With the autumn comes a renewed interest in Family History. As the leaves fall from the trees we all seem to be busying ourselves looking for the lost twigs (and sometimes the roots) from own family trees. Another new series of "Who do you think you are?" has triggered off more interest and the now weekly Free Help Sessions in the Library are proving popular.
Family History is not just names, dates and places. I’ve just filled in our entry for the Electoral Roll for this year and yesterday I was looking at the published Electoral Rolls for London (on Ancestry – available at many Libraries) for a William HASE who I knew from Baptismal entries was living in 16 Galton Street from late 1881 to at least 1886. By 1891 they had moved. The Electoral List told me that in 1888 he was stll there in rented accommodation – two rooms, unfurnished on the 1st Floor for which he paid 4 shillings a week to a Mr TURNER who also lived at 16, Galton Street. I hadn’t realised that this sort of detailed information was available on some Electoral Rolls - it certainly adds some welcome colour to my research.
World War 1 Commemoration
We have our own Project 2014 – The very fact that we are here today means that we all have someone who lived through the 1914-18 War.
What ha ve you been able to discover both about conditions both for those serving men and women and for those who remained at home?
This photograph shows my grandmother Florence Gertrude HILL nee PINNOCK dressed in her husband’s uniform at the start of the War; before he went to France. If this photograph had not been properly named by my grandfather I would have been very puzzled when it fell into my possession!
I know that my grandfather was gassed in France but unfortunately his service record has not survived but there can be some incredible detail to be found about those who served. Our own web site does have information (for members) of those who are remembered on the War Memorial in Grove Park. See here for those transcriptions which include details of family and service not just names.
The newspapers also shed some light on life on the home front and the restrictions. Did you know that if was an offence to sell bread that was too fresh after the end of WW1? Apparently if a loaf was too new you wasted too much in slicing it. A baker in Burnham on Sea was fined for this
Don’t forget that by using your library card you can probably access, free of charge, the Times and 19th Century British Newspapers in your own home. Check with your local library to see what online services they provide. See here for more details
While talking about newspapers – there is a free site for Welsh Newspapers - click here to look at it. Before you say you haven’t any Welsh ancestors – in many cases news items are syndicated around the country and if you just search for “Weston-super-Mare†you will find over 14,000 entries! It’s worth a try! The same applies to free Australian newspapers - click here to access that site
News was reprinted from newspapers in this country so you might well find something of interest on this site as well.
The Society’s stand will be at the Family History Fair organised by the Glamorgan FHS at Merthyr Tydfil on Saturday Oct 12th and we should be delighted to see any of our Welsh members. See here for more details.
Don’t forget to read the queries on our Research Forum – you may pick up some advice for your own research and you may have some advice to offer in reply to others. Can I repeat my plea for SURNAMES to be entered in CAPITAL Letters?- it makes the information easier to read and distinguishes surnames from places
The next meeting is on Oct 29th at St Paul’s Church Hall –the topic is the first Mayor of Weston-super-Mare, Henry BUTT, his life and times and his contribution to the history of Weston. If any of you have memorabilia concerning him or Weston between the wars it would be great if you could bring it along.
| 
login
