Past Search Newsletter January 2011

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January 2011

Past Search Newsletter

Rounding off a busy year 2010 has been an incredibly busy year, which has limited my newsletter production somewhat. So, happy new year to everyone and apologies for not producing as many newsletters as normal.

As usual I’ve been busy with research into people’s ancestry as well as a number of house and property histories, mainly in Norfolk Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire, but a couple further afield.

There have been some fascinating discoveries along the way, with a duel and bigamy being just two of the stories uncovered. But for me the real excitement lies in the historical detective work and the satisfaction of putting all those pieces together.

I love visiting places connected with research, and house history research in particular offers the chance to do that.

Look out for my guide to tracing the history of a house due to be published by Pen & Norwich’s Anglican cathedral has endured winters since 1145, Sword in autumn 2011. the most recent spire was added to the structure 335 years later.

Who Do You Think You Are Live Yes, it is back. I will be weekend to give a once again at the hand on the Pharos show held in Olympia and AGRA stands. speaking as part of the Information on the Society of Genealogists various workshops W.D.Y.T.Y.A. Family History Show has begun to appear workshops. My talk on on the show website.

‘Norfolk Ancestors: An Tickets are now on Insiders Guide’ will be on sale and you can use the Friday the 25th of February at promotional code SOG2425 5.30 to 6.15pm. to purchase tickets at the I will also be around at discounted rate of £25 for a different times during the pair.

www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.co.uk

Society of Genealogists’ records available now on Findmypast.com Find My Past are hosting Boyd’s Marriage Index and the National Apprenticeship Index.

Both set’s of records are drawn from the Society of Genealogists’ collection.

Apprenticeship records are a great source which many people just forget to look into.

Apprenticeships weren’t just for those learning a trade, often pauper’s children were bound into them to ease the burden on the parish coffers.

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This month in history... ● 03 January, 1521: Martin Luther is excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

The Protestant reformer had drawn the ire of Pope Leo X.

January 2011

My time in the classroom

● 11 January 1569: The first official lottery in England was drawn. Lots for the draw been sold in 1566, providing the government an interest free loan for three years. ● 12 January 1895: The National Trust is established to protect picturesque landscapes and buildings.

British sea power forced opium trading upon China ● 20 January 1841: Britain takes control of Hong Kong.

The island was captured in the First Opium War. ● 26 January 1926: The first public demonstration of television is given by John Logie Baird.

Television broadcasting in the London started in 1929. ● 31 January 1919: Troops and tanks are sent to Glasgow, amid fears of revolution during a ‘Red’ Clydeside rally for the introduction of a 40-hour working-week.

Teaching has taken up a lot of of my year, with lots of new ventures and developments.

Highlights include the new Intermediate certificate course run by Pharos Tutors in collaboration with the Society of Genealogists. Two of the six online courses I run for them form part of the assessment programme.

First off was ‘Searching for Wills and Administrations in England and Wales’. The next is ‘Poor Law Records’, starting in February (see courses list later on). People have the choice to be assessed or not, so if gaining a certificate is not for you then you can still take one of the many Pharos courses in family and social history.

I ran a course on ‘Writing Your Family History’ at the Norfolk Family History Society.

Another new venture was a series of sellout workshops on t h e same topic

at the Society of Genealogists (SoG) in London during the summer. I will be running a follow on session in January, two in February, then another set in July and August.

Another sell out local course for beginners in genealogy took place recently in Reepham. Two new online courses for Pharos also took place on marriage and burial and cemetery records.

I’ve given talks and presentations to many groups, been interviewed on BBC Radio Norfolk and featured in local magazine articles. These covered all sorts of family and local history related topics.

Other news is that after 20 years of working as a researcher and 13 years of running my own business, I have finally got around to becoming a member of The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA). This is the only organisation in the UK whereby members have to prove their competence in order to be full members.

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January 2011

Pastsearch’s new look online My website has finally had a revamp thanks to Alex Orton, who also produces my newsletters amongst other tasks. A journalism graduate, he is busy adding to his portfolio of skills.

He’s planning to move to London in the next month to look for full time journalism work. So, if you know anybody who needs a keen and adaptable young person with journalistic and administration skills he is open to job offers. The good news for me is that with the wonders of modern technology he can continue working for me.

If you haven’t visited the website recently, do have a look and let me know what you think. We plan some new pages and buildings in East Anglia, over the next year, including a as well as some interesting gallery of photographs of places documents.

www.pastsearch.co.uk

Recommended websites www.suffolkheritagedirect.org.uk

www.fadensmapoflondon.co.uk

www.hodskinsonsmapofsuffolk.co.uk Suffolk Heritage Direct is a new website provided by Suffolk County Council on behalf of a growing partnership of heritage organisations, societies and local interest groups from across Suffolk.

It includes various catalogues of records from the databases of the Suffolk Record Office, museums and archaeology services as well as some images of objects, artefacts, photographs and

documents. Use it find out more about archive collections and life in Suffolk in the past.

I do love maps because they give us a visual picture of the places our ancestors lived, and the landscape of the past.

A n d r e w Macnair, is responsible for creating a digital redrawing of Faden’s 1797

Suffolk’s Coat of Arms

map of Norfolk. He then set about a complete digital redrawing of Faden’s ‘The Country Twenty Five miles round London’ map. Planned from a scale of one mile to an inch, the map was first published in 1788.

