The Family Record Centre sends out a newsletter on a regular basis. Via the newsletter I found the information that will be of interest to researchers in family history and are going to make a visit to London. If you are coming up against the brick wall that we all manage to collide with at some time or other then the following could be an answer. The FRC now holds regular Family History Surgeries on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The surgeries are intended to help family historians who have come to a halt with their research. Their expert members of staff are on hand to suggest ways of getting around your personal brick walls. Each surgery lasts for half an hour with sessions starting at 10:30, 11:00, 12:00 and 12:30. If you would like to book a family history surgery please phone 0208 392 5300 or send them an email.
While on the subject of the FRC. They have an online exhibition of famous people and the data linked to them. There are famous names from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries being put in the exhibition. Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale, Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens, Emmeline Pankhurst, Ellen Terry, Walter Tull, Virginia Woolf and Sir Henry Irving are the nine personalities to be featured. The Lewis Carroll exhibition is now available online. This, together with the exhibitions featuring Charles Dickens, Emmeline Pankhurst and Ellen Terry can be accessed via the links at www.familyrecords.gov.uk and the FRC Extra. The site gives examples of the various official documents available to the researcher.
An unusual name has come to me from Richard in South Park Lincoln on the subject of his g-g-grandfather James ecob who joined the police force at Louth in 1859. In 1861 there are five James ecob individuals in the area. One born in Leicestershire lives in Lincolnshire, one born in Lincolnshire lives in Leicestershire and a third is born and lives in Lincolnshire. With only 77 ecob individuals turning up and almost every single one of these has a link to Leicestershire one must assume that they are all related. Of these there are two that are named James that could be the person mentioned by Richard. The first James is born in 1801 in Leicestershire and the second James is born in Lincolnshire in 1829 but was in Leicestershire for the census. You can get a copy of either of these entries via the ancestry.co.uk website. Another place to check out is that of genealogy.com where there are a number of ECOB family members listed from this area carrying out research. Rootsweb has even more information. James ECOB born 1801 in Ingoldsby married Elizabeth ANNISS at Plunger in 1824 and over the next 25 years they had 13 children. James is thought to have died between 1861 and 1871. Elizabeth was alive in Melton Mowbray until 1886. this name also turned up the ever present problem of those who write down the details are human. A number of the family are born at Goadby Marwood, Leics. but the 1881 census says that they are born at GOODLY, Lincolnshire. So far I have not found the origin of the name but will carry on the search. Watch this space.
Bits and Bobs
LRSM – Nov 11th 1800 - To Clergymen and Others who have the Care of Registers: Whoever will certify to William GRESSWELL of Burgh in the Marsh, in the County of Lincoln, the Marriage of Richard GRESSWELL, late of Metheringham near the City of Lincoln, deceased, shall be rewarded with Five Guineas for their Trouble, by the said William GRESSWELL. ´Tis supposed that the aforesaid Richard GRESSWELL´s Marriage was solemnized in some Church or Chappel in the neighbourhood of Metheringham aforesaid, or at Sleaford, in the same County, between the years 1705 and 1720 as the Baptisms of his Infants were at Metheringham regularly registered.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Illustrating Your Family Tree
Herbert Ingram came from
The recent couple of columns have generated some phone calls to clarify a few points. The first answer needed was for Mr Wright for the telephone number to contact Ancestry.com. This can be found on the web site and is 0800 404 9723 (free phone) Representatives are available from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 12pm.
Mrs Young would like to find the place to get a copy of the book, Volume 94, recently sent out by the Lincoln Record Society. The best place to find it is the society itself. The books are not cheap and the most cost effective way of purchasing a copy is to join the society. They have a website from which the membership application form can be downloaded. The secretary can be reached at the Cathedral Library, The Cathedral, Lincoln.
Bits and Bobs
LRSM - August 21st 1795 - MARSTON FEAST - We the inhabitants of MARSTON, near Grantham, having duly considered the bad consequences attending Country Wakes and Feasts, which, tho originally intended for Religious Meetings, are now quite perverted, serving chiefly to encourage Drunkenness the Inlet of Vice and Prophaneness; and further considering that the present alarming high Prices of Provisions, must nearly involve every poor Family in insurmountable Debts and difficulties; which to prevent and keep our Parishioners from such Embarrassments, as well as to check the rapid Growth of Vice and Immorality, we have unanimously agreed to discontinue our ANNUAL FEAST and to give this Public NOTICE, of our Resolution to abolish it. Given under our hands this 16th day of August 1795. (signed) Thomas EDINBOROUGH, Alexander Wright, William GEESON, Thomas WORTH, Richard HARMSTONE, Samuel HUCKERBY, Noah ROPER, William WING, D METHERINGHAM.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Visiting ‘Mecca’
Due to unforeseen circumstances on Saturday I ended up giving out the seeds to grow your own family tree for Zoë Tomlinson and Lindvm Heritage at the Lincolnshire Archives. I was rather dubious giving the talk at such short notice because part of it usually includes an introduction to work on the internet and carrying out research thereon. We managed to get over it and the staff at the Archives were at their usual friendly and helpful best. If you want helpful people, go to the archives. During the day I was helped by the students asking their questions at just the right moments. Although they all insisted they were beginners they seemed to have already carried out work on their trees quite ably.
