Tracing Your Ancestors from 1066 to 1837 Read online

  Some museums are out of doors. There are museums such as the Chiltern Open Air Museum in Buckinghamshire or the Beamish Museum in Durham, which are collections of fairly ordinary dwellings and workplaces in order to show how many rural people lived. At the other end of the scale are the country houses owned by the National Trust and English Heritage, which indicate how the gentry lived. There are also castles and a few battlefield museums on the site of past conflicts, such as Bosworth and Hastings. Many of these feature re-enactments of battles or other activities.

  Most of these places will have a bookshop, which will probably also sell guides to specific aspects of family history. There may be other relevant matter, such as copies of old maps, postcards, perhaps even CDs or DVDs. Many will have a cafe, or at least places to eat a packed lunch.

  Don’t forget the myriad family history societies which exist in every county. The county or borough record office should be able to supply their contact details; otherwise try an internet search. These groups of like minded enthusiasts hold regular meetings and talks by experts on aspects of family history. They produce regular newsletters and journals, which often include lists of ancestors’ surnames which members are interested in, as well as general news about local family history.

  Principal Websites

  All these three subscription websites (i.e. pay to view) contain indexes to the civil registration records and to the census, from 1841. They also have the following, sometimes overlapping, features.

  Ancestry.co.uk

  London and Middlesex Parish Registers, 1538–20th century

  Alien Arrivals, 1810–11, 1826–69

  Alien Entry Books, 1794–1931

  Extracted parish registers (various)

  Andrew’s newspaper index cards, 1790–1976

  London Nonconformist registers, 1694–1921

  Royal Navy officers, 1660–1815

  Pallot’s baptism and marriages register indexes, 1780–1837

  Archdeaconry probate indexes (various)

  Waterloo Medal Roll

  Naval medal roll, 1793–1972

  Military medals roll, 1793–1949

  Criminal registers, 1791–1892

  Various school and university rolls

  www.Origins.net

  National Wills Index (pre-1858)

  Marriage Indexes (Surrey), 1500–1846

  Marriage Indexes (Dorset), 1538–1856

  Marriage indexes (London), 1538–1837

  York Marriage Bonds indexes, 1613–1839

  Association Rolls, 1696

  City of London Burials, 1781–1904

  Charles I Chancery Index, 1625–1649

  Inheritance Disputes, 1574–1914

  London Consistory Court deputations index, 1700–1713

  London apprenticeships abstracts, 1442–1850

  www.Findmypast.co.uk

  British Army Service records, 1760–1913

  Waterloo Medal Roll

  Armed forces baptisms, 1761–2005

  Armed forces marriages, 1796–2005

  Armed forces burials

  Miscellany military rolls, 1656–1888

  Civil Service Evidences of Age, 1752–1948

  Trinity House Calendars, 1787–1854

  Apprentices, 1710–1774

  Boyd’s Inhabitants of London, 1700–1846

  National Burial Index

  Memorial Inscriptions

  City of London Burials

  Faculty Office Marriage Licence Allegations, 1701–1850

  Vicar General Marriage Licences, 1694–1850

  Boyd’s London Burials, 1538–1872

  Boyd’s London, Marriages, 1538–1840

  Boyd’s London, Miscellany, 1538–1775

  Militia Attestation Rolls, 1806–1915

  Bear in mind that the content of these websites is constantly being updated, so do keep a watch out for what is on offer therein.

  CONCLUSION

  Hopefully this book has given the reader useful information in their search for their ancestors beyond the census and civil registration of the early nineteenth century. The main point to be emphasized is that, even more so than with the later period, it is essential to work back a generation at a time. This is to ensure that the people you are working on are the correct ones. As with all family history, luck plays its part. To quote Napoleon, don’t tell me if he is a good general, just tell me if he is lucky! Having propertied ancestors also helps, as does having an ancestor who was in a profession for which archives are held. Of course, having criminal or pauper ancestors is not a disaster, for these people leave archives behind them, too. For those whose ancestors are neither, parish records and manorial records are probably the best single sources of recorded names.

  Another good first step is to use the electronic sources available. TNA’s website is a mine of information. The catalogue can be searched online, as can the index to the Prerogative Court of Canterbury’s wills. The website Access to Archives (a2a) is another significant resource for it covers all deposited archives in the UK and can be searched online. The IGI is another online source. Ancestry.co.uk has London/Middlesex parish registers available, and both Origins.net and Findmypast.co.uk are other valuable tools for beginning your research. However much information you gain from these sources, you may well need to return to them with additional queries as you uncover more material from elsewhere.

  Yet you will have to visit record offices and libraries and conduct research in the traditional manner, turning pages and sifting through parchment. Family research prior to 1837 is less easy than that for more recent times. However it is not impossible, and the assistance given here will hopefully help. Remember that each piece of information is not only important itself but can provide a clue to further information sources, just like a jigsaw puzzle.

