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Vol 21 No 4 (December 2003) - Contents |
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News Roundup |
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Help! |
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Bookshelf |
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Editor's Notes |
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Christmas Crossword (print out and complete - PNG file: only 25kb) |
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New Members |
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Surname Interests |
Vol 21 No 3 (September 2003) - Contents |
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News Roundup |
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Help! |
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Brown's Lament |
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New Members |
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Surname Interests |
Vol 21 No 2 (June 2003) - Contents |
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News Roundup |
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WMFHS Noticeboard |
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Help! |
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New Members |
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Surname Interests |
Vol 21 No 1 (March 2003) - Contents |
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WMFHS Noticeboard |
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Help! |
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Network 11 Tape Library |
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Answers to the Christmas Quiz |
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New Members |
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Surname Interests |
Family Records Centre - The FRC now has its own dedicated website - it contains information on planning a visit (dates to avoid?) and you can download FRC information leaflets.
Heritage Centre, Greenford - View items of local history at Ravenor Farm, 29 Oldfield Lane South, Greenford, Middlesex, UB6 9LB (next to Ravenor Park). Open: Sat 10-4.30; Sun 1-4.30. Tel. no.: (020) 8575 6644 (when open); 07703 565495 or (020) 8579 0178 (when closed).
London Metropolitan Archives - On International Women's Day the LMA held a conference to highlight the stories of some of London's women in the past, present and future.
Public Record Office - The 1901 Census website is now available on-line continously (computers
and communications permitting). A telephone helpdesk (+44 (0) 1684 585 298/9) is available for the Census
Mon-Fri 9am-7pm; Sat 9am-5pm, or by e-mail at
support@censushelpdesk.co.uk.
PCC Wills online now cover the period 1810 to 1858
(although not 100% complete for the whole of this period).
The Society of Genealogists Great Card Index is now available on microfiche in the Lower Library.
Diary Dates
The Riverside Village of Isleworth - Andrea Cameron
An account of the history of Isleworth from Roman times (but mainly covering the 15th to 20th centuries)
by a former Chief Local Studies Librarian at Hounslow Central Library.
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(1) (March 2003)
A London Childhood - Bridget Purr
Donald Sidney PURR was born in 1900 and was 95 when he died. Although living in Hammersmith for over 50
years, he was born in Islington. This account of his childhood during the period 1905-1915 is one of two
accounts he left
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(1) (March 2003)
Computerising the West Middlesex Strays Index - Peter Roe
The West Middlesex Strays Index was contained in seven "card index" boxes of various shapes, types and
sizes, all in various states of disrepair. There was a large amount of information, but the index was in
need of much maintenance and repair. This was done while transferring the index into digital form. It is
now installed on the WMFHS laptop computer.
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(1) (March 2003)
Family History and Ealing Local History Centre - Jonathan Oates
The principal sources for family history that are available at the Ealing Local History Centre
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(1) (March 2003)
Past Meetings - the printed Journal contains full summaries
November - The Late Victorian Sailor - Michael Fountain
December - Christmas Social - plus "Christmas Curiosities and Traditions" (by Toni Davies)
January - History of the Village of Harefield - Eileen Bowlt
February - Thames Watermen and the GREEN Family - Pat Hilbert
April - The Indian Mutiny - Paul Blake
May - Bigamy - Peter Park
June - Poor Law records, how they can help the family historian - Jean Debney
July - Writing letters and their place in the family historians armoury - Jeanne Bunting
August - Members' Evening - 4 Short Talks
September - The history of Marriage - Colin Chapman
October - West Middlesex University Hospital - Margaret Black
London Bridge: A Visual History by Peter Jackson. (144pp, 160 illus., 0 948667 82 6, Nov 2002, £15.95)
Criminal London: A Pictorial History from Med1aeval Times to 1939 by Mark Herber. (224pp, 1 86077 1998, May 2002, £20)
Domesday Book: Middlesex ed. John Morris. (A5, hardback 0 85033 131 5 £12, paperback 0 85033 136 6 £7)
Brentford Past by Gillian Clegg. (144pp, 174 illus, 0 948667 76 1, Oct 2002, £15.95.)
