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FAMILY KNOWLEDGE
The
information contained here has been compiled from various sources over a number
of years. I began with family knowledge, and the visits I made as
a teenager to various members of the family yielded much precious information
and not a few original photographs, certificates, and even some vaccination
certificates from the mid 1800's.
CENSUS RETURNS
Visits to
the local libraries
and record offices to sift through census returns
(which were taken every 10 years in England beginning in 1801) – they are not
so useful for 1801,11,21,31 where they survive – 1841 being the most useful of
these early census returns, where ages were rounded up or down and the birth
place is only given on a county basis. The LDS CD Census Returns for 1881
nationally, and for Devon, Warwick and Norfolk for 1851, have been
invaluable in filling in gaps. The 1851 Census is much more enlightening
because it gives a more precise area of birth, usually by parish. The
1891 Devon
Census available from the GENUKI
site has also been invaluable. The University
of Nottingham offers a search facility for names on the 1891 Census, which
I found very useful. I, like everyone else, am waiting for the 1901British Census to be
up and running online.
PARISH RECORDS
Parish
records were a requirement for births, deaths and marriages from the late
1500’s, and they can be consulted at a number of locations, (County Libraries,
Family History Societies, Family History Centers, and Record Offices). Their
condition varies from parish to parish, and you will not usually be able to
consult the original books, but microfilm copies of the same. . For
parish records, of particular value has been the LDS web site. On this
site, the IGI,
(international genealogical index) used with an LDS Batch No
has allowed me to narrow down my searches, and really focus in on the
information I need. The Place
Search Section on the LDS site has been useful for less well-known areas.
Batch Numbers that begin with a C, M, or P, usually indicate that the
information has come from the LDS extraction program, direct from Parish
Records, and not from individual researchers.
THE CIVIL REGISTRATION INDEX
The civil
registration index is a very useful resource. All births,
deaths, and marriages in England have been recorded and indexed since 1837.
Local libraries, and record offices usually hold the national index on
microfiche and the central record office in London holds the register books,
which can be looked through. Copies of certificates can be ordered by
phone to Southport, or
direct from London,
though it is cheaper to deal with Local Registry Offices.
If you have an index number then this will bring down the charge to you even
further, so is worth obtaining. FreeBMD. a site devoted to
providing the index listings for civil registration certificates is
becoming really useful as the amount of index records increases on their
site, if you have tried it before and gave up, try it again!
THE INTERNET
The Internet has been a very useful resource, and
below is a list of sights that I found particularly useful. I have also been able to communicate with a
number of fellow researchers who have
been working on the same lines
Devon Links |
Berkshire Links |
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Brixham
Heritage Site Highly recommended |
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Ipplepen (will do look-ups) |
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Norfolk Links
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London Links
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Buckinghamshire Links
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This is a super site, which
includes a large archive of Norfolk source records. It is
growing all the time and so is worth revisiting. |
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OLD NORFOLK NET A super site for details of yards and
various places of interest around Norwich.
There is also a section on Great Yarmouth. |
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Oxon Links
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Surrey Links
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Surname Searches
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Census Links
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Ives Norfolk Marriages From Boyd’s Marriage Index. |
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Places of Interest from Family Tree
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Record Offices
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Bucklebury Berkshire Parish Web site includes history,
photographs, map |
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Topsham Devon (Super photographs)Topsham
Devon Links, Maps and History |
GENUKI: Public Records Office Contents Useful site to help you wade through the
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Maritime Links
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Miscellaneous
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Military Links
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Ancestry.com They have a number of source records to search, including
information that FreeBMD have gathered on Civil Registration Index. For a Quarterly/Yearly subscription you are
able to access their growing pool of source records, including Pallot’s
Marriage Index, which was mostly destroyed in the last war. It has proved useful to me however, on a
number of occasions. Be careful subscribing as renewal is automatic, unless
you give notice of cancellation. |
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English
Origins - Genealogy data for family history research in England
Access costs £6 for 150 credits (records) valid for 48 hours. In association
with the Society of Genealogists. |
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Parish Registers General
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Society of Genealogists Enterprises Ltd
Contains a number of CD’s etc which can be purchased online. Easy to use, and
gives details of records available for purchase in each county. (Not cheap) |
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FreeReg
Ambitious project committed to providing free access to Parish Records. The project is still in it’s infancy, and
so will be worth revisiting |
Family
Tree Magazine Links The links are for some of the growing number
of source records available on the internet, as well as for more general
links, and is useful to have a look at. |
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Emigration - Shipping lists etc
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Heraldry
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Roman
Catholics
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Occupation Links
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