Louise Gardner is looking for Hearley/Hurley of
Chris & Alan Flintham are working on the Goodwin line and especially that in Nottinghamshire at the turn of the 19th century. The flintham family that I found in Nottinghamshire had many links to
Marie Nicholson is looking for Solomon Nicholson of around 1860. Assuming this is the right man there is only one entry in
Sheila Bradley has her problems with her family tree having roots in Derbyshire. The Farnsworth family came centuries ago from one of the two villages called Farnsworth on the coastal edge of
Bits and Bobs
LRSM – 30th Oct 1818 - On the 16th instant died at Coningsby, James BAKER, shoemaker. On the day after his burial, his disconsolate widow went to be married to one John FOY, an Irishman. The number of persons assembled at the Church to witness the ceremony became so disorderly that the parties could not be married, but the clergyman ordering two Peace Officers to attend the next day, the ceremony was then performed. Some of the rioting multitude, when the newly married couple were returning from Church, endeavoured to get a halter around the bride´s waist, and they pulled the poor woman about in such a manner that they actually broke one of her arms, to the utter disgrace of themselves and the spectators.
Friday, November 24, 2006
From Fosdyke to Traf
From Fosdyke to Trafford
After my report on the arrival of the latest Lincolnshire Family History Society magazine a reader of this column decided that he would like to get hold of a copy and rang me up to find out how. The magazine can be obtained by filling in a membership application form and sending it with £10 to Mr D Mosley, Whitby Crescent, Woodthorpe Notts, NG5 4LY. The forms can be found at the above address, the Archives or the Monks Way Research Centre.
My caller was also at the archives when we did the tour last week and while there carried out a search for Herbert Fowler TRAFFORD of Metheringham. It turns out that his parents were William and Kate who had five other children according to the 1901 census. Although William was Metheringham born and bred his wife was born in Middle Rasen. With a middle name FOWLER one has to wonder if this was from Kate’s side of the family. TRAFFORD has a placename for its origin, FOWLER is an occupation.
Penny FORSDYKE is looking for her ancestor who came from Cambridgeshire at around 1880. A check of the 1881 census shows that although they might have come from Cambridgeshire and Linton in particular they had not been there very long. The eldest head of family is Jesse who came from Debenham in Suffolk and worked as a Joiner in the same place is Alfred who might be a possible brother is a journeyman butcher. According to the book the name comes from the Lincolnshire place name Fosdyke which is quite close to the Wash and Norfolk and seems to be the only one on the map.
The next name is one of the most famous. When anyone asks what name goes with ROYCE we all know the right answer. ROLLS has its main concentration in the Dorset area with a small outpost in London which is the area that Harriet ROLLS is interested in. the surname rolls has a myriad of spellings and these range from ROLL to ROWLES via ROLF and ROUFE plus a dozen more. One of the first mentions of this name is that of a peasant in Lincolnshire going by the name of Rolf of Ormesby in 1147 but there is mention of a Rolf in the Domesday Book. The name is Scandinavian in origin and started its life as the Old Norse name Hrolfr. It became a common name in Normandy as ROUL.
A final name is that of SPENCER for Susan THORNALLY. The name SPENCER is a popular surname with high concentrations throughout England. The reason for this popularity is due to the occupation of a SPENCER or as was listed in 1204 as Robert le Despenser from the Ancient French espenser, the dispenser of provisions therefore a butler or steward.
One thing I would have liked to have started is that of Archive CD Books - producing CDs from out of print books by scanning into the computer then sell at a reasonable price. The company now has bases in a number of countries and is producing their works for the genealogist. Last year Archive CD Books built a school in Kenya, the Dago Kokore Primary School, from scratch. They fitted out the whole school, paid for resources, and also paid the modest fees for all of the children to attend. In January 2007 there will be another batch of students starting school. The 40 children will cost £25 each for three years education and they are already three-quarters of the way to the target. To give your help just buy your CD of the Lincolnshire census etc.
Bits and Bobs
Horncastle News - September 12th 1903 - The Board of Trade has received through the Foreign Office, London a silver cup for Mr Arthur SMITH, Master of the steam trawler ´Stratton´ of Grimsby, awarded to him by the King of Denmark in recognition of his services for rescuing the crew of an Icelandic fishing boat from the Westmanna Islands, in April this year.
After my report on the arrival of the latest Lincolnshire Family History Society magazine a reader of this column decided that he would like to get hold of a copy and rang me up to find out how. The magazine can be obtained by filling in a membership application form and sending it with £10 to Mr D Mosley, Whitby Crescent, Woodthorpe Notts, NG5 4LY. The forms can be found at the above address, the Archives or the Monks Way Research Centre.
