News & Information

Wishing all our members and fellow Family Historians a Joyous and Successful New Year. It's a swiftly moving time for family history with even more resources becoming accessible, shedding light into the dark corners of our research.   

• 2014 has seen the start of the commemoration of WW1 and has raised our awareness of the happenings of that time – exhibitions, books, films and private projects have inspired many to take up Family History and explore their families.  In 2015 we will be looking back 200 years to the Battle of Waterloo.  We are lucky in that our Treasurer, David MILNER, has compiled an index of men who fought at the battle of Waterloo 16th to 18th June 1815.  David is an authority on the Battle of Waterloo and can be contacted here.
• Research generally gets more difficult in the early 19th century so if you are stuck why not use our Research Forum or join us at Weston Library on a Saturday afternoon between 2.00 pm and 3.30 pm.
• We re-start our weekly Help Sessions at Weston Library on Sat Jan10th.  Before Christmas we had an interesting quest which involved looking at the local newspapers which are on film in the library.  They are not indexed so it is not always easy to find information but they are a rich source of local knowledge.  I have received an email of thanks directed to all the volunteers in the Library who helped in this particular search.  In this case it was an inquest which gave interesting details which were new to the researcher.  In many cases Coroner’s Reports have not survived and newspapers can fill a gap here. 
• Using the British Newspaper Archive  (which can also be accessed through Findmypast or free of charge in Weston Library  – in the same way as you can use Ancestry in the Library) I found that a great uncle who had served in WW1, returned home to find that his wife had sold some of their furniture and they subsequently separated.  He served  a prison sentence for embezzlement in the 1920s and later gave his wife an uncontested  divorce as he  “was seen entering a hotel bedroom with an unnamed woman” according to the newspaper.   His wife remarried but he didn’t.  I knew of him but knew nothing about this part of his life – I had always assumed that he was a bachelor when he died.  Never assume anything!!
• On the subject of assumptions; I have been less than complementary about the Family Trees published on Ancestry in the past but in December I spotted one which included my family with what I think was incorrect information.  I contacted the owner and had a reply – he explained that he had done his family history by accepting the hints from Ancestry and from other family trees so was pleased to have information from someone who had used original records. I was delighted to get this reply and have been in contact with him again.   In the past when I have attempted to correct other errors I have received – either no response at all or  “I’m not related to that individual – I took it from my brother-in-law’s research and he must be right!” or “As there are nine trees  all saying the same you must be wrong” .  These published trees can be useful as a tool and if the entries are accompanied with their sources  they can be really helpful - but you really do need to go to the original documents for proof. However, I'm very much aware that I can make mistakes like everyone else and that some of the original documents can be very hard to read.

Visit to Kew

• Our annual visit to the National Archives at Kew always proves exciting and with unexpected benefits.  As you will see elsewhere from Brian Airey,  this year we are going on March 5th so you have plenty of time to check on their web site which documents you may find useful. Do familiarise yourself with that is available.  If it is your first visit take a look at this site before you go. Brian has suggested some other sites as well.  My tip is to draw up a list of what you are hoping to find – nothing is worse than remembering you wanted something on the way back!!
• To find out which documents are available to download go to the National Archives  and tick the box  “Available to download from the National Archives”  If you enter “Weston-super-Mare” you get 475 results which if you download at home would cost you £3.30 each but if you download while at Kew you only pay the cost of printing.  Try entering the place where you ancestor lived or your family surname and see what is available. Records on Findmypast or Ancestry you can also be downloaded free of charge at Kew. 

Suggestions for Research

• In looking at censuses recently I came across a family who was living in rooms in the same house in London in 1881, 1891 and 1901.  By putting the address with the number of the house into a search engine (using inverted commas) I discovered that the same address was included in a report on the sanitation of that area in 1891, and it was included in Booth’s Survey of Poverty in 1892 and  mention was made of it in an account of a family who lived there in 1909.  Don’t just stop at the censuses!
• I’ve just discovered that the Trade Union Records which have recently been added to FindmyPast include the Railway Workers and the Carpenters & Joiners Branches of Weston-super-Mare.  Some well known local names show up – including a HASE!
• Watch the presentation on Findmypast on "Breaking Down Brick Walls"
• If you have Scottish ancestry, ScotlandsPeople allow you (for a fee - about  £1.15 each) to obtain the image of the early birth, marriage and death certificates.  Statutory registration started in Scotland in 1853.  Now available to view are images for Scottish statutory births until 1914, marriages until 1939 and deaths until 1964. These digital images of the official records are released under the legislation that allows the publication of birth, marriage and death records that were registered in Scotland more than 100, 75 and 50 years ago.  Certificates for events which took place after these dates are available for £12.00 each.
• If you don’t already subscribe to this newsletter do take a look at the Dec 25th edition of the Lost Cousins Newsletter  Although the offers may be over,  the advice contained in other parts is very helpful especially “Finding missing Children” and “Extending your tree beyond 1911”. 
• About this time of each year you will find that many County Record Offices close for a while for stocktaking so if you are thinking of making a visit to one do check its opening times.  For Example Bristol Record Office is closed between the 20th and 30th January.  Somerset Heritage Centre is closed for a similar period.

New Year Resolutions

• One of the best pieces of advice I was given when I started family history – was   “Slow down, savour each item as you find it – the information has survived for a hundred years - it isn’t going to disappear – it will wait for you!”  I still find it difficult not to get caught up in the excitement of each new lead. 
• Other Resolutions:-You can make your own list but mine would start with:
• Record all the sources of information I find.
• Read the background information available on Genealogical Web sites – there is so much more on many of these sites other than a search box!
• Write up my findings in an accessible way which might inspire others to follow on
• Make 2015 the year when I finally find the birth and parents of the Robert LONG who was married at St Mary's Church in Bitton in 1767 to Hester PRIGG. This marriage was one of the first things I discovered when I started to research in 1975 and I’m still stuck there!!

January Meeting

Our Meeting on January 27th will feature a return visit of  Christine Thomas who will be talking about the Hong Kong Colonial Cemetery.  She will be exploring the stories behind the gravestones of Colonial ancestors.  Christine is a member of our Society and a professional researcher covering Hong Kong and China.