VISITORS' FORBEARS
Snt,—My attention has been drawn to a paragraph in the issue of the Spectator of January 14th relating to visiting Americans who may be in search of information relating to their forbears. For many years this society has welcomed visitors from overseas, and has placed its records at the disposal of those who seek such information. It is the only library of its kind in this country which is open to members of the public for research. Although it primarily exists for the benefit of its members, we welcome students who are admitted to the use of our library and collections on payment of a fee of 10s. per day or 5s. per half-day. It is difficult to select any particular section of our library as being of greater merit than the rest, but we would draw attention to " Boyd's Marriage Index," a MS. compilation which contains over six million names, and covers many of the English counties between the dates 1538 and 1837. We have an equally valuable series of indices of those who were apprenticed between the years 1710 and 1762 and a further series 1763-1774. This covers the whole country and Scotland. Our transcripts of parish registers amount to between five and six thousand parishes (of a possible eleven thousand before 1837). By far the greater proportion are MS. In the past the Travel Association has drawn attention to this society and its facilities for overseas visitors.
In conclusion, may I say that we are an association " not for profit," and supported entirely by subscriptions from our members ? For those unable to conduct their own research we have a staff of competent research assistants who work in our own collections only.—Yours faithfully,
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