My caller was also at the archives when we did the tour last week and while there carried out a search for Herbert Fowler TRAFFORD of Metheringham. It turns out that his parents were William and Kate who had five other children according to the 1901 census. Although William was Metheringham born and bred his wife was born in Middle Rasen. With a middle name FOWLER one has to wonder if this was from Kate’s side of the family. TRAFFORD has a placename for its origin, FOWLER is an occupation.
Penny FORSDYKE is looking for her ancestor who came from Cambridgeshire at around 1880. A check of the 1881 census shows that although they might have come from Cambridgeshire and Linton in particular they had not been there very long. The eldest head of family is Jesse who came from Debenham in Suffolk and worked as a Joiner in the same place is Alfred who might be a possible brother is a journeyman butcher. According to the book the name comes from the Lincolnshire place name Fosdyke which is quite close to the Wash and Norfolk and seems to be the only one on the map.
The next name is one of the most famous. When anyone asks what name goes with ROYCE we all know the right answer. ROLLS has its main concentration in the Dorset area with a small outpost in London which is the area that Harriet ROLLS is interested in. the surname rolls has a myriad of spellings and these range from ROLL to ROWLES via ROLF and ROUFE plus a dozen more. One of the first mentions of this name is that of a peasant in Lincolnshire going by the name of Rolf of Ormesby in 1147 but there is mention of a Rolf in the Domesday Book. The name is Scandinavian in origin and started its life as the Old Norse name Hrolfr. It became a common name in Normandy as ROUL.
A final name is that of SPENCER for Susan THORNALLY. The name SPENCER is a popular surname with high concentrations throughout England. The reason for this popularity is due to the occupation of a SPENCER or as was listed in 1204 as Robert le Despenser from the Ancient French espenser, the dispenser of provisions therefore a butler or steward.
One thing I would have liked to have started is that of Archive CD Books - producing CDs from out of print books by scanning into the computer then sell at a reasonable price. The company now has bases in a number of countries and is producing their works for the genealogist. Last year Archive CD Books built a school in Kenya, the Dago Kokore Primary School, from scratch. They fitted out the whole school, paid for resources, and also paid the modest fees for all of the children to attend. In January 2007 there will be another batch of students starting school. The 40 children will cost £25 each for three years education and they are already three-quarters of the way to the target. To give your help just buy your CD of the Lincolnshire census etc.
Bits and Bobs
Horncastle News - September 12th 1903 - The Board of Trade has received through the Foreign Office, London a silver cup for Mr Arthur SMITH, Master of the steam trawler ´Stratton´ of Grimsby, awarded to him by the King of Denmark in recognition of his services for rescuing the crew of an Icelandic fishing boat from the Westmanna Islands, in April this year.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Too Many People Call
Too Many People Called Mary
A recent visitor to the area around Grasby was Jane POTTER from Grantham who was looking for evidence of her ancestors. The family it is said have come from ‘who knows where’ and in the main at the end of their lives came to be buried in the parish of Searby. Jane’s problem at the moment is the lack of data on the parents of the Searby family, Joseph & Mary SMALL. By 1881 only two of the offspring are in evidence, neither of whom live in Searby and Joseph & Mary have been dead for some time. Going back a further 20 years to 1861 we have a more successful search. Living in Howsham Lane we find Joseph & Mary. Joseph the Grocer is born in Northampton and Mary comes from Barrow in Lincolnshire. Mary is the younger of the two by 15 years and is listed as being born in 1808 and so one must assume that she would not get married until she was at least 15 years old in 1823. However the first baptism for the family is found to be in the Searby register that of son William in 1820 when, according to the dates in the 1861 census, Mary is only 12 years old. I suggest that the register is correct with the year as they are unlikely to get the date wrong when filling it in. therefore it must be the census. The burial register has two entries for persons with the name Mary SMALL. The first is for Mary aged 40 buried in 1829 and the second in 1870 aged 65 so it is conceivable that either could be the wife of Joseph. A search through the 1851 census or the marriage might give a pointer to which of these is the right one, it is possible that one might be the sister of Joseph. The origin of SMALL could be from the diminutive size of its original holder. The Old English word smael meant someone that was small slender or thin.
Carol BATTY has written to me. Her father comes from Yorkshire and wants to know the background of her maiden name JESSOP. The Jessop name can be found dotted throughout the county but there is now doubt that this is a Yorkshire name through and through. The reason that this surname is JESSOP is entirely due to the fact that it is a Yorkshire name, and that the Yorkshire accent has altered the name JOSEPH to the spelling JESSOP. Simple isn’t it. Oddly enough there is a similar origin for Carol’s surname. Not many of the surnames that have a present day derogatory meaning started life as such. One only has to think of the present day use of the word that has been hijacked to point out sexual orientation – gay. BATTY comes from the pet form of the Christian name Bartholomew and its short version Batt.
