Parliament required that from 1598 duplicate details of
all births, deaths and marriages that had been registered during the previous
year should be sent to the diocesan office. These Bishop’s Transcripts, as
they are known, are now kept at various county record offices, with microfilm
copies held by some local record offices and libraries.
It is worth noting that the Bishop’s Transcript is not always an exact duplicate of the related parish register.
Visit the British Library site at www.bl.uk for information about the records and facilities that are available to you and whether these could provide valuable help in your family research. Details also given on how you may access their vast collections of public works.
General
Every 10 years the
government takes a census which should tell us who lived where on that
particular evening. The first census to contain the details of every individual
in Great Britain was taken in 1841 but this is less informative than later ones.
More detailed questions were asked in 1851 and subsequent censuses.
Census records
from 1841 to 1911 have been fully transcribed and digitised and can be seen
online at various commercial sites. In general, using the name indexes is free,
while you pay to view a transcription (where this is provided) or the original
census return itself. The quality of the indexing varies, so you may need to use
a lot of imagination to find your ancestor. In one index for the 1881 census,
for example, the great German philosopher Karl Marx is indexed as Karl Wass.
There is a full
(and free) surname index for the British 1881
census, which gives you almost all the information you would find on the
original document, at www.familysearch.org.
The following
websites provide paid-for access to all or part of the censuses. Charges vary,
so shop around or take advantage of any special offers:
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
(Scotland only)
In Scotland
you will find a similar service at the Family History Centre in Edinburgh.
There is a wide
range of books and other publications available to those seeking a more detailed
insight into the subject of the national census. However, a good starting point
would be a Public Record Office publication ‘A Clearer Sense of the Census’
by Edward Higgs and/or ‘People Count – A History of the General Register
Office’ by Muriel Nissel, both published by OHMS
The 1911 census
The 1911 census
has been issued earlier than normal but the last column has been redacted and
will not be available until 2012. This
column includes such information as deaf, dumb, blind or lunatic.
The following seeks to clarify the current situation with regard to the searching of the 1911 census.
Although the indexes to the material can be searched free of charge the documents themselves can only be viewed through either ‘Full Subscription’ to FindMyPast or their ‘1911 Census’ specific subscription.
This topic was comprehensively covered in a talk by Claire Patterson at our February Meeting. A transcript of Claire’s presentation is available in the ‘Handouts’ section of our Information Centre.
The Indexes
to births, marriages and deaths are available on microfiche at both High Wycombe
and Aylesbury libraries.
The following seeks to provide a useful signpost to information available to those members who are interested in courses in genealogy and have access to a computer.
U3A, forever seeking to promote the benefits of education to its members, does provide a course on Genealogy which concentrates mainly on gaining the most from the internet as a research tool (there is an additional element on genealogical software databases). This course could provide either a useful addition to a much broader learning package, or be used as a stand alone unit by experienced researchers seeking to update their knowledge. Find out more by visiting the ‘Online Courses’ section of the main U3A site at www.u3a.org.uk
Some 200 Dade Registers were produced, mainly in Yorkshire, during the period 1777 to 1812. The fullest baptismal registers include information relating to the infants name, his or her order of seniority in the family, the father’s name and occupation, the name, occupations and places of residence of the paternal and maternal grandparents (and sometimes even the great-grandparents), the date of birth and the date of baptism.
At our September
meeting John Shipley delivered a most informative and interesting talk on DNA
and its potential value in family history research. A full set of the slides
used by John, together with the accompanying script can be seen in the
‘Handouts’ section of our Information Centre.
Members may wish
to visit www.familytreedna.com to
gain a further insight into this fascinating subject
Enclosure maps date from around the middle of the eighteenth century to the middle of the nineteenth. These maps accompanied an enclosure award and came with a schedule which listed details of ownership of the land. These enclosure awards and maps are lodged at the Quarter sessions and should be held in the county record office. See W E Tate’s ‘Doomsday of English Enclosure Acts’ for further detail
The parish tithe
map, produced between 1838 and 1854, was very similar to the enclosure map.
