The group enjoyed a most informative afternoon led by Hilary and Brenda. This started with an overview of the development of County Record Offices in our area and in Medway in particular, including the work of Stephen Dixon in creating City Ark, which I expect all of us have used countless times.
This can be accessed from: Medway Council Heritage Services catalogues | Home page
The catalogue lists the records available, of which the Parish Records form part. Other records include Parish Councils, Non-Conformists, Charities, Schools and ‘Unofficial or Privately Originated Collections’, a catch-all term for anything outside of the main catalogues. It is possible to access pdf files showing the actual documents in some cases (such as the parish BMD records). For others, contact is needed with Medway Archives Centre in order to view documents.
Of course, BMD records are also available to those with a subscription to FMP, and they have been indexed on that platform.
An overview was also given of Kent County Archives, accessed from: www.kentarchives.org.uk
Again, it is possible to search the catalogue but a trip to Maidstone will be needed to view the actual documents.
National Archives was flagged as another very useful online resource. Home - The National Archives
There is a link from the homepage to search the catalogue. While using this search facility, it is possible to search for documents located not just at Kew, but at other locations too. Where records are held elsewhere, information is given on next steps needed in order to access these.
Finally. We had a look at Essex County Archives. Essex Archives Online - Search
This is where Stephen Dixon moved onto from Medway and where he created an online catalogue along similar lines to City Ark.
Many thanks to Brenda and Hilary for guiding us through the Catalogues of County Records!
Report by - Helen Stenhouse