Opinions on BVRI please

PaulaD · Post by **PaulaD** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:36 pm

Hi all,

I am surrounded by brick walls pre 1855 and I was wondering if I should
invest in the BVRI. Would appreciate anyones views on the usefulness of
this. My problems are mainly Aberdeenshire & East and West Lothian.
Thanks,

Paula

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:05 pm

Hi Paula

My two bits worth......I have the disks...have never found any of my own family but plenty for others. I'd say forget Aberdeen but you may have some luck in the Lothians. You pays your money and you takes your chances!

One thing that I've found good about them is many times those missing males can be found on them.

Not sure this helps!

Best wishes
Jean

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:35 pm

Hi Paula
You may have already checked this out, but there is a summary of the info the BVRI diks contain on the Family search site. Tried pasting the link to the page, but it just would not behave, so here is the summary for Scotland. Wales, Ireland and England are also represetned on the disks.

Scotland
total: Births and Christenings 2,453,319 Marriages 41,080
Aberdeen 4,673 325
Angus 9,410 750
Argyllshire 40,069 1,501
Ayrshire 222,864 13,614
Banffshire 515 62
Berwickshire 100,226 320
Buteshire 20,764 946
Caithness 1,218 3
Clackmannan 2,907 37
Dumfries 130,296 83
Dunbarton 1,560 105
East Lothian 159,349 155
Fifeshire 91,347 4,724
Inverness-shire 853 20
Kincardineshire 287 12
Kinross 12 0
Kirkcudbright 62,935 2
Lanarkshire 338,372 10,067
Midlothian 576,127 2,109
Moray 1,329 37
Nairn 4 0
Orkney 16 36
Peeblesshire 40,401 81
Perthshire 20,049 678
Renfrewshire 147,879 1,175
Ross and Cromarty 645 1
Roxburgh 124,632 19
Selkirk 19,148 0
Shetland 486 2
Stirlingshire 182,141 2,774
Sutherland 20 0
West Lothian 94,595 1,404
Wigtownshire 58,190 38

Some areas seem to have better coverage than others....
Best wishes
Lesley

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:13 pm

Hi Paula

And thanks to Lesley's info you can see why the odds of finding someone in the Lothains area is far more likely as compared to Aberdeen records. Of course someone is represented in those 4.673 but you also have to consider the range from all the disks in all the areas of the UK can and does include an earliest record from 1530 and the latest record from 1906......so almost a 400 year spread. Like I previously stated...it's a partial collection....it's far stronger in the southern counties of Scotland as compared to the north.....and you pays your money and takes your chances. Keep in mind too that if you have any family from England, Wales, or Ireland there are records from all these areas in the set. For the cost I chose to gamble. Sometimes you can just pick up where surnames were concentrated......

Best wishes
Jean

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:32 pm

As I understand the situation, IGI for Scotland went through a number of microfiche editions, - around 4 or 5 from memory (I have a copy of the "C" edition set of microfiches).

Thereafter, the microfiche edition of IGI for Scotland was not further updated.

Instead, any new information that would previously have previously been included in a new edition of the IGI microfiches is now included in BVRI.

David

PaulaD · Post by **PaulaD** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:36 pm

Hi Jean and Lesley,

Thanks for your opinions - much appreciated. Think I will buy it as it will be a long time before I can get to either Glasgow, Edinburgh or my local LDS (their opening times are the same as my work

)
Anyway might be able to help other folk as much as they've helped me.

Paula

PaulaD · Post by **PaulaD** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:41 pm

Hi David,

Thanks for that. Its even better news I hope!!

Paula

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 12:48 am

Hi All

I e mailed Paula as I noticed she had ancestors from Uphall. Loads of mine are from Uphall and it was a wee place.............still is!!

Anyway it turns out we share the same ggggg grandparents

Actually the same gggggg grandparents.............but Paula wants to find them out for herself.

How's that!!!!!

Jean

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 1:12 am

Great news, Jean & Paula! $\:D/$
Best wishes
Lesley

PaulaD · Post by **PaulaD** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 7:47 pm

Hi Lesley,

=D>

and

I'm sooo excited. Thanks to all at TS I've got a real live rellie!!!

Paula