The tithes were a type of annual local taxation, made in kind, by the farmers
and landowners. A large-scale map was drawn up of the parish, showing every
field, building, and home. Schedules were made up of ownership, and in some
cases also showing the tenants. The legislation did not apply to Scotland or
Ireland, but Wales was very well covered. Even if the map is missing, there may
well still be a copy of the schedule.
There is a network of some 200 Societies, operating under the auspices of the Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS), and really it is the Society that covers the geographical area of your family research that would provide the most appropriate support
Why not visit the FFHS website at www.ffhs.org.uk as a gateway to the Family History Society which best meets your geographical needs and find out what they have to offer you in your endeavour to trace your ancestors.
As emphasised by
Sue Gordon in her presentation at our May meeting, although there is no
guarantee that those tantalising snippets of family history passed down through
the generations bear any resemblance to reality it is best not to dismiss them
out of hand. Record them and keep then safe
When time permits,
and you’re in the mood for a slight diversion, look again at the detail of
those hand-me-down family tales. Then comes the process of establishing, through
evidence, the credence of the proposed facts; starting from the known, and then
working back.
From experience it
has been found that there is invariably an element of truth within the suggested
tradition and that research often uncovers one or more of those much talked
about skeletons in the cupboard. Well worth the journey
www.genealogysearch.org provides a range of genealogy forms and charts
Manual Family Group
Record Card
A copy
of the ‘Manual Family Group Record’ card discussed at our April meeting can
be found within the ‘Handouts’ section.
Fan Trees
Regarding the mention of fan trees (Sue Gordon’s presentation in May refers) ……. members may be interested in downloading the ‘fan tree’ from www.genesreunited.co.uk. You don't need to register with ‘Genesreunited’, but if you click on FAQ at bottom right of the home-page and enter 'fan charts', the generated search result shows 'where are the printable charts'. If you click on this it shows available charts at right hand side for you to click on.
At our June meeting our guest speaker, Chalmers Cursley provided us with
such an informative and interesting insight into the features of the Guild of
One-Name Studies. Rather than attempt to detail the wealth of information that
was provided by Chalmers I would refer members to the Guild’s very detailed
website at www.one-name.org. You will
find that the site covers all of the elements contained within Chalmers
delivery.
If you wish to contact the Guild then this can be done by free ‘phone
on 0800 0112182 and/or by e:mail at guild@one-name.org
One of the key
techniques used in ‘one-name studies’ is mapping the distribution of
surnames, a technique which is just as relevant to general family research. The
internet offers links to a range of useful sites/packages to aid your surname
distribution analysis, including the one mentioned at our meeting which is
provided by the National Trust at www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk.
– this produces maps showing distribution for the years 1881 and 1998.
This was an aspect
of genealogy which some of our members were prepared to acknowledge was of
particular relevance to their research.
Bastardy
Orders
If no marriage
took place, the father could be charged with the upkeep of the child. The
process involved applying to the Petty Sessions for a Bastardy Order against the
father; if granted, a Bastardy Bond would be issued against the father and he
would make weekly payments for the child, or sometimes a one-off payment was
agreed.
Many of the Bastardy Order records still exist today in the local record offices in England and Wales, and in some cases it is possible to find not only the bonds but the affiliation orders, examinations, and warrants for the arrest of the father. Even later, during the Victorian period, it was not unknown for a couple to have a child and then get married, so take it into consideration when looking for that missing marriage in the GRO indexes because looking for the birth certificate of an illegitimate child doesn’t necessarily mean you will find the father’s name. When the birth was registered the father’s name was normally omitted.