Battersea Past by Patrick Loobey. (144pp, 180 illus., 0 948667 82 6 £15.95)
Croydon Past by John Gent. (144pp, 159 illus, 1 86077 223 4, Oct 2002, £15.99)
Walton Past by Bryan Ellis. (144pp, 155 illus, 1 86077 222 0, Oct 2002, £15.99)
All the above books can be ordered from:
One on Every Corner This book has recently been published by a research group at Westminster City Archives. In 1999 a group project was set up to undertake a local study. The subject was to be pubs in Westminster - soon amended to some pubs in Westminster! Sources included brewery records, records of licences, rate books, directories, newspaper reports, settlement examinations, census return, bomb damage reports and so on. The book contains hundreds of names that could be of interest to family historians. The book is on sale at Westminster Archives, price £12.99.)
Fire Insurance Records for Family and Local Historians by David T Hawkings. (290pp, 1 903427 14 2, London: Francis Boutle Publishers, n.d., £20)
Southall and Hanwell by Jonathan Oates (Ealing Local Studies Librarian). Available from WMFHS Postal Books £12.99
The Local Historian's Encyclopaedia by John Richardson. (Second, revised and enlarged edition of this comprehensive work of reference; 264pp, 0 948667 83 4, Philimore & Co., May 2003, £17.95)
The Family Historian's Pocket Dictionary by Stuart A Raymond. This is a book full of useful information. Definitions are augmented with notes for further reading and associated web pages. Some explanations only need a single line (e.g. Deponent) but some warrant a whole page or more (e.g. Society of Friends). Small enough to fit into a pocket, this excellent dictionary will surely become a must for all serious family historians. (262 pp. £6.95)
Birth, Marriages and Deaths on the Web, Parts 1 and 2 by Stuart A Raymond. Part 1 has a General section and then covers Southern England, the Marches and Wales. Part 2 covers the Midlands, Northern England and East Anglia. Arranged by county and place, a vast number of web pages have been identified. (Part 1: 74 pp. £5.95; Part 2: 68 pp. £5.95)
Monumental Inscriptions on the Web by Stuart A Raymond. These are contained in one volume, similarly arranged by county and place, another comprehensive list of web pages for use by the family historian. (89 pp. £5.95)
War Memorials on the Web, Parts 1 and 2 by Stuart A Raymond. Part 1 covers Southern England, the Marches and Wales and Part 2 covers the Midlands, Northern England and East Anglia. Again arranged by county and place, these volumes also identify web pages where this information is posted. (Part 1: 46 pp. £4.95; Part 2: 90 pp. £5.95)
A Calendar of Fairs and Markets Held in the Nineteenth Century by Pat Loveridge. Fairs and
markets were a focal point in the lives of many of our ancestors. Locating the place and date of these
events has until now usually required time-consuming searches through 19th century county trade directories,
which are sometimes few in number and often only available at the local record office of the relevant
county. This important new book provides the ideal solution: the author has trawled numerous trade
directories and almanacs and the result is is an easy-reference compilation of the main statute fairs,
trading fairs, pleasure fairs and markets in towns, cities and villages throughout England and Wales - and
some in Scotland - in the 19th century.
A member of the Romany and Traveller FHS, her original
mission was to aid fellow researchers in tracing ancestors whose travelling circuits revolved around
attendance at these fairs; however, the book will also prove a very useful research tool for anyone who has
ever wondered how great-great-grandparents from different villages came to meet and marry, or why an
individual in a census return has a different birthplace to his or her siblings - or simply part of the
background information for a particular community. The book is comprehensively indexed by place, county and
fair/market type and the information is gathered under various headings, such as those fairs affected by
the timing of Easter, and how to ascertain all fairs and markets held on a given day in a census year.
