Is there a search that will find this record?
I think that Johann Gürgen has a twin named Gerhard Jürgen that was somehow dropped from the tree. I've been trying an assortment of searches on this database, using information from this existing record. I keep getting no records found. I know there is one, there might be two.
The searching algorithm used to be fantastic. Now it's worthless. It can't even find a record when I give it data directly from the record.
Name: Johann Guergen Rolff
Sex: Male
Christening Date: 15 Apr 1741
Christening Place: Versmold, Halle, Westfalen, Preußen, Deutschland
Christening Place (Original): Versmold, Westfalen, Prussia
Father's Name: Johann Guergen Rolff
Father's Sex: Male
Mother's Name: Catharina Agnesa Langenkamp
Mother's Sex: Female
Event Type: Christening
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace Johann Guergen Rolff Father M
Catharina Agnesa Langenkamp Mother F
Record Type: Evangelisch
Digital Folder Number: 102625061
Microfilm Number: 473597
Originating System: ODM
Indexing Batch: C98450-7
Citing this Record
"Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NDFX-DBW : 25 March 2020), Johann Guergen Rolff, 1741.
Answers
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I searched on Ancestry, using the names of parents you supplied, and the year 1741, with no other specifications, nothing marked exact.
There were 2 baptismal results, in Versmold, Westfalen, Prussia - the same Johann Guergen Rolff plus Anna Catharina Rolff, baptized 15 April 1741, referencing FHL film number 473597.
I have been unable to replicate the results on FamilySearch.
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The catalog knows about film 473597 (digital image group 102625061: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/182495), and indicates that there are indexed records associated with it, but that index appears to be inaccessible on FamilySearch: using the magnifying glass link, or just directly going to Search - Records and putting either the film or DGS number in the appropriate field, gives "No Results Found" (https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.filmNumber=102625061).
The images have a key-and-camera icon; clicking it gives the message "You may be able to view this image by visiting one of our partners' sites or the legal record custodian (fees may apply)."
I tried the rest of the magnifying glasses on the catalog page, and the only one that had results (https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?q.filmNumber=102625077) was DGS 102625077, which is baptisms 1878 to 1913, i.e. the most recent baptisms that were filmed. Earlier records of all types and later marriages and deaths from this church are all apparently not accessible in any form on FS.
It makes no sense to me for the index of 1741 baptisms to be restricted, but 1913 ones not, so there's clearly something wrong with the access levels for these records and their indexes. What's the point of the index if it can't be used? Should there even be a magnifying glass if it gives "no results"? Would I see something different if I had an LDS account on FS?
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Thank you @Áine Ní Donnghaile , I found his twin, Anna Catharine, in the tree after I posted this question. Gerhard may be a sibling, instead of a twin. Or maybe a cousin.
@Julia Szent-Györgyi that may explain why I have been having such trouble with searching. The records are unsearchable for some reason, even though you can see them if you link from the person they are assigned to. They used to be searchable, but quit about a year ago. I thought the search algorithm was broken, and found out that most of what I wanted was available by finding in the tree.
I've never been able to view these films, just see the record description. I've been gradually collecting the images from Archion, and just using FamilySearch to figure out which records I need.
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There are also 2 children to these parents baptized in 1742.
There's just a year, no month and day listed. Two girls - Maria Elsabein and Margaretha Agnes, also in Versmold.
Since these are baptisms, rather than births, I'm cautious about declaring children baptized the same day to be twins until I've seen the record image.
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The image of many of these pages has the date cut off. It can only be inferred by interpolation from the pages before and after.
The contributor to the tree entries has been very reliable, and states that they are twins. It is odd that she gives different page numbers as sources for the two entries in 1742. Most likely there is a typo in one or both page numbers. I'll have to verify this the next time I buy access time to Archion.
I have the image to a page from a different volume that states the couple had 9 births. So there is one missing, but it could have been stillborn, and not recorded in the baptism register. Or the original cleric got the count wrong. The counts have been very accurate. Usually, I find the missing child was indexed with creative spelling. But once or twice, it appears that the count was wrong.
Thanks for pointing this out.
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Some of the given names for parents in the database on Ancestry are abbreviated. Doing some creative wildcarding, I found
Joh. Henr. Rollff baptized 27 Oct 1749 on film 473598.
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I know some of the old German films are tightly restricted by the record holder, but have you tried requesting copies from the Remote Access service?
And there are also researchers who live in SLC who will retrieve copies for a small fee.
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Johann Henrich is another sibling. The FamilySearch tree has 8 of the children. There should be a 9th, unless it was stillborn.
I haven't tried requesting from Remote Access, but all of these are available on Archion. I can download 50 pages at a time for about $20, which also gives me access to look at anything I want for a month.
Mostly, I was really hoping there was some magic way for me to search the FamilySearch index. I thought a specific example would help. It appears that the index is, for some arcane reason, not searchable.
Thank you so much for your help.
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