Even in the parish
registers of baptisms, it will often be stated ‘bastard son/daughter of …’
and only give the mother’s name. Unless you can find any bonds relating to the
child’s birth the ancestral line is lost. There is quite a collection of names
to be found in registers beside that of ‘Bastard child’; examples are: Base,
Base-born, By-blow, By-slip, Lovechild and Whoreson.
The IGI
Members of the Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints (LDS),
known also as the Mormon Church, have a duty to trace their ancestors so that
they may be baptised by proxy. A vast amount of genealogical information has
therefore been collected by amateurs, from parish registers, bishop’s
transcripts and registers of other denominations. These have been collated as
the International Genealogical Index, or IGI as it is more commonly known.
The IGI is freely available in three formats: online at www.familysearch.org; on CD-ROM at Mormon Family History Centres, larger record offices and libraries; and on microfiche (as above plus smaller record offices and libraries and some family history societies)
Visiting Mormon Family History Centres
High Wycombe
Our nearest Family History Centre is at 743 London Road,
High Wycombe. Its opening hours are 11am-6pm on Tuesday and Thursday but
arrangements can be made to visit at other times by phoning 01494 459979.
A visit to the LDS website is recommended
Watford
The address of the Family History Centre at Watford is: Hempstead Road, Watford, tel: 01923 251471. The times of opening are: Tues & Fri 10.00 to 13.00, Tues 19.00 to 21.30, first Thurs 11.00 to 17.00 and first Sat 10.00 to 13.00
Wendy Stevens write
Family History Centre, Watford
……….. members of the Group might take encouragement from my experience in using the Watford LDS Family History Centre to obtain and view films of distant parish records.
On 31/3/09 I visited Watford, armed with the name of the parish in Lancashire in which I was interested, with the relevant film numbers, obtained from http://www.familysearch.org At the Centre a helpful gentleman checked the LDS database for availability of the films and then gave me an application form to complete. The fee was £2.20 per film plus postage. I was told it that the application would be made that day, and that the films would probably arrive at the centre within 2-3 weeks, when he would phone me.
I was phoned on 24th April and I booked a microfilm machine for the 28th April. The film is held by the centre for a month during which time you can view it as many times as you need, before it is returned to the LDS library.
I was able to view the Baptism, Marriage, Burial records and Banns of marriage. I found 25 entries relating to my family. As well as taking notes I was allowed to use my digital camera, although the quality of the resulting photos was poor, mainly because the microfilms for this particular parish were on 16mm, fuzzy, and quite difficult to read, let alone photograph. However they are a useful back up to my notes.
A Message from Sarah Phelps:
Jewish Ancestry
…………….. because I have Jewish Ancestry I have paid for a
subscription to the Jewish Chronicle which gives me access to their Archives and
copies of the paper back to 1841. Their index is pretty good and if any
member has Jewish Ancestry I would be happy to look up names on the index.
It would enable them to decide if it would be worth their while to pay for
a year's subscription.
The Land
Tax was introduced in the late 17th century, but the chances of
assessments surviving before 1780 are very hit and miss. These assessments take
the form of annual lists of names of proprietors of land in each parish and the
names of the actual occupiers.
Assessments were organised on a county, hundred, and parish basis, so the returns may be found amongst quarter sessions, in estate and family archives or in parish collections. The duplicate returns that were made each year between 1780 and 1832 and deposited amongst quarter sessions records have the best chance of survival. The only record that covers almost the whole of England and Wales in a uniform way is that for the year 1798 which is contained in 121 volumes in class IR.23 at The National Archive.
Based at St James Square, the London Library is a privately funded library open to everyone, with annual individual membership costing £395. Visit their website at www.londonlibrary.co.uk
Some of the most
popular records in The National Archives relate to the Army and Navy. In her
presentation (May 2009 meeting – ‘Connections & Surprises) Sue Gordon
talked about her research on the WW1 medals awarded to her ancestors, and also
the use of photographs as an aid to identifying the regiment/battalion in which
the ancestor served.