Bits and Bobs
Extracts relating to the operation of the Poor-laws. - Printed in the year 1833. - HOLBEACH, LINCOLNSHIRE. Informants, the Overseer and Master of the Workhouse. Many illegitimate children; ten or twelve every year; bastards increasing; order from 1s. to 2s. 6d. and above,—depends on the circumstances of the father. An unmarried girl, upon leaving the workhouse after her fourth .confinement, said "Well, if I have another child, 1 shall draw a good sum from the parish. and with what I can earn myself, shall be better off than any married woman in the parish;" and the master added, that she had met with the good luck she hoped for, as she told him, a short time before I was at Holbeach, that she was with child I asked him what she had for each child ? He answered 2s; And that women in that neighbourhood could easily earn 5s a week all the year through. Thus she will have 15s a week.
This book can be accessed in the Google books section on line along with thousands of other that mention Lincolnshire.
A recent visitor to the area around Grasby was Jane POTTER from Grantham who was looking for evidence of her ancestors. The family it is said have come from ‘who knows where’ and in the main at the end of their lives came to be buried in the parish of Searby. Jane’s problem at the moment is the lack of data on the parents of the Searby family, Joseph & Mary SMALL. By 1881 only two of the offspring are in evidence, neither of whom live in Searby and Joseph & Mary have been dead for some time. Going back a further 20 years to 1861 we have a more successful search. Living in Howsham Lane we find Joseph & Mary. Joseph the Grocer is born in Northampton and Mary comes from Barrow in Lincolnshire. Mary is the younger of the two by 15 years and is listed as being born in 1808 and so one must assume that she would not get married until she was at least 15 years old in 1823. However the first baptism for the family is found to be in the Searby register that of son William in 1820 when, according to the dates in the 1861 census, Mary is only 12 years old. I suggest that the register is correct with the year as they are unlikely to get the date wrong when filling it in. therefore it must be the census. The burial register has two entries for persons with the name Mary SMALL. The first is for Mary aged 40 buried in 1829 and the second in 1870 aged 65 so it is conceivable that either could be the wife of Joseph. A search through the 1851 census or the marriage might give a pointer to which of these is the right one, it is possible that one might be the sister of Joseph. The origin of SMALL could be from the diminutive size of its original holder. The Old English word smael meant someone that was small slender or thin.
Carol BATTY has written to me. Her father comes from Yorkshire and wants to know the background of her maiden name JESSOP. The Jessop name can be found dotted throughout the county but there is now doubt that this is a Yorkshire name through and through. The reason that this surname is JESSOP is entirely due to the fact that it is a Yorkshire name, and that the Yorkshire accent has altered the name JOSEPH to the spelling JESSOP. Simple isn’t it. Oddly enough there is a similar origin for Carol’s surname. Not many of the surnames that have a present day derogatory meaning started life as such. One only has to think of the present day use of the word that has been hijacked to point out sexual orientation – gay. BATTY comes from the pet form of the Christian name Bartholomew and its short version Batt.
Bits and Bobs
Extracts relating to the operation of the Poor-laws. - Printed in the year 1833. - HOLBEACH, LINCOLNSHIRE. Informants, the Overseer and Master of the Workhouse. Many illegitimate children; ten or twelve every year; bastards increasing; order from 1s. to 2s. 6d. and above,—depends on the circumstances of the father. An unmarried girl, upon leaving the workhouse after her fourth .confinement, said "Well, if I have another child, 1 shall draw a good sum from the parish. and with what I can earn myself, shall be better off than any married woman in the parish;" and the master added, that she had met with the good luck she hoped for, as she told him, a short time before I was at Holbeach, that she was with child I asked him what she had for each child ? He answered 2s; And that women in that neighbourhood could easily earn 5s a week all the year through. Thus she will have 15s a week.
This book can be accessed in the Google books section on line along with thousands of other that mention Lincolnshire.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Distant Research
Long Distance Research
Francis PAYNE from New Zealand is rather stating the obvious when he says that he finds it rather difficult to carry out research prior to the 1841 census and the 1837 cut-off point for registration of BMD from a position 12,000 miles away.
WROOT is well known to the people of Lincolnshire being a place name in the Epworth area. It is rather a nice touch that the family story is that it came over with the Dutch and drainage and I must admit it does look rather Dutch in nature but the answer is much earlier than this. The name originates by the village being in the marshes and the Dutch did carry out a lot of work in this area. The Old English word wrot was a trunk or resembling a pig’s snout and was a spit of land, a headland in the marsh.
A second placename in the family is that of WADSLEY. This is a parish in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The -LEY in this instance is a clearing in the woods belonging to Wadda.
A member of the WROOT families in Long Sutton married a BETTINSON from Flintham, Notts but the BETTINSON name originates much further south. In Essex around 1285 could be found an entry in the Feet of Fines of Adam le fit BETUN. It might have been this Adam the son of BETUN that regularised the name to BETUNSON which eventually became BETTINSON.
The FamilyTreeDNA site asks “Are all TOYNBEES related?” This site is using DNA to find the origins of families. This rare surname originated in the county of Lincolnshire, but many TOYNBEES emigrated from the 18th century onward and there are now TOYNBEES all over the world. The most famous of this family is the historian Arnold J. TOYNBEE (1889-1975). The variations of the name also turn up as TOINBY and TENBY and there might even be a link in to TUMBY. This is most likely a place name from the same area as one of the TOYNTON parishes. The parishes get their name from the fact that the TUN belonged to someone with a name that became TOYN and no doubt it was the same forename that owned the homestead in TOYN-BY.
