Online Directory FAQ

My contact details on the DirectoryOnline are wrong, how do I change them?

Please send the correct contact details to directory@chelmsford.anglican.org or call 01245 294437.  Please supply as much information as you are comfortable, but don't feel obliged to give everything.

I am listed in last year's printed Directory, why am I not showing up in the DirectoryOnline?

If your details were listed previously we will still have you on our database, unless you have specifically asked for them to be removed.  If you are not being shown online it could be for one of the following reasons:

In any of these cases please e-mail directory@chelmsford.anglican.org or call 01245 294437.

What are those little numbers next to the parish name and deanery name?

Every deanery has a number, as does every parish.  In the printed Directory the deaneries are listed in order of their deanery number, rather than alphabetically, and the parishes within each deanery are listed by their parish code rather than alphabetically.  The reason for this is partly historical, and partly to avoid confusion in cases where parishes have more than one main benefice.

The parish codes and deanery codes are shown on the DirectoryOnline system for the benefit of users of the printed Directory who are used to working with them.  If you don't understand them, don't worry!

My vicar works for several parishes, so why is he only shown as working for one?

We gather our data mainly from parish returns, and sometimes from individuals sending us corrections. If someone is shown to be working only for one parish, it may be that the other parishes didn't inform us that he/she was working for them too.  This is not a problem - just get your parish to contact us with updated information and we will correct our data accordingly.

I am moving house, how do I get my details removed from the DirectoryOnline?

Please e-mail directory@chelmsford.anglican.org or call 01245 294437 and let us know.  Changes will take up to a fortnight to be seen online.

I am trying to find someone, but when I enter all their details I get no results.  What am I doing wrong?

The search system combines all the criteria you have given it together to narrow down the results.  For instance, if you enter a name, job and location the system will search on ALL of those criteria being fulfilled.  If you have one of those criteria wrong, you will actually be filtering out the person you are looking for!

A better approach is to search on one or two criteria at once, then choosing from the results list rather than trying for a direct hit first time.  For instance, rather than searching for "Revd David Thomas", a "Vicar"  in "Wivenhoe", try searching for people called "David" in "Wivenhoe".

I am searching for someone called Bob but I can't find him.  Is he there?

We hold information for a lot of people, but it's not exhaustive.  It may be that the Bob you are looking for isn't yet on our records.  In that case try contacting the relevant parish office to see if they can help.

It may also be that Bob is on the system, but listed only as Robert.   Some Roberts will tell us that they like to be called Bob, in which case searching for them as Bob will bring them up, but we don't pre-empt people's nicknames in case they don't like their name being shortened.

I just searched for 'James' and some of the results didn't have that anywhere in the name.  What's going on there?

The search system also searches middle names, so it's possible that even if the middle names are not explicitly shown they will still be brought up in the search results.

What about Data Protection and ex-directory phone numbers?

For someone's contact details to be displayed either online or in the printed Directory, we must have a completed Data Protection form from them permitting us to publish their information.  Without it, even with all the correct information, we will not publish any part of their contact details, and they will not appear on the system at all.

Where people have requested to be listed as ex-directory, we will not show their telephone number at all, even if we have it.

The map for my address is wrong, how do I move the arrow to the right place?

We use Google Maps to display maps of addresses on the system, as this is a clever and easy to use system.  Addresses are pinpointed by postcode, as this is the most precise positioning available.  As such it is unlikely that the map will pinpoint exactly the position of the actual building, but will instead show the centre of the postcode's area, which should be close enough for people to find the actual address.

I am still having difficulty using the DirectoryOnline system, who do I talk to?

For further information, comments or suggestions for improvements, please contact our webmaster.

Page last edited: 22/10/2009
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