In your search for
relevant military records it’s ideal if you are able to identify which Branch
of the service your ancestor belonged; whether he was an officer or ‘other
ranks’; and which regiment or corps he served in, plus his battalion. So, as
with other family research projects it’s about searching around your home for
any clues; of papers or photos kept by members of your family.
One of the first
aspects you will discover in your research is that soldiers who die are easier
to trace than those who survived. A number of web sites to aid this particular
area of research are: the Commonwealth War graves Commission Records at www.cwgc.org
and those that provide access to the ‘Soldiers Who Died in the Great War’
index.
The key to finding
out about someone’s career during WW1 is their service record. Each person’s
entry, progress and departure was meticulously documented so a pension could be
paid to them, and hundreds of thousands of these dossiers can still be found at
The National Archive at Kew.
Unfortunately
about 60% of records of ‘other ranks’ were destroyed by enemy action during
WW2. Numerous others were salvaged and, although damaged, are partly legible.
Unburnt Documents, comprising about 4,000 reels of microfilm, are in series WO
364 at Kew, whilst Burnt Documents are in WO 363. For more about the records
read The National Archive’s research guide ‘The British Army Soldiers’
Papers: First World War, 1914-1918 at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=18
If service records
for your ancestor were among those destroyed, you will at least find basic
information in the Medal Index Cards at The National Archives, which list those
who received campaign medals.
Although not complete. The Medal Index Cards are probably the most comprehensive listing of men who served in WW1.You can view the cards online at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline.
Monumental
Inscriptions (MI’s) can provide vital clues to aid your family research,
particularly for the years before civil registration of births, marriages and
deaths began in 1837, and censuses from 1841. Before then, the most important
sources of information are the parish registers of baptisms, marriages and
burials; although pre-1812 the amount of information varies widely. An MI,
however, may often record a whole family, with their relationships to each other
clearly stated, so you can draw up a genealogical tree with confidence. Yet MI's
are rarely used probably because they are difficult to locate and there is no
single archive or website you can search. In addition, only a very small
proportion of burials are marked by gravestones and inscriptions.
However, a good
starting point for the family historian is the National Burial Index (NBI) –
available at local record offices and family history research centres – which
contain over 10 million records, from which you may be able to locate a place of
burial. Much of it is also viewable online at www.findmypast.com.
You can follow this up by contacting the relevant family history society to find
out whether there is an inscription transcript available; alternatively you can
visit the churchyard or cemetery personally and enjoy the thrill of searching
through the gravestones for your ancestors.
For those more experienced members who may be researching non-confoermist ancestors then visit to the National Archive site at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/bmd/stept1a.htm may prove useful. In addition to promoting the catalogue detailing the non-conformist registers held at the Archive the 'leaflet' points out that a range of registers van be accessed on line though www.bmdregisters.co.uk. These registers include RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7 and RG33, all of which were previously accessible though the Family Records Office, Islington. This is a 'pay-as'you'view' facility.
For background information on ‘Online Parish Clerks’ visit http://wsom-opc.org.uk/about_opc.php
Photography was
‘born’ early in 1839 and became more widely available in the 1850s. From the
1860s prices for photographs fell and more and more people could now afford to
have their ‘likenesses’ taken.
Original nineteenth century photographs can usually be dated within a decade from the costume worn by the subject(s), the pose and photographic studio settings, as well as the size, type of print and mount used. In addition, where the photographer’s name and address has been included on the mount, research in local directories will help determine the years they were in business. Identification from modern copies can only be made from the costume and studio setting, as all other features are generally ‘lost’ in the copying process.
