David,
> On another note, do members share my view that the release of the 1901
> CEBs on line will spell the death of local history because of the cost
> of the service which I see as tax on family history under another name.
The 1901 census will also be available on fiche. In the first instance at the
PRO at Kew - not the Family Records Centre. It will be available for Record
Offices, Libraries and member societies of the Federation of Family History
Societies to purchase in January. At some time in the spring it will be made
available for other organisations and individual to buy. I have no idea of price
or what the smallest geographical/administrative area available will be, I
suspect something like a registration district or sub-district as this is how
the originals are arranged - but don't quote me on that.
Therefore local historians will be able to obtain either a copy of the fiche or
make photocopies from a fiche fairly readily - if not cheaply.
It is a great pity that local historians did not get in on the act at an early
stage in the deliberations - family historians did and have been influential in
helping develop the system, but of course to suit their own needs, rather than
the needs of historians generally.
Regards,
Peter Park.
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