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Like any other specialty hobby, genealogy has a list of acronyms, shorthand phrases, jargon, and slang which can be confusing to the "uninitiated". Here are some of the more common ones for Norfolk and UK genealogy, their definitions, and some web-based resources for them. Special thanks to Chris Hicks and Liz Blackwell for their assistance. Thanks also to the subscribers of the Norfolk-L Genealogy Mailing List for asking me to quit speaking in tongues.
The A to Z of British Genealogical Research (The Emery Paper) - Abbreviations from GENUKI - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/EmeryPaper.html#Abbreviations
GenDocs - British Genealogy Abbreviations and Acronyms - http://www.gendocs.demon.co.uk/abbr.html
Family History Jargon - http://www.vellum.demon.co.uk/guide/fh11.htm
British Counties, Parishes, etc. for Genealogists - http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~jimella/counties.htm
Explains the intricacies of the administrative areas of the United Kingdom. Provides the Chapman county codes and abbreviated nicknames for the ancient counties along with an explanation of regional names such as the Black Country and The Weald.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
The SoG has an excellent online brochure regarding Employing a Professional Researcher which describes AGRA - http://www.sog.org.uk/leaflets/researcher.html
Cyndi's List - Professional Researchers - General - http://www.cyndislist.com/profess.htm#General
More commonly called Bishops' Transcripts, the Norfolk Record Office refers to some BTs as Archdeacons' Transcripts because prior to 1812, many were submitted to the Archdeacons rather than to the Bishops. See the NRO's section on Bishops' and Archdeacons' Transcripts on their Tracing Your Family Tree informational web page - http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/council/departments/nro/nrofamily.htm
Archdeacons' Transcripts
The Office for National Statistics
Ordering Birth Registration Certificates from England & Wales - http://www.oz.net/~markhow/ukbirths.htm
FreeBMD at RootsWeb - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/
BMD - Births, Marriages, & Deaths:
The index of civil registration for the United Kingdom from 1837 to the present day. This index was formerly called the St. Catherine's House index due to its former location in London. The index is available on microfiche from your local Family History Center, at many major libraries in the UK, and at the Family Records Centre in London among other locations. The index is used to locate index information on birth, marriage, and death registration certificates which can then be ordered directly from the UK's Office for National Statistics.
The Emery Paper - Bishops' Transcripts from GENUKI - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/EmeryPaper.html#Bishops
BTs - Bishops' Transcripts:
Copies of the annual entries into the parish registers were to be sent to the local Bishop from about 1598. For some parishes, the BTs have survived while the original parish registers have been lost. Be aware that these are copies of the originals and not the originals themselves. In parishes where both the original registers and the BTs exist, a wise researcher will consult both.
British Isles Genealogical Register: 2000 - http://www.ffhs.org.uk/pubs/bigr/index.htm
BigR - British Isles Genealogical Register:
A register of research interests published by the FFHS, the BigR is an aid to located other researchers who share similar surname interests.
British Library - http://www.bl.uk/
BL - British Library:
The national library of the United Kingdom. It houses substantial collections of materials relevant to family history research.
GENUKI's Country and County Codes - British Isles - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Regions/Codes.html
GENUKI's Map of the pre-1974 counties of the United Kingdom showing their county codes - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Britain.html
Chapman Codes:
The three letter abbreviations used for each county in the United Kingdom.
The Emery Paper - Parish Registers from GENUKI - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/EmeryPaper.html#Parish
The Church of England web site - http://www.cofe.anglican.org/
C of E - Church of England:
The official state church of England, also known internationally as the Anglican or Episcopal church. Since the late 1500s, the Church of England was required by the state to maintain various records on its local parishioners - essentially the entire population due to its status as the only officially-recognized church. Thus it is to the local parish records which family historians turn for research purposes. The vast majority of genealogically-relevant records generated by the C of E are now in the various Record Offices throughout the country.
English Record Offices and Archives on the Web - http://www.oz.net/~markhow/englishros.htm
Welsh Record Offices and Archives on the Web - http://www.oz.net/~markhow/welshros.htm
Scottish Record Offices and Archives on the Web - http://www.oz.net/~markhow/scotsros.htm
Emery Paper on County Record Offices from GENUKI- http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/EmeryPaper.html#CRO
For tips on how best to use a County Record Office, see the FFHS's online brochure You and Your Record Office - http://www.ffhs.org.uk/leaflets/countyro.htm
CROs - County Record Offices:
In general, each pre-1974 county in the UK has a local archives, usually called a Record Office. As a group, these are referred to as County Record Offices or CROs to differentiate them from the national Record Office - the PRO.