The style of
commercial photography changed dramatically at the turn of the 20th century and
the thick and elaborate printed mounts were replaced by plain white, beige or
brown card mounts in various sizes As
There are a number of general
books written on the subject of dating photos, possibly the most popular of
which have been those written by Robert Pols
Computer Based Packages
Covered in part through the presentations by Group members at our April meeting during which we gained an insight into the features of a number of computer based recording packages – the notes of the meeting also sign posted members to the Family Records site at www.FamilyRecords.gov.uk/guides/software.htm at which you will find further reviews on the Family Tree Maker package plus Family Historian, Personal Ancestral File 5.0 (PAF5), Heredis and Legacy Deluxe 4.0.
Using Record Offices
Each London borough,
metropolitan district and English county has established record offices to hold
the county or district’s archives and records. In addition to these there are
city and borough archives, as well as local libraries.
County Record Offices (CRO)
These repositories hold vast
quantities of records relevant to their area. Each CRO holds records from local
courts, schools, reports from the Board of Guardians (they administered the Poor
Law from 1834), electoral registers, poll books, taxation, militia records,
local business records and deeds, holdings from attorneys (if they haven’t
been destroyed), and assorted documents concerning property.
The CROs also act as a
diocesan records office, taking in church records such as the parish registers,
vestry accounts, anything from the old parish chest, bishops’ transcripts,
wills and probate prior to 1858, marriage licences, and tithe documents. They
also hold large collections of local history, which are useful in finding out
about the area in which your ancestors lived.
Most CROs will have a catalogue detailing their holdings and how to locate and use them, and this is worth reading before you start your research (visit: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a for access to the computerised catalogues, whilst the ‘ARCHON’ section on the same site provides details of some 340 repositories in England and Wales). Guides to local sources are published by local Family History Societies. Find out which indexes are available to search
When visiting CROs proof of
identity is required; also don’t just turn up, telephone and book an
appointment first. Pencils are a must, cameras and tape-recorders are often not
permitted, but laptop computers usually are – but check first. Most CROs will
provide a photocopying service and some will be able to undertake research on
your behalf. Details of these services and fees are available from each office.
It is highly recommend that those members planning to visit Kew should access the National Archive website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk , paying particular attention to the ‘Visit Us’ and ‘Search Archives’ sections
As part of her
presentation on post 1837 research Laura Robertson provided members with a
number of useful points of a general nature which needed to be borne in mind
whilst undertaking their research:
General:
·
Documents are written by
humans and are not always accurate!
·
Be prepared to spend both
time and money
·
Be patient
·
Not all records survive
Internet Sites:
·
Use reputable sites
·
Be careful entering
credit card details
·
Do not expect to find
everything on-line; 70-80% of useful information is not on-line
·
Check all sources of
information back with original documents
Visiting Record Offices:
·
Telephone in advance to
book a seat
·
Take identification
·
Check rules
·
Plan your visit in
advance so you do not waste time
Sources of information:
·
Vouchers available in
record offices for Ancestry.co.uk
·
Parish Registers:
IGI (International Genealogical Index) – Mormon Family History Centres,
www.familysearch.org and www.FreeReg.org.uk
·
Civil Registration:
FreeBMD.org.uk (do not use the search in the ‘Advertisement’ at the
top of the page as you will have to pay) and General Record Office
·
Family History Societies:
www.Bucksfhs.org.uk and www.Bucksgs.org.uk
Local
Studies Centre, Aylesbury. Tel. 0926 382250
First
Steps
A paper entitled
‘Ten First Steps in Family History’ is available in the ‘Handout’
section of our Information Centre.
General Register Office
Our
less experienced researchers would be interested in the information pac provided
by the General Register Office. In
addition to providing detailed information on the sourcing and requesting of
birth, marriage and death certificates the Pack includes useful tips on starting
your family history research together with a list of useful website addresses.
To obtain your free copy of the ‘Getting Started’ pack email your name,
address and contact details to: certificate.service@ips.gov.uk.
You will need to include GQ in the subject field of your e:mail to ensure
an auto text response is not generated.
