Plymouth County (MA) Probate Files are incomplete
Hi, I was wondering if there was a way to report that certain document collections are incomplete?
The Plymouth County Probate Files end at case #16163. The files are in alphabetical order and the last surname in this roll is Pratt. So, for instance, if I want to look at the probate file of Josiah Torrey, case #21053, it does not exist here at FamilySearch. All surnames after Pratt, P through Z, are not available.
Is this a known issue? It seems like it's a fixable problem given that these records exist on other genealogy platforms. Is there a way to report this?
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1461478?availability=Family%20History%20Library
Best Answer
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@WAYNETUCKER3, please take a look at the Notes section for the Catalog page, "Probate file papers, 1686-1881" The following statement is provided, "Incomplete set of case numbers. Contains only no.1881-16163. Alphabetically Ebenezer Benson to Martin Pratt."
So, it does appear that this is a known issue. There is no explanation of why the remaining cases are not in the set. The collection seems to have been in FamilySearch since 2016, so I suspect that there is no effort currently to add the missing cases.
You suggest that these records may exist on other platforms; that may be the best source for you to find these missing cases, at least for the present.
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Answers
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This forum is now the main way for FS users to communicate with FS staff.
The FamilySearch Wiki has a page for each Historical Record Collection (but note that many films do not belong to one), and also a page for each place. Both of those pages may record this as a known issue. If there's not, you can edit the Wiki and help other researchers.
Missed pages or volumes in films does occur from time to time. A single missed page is not likely to be fixed- it's unlikely to be worth the time and money needed to send a camera team to film the missing page. An entire missed volume though is more likely to be valuable enough for FS to send a camera team to film it. If the records are on another website, FamilySearch may be able to negotiate with that website and get a copy for themselves. Hopefully a FS staff member will read this and say what FamilySearch's plans are.
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