Genealogy Chat

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?

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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