How to Report a Problem with the Online Records at the Belgian Archives Site

Well, it is not as complicated as I had first thought it would be.
If you are an English speaker, you might be discouraged a little when you find the "English" page in Dutch but you will be glad to know the Reporting part is actually in English
So what do you do first?
At the top of the page on the right again, you will see
"Een vraag of een probleem melden"
This window will pop up

Fill out the form and choose "Other problems or questions"

Note that they require that you indicate the
- city - municipality or parish
- type of record
- year
I find that copying and pasting the link is always the easiest but here you need to make sure you note the page number that is giving you trouble "Image x of z" - at the bottom of the screen. It appears in different ink color, right in the middle

Type in the code and click Send  and they will notify you about what they will do to fix the problem.
Remember, it's a lot easier to report a problem then to wait for someone else to find the problem.
Best wishes!
http://thebelgianresearchers.blogspot.com/

How to Report a Problem with the Online Records on FamilySearch

Earlier this month while on FamilySearch.org, checking the Tables for Aywaille, Liege, Belgium, I came across a misplaced register: Tables of Barchon, Liege, Belgium

It's not the first time I have reported an error and realize some people might be intimidated by the idea of reporting one, especially if they don't speak English.

At the top of the page on the right you will see "Get Help"

You have your choice of
- Calling, which is sometimes easier but not always.  You have to be grateful for these volunteers but they are often in over their heads with Belgian records.
- Chatting - I haven't tried this
- Sending a message - the simplest way I find to gather your thoughts completely and explain the problem completely.
- Finding Help locally will be of no use for this purpose

You will also not the "Self-Help" options on the left.
Not helpful for this purpose either but good to know it's there if you run into a problem.

So let's click on "send a message"


You will need to fill out the form with your contact information.

You will also need to select a category for your message. In this case, you will want to click on "Records"

Remember to give your message a title.  In this case I chose "Misplaced register"
Be aware that they will want to reproduce your problem so you will need to copy the page link

 and Paste it in the "Details" portion of the form along with a short explanation of the problem.

then click "Send"
They will answer you and give you a case number.
Hopefully it's an easy fix and you will find the problem resolved.
Sometimes it takes longer.
I received an email concerning another case where they said the pages were missing from a register..
Nothing to do when that's the case.
Although sometimes, it's an oversight on the part of the person either doing the microfilming or doing the digitizing.
If you feel this is the case, insist...
A blurry page report might encourage to revisit the originals and make a duplicate copy.

The Belgian Archives site is a little more complicated for the English speaker but if you find a problem, it is always best to report it...  The next article will show you how.

http://thebelgianresearchers.blogspot.com/

Researching on the Belgian Archives site

I find this article published in Belgian Laces Vol#30-116 still applicable and since FamilySearch was once again asked to remove the images from access on www.familysearch.org, at least here are some directions as to how to use the Belgian Archives site to do some research.  Good luck!

The Belgian Royal Archives have made available many names online also.

Go to: http://arch.arch.be/  and choose your language of preference: Dutch or French only for search formats, which is why I have taken the time to translate below to help take you through the steps of a Person Search on this site.

If you chose the English setting for the site, the search menu will be in Dutch.

(see Advanced Search)

Person Search

1. What can you find under “Person Search”?

A large number of researchers at the Archives facilities are interested in information about their ancestors, … Therefore a large part of the research in the reading room sis geared to genealogy.  In the past, analyses on often used documents have been done in collaboration with volunteers and that is what has produced the ‘analytical inventories’.

The results of these volunteer projects can be found under  Person Search.

We have chosen to set up one large database from which all information can be retrieved.

2. What information is available?

The information starting point is the archival record.  At the top of the screen, you have the information about the document and the link to the database where it is found in the archives, then, a description of the record.

Each record is linked to the names of persons found in it.  The roles these people play in the record are also explained. 