  Appendix 1

  PALAEOGRAPHY AND LATIN FOR FAMILY HISTORIANS

  There are two apparent difficulties facing family historians when venturing beyond 1837. One is that the handwriting is very different to our own. Almost all documents are manuscript, i.e. handwritten. Over the centuries, handwriting has changed considerably. Both the size and shape of letters, as well as the spelling, varied and is unlike our own. Furthermore, the language used is often Latin, especially in legal documents, up to 1733. And even then, this is not the Classical Latin as used by the Romans or in the few schools where the language is still taught. Rather it is a bastardized form. Spelling can be erratic as abbreviations are commonly used and proper nouns are far removed in spelling from our own period. Numbers are often expressed as Roman numerals.

  Yet the researcher should not despair. There are some very useful guides. Eileen Gooder’s Latin for Local Historians is one. It takes the reader through various documents which a family historian might encounter, and gives examples on which a beginner should work prior to attempting a ‘real’ manuscript. The Borthwick Institute (referred to in Chapter 13) sells a number of Borthwick Wallets which include further examples of copies of different forms of document which a researcher is likely to encounter. There is also a very useful guide on TNA website. It gives useful advice and also ten examples of handwriting which the reader is invited to transcribe as practice before ‘real’ documents are attempted, beginning with the least difficult and progressing in difficulty as the reader grows in confidence.

  Possession of the guides mentioned above are recommended. So, too, are medieval Latin word lists, such as E McLaughlin, Simple Latin for Family Historians (1999) and J Morris, A Latin Glossary for Family and Local Historians (1989), for they concentrate on the words most likely to be found in the documents you will be examining.

  Some handwriting is very good indeed. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century formal documents, such as quarter session order books, were written in a very clear hand. And, as we shall note in the next appendix, many medieval documents have already been calendared so can be seen without recourse to the originals. Most researchers, having dealt with post 1831 census r
eturns, will already probably have dealt with tricky handwriting.

  The best tip is to read the documents very slowly indeed, letter by letter, rather than word by word and certainly not sentence by sentence. You may need to transcribe (i.e. copy) the document in order to read it. Retain the original spelling and do not at first try to translate it into modern English. Begin by examining the first word and identifying each letter and then building up words and sentences from there. If a letter or word cannot be identified at first, leave a blank or put a question mark by the letter/word. The context of the other words may become apparent as time goes on. The same word may be repeated and it may be more readable on the next occasion. Depending on what type of document it is, standard phrases will tend to appear therein. Once these have been identified, this will make reading the document easier. These may then help decipher other words in the same document.

  Latin Psalter, fourteenth century. Paul Lang’s collection.

  Of course, it is easier to transcribe documents if they are in English, but even so, words are often spelt differently to modern usage. Printing helped standardize spelling, but prior to the eighteenth century spellings were variable, and words were often spelt phonetically. Furthermore, some everyday words used centuries ago have now totally fallen into disuse. An older dictionary may help with definitions. Some letters are used interchangeably, such as I and j, y and I, u and v, and f and s can be confused as they are written in a similar fashion.

  Abbreviations can also cause difficulties. Medieval scribes were busy fellows and wanted to save themselves time, especially on words which appeared regularly (think of text messages on mobile phones for a modern, if ephemeral, example). These abbreviations may either involve letter(s) omitted from the middle of a word or at their end, and are indicated by a line above the word or by an apostrophe at the end. C T Martin’s The Record Interpreter has a list of common abbreviations and Jenkinson’s Court Hand deals with the matter, too.

  Names can present a difficulty, because names are often in Latin. Johannes is used for John and Ade for Adam. The other difficulty is that, until the fifteenth century, surnames were not hereditary, and could be based on where someone lived, or their occupation or a physical feature. Names such as Will Scarlet, Much the Miller’s son and Sir Guy of Gisborne spring to mind to aficianados of the Robin Hood stories. However wealthier members of society had hereditary surnames since the twelfth and thirteenth century. Likewise, names of places can be far removed from modern spellings; but there is a series of place-name dictionaries, organized by county, which list all the variant spellings.

  Finally, there is no need to read every single part of the court roll (for example) which you believe your ancestor may be named on. Only that line which mentions their name is relevant to you. Therefore the ability to spot the relevant name among the others will narrow down your work considerably. Many of these documents are set out in a standard manner and some phrases will be formulaic, both of which make reading easier. The legal phraseology of most deeds can usually be safely skipped as it is irrelevant to modern researchers, as well as often being horrendously lengthy.

  Initially reading old handwriting, especially if in medieval Latin, is not easy. Yet if you are to trace your ancestors back beyond the sixteenth century, it is a necessary knack to acquire, and with practice it will become less difficult. If you can take a photocopy or photographic copy of the relevant document(s), do so. You can then deal with it at home, in leisure, with reference works to hand – perhaps a knowledgeable friend can help, too, but don’t expect staff to assist (they are busy with other tasks).

