Entries in the Church of Latter Day Saints International Genealogy Index - IGI © - come from two major sources of information:
1. Individual Submissions - Members of the LDS church regularly submit information to the church about families or other specific records. These records are then processed by a computer and a Batch number assigned to them. Often the information has been submitted on an Individual Entry Form or a Family Group Sheet. The entries submitted may or may not tell you the sources the used for the information submitted and do not always include up-to-date addresses or information about the submitters themselves. Each batch number will often have an associated film number assigned to which is the LDS microfilm number containing the image of the original entry form(s).
2. The Name Extraction program - The Extraction Program of the Genealogical Department involves thousands of members of the LDS church, volunteering their time to extract names from parish records and other vital records around the world. The data extracted is then grouped together for processing by a computer. The computer assigns a BATCH NUMBER to each grouping of records submitted. As a result each group of parish records that have been extracted are assigned an overall number. Christening records from the parish are then assigned a "C" at the beginning of the parishes batch number. Marriage records are recorded with a batch number that starts with an "M".
If a batch number has leading letters that begin with an M or a C, it usually means they have been extracted from an original record. The information for that record will also provide you with a specific LDS microfilm number for the complete list of the records extracted for that particular "BATCH" of submissions.
What this means is that a Batch Number can lead you to extractions of your particular surname for specific parish or church records, for a specific type of vital event during particular time periods covered by the extraction. Most importantly, the Batch number will allow you to search the IGI to identify all entries for a specific parish that may be connected to your family names.
IGI BATCH NUMBER CODES
There a number of codes associated with IGI Batch numbers. The IGI Resource Guide written by the LDS gives the following meanings for letters used as codes in the IGI Events column:
A Adult Christening - An LDS Temple record of the sealing of a wife to her husband. Access to the temple sealing record is limited to the couple's direct descendants and their spouses.
B Birth
C Christening - An original or printed record of births or christenings extracted as part of the extraction programme.
D Death or Burial - Deceased members or 110 year suspended file
E Marriage records from the early marriage record extraction project - these were used by the LDS for proxy baptisms and endowments
F Birth or Christening of first known child (in lieu of marriage date)
J Extraction project
M Marriages - An original or printed record of marriages extracted as part of the Genealogical Department's extraction programme.
N Census
S Miscellaneous: A miscellaneous event may substitute for either a birth or a marriage.
W Will or probate record.