Last but not least is VERDEN. Another continental sounding name and another placename. The English Channel, is also known as La Manche and the district in France with this name is the home of the parish of Verdun. The surname can be found in Buckinghamshire soon after the Norman Conquest with Bertrannus de VERDUNO being listed as owning land.
Bits and Bobs
While looking for a bit for Bits & Bobs for this week I found the site www.victorianweb.org and if you are interested in how some of your ancestors lived then take a look. It may be American spelling but it’s well researched for all that. The Speenhamland allowance scale enacted in 1795 effectively set a floor on the income of laborers according to the price of bread. When the gallon loaf cost 1s, the laborer was to have a weekly income of 3s for himself. The per pound cost of bread at 1s/gallon is 12d / 8.6875 pounds. Weekly wages of 3s are equal to 36p / 7 days or 5.14 /day. Dividing wages by the cost of bread gives 5.14 /day / 1.38 d/pound = 3.72 pounds of bread per day for a single laborer. This is the Speenhamland allowance. As a pound of bread provides about 1100 calories, the allowance gave the laborer a total of 4100 calories per day. An agricultural laborer doing 8-10 hours of vigorous work can easily require 3000 calories/day. It is evident that the Speenhamland allowance provided just above the bare means of subsistence. The Speenhamland scale also provided an allowance for family members. For a laborer, his wife, and two children, the weekly allowance was set at 7s 6d. Performing the above calculation for the family gives 90d/week / 7 days/week / 1.38 d/pound / 4 persons = 2.33 pounds of bread per day per person for the family of four.
Francis PAYNE from New Zealand is rather stating the obvious when he says that he finds it rather difficult to carry out research prior to the 1841 census and the 1837 cut-off point for registration of BMD from a position 12,000 miles away.
WROOT is well known to the people of Lincolnshire being a place name in the Epworth area. It is rather a nice touch that the family story is that it came over with the Dutch and drainage and I must admit it does look rather Dutch in nature but the answer is much earlier than this. The name originates by the village being in the marshes and the Dutch did carry out a lot of work in this area. The Old English word wrot was a trunk or resembling a pig’s snout and was a spit of land, a headland in the marsh.
A second placename in the family is that of WADSLEY. This is a parish in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The -LEY in this instance is a clearing in the woods belonging to Wadda.
A member of the WROOT families in Long Sutton married a BETTINSON from Flintham, Notts but the BETTINSON name originates much further south. In Essex around 1285 could be found an entry in the Feet of Fines of Adam le fit BETUN. It might have been this Adam the son of BETUN that regularised the name to BETUNSON which eventually became BETTINSON.
The FamilyTreeDNA site asks “Are all TOYNBEES related?” This site is using DNA to find the origins of families. This rare surname originated in the county of Lincolnshire, but many TOYNBEES emigrated from the 18th century onward and there are now TOYNBEES all over the world. The most famous of this family is the historian Arnold J. TOYNBEE (1889-1975). The variations of the name also turn up as TOINBY and TENBY and there might even be a link in to TUMBY. This is most likely a place name from the same area as one of the TOYNTON parishes. The parishes get their name from the fact that the TUN belonged to someone with a name that became TOYN and no doubt it was the same forename that owned the homestead in TOYN-BY.
Last but not least is VERDEN. Another continental sounding name and another placename. The English Channel, is also known as La Manche and the district in France with this name is the home of the parish of Verdun. The surname can be found in Buckinghamshire soon after the Norman Conquest with Bertrannus de VERDUNO being listed as owning land.
Bits and Bobs
While looking for a bit for Bits & Bobs for this week I found the site www.victorianweb.org and if you are interested in how some of your ancestors lived then take a look. It may be American spelling but it’s well researched for all that. The Speenhamland allowance scale enacted in 1795 effectively set a floor on the income of laborers according to the price of bread. When the gallon loaf cost 1s, the laborer was to have a weekly income of 3s for himself. The per pound cost of bread at 1s/gallon is 12d / 8.6875 pounds. Weekly wages of 3s are equal to 36p / 7 days or 5.14 /day. Dividing wages by the cost of bread gives 5.14 /day / 1.38 d/pound = 3.72 pounds of bread per day for a single laborer. This is the Speenhamland allowance. As a pound of bread provides about 1100 calories, the allowance gave the laborer a total of 4100 calories per day. An agricultural laborer doing 8-10 hours of vigorous work can easily require 3000 calories/day. It is evident that the Speenhamland allowance provided just above the bare means of subsistence. The Speenhamland scale also provided an allowance for family members. For a laborer, his wife, and two children, the weekly allowance was set at 7s 6d. Performing the above calculation for the family gives 90d/week / 7 days/week / 1.38 d/pound / 4 persons = 2.33 pounds of bread per day per person for the family of four.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Our Eleven Days
Still Waiting for Our Eleven Days
Have you ever wondered why the tax year starts on April 6th? The answer was posted on the internet the other day. The reason is primarily historical and has its origin in the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1752. During the 16th century is was calculated that the Julian calendar had lost nine days since its introduction in 46 BC. Most of Europe changed to the new, more accurate, Gregorian calendar in 1582, but England continued with the old one until September 1752 by which time the error had increased to 11 days. These 11 days were removed from the calendar altogether - September 2nd was then followed by September 14th which did not go down very well with the populace. There was rioting in the street to demand the return of the missing days. The government did not wish to lose 11 days tax revenue in that tax year, so the authorities tacked the missing days on at the end, which meant moving the beginning of the tax year from the 25 March, Lady Day, (which you will remember from a previous column was the year ending in the parish registers) to the 6 April.