(A5, 132 pp. softback £7.30 within UK; elsewhere: £7.90)
A Faithful Servant Indeed by John S Payne. This well-researched and presented little book tells the story of the author's gret-great-aunt Selina Payne, a cloth weaver's daughter from Trowbridge in Wiltshire who in the mid-19th century moved to Acton, West London to work as a housekeeper to the long-serving Rector of Acton, the Rev. William Antrobus, and after his death to his son William Thomas Antrobus. The most intriguing aspect of her story is that at the end of her life she was a wealthy woman, and John Payne attemps to unravel the reasons why. The wealth of ilustrations show the various properties owned by the Antrobus family, together with family portraits and maps of 19th century Acton, and copies of family documents such as wills etc. The book is a lesson in how to present the research gathered on an interesting individual from one's family tree. The author would be interested in hearing from anyone researching the Antrobus family. (£4.50 plus 46p p&p within UK)
The Genealogist's Internet by Peter Christian (Editor of the Internet news pages in TNA's Ancestors magazine). An updated and expanded edition of this best-selling guide. How to make the most of the numerous resources available to the family historian via the Web. Designed primarily for UK researchers, it explains for the beginner how the Internet works and details the major sources of primary data available online, and how the Internet can be used to contact others with the same surname interests or to access the many volumes, discussion groups, mailing lists and newsgroups focusing on genealogy. This new revised edition contains additional material on the developments in online services in key areas such as censuses, wills and vital records, as well as subjects such as historical maps, immigrant communities and standards for online purchasing. (Publ. Sep 03, 262 pp. £10.99)
Liquid History: The Thames Through Time by Stephen Croad. The Lord Mayor and Corporation of London's conservancy of the Thames extended east from London Stones at Staines as far as Yantlet in Kent - the stretch of water documented in this book. Drawing on English Heritage's photographic archives in the National Monuments Record (held at Swindon), this is a journey along the tidal river and over almost 150 years: the old rural Thames, riverside towns, civic and commercial development along the banks, docks and warehouses, building of bridges, barges, sailing ships and warships, flood defences and and the Tower of London beach. Featuring the work of photography pioneers and some great 20th century topographical photographers, this shows the ebb and flow of a great river. (ISBN: 0 713 48834 4, 208 pp., 187 b/w illus., publ. Spring 03 £15.99)
London's Shops: the world's emporium by Tara Draper-Stumm and Derek Kendall. People have shopped in London for centuries. Many familiar shop names began as early as the 18th century and some historic shop buildings are still used for their original purpose, e.g. James Lock, hatters of St James's Street since 1765. This book is highly illustrated, with chapters on specialist shops, food shops, department stores, arcades and markets. (ISBN: 1 850 74844 6, 128 pp., over 100 colour photos, publ. Dec 02 £12.95)
Living the Past by Val Horsler. An imaginative guide to the perils and pleasures of living in the past, featuring English Heritage's country-wide range of re-enactments plus 'living' museums and sites, focusing on the practical activities that defined our ancestors' lives - farming, fighting, cooking, building, as well as wills, household accounts and other documents, helping to bring us close to real people's lives over the past 2000 years. (ISBN: 0 297 84312 5, 192 pp., over 300 colour illus., pbk £20)
The last three books above are available from
English Heritage, Gillards Ltd
More... Servants in the Census
An overview of some research into the origins, movements and work of servants during the nineteenth century,
with particular reference to the National Orphan Home for Girls on Ham Common.
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(1) (March 2003)
Editor's Notes
Congratulations to member Chris Hern on being appointed MBE in the New Year's Honours List.
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(1) (March 2003)
If an unmarried mother has her baby in the Workhouse, the child may be baptised at the (parish) church local to the Workhouse
When someone has “annuitant” against their name in a census entry, although this may mean that they have an income from investments, it may alternatively mean that they are receiving a small pension from a family they worked for as a servant for a long period, or from a commercial company with whom they were employed.
Church bells have played an important rôle in the life of the community since the 8th century. They were used to summon the faithful to worship, celebrate baptisms, weddings and feast days, give news of Royal births and glorious national victories, and were tolled on the occasion of the death of a parishioner: “three times three” upon the death of a man and “three times two” upon the death of a woman, follwed by the years of the dead persons age...
The earliest document available at the Family Records Centre is a PCC will dating from the year 1383/4.
