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It may be useful for subscribers (and potential subscribers) to know what volumes we expect to print in the next few years, and what longer-term prospects we are working on.
Historically, there is a very long lead time between commencement of work on a project, and the final appearance of indexes. Traditionally, slips would be written and checked, typed and typeset, checked again and supplementary indexes of places and occupations compiled, and typed and typeset in turn. A generation could come and go while this took place; two of the anticipated output of the next few years (Hertfordshire and Herefordshire) were started in the 1960s.
Lately, computers have immensely speeded the process at every point. Even more recently, we are seeing more and more Record Offices seeking to digitise their probate records (usually with the aid of substantial Heritage Lottery Fund grants). The first result of this from our point of view is Wiltshire, but other areas are at various stages in this process. The speeding of the process is displayed by the fact that Wiltshire will go from inception to printing in just about a decade, despite being a huge series with nearly 100,000 documents.
It may be asked why we are still printing indexes, when many of the indexes we produce have or will be available on the Internet. The answer is complex. First, we know that books stand the test of time, we also know that Internet sites can come and go. We also know that many users still prefer the printed book. Books are easier to look at as part of a group of materials being used together than electronic pages. The compilation of the text and the generation of the supplementaries also shows up errors and omissions that could not be spotted except with publication in prospect. All in all, we believe that production in book form remains invaluable and complementary to any Web-based publication.
As has been pointed out by Peter Spufford in his centenary history of the BRS (Genealogists' Magazine, 1988), the Society has often been most active when relatively few volumes were coming out, while volumes continue to appear when little is going on. We have had periods recently with a plethora of indexes appearing, but lately Probate volumes have been few and far between. Thankfully, this is about to change.
A list of publications which are far advanced follows. I have also singled out just some of the many remoter prospects, to show that much material is at some point in the pipeline.
Wills at Hertford 1415-1858
As mentioned above, this was a very long-term project which has at last come to fruition and is now available to purchase.
Wills at Salisbury 1519-1858
The Heritage Lottery Fund gave a substantial grant towards the listing, repairing and digitisation of the 98,000-odd probate records at the Wiltshire Record Office. Generous assistance was also given by the Wiltshire Record Society. However, the latter Society felt that edited texts had to be its priority, rather than indexes, provided another Society was able to publish the index, and the BRS was very happy to agree to do this alone.
The records cover over 30 courts; Wiltshire was rich in peculiars and prebendaries with separate jurisdictions, and until now numerous separate calendars had to be consulted for any individual will. Jurisdiction extended over parts of Berkshire and a few parishes in Dorset, Hampshire and Devon.
The index has been collated and many queries answered by Wiltshire Record Office. A few more remain, and then the final text can be prepared for publication. Considerable work has been done on the introduction. The text having been compiled in Excel, advantage has been taken of the opportunity to analyse the records more than has been the historic norm, and it is hoped that the introduction will be of use to a wide variety of historians.
The index will, with supplementaries, fill four large volumes. It is likely that the first two of these will be published and distributed to subscribers in 2008 and the final two in 2009.
Wills at Lichfield 1650-1700
The large diocese of Lichfield covered a broad swathe of England. Most of Derbyshire and Staffordshire are covered with a substantial part of Warwickshire and a few outliers in other counties.
A team of volunteers has been completing the work started by the late Dick Hutchinson, of checking a typescript of the original calendars against the original documents and adding in occupations. This work has now finished, and the final checks are being made before it comes to the BRS for editing into a volume.
The team have gone on to deal with the 18th century, and the BRS has agreed in principle to print this later work when it becomes available.
Wills at Hereford
This is another very long-standing work which is only now coming to fruition. Local workers Mr & Mrs Tonkin have been gradually correcting an old text with new reference numbers applied since the records were first listed.
This is now being prepared to be word processed to a text which can be published.
Wills at Durham
A Heritage Lottery Fund grant has been made enabling Durham to do as Wiltshire has done. Durham has half as many probate documents again as Wiltshire, so it will take a number of years to finish this work. The BRS has agreed in principle to print the resultant index.
Wills at Reading
At Berkshire Record Office, they are making application to digitise their probate records. Again, we have expressed an interest in printing any resulting index.
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