does not work.