  Appendix 2

  PUBLISHED CALENDARS

  In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, historians and archivists spent much of their time in the calendaring and publication of documents, mostly from the medieval and early modern period. These are not complete transcriptions, but are summaries of the salient points contained within the documents, with names, places and actions. Published documents are easier to read and also to copy and negate the need to see the original documents, often held at TNA. Even if the transcription is not a translation, it will still be easier to deal with, being readable and easy to photocopy. Furthermore, they are almost always well indexed by place and name.

  Act Books, 1078–1228

  The English Episcopal Acta project has resulted in the publication of two volumes of charters issued by the bishops of the diocese. These have been transcribed in Latin, but there is a synopsis in English for each and there is a useful index to people, places and things.

  Calendar of Assizes Records (1973–95)

  Sixteen volumes covering the assize records of the Home Circuit from 1558–1625.

  Calendar of Various Chancery Rolls, Supplementary Close Rolls … Preserved in the Public Record Office, AD. 1277–1326 (1912)

  These are letters of instruction from the Crown and letters relating to military service.

  Calendar of Chancery Warrants preserved in the Public Record Office, 1244–1326 (1927).

  These are warrants under the Great Seal.

  Calendar of the Charter Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office (1903–27)

  This six-volume series covers 1226–1516 and is in English.

  Calendars of Charters and Rolls Preserved in the Bodleian Library

  Guide to the pre-twentieth-century manuscript holdings at said library.

  Calendar of the Fine Rolls (1911–62)

  This twenty-two-volume series, indexed and written in English, covers 1272–1509. Fine rolls for John’s reign, 1199–1216, albeit in Latin, are in Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus … Tempore Regis Johannis (1835). Those for his successor, Henry III, are also in Latin, in Excerpta et Rotuli Finium in Turri Londinensi Asservatis (1835–6).

  Calendars of Inquisition Post Mortem, 1235–1660

  This is a twenty-two-volume series covering inquisitions, with some gaps, though it is an ongoing project, having begun in 1904. It has been written in English and indexed by person and place, but excludes names of jurors.

  Calendars of Inquisitions Miscellaneous (Chancery) Preserved in the Public Record Office, 1218–1485 (1916–2003)

  An eight-volume series covering the fate of the lands of those suspected of treason or who rebelled against the King. In English.

  Inquistitions and Assessments relating to Feudal Aids, 1284–1431 (1899–1920)

  This six-volume series contains a number of medieval Exchequer Books used for the assessment of taxes and subsidies. In Latin, but indexed. It is organized geographically.

  Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII (1862–1932)

  This twenty-three-volume series is indexed and contains many references to individuals who had dealings with Henry’s government in various capacities.

  Calendar of the Liberate Rolls (1916–64)

  This six-volume set covers most of the years of Henry III’s reign, 1226–72, and concern payments to royal officials. Indexed and in English.

  Memoranda Rolls

  These records concern finance and property and a number have been calendared from 1199 to 1327, some by the Pipe Roll Society and some by HMSO.

  Calendar of the Patent Rolls (1906–2002)

  These volumes provide English summaries of the rolls from 1232–1582 and are indexed.

  Calendar of Patent Rolls of the Reign of Henry III (1901–3)

  Calendars of the Proceedings in Chancery in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth (1827–32)

  Three-volume series.

  Calendar of Signet Letters of Henry IV and Henry V (1978)

  Letters written by the two monarchs, father and son, who reigned 1399–1413 and 1413–22.

  Calendars of State Papers Domestic, 1509–1704

  State Papers are documents either created by government or received by them. They include references to clergymen, gentry, soldiers, criminals, traitors and many others. They were transcribed and indexed and form a large series of large, weighty vo
lumes, and can be located on the open shelves of TNA.

  Calendars of Treasury Papers and Books, 1557–1745

  These numerous volumes list payments to individuals for services on the monarch’s or the government’s business. Indexed and available on open access on TNA’s shelves.

  Nonarum Inquistiones in Curia Saccari (1807)

  Transcriptions of the wool tax returns for 1340 for twenty-seven counties.

  Pipe Rolls

  Most from 1156–1221 have been calendared by the Pipe Roll Society, but others have been published by county record societies, too. They list payments to the Exchequer and the officials concerned with its administration.

  The Poll Taxes of 1377, 1379 and 1381

  Two volumes of transcribed tax returns (Bedfordshire to Leicestershire, then Lincolnshire to Westmorland) and a third volume as index to the first two.

  Privy Council of England, Proceedings and Ordinances, 1386–1542 (1834–7) and The Acts of the Privy Council of England, 1542–1631 (1890–1964)

  The Privy Council was made up of the monarch’s senior advisers and ministers and dealt with many different matters, including justice and land transactions. They also dealt with petitions to the monarch.