Sources used by Hertfordshire Genealogy

Source hierarchy

The guide prefers the institution responsible for the record or catalogue. Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies is the starting point for county archive custody and access. The National Archives and GOV.UK support national record types such as census, probate and civil registration. British History Online provides the cited Victoria County History context for historic hundreds.

Collection coverage

Findmypast's Hertfordshire parish lists supply the separate baptism, marriage and burial spans displayed on parish pages. Those spans describe the platform's collection list at the verification date; they are not presented as proof of complete survival, continuous coverage or image availability.

Catalogue links and unresolved fields

Every factual data item retains at least one source URL and a verification date. Where a parish-specific catalogue reference, deanery, district, bishops' transcript series or neighbouring parish has not been checked directly, the public field remains “not confirmed”. The verification method explains how corrections and conflicts are handled.

Using these sources

Follow the visible link to the source owner, browse the collection hierarchy, confirm current access conditions and cite the exact item actually inspected. A platform index is a locator, not a substitute for the fullest available record. External organisations control their own catalogues, subscriptions, copying policies and opening hours.

Source changes and corrections

Catalogues and collection lists can move, expand or change their access wording. A broken external link does not justify copying a claim to an unrelated source. The page is rechecked against the responsible organisation, the URL and verification date are updated together, and any unresolved discrepancy remains visible.

Researchers submitting a correction should identify the affected page and field, quote no more source material than necessary, and provide the collection or item reference where available. The editorial review distinguishes a platform's indexed coverage from archive survival and from the contents of a specific record.