Welcome to a special Christmas edition of the monthly update. We’re back!
After a brief hiatus when our website had “gone missing” we are back up and running. However, if you have posted anything since 7th November it will have to be posted again.
We had the AGM on Tuesday, and I hope a good time was had by all.
Seasonal records
It’s always interesting looking at the records to find seasonal names, and I have found the following:
1871: 196 St Thomas Road, Mile End
Joseph Horn, rope maker
Mary Horn
Jesus Horn, aged 8
There are over 50 Mary Christmas’s in the census records
In 1956 there was a Christmas Tree wedding!
Hove: March quarter: Peter M TREE married Joan R R CHRISTMAS
In 1849 there was a White Christmas!
Midhurst: June quarter: Caleb CHRISTMAS married Thirza WHITE.
Local History
At Weston Museum, there a strong Victorian heritage and the Victorians knew how to do Christmas. With a big tree, traditional decorations, the sound of carols and the smell of something mulled in the air! If you would like something a bit different from the hectic, modern side of the festive season, then join them for a Victorian Christmas experience!
Weston Museum is holding a Victorian Christmas Evening on Friday 15th December @ 17.00-19.30
Get into the traditional festive spirit by joining them for a special evening opening. Soak up the wonderful Victorian Christmas atmosphere of the museum lit up by twinkling lights around the big tree, whilst under the covered starlight of the glass courtyard ceiling.
Have a little nibble of the Christmas menu, enjoy a warming mulled drink and listen to some traditional Christmas carols. They will also have lots of stocking fillers and quirky gifts that you won’t find on the high street for sale in the shop. There will be special one-off offers for this evening only, so you can grab a bargain in your Christmas shopping!
No need to book and the museum is free entry, Merry Christmas everyone!
Over the weekend of 16th and 17th there is a Victorian Christmas Celebration @ 10.00-17.00.
See Father Christmas!
Father Christmas will be making a special appearance to reward children who take part in the special Christmas trail with a gift from under the big tree. Father Christmas will be joining his elves on the trails that start at 11am and then at 3pm. Spaces for this are limited, so they advise booking in advance. You can book and pay for a space by either popping in to the museum or by phoning the main number (01934 621028) from Monday 13th November. The cost of £2.50 per child includes both the trail activity and the special gift from Father Christmas at the end.
Make some Christmas crafts
They will also have family friendly Christmas crafts in the Learning Space for children to make their own Christmas cards and tree decorations. There will be different crafts for both younger and slightly older children. They will also be joined by the lovely duo from Rainbow Sands again, so children can make some Christmas themed sand art. The craft activities do not need to be pre-booked; you can drop in between 11am and 3pm. Set prices apply for some crafts, whereas others are for a donation.
Enjoy some festive food and buy some gorgeous gifts
The cafe will have a special Christmas menu throughout December and our shop will feature a wide range of gifts for you to find something quirky and different from the rest of the high street.
Recent New Resources
The Genealogist are beginning to release the Lloyd George Domesday survey.
Since the 1911 census was taken many properties in Britain's cities have been lost to us forever. London is a particular case in point where some of the landscape has been remodelled, in many cases out of all recognition. Whether because of German bombing in the Blitz, or property development in the years between, you may be at a loss looking on a modern map for where your ancestors lived or worked. Where once there were streets of small terraced housing, a plot may have been cleared for a block of flats or a massive office development.
As London drew in many people from all over the country, many of us will have an ancestor that lived here in the first decade of the twentieth century. In some cases the roads that they lived on have been demolished as the area disappeared under large developments that had no reason to follow the ancient street layouts. Until now it has not been easy to trace where an ancestor actually lived when their street has been absorbed under a new building.
When searching for your ancestor, a link to a modern map is not much help when it seems to indicate that your ancestor's house was on the main thoroughfare, when their actual lane, court or road had been a branch off it. Some streets may also have been renumbered in the intervening years and so a modern map could pinpoint the wrong building when the number allocated had previously been issued to a different house. Using a map from the period will be better at pointing to the correct plot than a modern map ever will be.
TheGenealogist has launched a new set of records called The Lloyd George Domesday Survey which provide a unique solution to this problem. By digitising a set of historic maps that are contemporary to the period, TheGenealogist allows family history researchers to pinpoint an ancestor's address on a highly detailed map that will zoom down to show the individual properties as they existed in 1910. These, together with their associated valuation books, are part of the IR 91 land tax records gathered in 1910 under the Finance Act (1909-10). Commonly known as the Lloyd George Domesday Books (but actually entitled the Duties on Land Values), these records will eventually cover the entire country with tagged maps that will reveal exactly where your ancestors lived. The books will also provide researchers with basic information relative to the valuation of each property, including the valuation assessment number, map reference, owner, occupier, situation, description and extent. To begin the project TheGenealogist are launching the City of London and Paddington maps along with the associated valuation books.
Also on TheGenealogist the full set of tithe maps are now on line.
FindmyPast, of course is the home of the invaluable 1939 register. Peter Calvert from LostCousins.com has republished his free guide to the 1939 register with updated information.
Also on FindmyPast they have announced that they have released the archives of Trinity Mirror Group which includes the Daily Mirror from 1903 onwards. These are available via the newspaper section of their website.
Ancestry
Ancestry have updated their FindaGrave index including a section on burials at sea. They have also released parish records for Suffolk from 1538-1850.
Change of provider for free magazines from Weston Library
The free magazines available via your library card are rebranded as RBDigital (from Zinio). It is now a joint subscription with LibrariesWest and there will be two genealogy magazines available: “Who do you think you are?” and “Your Family History”
Social events
Please remember to bring along your money for the Kew trip at the next meeting. Brian or I will be collecting your money.
I have provisionally booked the Worlebury Golf Club for 1st October for the annual meal. More details and costing in the New Year.
May I wish you all a Happy Christmas, and may your brick walls be broken down!
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