Do you have a famous ancestor? Well the first place to find out if he/she is in the top echelons of ancestry the place to look is in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Due to a recent agreement with the library service it is now possible to use the ODNB www.oxforddnb.com from your home computer. The only requirement is that you have a library card. Enter the number with LIN in front of it and you then have access to 55000 biographies. The sort of thing you will find is LAMBERT, Daniel (1770–1809), the most corpulent man of his time in England, was the elder of two sons of a Daniel LAMBERT who had been huntsman to the earl of Stamford. He was born in Blue Boar Lane, Leicester, on 13 March 1770 and was apprenticed to Benjamin PATRICK of Messrs TAYLOR & Co., an engraving and die-sinking firm in Birmingham; but in 1788 he returned to live with his father, who was keeper of the bridewell in Leicester and Daniel succeeded to his fathers post in 1791. It was at this time that LAMBERT began to amass the bulk for which he was later to achieve fame. By 1793 he weighed 32 stone, despite his athletic enthusiasm for activities such as walking, swimming, and hunting. Moreover, he drank only water, and slept less than eight hours a day. He was at Cambridge in June 1809, and proceeded to Huntingdon and Stamford, where, according to a newspaper, he ‘attained the acme of mortal hugeness’. He died at the Waggon and Horses inn, 47 High Street, Stamford, on 21 June 1809. His coffin was built on two axles and four wheels and required 112 square feet of elm wood for its construction. His body was rolled down a gradual incline from the inn to the burial-ground of St Martin's, Stamford Baron. At his death he was 5 feet 11 inches in height, and weighed 52¾ stone (336 kg). If you can’t be bother to use the library access you can always buy your own copy and fill up 12 foot of shelving! A snip at £6500. The name LAMBERT was popularised during the 12th century and was likely to have been introduced from Flanders with the veneration of St Lambert. Its most probable origin is from the Old German word Lambert meaning land bright
Bits and Bobs
April 29th 1808 - If John PALIAN of Helpringham still intends to persist in calling himself a Quaker, he is desired to produce the Minute of the Monthly Meeting by which he was admitted into the Society, as without such a Minute of Admission, no person who was not born in the Society, can become a Member of it. By producing, or failing to produce this proof of his assertion, it may be known whether or not he is in reality such ´A Lover of Truth´ as he professes himself to be. The advertiser repeats that John PALIAN never is, nor never was a Member of the Society of Quakers.
Have you ever wondered why the tax year starts on April 6th? The answer was posted on the internet the other day. The reason is primarily historical and has its origin in the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1752. During the 16th century is was calculated that the Julian calendar had lost nine days since its introduction in 46 BC. Most of Europe changed to the new, more accurate, Gregorian calendar in 1582, but England continued with the old one until September 1752 by which time the error had increased to 11 days. These 11 days were removed from the calendar altogether - September 2nd was then followed by September 14th which did not go down very well with the populace. There was rioting in the street to demand the return of the missing days. The government did not wish to lose 11 days tax revenue in that tax year, so the authorities tacked the missing days on at the end, which meant moving the beginning of the tax year from the 25 March, Lady Day, (which you will remember from a previous column was the year ending in the parish registers) to the 6 April.
