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Parloc - Parish Locator
- Thread starter AdrienneQ
- Start date
The Family Search Parish Map also gives surrounding parishes in a search but instead of just a list you get information about the parish including very useful things like what years BMDs are covered, links to search that parish in the database, you can do fancy things like show all parishes in a X mile radius etc. All the sorts of things that the Parish locator program did but in a modern easy to use map based view that works without having to download a program.
Parloc is good but I fear its somewhat dated. I find it a whole lot easier to use a visual map to gauge surrounding parishes - especially when its based on google maps so you can even view street maps, satellite images and even an old 1851 map all with the parish boundaries overlaid.
Parloc is good but I fear its somewhat dated. I find it a whole lot easier to use a visual map to gauge surrounding parishes - especially when its based on google maps so you can even view street maps, satellite images and even an old 1851 map all with the parish boundaries overlaid.
I used to use ParLoc often but like Alexander I now use the FamilySearch map instead. I see that I haven't even installed ParLoc on this computer.
I wonder if it still does something better? It may still be the best option if you have a dial-up connection to the internet. Since it hasn't been updated since 2009, perhaps not.
I do a lot of mapping. I use Google Maps to find distances between places and also to see the terrain and get an estimate of how long it would take to walk it. I use Bing maps accessed from Legacy Family Tree program to map all locations. (I include the address in the location so I map down to the actual building where possible). If I can't find the location in Bing maps, I try with Google and with a variety of old maps and then map the closest I can get and add notes.
I wonder if it still does something better? It may still be the best option if you have a dial-up connection to the internet. Since it hasn't been updated since 2009, perhaps not.
I do a lot of mapping. I use Google Maps to find distances between places and also to see the terrain and get an estimate of how long it would take to walk it. I use Bing maps accessed from Legacy Family Tree program to map all locations. (I include the address in the location so I map down to the actual building where possible). If I can't find the location in Bing maps, I try with Google and with a variety of old maps and then map the closest I can get and add notes.
I assist a good friend of mine with his family history, his mother is English, from Essex, and London's east end and one of his father's grandmothers was English from Cornwall. In my own line one of my 2g grandparents is from Rotherham going back there on her father's side and to Lincolnshire on her mother's side. Thus I have a limited knowledge of English parishes and have used both Parloc and the Familysearch maps. Although I've not used Parloc for a few years given that its pure text based and not nearly as interactive as using a map.
For Scotland I've bought victorian maps of Aberdeenshire/Kincardineshire and scanned them on a large A0 scanner I've then used that as a background in a Geographic Information System (GIS) program. From this I've created parish maps on my computer by drawing lines in this GIS program following the paths of the lines on the background map. Then I can overlay these lines on a modern OS map or Google/Bing satellite image and thus see the equivalent of FamilySearch maps but without the useful extra features about parish dates etc. Still being able to see where the parish boundaries are on a modern map helps put a lot of things in context.
I often find that with a marriage between two people of different parishes if I look at their cottages on a map they are within a very short distance of each other either side of a parish boundary.
G6JPG (John)
LostCousins Member
The ParLoc links no longer work. (Just for information; no criticism implied.)
I don't remember using ParLoc, so I can't be sure if this is the same thing, but it does say it is up-to-date :- http://www.benynet.me.uk/
G6JPG (John)
LostCousins Member
Yes, that's ParLoc; I went there (http://www.benynet.me.uk/downloads.html), and got Parloc51-17Setup.exe, which it indeed says "Updated 2/4/2023" (don't know if that's 2 April or 4 February). It installed OK, but when I tried to run it, I got a Windows message saying check with the supplier whether I needed a 32-bit or 64-bit version. I tried emailing the address supplied, but it bounced.
I remember ParLoc as being useful, but not quite what I did with it; in the meantime, I've got the Grey Olltwit utility
(http://www.go-utilities.com/parishfinder.html), which has installed and runs.
OK, I suppose it might not be compatible with some newer versions of Windows?
Personally I usually rely on a combination of Google and my elderly, but sturdy, copy of Phillimore's Atlas & Index. However, that utility you link to looks interesting, so I might have a look at that.
G6JPG (John)
LostCousins Member
I'm using Windows 7 32-bit, so it should work - I think it did on my previous computer, which was the same. Probably some simple tweak I need to do. But as I can't remember what I actually used ParLoc for, and the other routine I found did what I wanted this time (and I've had good experience in the past with Grey Olltwit's utilities etc.), I probably won't worry. (Unless anyone here knows what the ParLoc problem is, that is.)
