Military BDM Records to 1914 Now Online A new online feature available at Gibraltar’s National Archives website allows users to access the birth, marriage and death records of British military personnel who served on the Rock in years gone by. The records will provide an accessible link to the past for genealogists and historians. The new feature offers 9104 records — 5563 Births, 2749 Deaths and 792 Marriages. The on-line records go up to 1914, following the 100 year rule to ensure that the personal information of all living individuals is protected. The data was gathered about 20 years ago with the permission of the Government of Gibraltar’s then Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The data was originally collected to investigate health attributes of both the civilian and military residents of Gibraltar and was part of a large database of information allowing users to compare and contrast the demographic and epidemiological aspects of the population’s sub-groups over time. To date, this information has only been used in academic publications. The work to produce these records on-line was carried out by Professor Larry Sawchuk of the University of Toronto Scarborough in Canada and by Anthony Pitaluga, the Gibraltar Archivist. Support to the project was provided by the University of Toronto Scarborough, the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada and by the Gibraltar Civil
Register Office. Like all historical records, they are subject to omissions and transcription errors so users should be aware that they represent the best approximation of knowledge relating to the military presence in Gibraltar from 1869 to 1914. The records can be found at www.nationalarchives.gi. n
Project Housing
The Government plans 1500 more flats in new housing projects. The first project for about 500 flats is earmarked for the area of land to the north of Varyl Begg Estate, opposite Watergardens. This arera is currently occupied by a number of Government entities which will be relocated. The second proposed scheme for about 1000 flats will be on the Eastside project site. Commenting, the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said: “The policy decision to proceed with new housing schemes reflects the importance that the Government attaches to providing affordable homes for our people. It was a flagship policy in the manifesto that got us elected and it is a commitment on which
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the Government has delivered with Mons Calpe Mews, Beach View Terraces and Charles Bruzon House already under construction. We intend to continue the supply of homes so that everyone eligible who wants one of these flats is able to obtain one.” The Government has completed allocation for the sale of affordable housing in Mons Calpe Mews and Beach View Terraces developments. 895 flats were allocated in the schemes which are currently under construction. Priority was given to offering the flats for purchase to those on the housing waiting list on 9th December 2011 (the day the Government was elected). n
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2015
18/12/2014 06:57