The New Dictionary of National Biography - http://www.oup.co.uk/newdnb/
DNB - Dictionary of National Biography:
The standard British biographical dictionary with detailed biographies of some 40,000 British notables. Runs to 32 volumes published from 1885 to 1990. Available in printed form and on CD-ROM.
Cyndi's List - Family History Centers - General Information - http://www.CyndisList.com/lds.htm#FHC
Cyndi's List - Family History Centers - Locations - http://www.CyndisList.com/lds.htm#FHC2
FHC - Family History Center:
A network of over 3,000 centers world-wide provide access to the loanable materials of the Family History Library. Usually found in association with an LDS church, these centers are usually staffed by LDS volunteers who can assist you in your research endeavors. They are open to all, you needn't be an LDS member to use them and you will not be proselytized there.
Search the Family History Library Catalog - http://www.familysearch.org/Search/searchcatalog.asp
Family History Library Catalog entries for Norfolk, England (first 20 items) - http://www.familysearch.org/fhlc/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitydetails&subject=17759&subject_disp=England,_Norfolk&columns=*,180,0
Cyndi's List - The Family History Library - http://www.CyndisList.com/lds.htm#FHL
FHL - Family History Library:
Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this library is the largest repository of genealogical materials in the world. Microfilm and microfiche copies of a large amount of its materials are available on loan to your local Family History Center.
The FRC is located within walking distance of two other important family history research repositories - the SoG and the London Metropolitan Archives. See the street map for these institutions' relative location to the FRC and the FRC's location compared to the old St. Catherine's House and Chancery Lane.
The Family Records Centre - http://www.pro.gov.uk/about/frc/default.htm
FRC - The Family Records Centre:
The Family Records Centre at Myddleton Place in London is the 'new St. Catherine's House'. It combines the public search rooms of the ONS' General Register Office (indexes for births, marriages, and deaths back to 1837) formerly at St. Catherine's House with the census and wills rooms of the Public Record Office formerly in Chancery Lane.
Family Tree Maker - http://www.familytreemaker.com/
Cyndi's List - Genealogy Software Programs - http://www.cyndisList.com/software.htm#Software
FTM - Family Tree Maker:
The most commercially successful of the many software packages for genealogy. You either love it or you hate it.
Family Tree Magazine - http://www.family-tree.co.uk/
FTMag - Family Tree Magazine:
The most widely circulated snail mail magazine for UK genealogy, Family Tree Magazine is a monthly publication chock full of useful information.
Federation of Family History Societies - http://www.ffhs.org.uk/
Family History Books - http://www.ffhs.co.uk/
FFHS - Federation of Family History Societies:
The umbrella organization to which most UK family history societies (over 220) belong, FFHS' aims are to co-ordinate and assist the work of societies or other bodies interested in family history, genealogy and heraldry. Their publications are extremely useful in UK genealogical research.
The GEDCOM Standard Version 5.5 - http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~pmcbride/gedcom/55gctoc.htm
GEDCOM - Genealogical Data Communications:
The GEDCOM standard is the data format by which genealogists trade their research information on computer files. All major genealogy software packages will convert data into GEDCOM format.
GENUKI web site - http://www.genuki.org.uk/
Norfolk GENUKI web site - http://www.uea.ac.uk/~s090/genuki/NFK/
GENUKI - UK & Ireland Genealogical Information Service:
The most complete single source for UK genealogy on the Internet, GENUKI is a co-operative venture relying on volunteers to place genealogy information on the Internet in an organized manner.
Genealogical Research Directory - http://www.ozemail.com.au/~grdxxx/
GRD - Genealogical Research Directory:
The GRD is published annual and consists of hundreds of thousands of surname interests submitted from around the world. It's primary usage is as a finding aid to locate other researchers with similar surname interests.