Do you have a famous ancestor? Well the first place to find out if he/she is in the top echelons of ancestry the place to look is in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Due to a recent agreement with the library service it is now possible to use the ODNB www.oxforddnb.com from your home computer. The only requirement is that you have a library card. Enter the number with LIN in front of it and you then have access to 55000 biographies. The sort of thing you will find is LAMBERT, Daniel (1770–1809), the most corpulent man of his time in England, was the elder of two sons of a Daniel LAMBERT who had been huntsman to the earl of Stamford. He was born in Blue Boar Lane, Leicester, on 13 March 1770 and was apprenticed to Benjamin PATRICK of Messrs TAYLOR & Co., an engraving and die-sinking firm in Birmingham; but in 1788 he returned to live with his father, who was keeper of the bridewell in Leicester and Daniel succeeded to his fathers post in 1791. It was at this time that LAMBERT began to amass the bulk for which he was later to achieve fame. By 1793 he weighed 32 stone, despite his athletic enthusiasm for activities such as walking, swimming, and hunting. Moreover, he drank only water, and slept less than eight hours a day. He was at Cambridge in June 1809, and proceeded to Huntingdon and Stamford, where, according to a newspaper, he ‘attained the acme of mortal hugeness’. He died at the Waggon and Horses inn, 47 High Street, Stamford, on 21 June 1809. His coffin was built on two axles and four wheels and required 112 square feet of elm wood for its construction. His body was rolled down a gradual incline from the inn to the burial-ground of St Martin's, Stamford Baron. At his death he was 5 feet 11 inches in height, and weighed 52¾ stone (336 kg). If you can’t be bother to use the library access you can always buy your own copy and fill up 12 foot of shelving! A snip at £6500. The name LAMBERT was popularised during the 12th century and was likely to have been introduced from Flanders with the veneration of St Lambert. Its most probable origin is from the Old German word Lambert meaning land bright
Bits and Bobs
April 29th 1808 - If John PALIAN of Helpringham still intends to persist in calling himself a Quaker, he is desired to produce the Minute of the Monthly Meeting by which he was admitted into the Society, as without such a Minute of Admission, no person who was not born in the Society, can become a Member of it. By producing, or failing to produce this proof of his assertion, it may be known whether or not he is in reality such ´A Lover of Truth´ as he professes himself to be. The advertiser repeats that John PALIAN never is, nor never was a Member of the Society of Quakers.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Its News
It’s News
Maddy TICKNER has found a relative amongst the reams of newspaper reports on the area surrounding Grasby that I have put onto my website. She would like to know if there are any more items out there on the DANBY family. The DANBY family came from Middle Rasen and it was of Elizabeth DANBYS suicide that the newspaper spoke of. Further information given was that her sister lived in Grasby and that she was staying there after leaving her employment at Audleby. The paper gives the verdict of insanity but today the condition would be seen as medical and appropriate drugs given. Newspapers have always been a good resource for family information and a second question Maddy asks is would they appear in any 17th century newspapers. Sadly the answer to this is no. The earliest continuous coverage begins in 1714 and is with the Stamford Mercury. This is listed as being historical and political observations of the transactions of Europe, together with remarks on trade 1714-1732, which later became the Lincoln, Rutland & Stamford Mercury. There were many others that had a short history and these can all be found listed via the GENUKI website. There is a link here to the newspaper library at Colindale and it is at Colindale that the details can be found. it is worth reading the different editions of old newspapers as the same incident is presented differently in accordance with the newspapers political affiliation. Much the same as today really.
There are other links to be found at the site. These are of work carried out be people of some of their local newspapers. This is the sort of thing you will find. 1896 - former Boston MP, Mr H.J. Farmer ATKINSON was now the owner of a 'Wicked Bible’, which was auctioned at Sotherbys, on March 3. Only 5 copies are known to exist. So called because the 'NOT' is left out of the 7th commandment. "You shall not commit adultery". In the main the focus is on all the articles with names in them that have been recorded.
The name TICKNER is supposed to come from a locational name. The Old English word twicen was a crossroads or fork in the road. Due to my lack of evidence I can’t ague with this but it does seem that there are a great many crossroads and forks in the road but very few TICKNER family members who were all concentrated in the Kent region in 1881.
DANBY on the other hand is very much of this area being from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. There are several parishes with Danby in the title. The Danby is listed in the Domesday Book as Danebi and is the BY or homestead belonging to the Dane. The others all have a river name attached to them as in Danby Wiske
Bits and Bobs
"Hull News" 23 April 1864 - ACCIDENTS. - On Wednesday, a man named CASS, in the employ of Mr DEBEER, Ropery Street, had his knee severely crushed by his rully passing over it, in Lister Street. - About the same time a youth named JOSEPH WHITE fell from a window in Dock Street, to the ground, a distance of twenty feet, and was most severely injured.
This is the first time that I have seen the word ‘rully’ used in a news item. It is still in use today with those of ancient Lincolnshire extraction carrying on the tradition of swapping constants around ie lorry to rully and signal to single.
Maddy TICKNER has found a relative amongst the reams of newspaper reports on the area surrounding Grasby that I have put onto my website. She would like to know if there are any more items out there on the DANBY family. The DANBY family came from Middle Rasen and it was of Elizabeth DANBYS suicide that the newspaper spoke of. Further information given was that her sister lived in Grasby and that she was staying there after leaving her employment at Audleby. The paper gives the verdict of insanity but today the condition would be seen as medical and appropriate drugs given. Newspapers have always been a good resource for family information and a second question Maddy asks is would they appear in any 17th century newspapers. Sadly the answer to this is no. The earliest continuous coverage begins in 1714 and is with the Stamford Mercury. This is listed as being historical and political observations of the transactions of Europe, together with remarks on trade 1714-1732, which later became the Lincoln, Rutland & Stamford Mercury. There were many others that had a short history and these can all be found listed via the GENUKI website. There is a link here to the newspaper library at Colindale and it is at Colindale that the details can be found. it is worth reading the different editions of old newspapers as the same incident is presented differently in accordance with the newspapers political affiliation. Much the same as today really.
