The British Origins description of the London Burials database includes an intriguing statement from Percival Boyd, the creator of the original paper index - ". if you find what you want, well and good; if you don't you have searched nothing." On the face of it this appears to be someone highlighting the shortcomings of his own work and suggesting that nothing found puts you back at the start. I think otherwise; you have covered a great deal using this
index, but its full value lies in understanding what the database contains.
Without understanding exactly the make-up of an index or database, you may reach one of two false conclusions about your search: a record does not contain references to your ancestor (when in fact it does); or, the search within that record class is complete (when in fact it is not).
A negative result in any index is only a beginning. If you have not already done so this is the time to collect details about the index, or indexes, consulted and to make plans for the next steps.
Understanding What Was Searched
Boyd's London Burials is an excellent example of the importance of understanding what you have searched. You may be lulled into a false sense of security because it is large and includes many London churches over a long period of time. On the other hand, you must remain cautious because the index is not comprehensive; 250,000 entries are spread over 400
years (a fraction of those who died). On the positive side, the ratio improves when you consider the index is for male burials only. Considered church by church, the index is a mixed bag. The detailed list of contents in the British Origins information indicates some churches were not indexed, some have a small sample of entries and some have 10,000 or more. [Refer
to my March article "So You Found a London Burial" for more information on checking content details.]
Two Things to Think About
Before anything else, reconsider your search parameters - the facts on which the search was based. Should you repeat the search with dates and target area somewhat altered?
Next consider how you manipulated the Origins search tool. If you read the list of names searched by NameX according to your selected matching level, you will know if that variable ought to be adjusted up or down.
Another alternative is to experiment with wildcard symbols (which turns NameX off) and with spelling variations that NameX and wild card symbols do not cover. This last suggestion is important because sometimes it is the first letter of a name that has been misread.
Getting Something From Nothing
When there is no result it is wise to check the database contents for the target area (whether one parish or several) and parishes adjacent. You can identify these parishes using boundary maps; one resource is the Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers. With maps handy and knowing the details of the date range and area for your search, you can plan what to do next by asking a few questions.
How many churches within the London Burials index fall within the chosen parameters?
Can you identify any churches and burial grounds inside the date and area search parameters but not included in Boyd's?
Do any other databases cover the resources not included in Boyd's?
Answers to the three questions above give you the information needed to carry on and complete a search. The following resources help you find the answers.
Genuki (check the London, Middlesex, Surrey and Kent sections):
www.genuki.org.uk
Federation of Family History Societies (for links to 2 excellent alternative resources, Family History Online and to the National Burial Index sold on CD-ROM): www.ffhs.org.uk
Family Search (to check on microfilm copies of London church records): www.familysearch.org
Print Resources
Humphery-Smith, Cecil. Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers. Chichester: Phillimore, 3rd edition, 2003.
Taylor, Neville (ed.). County Sources - Suffolk. Society of Genealogists, 2003. (One of a series which describes contents of the Society library in three categories, parish registers, Non-Conformist registers, and marriage licences.)
National Index of Parish Registers. Society of Genealogists, various compilers and years; see the website for details. (A series which provides full details of surviving registers, Church of England, Catholic and Non-Conformist, plus details about indexes, marriage licences and LDS holdings).