The General Register Office - http://www.ons.gov.uk/regist.htm
Note that Scotland has its own GRO(S):
The General Register Office for Scotland - http://www.open.gov.uk/gros/groshome.htm
Scots Origins web site - http://www.origins.net/GRO/
Note that Northern Ireland has its own GRO(Northern Ireland):
General Register Office (Northern Ireland) - http://www.nisra.gov.uk/gro/
GRO - The General Register Office:
A part of the Office for National Statistics, the GRO is responsible for the recording of births, marriages, and deaths in the England & Wales since 1837. It is to the GRO one applies for certified copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates.
Gibson Guides for sale at the FFHS - http://www.ffhs.org.uk/pubs/pubs.htm#gibson
Genealogical Publishing Company - http://www.genealogybookshop.com/genealogybookshop/index.html
Emery Paper on Guides from GENUKI - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/EmeryPaper.html#Guides
Gibson Guides - Genealogy records guide books authored by Jeremy
Gibson.
This series of books are published by the Federation of Family History Societies in the UK and reprinted by Genealogical Publishing in the United States. They are concise guides to specific types of genealogically-relevant record types.
Corporation of London - Record Offices and Archives - http://www.corpoflondon.gov.uk/organisation/services/records.htm
LARGO - London Metropolitan Archives - http://www.lib.uci.edu/largo/glr/glrx.html
GLRO - Greater London Record Office:
The GLRO is now called the London Metropolitan Archives. It is the largest local government archives in the UK. It holds the archives of London institutions including parishes, hospitals, charities and businesses as well as large estates and the public utilities. It also holds the archives of the Greater London Council, the London and Middlesex County Councils and their predecessors.
Guild Of One Name Studies - http://www.one-name.org/
GOONS - Guild Of One Name Studies:
This society helps co-ordinate one name studies - research into particular surnames irregardless of pedigree. For example, a one name study may be collecting all the occurrences of the MANGLEFRITZ surname whether they are related or not.
Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies - http://www.ihgs.ac.uk/
IHGS - Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies:
The Institute provides classes for family history and heraldry. Their library is extensive and they publish both books and periodicals to aid the researcher.
Search the IGI - http://www.familysearch.org/Search/searchigi.asp
Using the International Genealogical Index (on compact disc) - http://www.familysearch.org/sg/Igicd.html
All About the I.G.I. - http://www.livgenmi.com/fhcigi.htm
IGI - International Genealogical Index:
Developed by the LDS (Mormon) Church's Family History Department, the IGI is a finding aid for millions of individuals. Originally on microfiche, then on CD-ROMs at your local Family History Centers, part of the IGI is now available on the Internet.
Britain in the USA - Reply Postage - http://www.britain-info.org/bis/fsheets/5.STM#reply
Watkins Family History - International Reply Coupons - http://www.iinet.net.au/~davwat/wfhs/irc.html
IRCs - International Reply Coupons:
These little coupons can be purchased at your local Post Office and may be sent overseas to be redeemed for postage stamps in any country which is a member of the International Postal Union. Depending on the redemption rules in each country, IRCs may or may not be an economic method of reimbursing postage costs. Many offers of no cost or low cost genealogical research services or information request that IRCs be sent to defray postage.
Emery Paper on Directories from GENUKI - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/EmeryPaper.html#Directories
GENUKI Norfolk Gazetteers and Directories - http://www.uea.ac.uk/~s300/genuki/NFK/norfolk/gaz-and-dir/norfolk.html
Kelly's (yes, of course they are still in business) - http://www.kellys.reedinfo.co.uk/
Kelly's - Kelly's Directories:
A series of local directories published by the most prolific of the Directory publishers in the United Kingdom. From 1799 to 1939, the Kelly's series provides an excellent source for placing one's ancestors, particularly in the larger towns. The SoG and Guildhall Libraries have extensive collections of Kelly's.
The Public Record Office - http://www.pro.gov.uk
The PRO at Kew - http://www.pro.gov.uk/about/kew/default.htm
Kew - The Public Record Office's primary repository at Kew:
Located in Rusking Avenue in Kew, Surrey near the Royal Botanical Gardens, the PRO's facility at Kew houses almost all the records in the PRO's care save for the census and wills rooms now at the Family Records Centre in London and a few other specialized records.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - http://www.lds.org
The LDS FamilySearch genealogy service web site - http://www.familysearch.org
LDS - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Often referred to as the Mormons, members of this denomination have a religious obligation to research their ancestors. Because of this obligation, the LDS church has developed the largest single repository of genealogy information in the world at their Family History Library. They are gracious enough to share this information with everyone, both LDS and non-LDS.
