FamilySearch & access to VA marriages

Question

For the last several days, when I am using FamilySearch.org, and a link comes up for a Virginia marriage, when I click it takes me to this:

Permission Denied

We are sorry, but you are not authorized to view this page.

Feel free to use any activity from the menu above to continue your family history.

Nancy Sanders marriage - This was a link I added to a profile earlier this month and it worked then. Anyone have an idea what's up or down with this?

Comments

I just tried your link and got the 'Permission Denied' as well.

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Bushrod Jolley is the head of household on this page. It gives "Similar Historical Records" down on the right. Look at how the two marriage records are displayed. I only get permission denied when I click on them. Please, if you have a moment, tell me if you get the same thing.

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I can't see anything.  The instant I go to your link above (Nancy Sanders marriage) I get the 'Permission Denied' page.

Answer 1

I believe this is a technical problem at FamilySearch.  I had the same issue pop up the other day with an indexed Kentucky marriage record:

"Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FW1D-TZZ : 4 December 2014), William Nunn and Catherine Piper, 22 Dec 1845; citing Barren County, Kentucky, reference p13; FHL microfilm 209,767.

The link used to work but I was now getting the same Permission Denied message.  I manually located the record image at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9S9-R5N4?i=101.  What was odd was the most of the records on the page were missing from the Image Index at the bottom.  I contacted FamilySearch and received the following response this morning:

This is your original case description:  Indexed record now missing

We understand that you see a “Permission Denied” error message when attempting to access the record at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FW1D-TZZ; a marriage record from the collection, Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979, for William Nunn & Catherine Piper.  We have also attempted to view this record with the same result.  

As you indicated, when accessing the digitized microfilm image, the index record associated the William Nunn is missing.  This appears to likely be a problem with the FamilySearch and will require additional investigation.  We have documented this problem and have referred it to our Records team for review and resolution.   Unfortunately, because of a significant backlog, we are unable to indicate when the issue will be resolved.  Since this has now been reported, we will close your case.   

I was hoping that my case was isolated but it might not be since Nancy is reporting the same issue with a different record set. 

Comments

Thank you Kerry for posting this. This issue has been going on for ten months.

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Ten months?  Yikes.  I wonder how many records this is affecting.

Edit:  Doh.  Now I see that you posted your question back in Feb.

Answer 2

Hi,

I can look on Ancestry for you if you want. Just give me the search details and I'll paste them on here for you.

Vicky

Comments

Jolley-959 is the Profile ID for Bushrod Jolley who married Lucinda Brewer. Not positive her LNAB is Brewer. They likely married Fauquier County, Virginia about 1852. Thanks for the look-up.

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Hi,

Is it possible that there could be misspellings of Bushrod?

I got the following from Ancestry:

Marriage Record:

Name:     Bushroad Jolly
Gender:     Male
Marriage Date:     15 May 1851
Marriage Place:     District of Columbia, USA
Spouse:     Lucinda J Brewer
Film Number:     002079251

1870 Census:

Name:     Lucinda J Jolly
Age in 1870:     38
Birth Year:     abt 1832
Birthplace:     Virginia
Dwelling Number:     86
Home in 1870:     First Revenue District, Fauquier, Virginia
Race:     White
Gender:     Female
Post Office:     Warrenton
Occupation:     Keeping House
Attended School:     Y
Inferred Spouse:     Bushior Jolly
Inferred Children:     
Edwin Jolly
Anna D Jolly
Bushrod Jolly
Jeff Davis Jolly
Clarence V Jolly

Household Members:     
Name     Age
Bushior Jolly     50
Lucinda J Jolly     38
Edwin Jolly     17
Anna D Jolly     15
Bushrod Jolly     11
Jeff Davis Jolly     9
Clarence V Jolly     6
Jacob Jolly     98
Elizabeth Jolly     90
Catherin Braver     40
J W Brown     28
David Pollard     26
Rufus Banion     35
Wm Wright     17
Henry French     18
Pendleton Ball     22
Harmond Douglass     25
Florence Wright     15

Answer 3

I have not seen this particular message before.

From the main FamilySearch page, I browsed to Virginia marriage records. I was able to see images from the late 1980s.

I then searched for Virginia marriage records from the catalog. Records beginning 1853 all showed as digitized but with the key icon. When I clicked on the link for the images it said I had to be at a FHC to view the images; sometimes the contractural requirements limit how you (and sometimes who) can view the images. I was at home when I did this. This might account for what you saw because of the way you tried to get to the images. Try viewing them at a FHC.

Answer 4

I believe this is an indication that only members of LSD church can access the information.    

If you are looking for a marriage between Bushrod Jolly and Lucinda Brewer, I found a record.  There is a marriage of record on 15 May 1851 in District of Columbia, United States between Bushrod Jolly and Lucinda J. Brewer.  The record is in District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950, Page 465.  An image is not available online.  You have to go to a Family History Center or Family Search affiliate library to view image.

I hope this is of some help.  

Margaret