The availability of the records first depends on the source but also on the project definition.  The analysis provides the starting point that will require that the researcher view the original record for him/herself.  Here is a description of different projects:

- Marriage records from Eastern Flanders : 1,337,339 names

- Birth records from Western Flanders: 160,785 names

- Death Records from Eastern Flanders: 130,389 names

- Notarial records from Nivelles (Notaire Paradis): 41,076 names

- Marriage records from Flemish Brabant: 12,525 names (test)

- Notarial records from Antwerp: 290,888 (to validate)

3.Searching in “Person Search”

 http://arch.arch.be/component/option,com_analyses/Itemid,122/lang,fr_BE/

3.1. Simple Search

 the site in Dutch/French:

Gelijk aan/égale = exact match

Begint met/commence par = begins with

Eindigt op/termine par = ends with

Bevat/contient – contains

Type in a first name and/or surname and set a time frame for your search.

To be more efficient, you might choose specific documents to search in, or be more flexible with the name by changing from “exact match” to “starts with” or “ends with”, or “contains” specific letters.

For example :

« Comprend ‘Jan’ » will give Pieter Jan, Jan Pieter, …

For the date, you also have several choices. You can use an exact date, or choose a time frame between specific dates or years, or before or after a certain date or year.

And you can limit your search to a specific record: birth, death or marriage, assuming the records are available

3.2. Advanced Search - See first picture above

 http://arch.arch.be/component/option,com_analyses/Itemid,122/lang,fr_BE/

Allows you a wider variety of searches:

3.3. Search results

Results will be limited to 1,000 hits. If you receive this message, it is advised that you narrow down your search.

You will get a list containing the names matching what you were looking for.  In the 1^st column you will find the type of record abbreviation.  By hovering over it with your mouse you should get a complete description of the record.

The 2^nd column gives the record date, then the name, place and role played by the person whose you found in the record.

Click on a names to see all the information.

Restrictions

The information contains misspellings sue to the fact that it is transcribed AS IS. The researcher must be flexible enough in his/her research to look for all possible spellings of a name.

This information is online thanks to the efforts of the DemoGen indexers. For more information: http://demogen.arch.be/
I did a search for a last name only "DROSSART"
The search resulted in 64 hits:

I clicked on the first name in the listed to obtain the following:

In this case, Servais DROSSART is the father of the deceased.  I know, no images but it's still a pretty awesome way to find your ancestors...  Happy Hunting!

http://thebelgianresearchers.blogspot.com/

Brussels City Archives Online

The news this morning is the RTBF announcement that the Brussels City Archives are now accessible online.
Check out this link http://www.bruxelles.be/artdet.cfm/4445
The article is in French so I will endeavor to expound in English.

Only a portion of the records is online as of yet: the City's "Livres d’Or" (golden Books), some Commerce and Industry Almanacs, and "Cahiers bruxellois".

The Golden Books

Since 1843 official dignitaries visiting the Hôtel de Ville in Brussels have been invited to sign the Golden Book.
These dignitaries were, for the most part, heads of state and foreign officials, invited by the burgomaster, but also included honored guests such as prominent artists or sports personalities. This signing usually takes place in the burgomaster's office at the start of the meeting and is often accompanied by a photo session.

These golden books are leather-bound and bear the city's symbol on the cover page: St Michael. These books are kept by the Protocol service and later kept in the city Archives.

Three of them are accessible online. The first one covers the period of 1843 to 1967. The second one covers the years between 1967 and 1999. The pages of the third one have been scanned up to November 2010.

The online viewing enables easy access to the history of the City of Brussels.
Click on your choice of Book 1, 2 or 3. Another page will open from which you will be able to navigate by thumbing through the book, that is, simply turning the page. Zoom in if the picture is not clear, pan it to move it around, print it if you like.
Note that due to a problem with the binding of the first book, the first 10 pages are off center.

Almanacs

These almanacs are the equivalent to old phone books. They contain alphabetical lists of residents (including their address and sometimes even their social status, and eventually their telephone number), residents by profession, by street, and repertories of services and state officers.
They make it possible to put together lists of building renters or owners, to locate the movement of someone within the city or in the suburbs and even note the eventual job promotions or changes. When used in combination with the population registers these lists can be very useful for the researcher as personal circumstances could change very rapidly.
These books can no longer be handled manually due to the paper deterioration. The digital collection is accessible online and goes from 1820 to 1969 (with a few hiccups). Yearly phone books are available at the City Archives building only, for the period after 1969.