Bob Spiers
LostCousins Superstar
Sounds as though it was lifted from a Goon script and I haven't the faintest idea of what it all means but I'm going to call on Eccles to explain as he is something of a twit himself.
Bob Spiers
LostCousins Superstar
Wow, well I've been about a long time and using Microsoft Windows in its many guises since its inception in 1985 but cannot remember when I gave up on Windows 7 (and 32 bit for sure). As good as W7 undoubtedly was it did have security issues; W8 tried to correct these but failed in many other areas.
I can understand the reluctance to upgrade (costs aside) to allow old genealogical software to be used -goodness knows I did this with my all time favourite XP - but sooner or later it had to go. After what seems an eternity of putting off the moment I have finally added a W11 laptop (for the moment a 6th device) the others remaining as W10. But W7 has long gone and is no longer missed. It is in fact an orphan of the storm, unloved and more importantly, unprotected.
Sorry if this post has morphed into a Tech Tips issue so kindly remove if in the wrong place.
G6JPG (John)
LostCousins Member
I too have been using it since 3.1. 7-32 serves me fine - I think if I practice "safe hex" it's OK. I'd rather have a stable system than the continuously-changing one that is 10 and 11.
Actually, the genealogical software I use - Brother's Keeper - though ancient in appearance, is certainly compatible with Windows 10, and I think 11. The only software I have that needs 32 bit is my email/news client, Turnpike. (Would work with W10-32 [I don't think there is an 11-32]; I just stick with 7 for the above reason.)
It had a bit, but that's OK
. As for ParLoc, I'm sure I had it running OK on the previous W7-32 machine; if I actually remember what feature of it I used, I'll look further into it. For now, the Grey Olltwit (and yes, he deliberately named his software that: his real name is somewhere on his web pages) utility does what I wanted, which was find which registration district contains a given parish, or vice versa.
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Bob Spiers
LostCousins Superstar
I'm happy to learn your choice of W7 is a deliberate and presume you choose to run your software in W7 compatible mode, and love your 'safe hex' reference. Interesting also to learn Brothers Keeper -which was about when my old favourite FTL (Family Tree Legends) was still in vogue -can still be used in W10 -and are you sure W11? Sadly FTL was never the same after XP and only 'just' survived in compatibility mode in Vista.
G6JPG (John)
LostCousins Member
I don't think any of the software I use has to be forced to work in W7: I don't use anything very modern (not because I dislike the new, more just a matter of I've not seen anything new offered for some years that's worth the bloat of new versions, or the requirement to upgrade the OS and hardware).
The expression "safe hex" has been around a while in the older OS newsgroups!
Yes, Brother's Keeper is very venerable: I think when I started using it, it came on one or two floppies (and worked under DOS)! It's user interface is now really creaky, but the underlying database engine is very sound - and, AFAIK, it's the only one where the author still provides support. (The one I'm occasionally tempted by is Family Historian - see The Tour – Family Historian - but there's always the worry when changing genealogy software, about what you'd lose in the transition, especially what you'd lose but not realise you'd lost until some way sown the line.) Let me check BK: yes, according to bkwin.org, "Brother's Keeper works with Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and Windows 10, 11. You can download a free trial version of BK to try it out." Wow, I didn't realise he was still supporting back to '98! (IF anyone wants to try it, the trial version doesn't expire - it's just slightly limited on numbers [but still more than many people need!] and some of the chart formats aren't available.)
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Bob Spiers
LostCousins Superstar
Wow, I've just realised I am in danger of losing my 'dinosaur' tag as you have me beaten to the title by miles. True I did cling to XP and yes, W7 and feel the same about W10, warts and all. Luckily for me the one that matters OS wise is Tribal Pages -of which I am a great advocate and use as a Family Tree storage facility for the family - and that has worked throughout all OS upgrades, certainly since W7 and onwards.
I too recall working with DOS and have dabbled with Linux/Ubuntu and fallen in and out of love with the Chrome browser and currently with Firefox and Safari, but am quite fond of Opera; and yes -it has to be said - Edge which is currently my favourite and not just because of its many promotions by Microsoft.
So I am more a swapper and changer than someone who clings to something (like IE for instance) because of its former glory. Each to his own seems to be the golden rule.