In the 8 June 2009 newsletter, I speculated as to what sort of news would be announced as a rather mysterious meeting notice had been published by The National Archives of Great Britain. That article is still available at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/06/changes-at-the-national-archives-at-kew.html.
The meetings were held and now we know the news. Sadly, the news is not good.
Leading historians, including Antony Beevor and Saul David, have expressed anger and dismay at the proposed cuts. Professor David told The Independent on Sunday: "The future history of our country is at stake."
Dr Nick Barratt, a historian and lead researcher for the BBC's genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are?, believes the ultimate goal is to reduce visitors to Kew. "The end-line message is that they want to stop people coming to Kew and they want to restrict access to public records," he said. "Cutting into specialists and specialist knowledge is one part of that. It's dumbing down, effectively. The general move is to a mass market."
You can read more in an article by Paul Bignell and Matthew Bell published in The Independent at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/historians-furious-as-kew-archives-are-dumbed-down-1742753.html.
Does anyone know if and when the incoming passenger lists to the UK will be digitalized? The last I read, which admittedly was some time ago, they were sitting in boxes in Kew. I particularly need 1910 and 1911.
Posted by: Elisabeth | July 13, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Why not sell the recently found copy of the US Declaration of Independence to finance the archives and pay employees? According to the discovery article, they have 2 other copies.
Posted by: H S Lanham | July 13, 2009 at 12:36 PM
I really do think that there has been somewhat of an over-reaction to this news. It wasn't many years ago that Kew was only open 5 days a weeks anyway. In these financially straitened times, savings have to be made, and closing the facility on the least busy day of the week seems a sensible compromise. I am more concerned that car parking will now be charged and some have said this could be £6 a day. I already have to limit my visits due to the high cost of gasoline - it costs me about £20 for the round trip.
I understand that over 90% of Kew's business is now conducted online and is planned to increase. Those that still have to visit in person still have 5 other days in which to travel.
Posted by: Sandra J Smith | July 13, 2009 at 04:02 PM
Elisabeth - incoming passenger lists to the UK from 1878 to 1960 have been available on Ancestry.co.uk since October 2008.
Posted by: Caroline Gurney | July 13, 2009 at 04:32 PM