Genealogy Chat

Definately Annie, I think most of us given the chance would pay considerably more for the chance to own a piece of history like that, especially if it relates to ones own family too. Jen

My letter only cost me 50p a page to photocopy plus 40p a page a real bargain I think.

Annie, That's facinating, none of us really knows what we might turn up, until we go looking for it. It's so helpful having so many people around with so much varied and informative information and stories of their own research. Jen

Heather, All the experience showing up here from OC, Christine, Paul, yourself and others is proof of how far I have to go yet. I haven't even attempted the bastardy laws and settlement certs, or even wills yet..................? Though with all this good advice at least I'm getting a flavour of where to look, what to look for etc. If only I get the time.........being the plodder I am lol! Jen

I have just got a copy of a letter from one of grandfather's aunts from Gloucester record office found on the A2A site Dear Friend Some years ago I promised to give you my recollections of the way in which the cottage hospital came into being - it was in the year 1870 Dr. Leonard Gelf was attending my friend Miss Challis in my home in a long illness and being I suppose, pleased with my nursing he said how much he wished he could get a bed in some cottage which he could use for some poor patient. On his next visit he told me he had talked the matter over with Miss Grace ??? of B.......ford and she was pleased with the idea. He then spoke to the committee of men who managed the cottager`s dispensary and they approved of his suggestion. Lord Redesdale offered to give a site for a small hospital and £150 towards the building and after that with very little hesitation about experiences I arranged to get some training. The matron of St. Thomas`s recommended me to try entering with a group of nurse`s being trained there by the Nightingale fund. The building at Moreton begun in 1872 was opened by the bishop of Gloucester on July 24th 1873 and the first 2 patients were admitted in July 28. Twenty others followed by the end of the year and only one of these was 'ulcer of the leg' thus disproving the prophesy of a friend (who afterwards became an effective helper in the hospital) who said we should never have any patients except old women with bad legs.. Fascinating stuff in her own hand writing. As a nurse I can sympathise with her dread of ladies with bad legs. I found this by using the name of the smal town where my grandfather was born as a keyword.

There is also a similiar site solely for Norfolk. Norfolk Access to Online Heritage (NOAH). Accessed through the Norfolk records office website,it has similiar contents just for the county of Norfolk,pictures etc. Even some things for my Elmer family!!! As diverse as letters of advance of wages to ag lab in 1847 to a parishioners letter of 1956 about a perilous Elmer monumental tomb in the graveyard. Glen

One of the best sites I ever found was the Sussex poor laws. Ive lost it from my favourites since my puter crash but Im sure you can just google for it. They have the bastardy orders and settlement certs orders details on there. I found a dozen relating to my Bonifaces of Sussex - brill stuff.

Here's an example of the kind of thing which means you don't actually HAVE to see the record to get the info - though I should certainly want to get a copy if it were in my family! West Sussex Record Office Slindon Manuscripts Creator(s): Kempe family of Slindon, Sussex section Bundle FILE - Bundle - ref. SLINDON/54 - date: 1849-1859 item: Marriage Cert. Richard Hasler and Martha Newland - ref. SLINDON/54/8 - date: 27.4.1859 Christine PS - I am studiously ignoring OC's gloat over her staggeringly exciting find... ;-) PPS - this marriage does not appear on the GRO index - assuming that that really is the right date for the cert. PPPS (how sad am I?) This couple doesn't seem to disturb the censuses, either. Perhaps he was a soldier and they went off to India, or something?

My best find of all time on there was - wait for it - A SCRAPBOOK! The man who compiled it was a friend/business colleague of a mysterious branch of my family and had pasted all sorts of bits about them, including a wedding which enabled me to know I had the RIGHT family out of many others. Also details of a Will for this same family (a newspaper cutting from the Times) and all sorts of other fascinating details I could never have hoped to find in a million years! The scrapbook maker had anglicised his name from the German, and I cannot describe to you how I felt when I suddenly realised WHO he was - the hair stood up on the back of my neck and I nearly fainted with excitement LOL OC

What you find depends a lot on dates and places. I found my Gx10-g-father's Will on Docs Online (assuming my uncles' research didn't make any unwarranted leaps - I haven't seen all the back-up yet). There are a whole lot of refs to one of my Gx4-g-fathers, in Sussex - in fact to lots of that part of my family. I found my husband's Gx3-g-father's commercial insurance records (or that they existed and were at the Guildhall Library, who sent me copies). I found my husband's (alleged) Gx2-g-father's correspondence is in the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth - plan to go and have a look to see if there's anything promising there! It shows that the Devon Record Office has another Gx3-g-father's Will (but a cousin has kindly sent me a copy of her copy). In fact Sussex has been very good about making their records visible through A2A. Different areas have probably been better/worse than others. Christine

Heather and OC, Thanks for all this I can't wait to go delving. I've discovered a lot just by putting up one thread, about sites I have previously used but was not aware of just what you could access through them. I haven't been a member for 1 yr until September but still consider myself a relative (pardon the pun) newbie, compared to many of you. I think I was too easily put off, after trying certain sites in the beginning, when I could not find what I wanted..............though I know, nothing worth having is that easy to get lol! So I would have to say, to other newbies like myself, don't be put off, go back and take another look and just keep plugging away! Jen

back again, I am going to scream, I have searched on there lots of times and never found a thing, yet I had rellies who had shops and money when they died .I have tried putting in less information as sometimes that works better but still nothing zilch.

Great Site. I found my Great Grandad's will on there and sent off for it about a month ago. Can't wait. Linda

Yes, I agree with Christine, often the description of the document gives you the information you need to know - particularly Bastardy Orders, Settlement Orders and Removal Orders! Some give you absolutely nothing but a name - and then that maddening bit 'Not available to the Public'. I call that teasing! OC

If you're lucky, the document descriptions can have some quite useful info in them... probate dates for Wills, or dates of marriage agreements, names of relatives, or whatever. Christine

Yes, I believe the new look N.A. site does the lot now and is easier (for me anyway) to use. A lot of the docs are only descriptions Val and give you the offices where you can find them. Ooops, just seen OC has told you the same. Val, you have tried the Wills online at N.A. have you?

Valerie You can't access any documents on there - it tells you who has them and where you have to go to get them. There are more than 1300 references to my Holdens on there, going back to 1217. I shall not live long enough, nor ever have enough money, to access them all, but it is like a little magic porridge pot as far as I am concerned - everytime I dip my spoon in, I come up with more! Happy hunting and lots of patience, everyone. OC

Christine, Thankyou for the extra info, it may prove easier for those using the gov site? Jen

Sorry Valerie, having only just found this site, I have yet to find my way around..........hopefully, someone will be able to help. Jen

If you can get this page to come up properly http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/quick_search.aspx it searches A2A and Documents Online all at once! Christine