Terms and conditions for the Essex Archives Online single-image service

1. General

1.1 Essex Archives Online is the Essex Record Office’s ("ERO’s") online catalogue. It describes the whole of the ERO’s collections. The descriptive data in Essex Archives Online is available to view online free of charge.

1.2 Most of the records described in Essex Archives Online have not been digitised. However, digitised copies of some records are available online. These include both hardcopy records and audio-visual material. Some of this digitised material is available online free of charge.

1.3 Online access to images of parish registers, wills, electoral registers and some other items is subject to a charge. All charged images can be viewed online by registering for an account and by taking out a timed subscription.

1.4 Within Essex Archives Online, wills are individually indexed but parish registers are identified only by parish, event (i.e. baptism, marriage or burial) and date range. Ancestry have created name indexes to the images of parish registers contained in Essex Archives Online. Users of Ancestry’s indexes may click through to Essex Archives Online and buy a copy of the indexed image. This service is accessible only through Ancestry’s indexes. The ERO does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of these or any other indexes.

1.5 In some parishes, the images of baptisms and marriages available to subscribers to Essex Archives Online extend later than the dates indexed by Ancestry. The ERO does not maintain indexes to these later images and they are not available through this single-image service. The service covers only those images of parish registers indexed by Ancestry.

1.6 The use of Essex Archives Online requires cookies to be enabled on the user’s internet browser.

1.7 Acceptance of these terms and conditions is a mandatory requirement in order to access the service.

2. Use of images

2.1 Images found on Essex Archives Online can only be used for non-commercial research or private study as defined in the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1998 and associated secondary legislation.

2.2 Images must not be sold in any form and must not be used as a part of a compilation of independent portfolios of images, whether sold or not.

2.3 Publication of images by ERO does not imply a right on the part of the user to reproduce or publish images or absolve the user from the need to obtain permission from the owner of the copyright to reproduce or publish items subject to copyright.

2.4 Strictly no commercial or organizational downloading, publication, reproduction or printing of images from Essex Archives Online is permitted without the prior consent of ERO and the owner of the copyright in the records/images.

2.5 Images are not permitted for use within publications or exhibitions, including online publications or exhibitions, commercial or non-commercial websites, without written permission from ERO.

2.6 Record agents or other commercial users who wish to forward images or records to third parties should instruct them to complete ERO’s digital image order form, including the copyright declaration, and to forward the form and the appropriate payment to ERO. The order form is available from ero.enquiry@essex.gov.uk

3. Quality

3.1 Images are of a quality sufficient for online use and for most private study purposes including printing. Higher quality images for publication and display as approved in accordance with 2.5 above can be obtained for a fee from ERO.

3.2 Essex Archives Online provides images made directly from the original records; records are not scanned from microfilm. ERO takes no responsibility for the quality or interpretation of the original handwriting or other content. For assistance in these areas there is a research service available to users at an additional cost. For details please contact ero.enquiry@essex.gov.uk

4. Payment and delivery

4.1 Images cost £2.99 each. This price includes Value Added Tax (VAT) at the current UK rate where applicable. There is no delivery charge.

4.2 Payments are to be made in pounds sterling. Users should be aware that credit and debit card companies may charge for conversion into other currencies.

4.3 The credit or debit card used to pay for an image must be registered to the user. We cannot accept pre-paid payment cards.

4.4 A receipt will be supplied to the email address provided by the user.

4.5 Single images are delivered as jpeg files by email. Use of the single-image service requires users to provide a valid email address.

4.6 Images will be delivered as soon as payment has been made. In agreeing to these terms and conditions you consent to the immediate delivery of the image and you acknowledge that your right of cancellation has been lost.

4.7 In the event of non-delivery please apply in writing to the Essex Record Office, Wharf Road, Chelmsford CM2 6YT, UK, or by email to ero.enquiry@essex.gov.uk. You must include the date of purchase and the email address used. If possible, please also tell us the Essex County Council receipt number for your purchase.

4.8 For Essex County Council’s corporate complaints policy, and an online form, see Complaints.

5. Service

5.1 ERO shall endeavour to supply the service as advertised. However, ERO shall not be liable for any losses that may arise from inaccurate or incomplete data or as a result of service failure. Nor shall it be liable for any part of the service that lies outside the control of Essex County Council.

5.2 ERO reserves the right to amend the text of Essex Archives Online or any other part of the service without notice. Specifically, ERO may add or replace images in order to expand or improve the services offered. Additional or replacement images may not appear in Ancestry’s indexes.

5.3 ERO may remove images for quality control or compliance purposes. However, every reasonable effort shall be made to maintain or increase the number of images available.

5.4 ERO will offer reasonable assistance to users but does not undertake to offer genealogical, historical or technical advice. Users may make use of ERO’s standard enquiry service, which operates during limited hours and accepts enquiries via email to ero.enquiry@essex.gov.uk, by telephone on +44 (0)33301 32122 ,or by post to Essex Record Office, Wharf Road, Chelmsford CM2 6YT, UK. A paid research service is also available from ero.search@essex.gov.uk.

5.5 ERO may monitor individual users’ use of the service and reserves the right to suspend or remove access to the service without compensation in the event of breach of these terms and conditions.

6. Data Protection

6.1 The ERO is part of Essex County Council. Essex County Council is the data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018.

6.2 The Data Protection Officer for Essex County Council can be contacted at the Information Governance Team, Essex County Council, County Hall, Market Road, Chelmsford CM1 1QH, UK (email dpo@essex.gov.uk, tel. 03457 430430. For Essex County Council’s privacy notice see Privacy Notices

6.3 In the case of this single-image service our legal basis for processing your personal data is (a) a contract between us and (b) the ERO’s performance of functions of a public nature exercised in the public interest (a ‘public task’).

6.4 We use your personal data for service delivery, for statistical purposes and for service planning and improvement.

6.5 Your personal data will be deleted in accordance with Essex County Council’s retention schedule. Specifically, your email address will be deleted after one year.



If you require a copy of these terms and conditions in the form of an email, or at a larger size, please contact ero.enquiry@essex.gov.uk



Back to top