The process of receiving copies of certificates of recent births, marriages and deaths at the Family Records Centre from local register offices and microfilming and indexing them takes up to eighteen months.
Westward Ho! - Bridget Purr
An account of the Southwest Family History Societies Conference about movement and migration. Subjects covered
included:
The Reynolds Family - David Reynolds
A search for family in West Middlesex, starting with an unknown grandfather.
( BAKER: Joan Nellie Mary Ann, Leonard, Mary; CAREY: Mary; MONEY: Winifred; REYNOLDS: David, George,
Henry, Jeanette, Joseph, Paul, Peter, Valerie; SCUDDER: Mary Jane )
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(2) (June 2003)
William Candler and the Almshouses - Peter Alexander
Who was Great Uncle William, master grocer of Twickenham? What happened to his estate?
( CANDLER: Edward Henry, Emma Tilbrook, Herbert, Julia (later HASLET), Mary, William (x2); FURBANK:
Arthur James )
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(2) (June 2003)
Letter to the Editor - Marion Webb
A follow-up to “My Ancestor was
a Lunatic” - another case of possible occupational poisoning (in Southall).
( BURROWS: Frederick Thomas, James, Louisa, Percy, William; MOODY: Elizabeth )
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(2) (June 2003)
West London Local History Conference 2003
An account of the 2003 West London Local History Conference on Georgian London 1741-1841. Subjects
covered included:
The Hedges and Saunders Families of Hillingdon - Alan King
In May 2000, the author was asked to investigate his grandfather's family tree as he lived in
Shepperton, only some thirteen miles from his grandfather's birthplace at Yiewsley, Hillingdon,
Middlesex. And so he became hooked on Family History!
(COTTRELL: Charlotte; HAYWOOD: Amy;
HEDGES: Margaret Jenny, William, Ernest James, Charles William, John James, Sarah, James, Sarah, Henry,
Charles Edward, Harry, Amy (Harriet), Lily May; RADBORNE: Sarah; SAUNDERS: Nellie, John, Agnes Nellie;
VEITCH: Jenny Reid Somerville, Janet Reid.)
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(3) (September 2003)
From Ancestors to Descendants - Eileen Johnson
In September 2002 the author organised her second MEERING family get-together in Oxfordshire, but her
story began twenty years earlier...
(BAYNE: Mary Ann; MEERING: George Harry, George, George Thomas, Henry, James, John, Sheila, Thomas)
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(3) (September 2003)
Deserted Mediaeval Villages - Yvonne Masson
What are they? Why were they deserted?
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(3) (September 2003)
Family History Courses
The Bishopsgate Institute, opposite Liverpools Street Station, is running the following courses which
may be of interest to those members who have research interests in these areas:
Exploring London's Lesser-known Districts on a saturday: London Blue Badge guide Diane Burstein continues her 'Discovering London' tours with eight walks exploring some of London's lesser known districts. A list of subsequent walks will be given out during the first walk in Shoreditch, but other areas to be covered include: Kensington; Lisson Grove and North Marylebone; Little Italy and Hatton Garden; Islington Squares;Secrets of the South Bank; City Courtyards and Alleyways; and Primrose Hill. Start date 27.9.03, finish date 15.11.03. Details from tel. 020 7392 9200 or e-mail enquiries@bishopsgate.org.uk
On the last Friday of each month at 6pm, the East of London FHS (Bishopsgate Branch) holds meetings with speakers on topics of local and family history interest: 26 September - The London City Mission Dr John Nicholls
Editor's Notes
Our stock of articles sent in by members about their family history is now getting low and I would
ask anyone who has thought about contributing to the Journal to send something in, even if it needs
"licking into shape."
Members' Interests. A further word about new members' surname interests: the form
we send to new members on which they are invited to fill in their surname interests has very
comprehensive instructions on the back, but nowhere can I find any "plus" or "minus" signs suggested
for the "period of interest" column, yet occasionally they appear on the forms! I tend to assume
that if I can't understand what exactly these signs are meant to convey, nor will other members, so
I cannot use them in the Surname Interests section. Please can I ask anyone filling in the forms to
stick to the formats suggested, as these should cover every eventuality required. And I am afraid we
cannot include individual ancestors, so no forenames please.
