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BMD
Records Microfilm Initiative
Coordinated
by Caroline Rostant
Port of Spain,
Trinidad
May 9, 2000
Last week I had
the opportunity to meet with the Assistant
Registrar General, Ms Valere, at the Trinidad Red
House (the repository of all our marriage/death and
birth records going back to approx. 1846) and she
advised that our Government has at last begun to
microfilm these records. However, they are only
doing those from present day back 65years to 1935 -
I asked her what the possibility of having the
older records done was, and her reply to me was
that the only course of action was to write to the
Registrar General, Ms Francois, herself requesting
that the Government consider doing these older
records due to the overwhelming demand from
genealogists. (Main criteria being that we show the
Government how they can make money off of searches
of these older records.) I indicated that perhaps I
could mobilise an avalanche of mail to the
REgistrar General and she was emphatically against
this and advised that just one letter would do! I
however have my doubts that my single entreaty with
no back up of demand, and most importantly no
definite indication of how much money they could
make - bearing in mind that at present a search
costs TT$11.50 and a certificate
TT$25.00
I therefore
propose to compose such a letter and attach to this
letter as many email/snail mail notifications of
interest in these records. Please bear in mind that
our records only go back to circa 1846 due to
several diastrous fires at the Red House. I am
therefore asking that any person/persons who is
willing to assist in perhaps making Trinidad
genealogy research a viable possiblity in the not
so distant future, send me a email, with as strong
and positive wording as possible, indicating their
interest in paying for the use of such a
database.
I know this sounds
like an incredibly money oriented proposal, but one
must understand that our Government in only
concerned in how much money they can make out of
anything and not in the historical asset that they
have been sitting on for so long. The only way we
are going to be able to save these records, is by a
concerted effort by everyone. These older records,
because they are not used on a regular basis are
kept in the most appalling conditions, chucked all
over the place to make room for the new records,
left on the floor - it is really quite distressing,
especially to those of us who are not allowed in
the search or even to assist in the preservation of
them.
My email address
is :
cal@opus.co.tt
Snail Mail address
is:
Caroline
Rostant
#5 De Lima Road
Second Avenue
Cascade, Port of Spain
Trinidad, West Indies.
The deadline
for sending me these letters is June 30, 2000.
Please feel free to pass the word on to anyone you
think may respond and let's give it our best
shot!
Many
thanks
Caroline
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