22 February 2006

A website has been launched that will allow members of the public to access records and information in order to trace their ancestry.

The Barnsley Indexing Project offers Internet users the ability to search birth, death and marriage records dating as far back as 1837.

Barnsley Family History Society and Barnsley Council have worked together since October 2004 to create the digital catalogue and work is ongoing to complete the digitisation of some 1,400,000 records.

Superintendent registrar for Barnsley Registration District, David Greenwood, said: "This is an extremely timely project because the interest in family history research has never been greater.

"There are many similar projects going on around the country, but this is the first time there will be a comprehensive civil registration resource just about Barnsley people. In time, the Barnsley Indexing Project will become a very useful tool."

People who go online to discover more about their family tree can do so for free, with a £7 fee charge for a certificate detailing the records.

The software supplying the search facility and other IT equipment used in the project was developed and provided by the council.

© Adfero Ltd

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