Have you ever heard of Alfred Watkins? If not then you are missing out on some wonderful historical photographs of Herefordshire and its people. Alfred Watkins (27th January 1855 – 15th April 1935) was a Herefordian businessman, photographer, author, self-taught amateur archaeologist, antiquarian and authority on beekeeping as well as founder member of the Woolhope Naturalist FieldContinue reading "Alfred Watkins Collection of Historic Photographs"
Herefordshire Newspapers Online
I have just discovered this great free resource online. http://www.herefordshirehistory.org.uk/archive/herefordshire-newspapers Herefordshire newspapers from around the county from the year 1832 where available. Titles include: Hereford Times Hereford Journal Kington Reporter Kington Times Ledbury Guardian Leominster News Ross Gazette They are not searchable at the moment but are fascinating to broswe through - you can easily loseContinue reading "Herefordshire Newspapers Online"
Using Description of Prisoners Books
For the greater part of the 19th century it was in some cases impossible to identify new prisoners with any certainty just from the prison registers[i] but one of the measures used was the Description of Prisoners book. Prison staff took physical descriptions for each prisoner as they arrived at the gaol and recorded themContinue reading "Using Description of Prisoners Books"
Using English Prison Registers
Prior to the 1877 nationalisation of prisons in England and Wales, local prisons kept their own registers and as a result they vary between county and indeed between individual gaol. The number and time-span of registers available also varies from place to place as well as the number of registers that have been digitised. Normally,Continue reading "Using English Prison Registers"
Using Irish Catholic Parish Registers online
Church registers of marriage and baptism are considered to be the single most important source for family history researchers before the 1901 census. The National Library of Ireland has made available on –line their complete collection of Irish Catholic parish registers from1740s to the 1880s. They are available for free which is wonderful but thereContinue reading "Using Irish Catholic Parish Registers online"
Researching WW1 UK Air Services
The Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed in 1918 by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) which was formed in 1912 and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) which was established in 1918.[1] What is not widely known is that the WRAF was founded in 1918 and had over 25 000 servicewomen byContinue reading "Researching WW1 UK Air Services"
Using gazettes for official records
The London Gazette, The Edinburgh Gazette and The Belfast Gazette are published in the United Kingdom and their archives are a useful source of information for finding out about your family history. The website https://www.thegazette.co.uk is free to use and is searchable by name as well as being available to browse through. The London GazetteContinue reading "Using gazettes for official records"
Using Church of Ireland Vestry Records
The parishes of the Established Church of Ireland were both religious and civil units with the civic functions mirroring those of our local government today.[1] The vestry was an assembly of parishioners that met to discuss parochial business and was split into two[2]. The select vestry was a committee of rate-paying protestants that levied smallContinue reading "Using Church of Ireland Vestry Records"
Using Poll Books In England & Wales
Poll books list the men who voted in parliamentary elections and the candidates for whom they voted until the secret ballot was introduced in 1872. Poll books can be used like the trade directories of the 19th century to locate individuals and to trace their life spans, as well as to discover their political affiliations.Continue reading "Using Poll Books In England & Wales"
WW1 UK Service Records
The first thing to note is that the World War 1 service records available are not complete. I had pictorial evidence that showed my great – grandfather served in WW1 but could find no service record. In the end I found out about his regiment and where he was stationed through his divorce papers! InContinue reading "WW1 UK Service Records"
Herefordshire Genealogy 