Advice Provided by the Federation of Family History Societies
Just a reminder that further information for those new to family history is provided through the Federation of Family Societies website at www.ffhs.org.uk. You will find that the Home Page includes a heading 'Are you new to Family History Research?' - the third item under this heading provides a link to the Societies '... really useful information leafet'. In addition to providing general information on 'first steps in family history' the leaflet does include a list of member societies
The records of
schools and universities can include genealogical information: if you find your
ancestors record it could confirm date of birth, their parents, and place of
origin. Your ancestor could have been a schoolmaster or schoolmistress.
To find out which schools your ancestors may have attended check a commercial directory for the relevant area and time period and it will show the schools within the area. When you have found the schools, go to the county record office and find out what holdings they have on school records. These records make interesting reading, for as well as an admission book there could be a punishment book and a book of attendance.
University records have also been published and copies are held in the society of Genealogists.
Weatherbys, according to its website, provides British Horseracing with its central administration, acts as its bank and maintains the founding Thoroughbred Breed Register. Visit its website at www.weatherbys.co.uk for more information.
Wills are a truly
remarkable source for family historians: not only do they contain invaluable
information about family relationships, but the fact that they were written by
our ancestors themselves gives them the sort of authority and authenticity that
documents created by the government or the church so often lack.
Searching for a
will that was proved on or after January 1858 is a relatively straightforward
process. Annual indexes to all wills proved in England and Wales were produced
right from the start of the civil probate system. A full set of these indexes is
held by the Principal Probate Registry, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn,
London WC1 6NP, which are readily
accessible to the public. However, the wills themselves can only be obtained
through the completion of a basic application form and the payment of a £5 fee.Before 1858, the situation is much more
complicated
Before 1858,
the situation is much more complicated
The system was
based on the hierarchy of ancient English ecclesiastical jurisdictions, with the
provinces of Canterbury and York at the top of the tree, a number of dioceses
underneath, and the smaller ‘peculiar’ courts at the bottom. In practical
terms this means that wherever your ancestors lived, their wills could have been
proved in one of three or four different courts, and you will have to search the
records of each of these in order to establish whether they left a will or not.
Over the years, a
number of record offices and local and family history societies have compiled
and published various will indexes, and some record offices have produced card
indexes of their holdings. But by far the most significant change in the more
recent years has been the advent of online probate indexes, in some cases
allowing access to digital images of the wills themselves.
The most important
of these online resources (and by far the largest) is the National Archive’s
Documents Online website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline
The website provides full access to the entire collection of the wills proved in
the Prerogative Court of Canterbury – known more conveniently to family
historians as the PCC. The collection contains over one million wills dating
from 1383 to 1858.
A useful guide in helping you to trace the possible whereabouts of pre 1858 wills prepared by your ancestors is ‘Probate Jurisdictions: where to look for wills’ compiled by Jeremy Gibson and Else Churchill. This is available through the Federation of Family History Societies bookshop at www.genfair.co.uk
In the early 1800s
changes to the Poor Law meant that recipients of relief were paid in kind rather
than money. The 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act stated that all poor, able-bodied
people should be relieved in the workhouse. As workhouse conditions were
intended to be very unpleasant, it was supposed to make people work harder to
stay in their own homes rather than face going to the workhouse. As soon as the
Act was passed many Poor Law Unions started to build their own workhouses.
The main records
of the Unions concerned the day-to-day running of the workhouses, and where
these records have survived they are to be found in the county record office.
These records offer one of the most underused sources of the family historian.
They include:
·
registers of the inmates,
recording births and deaths, and parishes whence they came;
·
minutes of the Board of
Guardians (sometimes with a list of inmates);
·
committees for
boarding-out (with lists of children);
·
accounts ledgers, petty
cash books, poor rate returns, loans granted to paupers; and
· admissions and discharge books.
Similar records are held for Asylums e.g. Stone Asylum records are held at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies, Aylesbury. it will need to be noted that the availability of individual's records is restricted by the 100 year rule.