This series was completed by the online addition of other almanacs (pocket Almanacs, royal Almanacs, Court Almanacs) which also contain much detail on public life in Belgium and in Brussels during the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as later periods, more specifically the second half of the 18th century: very important sources that identify public figures, military men along with public or private institutions.
Pick the type of almanac and keep clicking until you reach the beginning of the book you want to look at.
Click the magnifying glass at the top left of the page to clarify the image, then roll the mouse back to resize it so as to better fit your screen.

Cahiers Bruxellois

The scientific newsletter "Cahiers Bruxellois" contributes to promoting and furthering the study of the History of Brussels at the same time as urban and general history in general, for any given period. All issues of the publication published by the City of Brussels Archives between 1956 and 2005, are freely available online. Later volumes can be purchased or viewed at the City Archives building.
The search engine enable the searcher to retrieve articles by volume (tome), by year of publication, by author and by word contained in the article title.

Not everything that has been digitized is available online however and requires a trip to the City Archives building. Many unpublished manuscripts are also available by using the Pallas Catalogue, namely a large part of the registers of the Collection of historical Archives like the old cartuaries, the rules and jurisprudence of the city of Brussels from the Middle Ages until the end of the Old Regime.
To access the PALLAS catalog more easily, click "browse the archives" then open all the "+" signs in front of the different subjects. This will give you an idea of what is available and how to locate it - NOT online.

So if you have the opportunity to visit the Archives... let me know... I would love to hear a personal experience with these records, and I may have a question or two about a long gone bike racer who is dear to me.

Here is the address:
Archives de la Ville de Bruxelles
Rue des Tanneurs, 65
1000 Bruxelles
Tél. : 02 279 53 20
Fax : 02 279 53 29
archives@brucity.be
http://archives.bruxelles.be

Happy Hunting!
http://thebelgianresearchers.blogspot.com/

The Belgian Archives Online

In February 2009, FamilySearch began uploading digital images of Belgian civil records onto its Record Search Pilot site, enabling genealogists researching their Belgian ancestry to access original records right from their homes.

It was however short lived as the Belgian Archives quickly requested access to the public be restricted. I won't lie when I say that it was a terrible blow to researchers, especially since the creation of the index for these Belgian records had just begun.

What a treat it was to have been one of the first countries online!!!
Even if it was short lived.

On November 18, FamilySearch made an announcement about having added another 15 million names to its site. Many of them are linked to digital images of original records.
Dick Eastman composed an article on the subject, to which I would like to refer you: A Lot to Be Thankful For

I have had the opportunity of using this wonderful new tool and can't wait till more is uploaded.

While researching on microfilms at our local Family History Center, I have learned to appreciate paging through the reels and finding information in documents that apparently did not fit in my direct lines. Actually that has helped me more than once in stumbling onto great-grandparents I had not found on my direct-line ancestors' records. So when I saw the "Browse the images" option, I jumped on it with both feet.

It didn't take me long to realize that - and that is by no means a criticism, but rather motivation for me to help more - however incredibly wonderful it is, using the browse feature is slow and tedious.

Belgian registers usually have one index at the end of each year.
Some group all the records into one annual book with three indexes at the end of the year, in other words, the records are divided into three parts (sometimes 4):
1. Births,
2. (Marriage Publications - which have no index),
3. Marriages,
4. Deaths.

On a microfilm reader, you just crank up the wheel, find the index, locate the name you are looking for, then if you find something that is relevant to your search, you backtrack (or go forward if the index is at the beginning of the year) to the right page.
It is tedious but I have found this method very efficient.

On the computer, the process is more or less the same, except it is more or less slow depending on your computer's ability to handle the image but also on your internet connection.
And the big question comes up: "Where is the right image?"

You soon learn that you do not need to thumb through each page if you don't want to. You can skip a few forwards and backwards, pretty much in the same way that you would crank up the microfilm reader's wheel forwards and back.

So what has this taught me?
It has taught me the reason why it is so vital to work on the indexing of all these images.
We are incredibly blessed to be able to use this 'browsing' system in the first place but how much easier it would be if all we needed to do is type in a name and narrow down the search.

