11 Sep 2008

The Families In British India Society (FIBIS)
www.fibis.org, UK.
Self-description:
"[An] organisation devoted to members with an interest in researching their ancestors and the background against which they led their lives in 'British India'. [...]
The main focus of FIBIS activities is the 'sub-continent' of India but we are also interested in all areas and activities of the British in South Asia including the following between the founding of the East India Company in 1599 to 'Indian Independence' in 1947: Afghanistan, Aden, Andaman Islands, Bangladesh, Benkulen (Sumatra), Burma (Myanmar), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), China, Macao & Hong Kong, Indonesia (Borneo, Labuan etc.), Malaysia, Mauritius, Persia, Singapore, Straits Settlements. Also included are the activities of the East India Company in London and St. Helena. [...] FIBIS [est. Nov 1998 - ed.] now has over 1500 members worldwide and it's membership is still increasing."
Site contents:
* About FIBIS; * Membership; * How To Use FIBIS; * Search [free of charge] (["The data are very largely taken from sources within the British Library's India Office Records Section (IOR) to whom thanks are also due for authority to publish them here."] Search Records [find a Person, find an Image, Advanced] Browse Records [Wills and probate, Directories, Publications, Military records, Censuses, Bonds, Miscellaneous, Maps, Ecclesiastical records, Personal papers, Photographs, Cemeteries, Maritime]); * Volunteers; * What's New [The last 6 items in Sep 2008 are: South Australian Mariners Tickets 1897-1920, 1804 Muster Roll of Scots Brigade (HM 94th Regt) in India, List of Qualified Midwives, European and East Indian from the Government Lying-in-Hospital, Madras 1865, Officers of the Bengal Army Serving at the time of the 'Batta Mutiny' in May 1766, Officers Sent to Bengal from Madras during the 'Batta Mutiny of 1766', Suffolk Regimental Gazette Index 1891 - ed.]; * Links (organisations connected with 'British India' and research; FIBIS Members' websites); * Contact Us; * FIBIS Members; * FIBIS Search; * FiBiWiki [FIBIS' members-driven online encyclopaedia, whose main entries in Sep 2008 included: Abbreviations, Armies in India, Beginners' Guide, Churches, Church records, Cemeteries, Historical Events, Locations, Maritime Service, Military, Armies, Battles, Military ranks, Regiments, Wars, Non-British Ancestors, Occupations, Railways, Research methods, Organisations, Recommended reading, Terms, All categories - ed.]; * FIBIS Shop (Books, FIBIS journal); * News; * FAQ.
[An exemplary use of the Internet tools for the purposes of a distributed, self-organising, cooperative, large-scale and long-term research project - ed.]
URL http://www.fibis.org/
Internet Archive http://web.archive.org/web/http://www.fibis.org/
Link reported by: T. Matthew Ciolek (tmciolek--at--coombs.anu.edu.au)
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Documents/Study/Online Guide
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]: NGO
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: Essential
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: over 1000 [in fact, over 2,590]