The Norfolk Federation of Women's Institutes' "Catalog of transcriptions of monumental inscriptions in Norfolk" is available from local LDS Family History Centers. The Family History Library catalog number is 1471496, Item 12.
MIs - Monumental Inscriptions:
Those remembrances inscribed on the tombstones of our ancestors. MIs are often recorded by the local Family History Society or other organization.
The Norfolk Family History Society - http://www.uea.ac.uk/~s300/genuki/NFK/organisations/nfhs/
NFHS - Norfolk Family History Society:
The main society for the promotion of family history in Norfolk. The benefits of membership include the very informative quarterly "The Norfolk Ancestor", and both local and long-distance access to the Kirby House library.
The NFHS Internet Branch - http://www.rootsweb.com/~nfhs/ib/index.htm
NFHS-IB - Norfolk Family History Society Internet Branch:
A "virtual branch" of the Norfolk Family History Society, this branch is organized around the globe to promote Norfolk family history over the Internet.
The Norfolk Record Office - http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/council/departments/nro/nroindex.htm
NRO Informational Leaflets - http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/council/departments/nro/nroleaflets.htm
NRO - Norfolk Record Office:
The Country Record Office for Norfolk. As the repository for historical records of all kinds in the county of Norfolk, the NRO is one of the premier institutions of research for those with Norfolk ancestry.
The Oxford English Dictionary - http://www.oed.com/
OED - Oxford English Dictionary:
The ultimate reference work on the English language. An excellent source for archaic and obscure words and terms. Available both in a full printed edition, compact edition with micro-printing, and also on CD-ROM. The bibliophiles bible.
The Office for National Statistics - http://www.ons.gov.uk/
ONS - Office for National Statistics:
The ONS is responsible for the conduct of the English and Welsh censuses and, through it's GRO branch, for the registration of all births, marriages, and deaths since 1837.
Download PAF 4.0 for free from the LDS - http://www.familysearch.org/OtherResources/paf4/
Cyndi's List - Genealogy Software Programs - http://www.cyndisList.com/software.htm#Software
PAF - Personal Ancestral File:
The computer software package put out by the LDS church, PAF
probably has more users than any other genealogy software.
The Public Record Office - http://www.pro.gov.uk
The PRO - Who Are We and What We Do - http://www.pro.gov.uk/about/introduction.htm
The Public Record Office's Online Catalogue - http://catalogue.pro.gov.uk/
Note that Northern Ireland has its own Public Record Office - PRONI - The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland - http://proni.nics.gov.uk/
PRO - The Public Record Office:
The Public Record Office is the repository of the national archives for England, Wales and the United Kingdom. They are the keepers of the nation's records back to the Domesday book of 1086.
St. Catherine's House - See the Family Record Centre.
For more shorthand terms, see NetLingo's E-mail Shorthand List - http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm
SKS - Some Kind Soul:
E-mail shorthand for "Some Kind Soul". Usually used when begging the favor of a lookup or an explanation on a mailing list.
The Society of Genealogists - http://www.sog.org.uk/
The SoG's Online Bookshop - http://www.sog.org.uk/acatalog/welcome.html
SoG - Society of Genealogists:
This is the premier society for the study of genealogy and family history in the United Kingdom. Their library in London is excellent, the have a terrific online shopping bookshop, and their publications are often must-haves for serious research.
GENUKI Norfolk White's Name Index - http://home.clara.net/nhpendall/whites.html
GENUKI Norfolk Gazetteers and Directories - http://www.uea.ac.uk/~s300/genuki/NFK/norfolk/gaz-and-dir/norfolk.html
White's - White's Directory for Norfolk:
Probably the major 19th century directory for Norfolk, White's Directories for 1845 and 1883 are being transcribed by the Norfolk GENUKI project.
WI - Women's Institute:
The Women's Institute is a women's benevolent society which is also involved in preservation work. Among other good works, they have conducted churchyard surveys in the United Kingdom. These surveys include recording the surviving tombstone inscriptions (see MIs) of the churchyards surveyed.
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