HOW can this be done?
Through FamilySearch Indexing

Some people have been unhappy with me for getting on my soapbox and encouraging others to get involved with the Indexing program.
This site is for my voice, so I will shout it from the roof tops and as loud as I can.

GET INVOLVED!

There are so many records to index out there!
The goal of FamilySearch is to digitize all the microfilms that are in the granite vault and to create an index that will enable people to better use these images to research their roots.

There are many English records to work on, but there are records from everywhere to work on too. I have worked on census records and vital records of several countries and what i find is that it is easier for me to read those whose languages I am most familiar with.

My first experience with this came when we were working on the 1880 US Census.
I had come across a name that, no matter how I looked at it, I was unable to make sense of.
The handwriting was not even the problem. It was actually beautiful.
So, I turned to another indexer who was working on something else and asked her what she thought it was. Without hesitation she said "Felicity" and sure enough once she had said it I could see it too.

There is a need for multilingual people to help.
Not only because you understand the text you are looking at but because you will be more familiar with the names and more likely to recognize them, especially when the handwriting is difficult to decipher. What is hard for you becomes impossible for another and this can affect the accuracy of the end product.

Now, this sounds like the proverbial carrot, I know, but FamilySearch has made good on their promises and will on this too, I have no doubt. "Qualified Indexers" will be given access to databases that are otherwise closed to the public per request of the Archive owner.
A point system has been set up for this purpose.
Some things still have to be worked out at this point (for the Belgian project anyway) but I truly believe it will happen.

Come and help with the Belgian project. You will find greater satisfaction working on this project
- if you are Belgian
or
- if you read/speak Dutch, French or German fluently

Contact Jean Huysmans and tell him you want to help.

If you want to help with other projects, visit FamilySearch Indexing and click on
"Get started"

There are tutorials to help you learn how to index.
The program is a free download (it is a big program, best downloaded with a high speed connection)

You don't have to go it alone.
There is a feature in the program that enables you to share your work with someone to have them take a look at what you're doing - if you want them to.

Otherwise, the system is simple, with line-by-line instructions right into the form lay-out.

You work as much or as little as you want.
There is no expected quota you must meet.
The batches are small enough that you can index them within 30 minutes but you don't have to do a whole batch in one sitting if you don't have time.
Just close the program and pick up where you left off later
You have a whole week to submit your work.
If you run into a time problem and can not finish, the batch is automatically returned and someone else can pick up where you left off. No questions asked. No bad feelings.

If you are looking to make a difference... consider taking a bite out this elephant...
The task is HUGE and requires many hands.
Many people are already involved but more means faster access but it also means "lighter load" for those who are indexing already.


http://thebelgianresearchers.blogspot.com/

BUMMER!

This morning I opened a promising email from the Archives in Belgium.
It seemed to promise the reader access to online parish record images, and since I have been working with FamilySearch Indexing's Belgian project, and have been aware that the Archives had not wanted to release the images online, I was really anxious to see exactly what was happening.

Registres paroissiaux numérisés
Province de Flandre orientale
> Arrondissement d’Audenarde.
Province du Brabant wallon
> Province du Brabant wallon.
Province de Luxembourg
> Arrondissement de Marche-en-Famenne et canton de Saint-Hubert.
Province de Namur
> Province de Namur A-L.
> Province de Namur M-Z.
> Ville de Namur.
NOUVEAU: Province d'Anvers
> Province d'Anvers.
> Première partie: 493 registres issus de 47 paroisses.
> Un aperçu général des registres est consultable sur notre site. Pour la consultation des images, rendez-vous dans une des salles de lecture des Archives de l'État.

I followed the link to the Brabant Province with high expectations.
There was a LOT of villages that would be of great interest to the descendants of Belgian emigrants:
Archennes (Grez-Doiceau), Autre-Eglise (Ramillies), Baisy-Thy (Genappe), Baulers, Beauvechain, Bomal, Bossut, Dongelberg, Folx-les-Caves, Jodoigne, Marilles, Melin, Neerheylissem, to name but a few...
Now, that was impressive.