Deadlines for the quarterly issues of the Journal are:
15 January; 15 April; 15 July; 15 October.
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(3) (September 2003)
A Very Elusive Great Grand Aunt - Margaret Watson
My mother never talked much about her father's family. She only mentioned that she hadn't got on
with her father. However, I had a certificate of his birth in 1873 and his name was unique: Woodruff
TILBURY. Knowing his parents' names, it was a simple step to find a copy of their 1867 marriage
certificate, especially with the fairly uncommon names of William Wix TILBURY and Jane WOODRUFF. Using
his age on the marriage certificate as a guide, finding a birth certificate - 23rd January 1846 - for
William Wix was straightforward, confirming his father's name: another William TILBURY. Wow! Genealogy
is easy, I thought. But that was where my problems began... (COLE: Edward, Gertrude Maude, James,
William; GAIGER: Sarah; TILBURY: Ann, George, Harriet, Jane, John, Woodruff, William; WIX: Mary,
William; WOODRUFF: Jane; YOUNG: Mary)
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(4) (December 2003)
Brentford High Street Project - Celia Cotton
I am working on a project to record the details of people and properties on the High Street, Brentford,
for the period 1841 onwards. This arose from having a number of ancestors who lived on the High Street,
including: Florence Maria TAYLOR, George TAYLOR, John Donville TAYLOR (all bakers), William and Frederick
FOORD (decorators), Thomas PARSONS (shoemaker), James PARSONS (grocer), Joseph PARSONS (watchmaker), John
BLOOMER (builder), Alfred PLATT (grocer)... Eventually it would be wonderful to create a "virtual reality"
view of the High Street at different dates (but I realise this may be overly ambitious). The plan is to
publish the project on the Internet, hopefully during 2004, although I have a lot to learn first.
"Can I help?" you (hopefully) ask. Well, if you can pin a surname to a house number at
any date, this would be very useful, as the censuses do not always include house numbers (and where they
do, they are not always accurate). If you have any memories of the High Street properties, or people who
lived there and wouyld be happy for them to be included in the project (with or without acknowledgement)
please forward them. Similarly, photographs of the High Street of any date that you are
happy to share will add a lot of interest. Thank you!
"Can you help me?" you ask. I am happy to look up any surnames or occupants of any
property: just e-mail me. I may also be able to help
if you have a census entry from 1871 or earlier and want to find out where this was on the High Street.
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(4) (December 2003)
Grandad's Old Diary - Maggie Mold
I was recounting with enthusiasm to my mother how far I had managed to trace our family history, in an
effort to try and stir the memories, when my brother, who happened to be visiting at the time, said "I
think I've got Grandad's old diary"! And there started the quest...
(SWEETMAN: Thomas George)
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(4) (December 2003)
The Mystery of Grandfather's Wig - Joan Scrivener
Why do two photographs (circa 1950-1960) show Henry REMSBERY and others wearing strange wigs and other
decorations?
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(4) (December 2003)
We Seek 'Em Here, We Seek 'Em There - Bridget Purr
The first Day Conference held by the West Middlesex Family History Society took place in the conference
suite of the National Archives, Kew on a glorious Saturday, 13th September. The early morning sunshine
set the tone for the day and our delegates began to arrive early for what was to be a very successful
occasion. The first speaker was Michael Gandy with "It gets Easier Every Day", an account of the explosion
of interest in family history since the 1960s. Next were John and Beryl Hurley, who suggested that we
should search "Alternative Sources" that can be found at our local record office, such as Hair Powder tax
returns, lists of apprentices, hiring fair records, incumbents visiting books and much else. After lunch
Chris Watts spoke about some of the records held at the National Archives.
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(4) (December 2003)
And More from our Roving Courier... - Valerie Walker
An aside on present-day basketmaking in the Somerset Levels.
West Middlesex FHS Journal 21(4) (December 2003)