Andrew’s latest project is the digital redrawing of Hodskinson’s Map of Suffolk, which was first published in 1783.

Again, links can .uk o c be found RA a. r G above this e A just r ag . article. h t w isit ve be ww ot v ? - I’ em m n te hy ebsi e a W w m co e b

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January 2011

Recommended books I’ve recommended the digital redrawing of Faden’s 1797 map of Norfolk in the past.

Andrew Macnair, who was responsible for this and others (see the Recommended Websites section), now has a book out on the subject.

Written in collaboration with Tom Williamson (Professor of Landscape History at the University of East Anglia), this book is an absolute joy.

‘William Faden and Norfolk’s 18th Century Landscape’ (Windgather Press, 2010) not only tells us about the cartographer and this map in particular, it also provides a fascinating overview of map making generally up to the 19th century. A digital version of the map on DVD is included to show the final product of the process described in the book. Definitely among my favourite books this year.

Another great new book by Trevor Yorke is ‘Gravestones, Tombs & Memorials’ (Countryside Books, 2010).

As I enjoy wandering round graveyards and cemeteries I had to buy this one.

It also fits beautifully with my ‘Dead and Buried, But Not Forgotten’ course for Pharos about burial and cemetery records, and has been added to the book list for the next time this runs.

Yorke combines useful tips on how gravestones can help you discover information on people and gives details of burial practices over the centuries.

A very useful A detail from Faden’s map aspect is the focus on how stylistic changes and Wales, 1836-1943’ by in gravestones and other Geraldine Beech and Rose memorials can help with Mitchell (2nd Ed., TNA, 2004). dating them; particularly While it focuses on records helpful when faced with held at The National Archives, something partly illegible. it provides a very readable An old favourite is ‘Maps and accessible guide to for Family and Local History’: these key map resources, as The Records of the Tithe, well as an overview of other Valuation Office and National maps of use to the family and Farm Surveys of England local historian.

Pharos Courses My six courses for Pharos Tutors will run throughout the year. Full details and dates can be seen on their website. These courses include plenty of oneon-one conversation, allowing you to hone your skills with specific, expert advice. Pharos courses fill up quickly so it is best to book early. Topics are:

Gressenhall is one of Norfolk’s better known Workhouses

● The Parish Chest: There was more to life than baptism, marriage and burial

Tying the Knot: Marriage and its Records

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Dead and Buried, Not Forgotten: Churchyards, ● The Poor, The Parish and The Cemeteries and their Records Workhouse: Records in the www.pharostutors.co.uk 1800s ●

Become a Better Genealogist

Searching for Wills and Administrations in England and Wales

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January 2011

‘Writing Your ‘Trace the History of Your Family History’ House and Home’ course Workshops on Saturdays at the Society of Genealogists, London. 2-5pm. Cost £17.50.

Members £14. The first two workshops link to three earlier ones, the series restarts in June.

29 January: Writing Family History Part 4: Building Background Material

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12 February: Writing Family History: Production, Presentation & Review Part 5

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2 June: Writing Family History Part 1: Starting Out

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16 June: Writing Family History Part 2: Expanding your Family History Biography

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23 July: Writing your Family History Part 3: Developing Your Writing Further

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13 August: Writing Family History part 4: Building Background Material

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20 August: Writing Family History Part 5: Production, Presentation & Review

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www.sog.org.uk/events/ calendar.shtml#feb11

Mid Norfolk Family History Society talk Wednesday 19th January, 7.30pm in East Dereham ‘Hands on Parish Registers’, A practical workshop style guide to using these essential records. www.tsites.co.uk/sites/mnfhs/ content/view/20

A progressive series of 10 individual, but interlinked workshops, for anybody interested in researching the history of their house and home, whatever its age and origins. The workshops run on various Saturdays starting in February from 9.30am to 1pm.

I will be teaching these in tandem with architectural historian, Dr. Sarah Edwards. I’m also in the process of finalising guest lecturers. The course is composed as follows: Seven classroom sessions at the Town Close Room, Theatre Royal, Norwich.

Three field visits to archives, houses

and buildings of interest.

Each workshop costs £37.50. A £25 reduction on the last session is available if the previous nine have been attended. Payment by cheque, credit and debit cards can be accepted via PayPal. Contact me for further information and bookings.

February 5th Starting Out, Form and Function Overview of Documentary Sources and Architectural History

May 7th Beyond the Basics, Pitfalls and Possibilities From Points to Pediments Architecture: From Palladian back to the Gothic

February 19th Sources and Resources from the Present Day back to Victorian From Anything Goes! back to Arts and Crafts

May 14th Town versus Country Bricks and Stones Understanding Vernacular Architecture

March 5th Field Trip Norfolk Heritage Centre and Architectural Tour March 19th Field Trip Details to be confirmed April 2nd Sources and Resources from Victorian back to c1700 Renaissance to Revival Architecture: From Victorian back to the Palladian

May 28th Field Trip Details to be confirmed June 4th Putting it in Context Social and Local History explaining what events influenced architecture June 18th Putting Your Research Together Collating and presenting the discoveries you have made