I have ancestors in Jauche, so I clicked on the link to check out those registers.
A new page opened showing me that they had digitized the St Martin Parish registers and these were listed under sub folders links:

Jauche (Orp-Jauche), paroisse Saint Martin
+ Registres Paroissiaux. Actes
+ Registres Paroissiaux. Actes de baptêmes
+ Registres Paroissiaux. Actes de décès / sépultures
+ Registres Paroissiaux. Actes de mariages
+ Registres Paroissiaux. Extra

Since I was just exploring and not really researching, I just picked one of the sub-links to see where it would lead me and a folder opened with yet another link, so I clicked too and this time was given a new series of sub-folders obviously grouping several series of records.
I hurried up further and I waited and waited and waited... nothing...
The link just opened but nothing came up...

I was using Firefox, so I thought maybe I needed Internet Explorer for it to work so I opened explorer and followed the same steps and...
Nothing...
Now that was a huge let down!

But anyone who knows me knows I can be quite tenacious and so I started clicking on different sub folders. Maybe it was just a fluke... Maybe the folder I was looking at had a bad link...
Nope...
The same thing happened with all the folders, for all the areas, except for one: Archennes (Brabant), the very first one...
So... forgive me for teasing you by showing you what apparently none of us out here in cyberspace will be able to use since these will only be accessible in the Belgian Archives buildings... What a shame... This sure could have been a tremendous help for many people who do not have a way to go to Belgium or hire someone to go to the Archives for us.

So... back to me teasing you,
The Archennes Parish records contain 4 sub folders:
- Christenings
- Deaths/Burials
- Marriages
- Miscellaneous (communions, etc)

When I clicked on the first link, the folder opened and I clicked it again and had a choice between 4 more folders:
- n° 3/1_C-0001-r - 19/02/1597 - 20/10/1745
- n° 3/2_A-0001-r - 11/10/1745 - 28/09/1796
- n° 3/3_A-0001-r - 15/01/1794 - 02/11/1795
- n° 3/3_A-0005-r - 24/01/1795 - 02/11/1795
I clicked on the first one and was redirected to the actual register... Very nice...

Unfortunately, even though they let you turn the pages, to some extent, and it looked for a minute like they may have disabled the features that would enable you to read the record better, but on the retry the features worked and you can enlarge the image so as to be able to read it.

This really bummed me out so I wrote them an email to ask them how to use the site and tell them how disappointed I was going to be if it turned out to be just a preview of what is available in their buildings, in Belgium... as I had looked forward to preparing an article for the blog to help English-speaking researchers learn to use their site.

They are asking for volunteers too, to help create an index of all these images, through the Demogen project. I for one will stick with FamilySearch Indexing. At least those of us who are indexing will be able at some point to access even the records held by archives who do not want to release them to the public at large. And you know... that's only fair...
Not that people, especially volunteers, ever help in the hope to get something in return but where is the incentive for those of us who can not go to Belgium to the Archives buildings?

I will continue to hope the Belgian Archives will see the need to open their records to the world.
This would defuse the networks of people and societies who are generating outrageous profits from hogging their resources or selling them to the highest bidder.
Records should not be held hostage in that manner!
They should be accessible to all those who are seeking out their ancestors.

So... Here it is... The proverbial carrot that should bring people to the Archives buildings...
Won't be me any time soon... Traveling to Belgium is enticing but not within my budget...
Too bad... This would have been a wonderful tool to work with.

I look forward to the results of the work done for FamilySearch Indexing on the Belgian records. To think they had the records already online and were asked to remove them... So many hopes were dashed that day!
If you have not used the Record Search option on FamilySearch, let me encourage you to check it out. The database is growing and contains amazingly diverse records from a variety of countries and ALL FREE.

If you want to help with the Belgian projects, you will have to contact Jean Huysmans, the project manager, directly as it has not yet been released to the bigger pool of indexers.
Each project has its own set of directions available online with tutorials, as well as direct access to the director who can help you understand what to do.
Be aware that a fluent knowledge of Dutch and/or French is required to help with these projects.
If this does not make a good fit for you, consider the many other projects available through the main program. For that all you need to do is to sign up at www.familysearchindexing.org and download the software right from the site.

Anyone going to Belgium... let us know what you think of this new tool they have in their Archives building, would you?

For access to all links, please visit our Blog page at
http://thebelgianresearchers.blogspot.com/