There are other links to be found at the site. These are of work carried out be people of some of their local newspapers. This is the sort of thing you will find. 1896 - former Boston MP, Mr H.J. Farmer ATKINSON was now the owner of a 'Wicked Bible’, which was auctioned at Sotherbys, on March 3. Only 5 copies are known to exist. So called because the 'NOT' is left out of the 7th commandment. "You shall not commit adultery". In the main the focus is on all the articles with names in them that have been recorded.
The name TICKNER is supposed to come from a locational name. The Old English word twicen was a crossroads or fork in the road. Due to my lack of evidence I can’t ague with this but it does seem that there are a great many crossroads and forks in the road but very few TICKNER family members who were all concentrated in the Kent region in 1881.
DANBY on the other hand is very much of this area being from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. There are several parishes with Danby in the title. The Danby is listed in the Domesday Book as Danebi and is the BY or homestead belonging to the Dane. The others all have a river name attached to them as in Danby Wiske
Bits and Bobs
"Hull News" 23 April 1864 - ACCIDENTS. - On Wednesday, a man named CASS, in the employ of Mr DEBEER, Ropery Street, had his knee severely crushed by his rully passing over it, in Lister Street. - About the same time a youth named JOSEPH WHITE fell from a window in Dock Street, to the ground, a distance of twenty feet, and was most severely injured.
This is the first time that I have seen the word ‘rully’ used in a news item. It is still in use today with those of ancient Lincolnshire extraction carrying on the tradition of swapping constants around ie lorry to rully and signal to single.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Heritage Weekend
Heritage Weekend
We had our own version of the Heritage Weekend at Grasby. It started with the thrills of a walk around the village with Richard Clark who gave us all an insight into the whys and wherefores of the siting of Grasby village along the spring line of the wolds which joins villages by the dozen in a similar point in the landscape. We now know how to tell the oldest houses in the village just by looking at the chimneys. Finishing just in time to go into the Village Show for a cup of tea, at which moment it felt as though the ancient village life was alive, well and carrying on in spite of modern attitudes to living.
On Sunday was the Family Tree Workshop and how to get hooked on a life long hobby. During the day I picked up a few new names to look at and passed on the advice to the students that if you want to know anything on the county (any county) then join a local Family History Society. I have only ever been linked to the excellent Lincolnshire Family History Society and I feel that they have the family tree data fairly well covered with indexes for everything even though I am still waiting for the baptisms index (. I would be interested to hear if there is something that you know about other societies that Lincolnshire could have a go at.
The name GIRLING is a rather surprising sort of name with its original spelling being quite different present day look. Nowadays one says GIRLING and many of us think of brakes. The only break that would happen in many places with this one is a tooth. The word for a small apple in many counties is a codling but in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire this is the name for a small cod. Quite natural really with Hull and Grimsby being the biggest fisheries for a very long time. For some reason it is thought that the French coeur-de-lion or lion hearted is linked to the solid centre of the apple and with the accent changes to GIRDELION and later to GIRDLING and GIRLING. Further south the name became QUODLING and QUADLING in Norfolk and Suffolk. It is all down to accents again.
Another name is that of BEMMENT. This one for Suffolk if said with a strong accent will soon lead you to the origin. Delightful view of a hill it may be but it is usually spelt BEAUMONT. There are five places in Normandy that could the original home of the name but I am afraid it is up to your research as to which is which.
Bits and Bobs
Thomas SHARPE, a regular customer, was charged by Policeman No. 3 with being drunk and riotous that morning at three o´clock, against the Fourteen Houses. The Officer stated that he heard the prisoner when at a great distance from him, making use of the most horrible obscene language to some girls, who would not admit him into their house, and such was his violence that he disturbed the whole neighbourhood. He was drunk, but not without a knowledge of what he was doing. Prisoner denied that he was drunk, and asked the officer if he did not tell him he was sober when he locked him up. He said that in this town he got punished for things of which he was not guilty. Their worships told him the sooner he left the town the better and fined him £2 and costs, or two months in prison, from which he only came a few days ago.
No doubt his mother didn’t love him!
We had our own version of the Heritage Weekend at Grasby. It started with the thrills of a walk around the village with Richard Clark who gave us all an insight into the whys and wherefores of the siting of Grasby village along the spring line of the wolds which joins villages by the dozen in a similar point in the landscape. We now know how to tell the oldest houses in the village just by looking at the chimneys. Finishing just in time to go into the Village Show for a cup of tea, at which moment it felt as though the ancient village life was alive, well and carrying on in spite of modern attitudes to living.
On Sunday was the Family Tree Workshop and how to get hooked on a life long hobby. During the day I picked up a few new names to look at and passed on the advice to the students that if you want to know anything on the county (any county) then join a local Family History Society. I have only ever been linked to the excellent Lincolnshire Family History Society and I feel that they have the family tree data fairly well covered with indexes for everything even though I am still waiting for the baptisms index (. I would be interested to hear if there is something that you know about other societies that Lincolnshire could have a go at.
The name GIRLING is a rather surprising sort of name with its original spelling being quite different present day look. Nowadays one says GIRLING and many of us think of brakes. The only break that would happen in many places with this one is a tooth. The word for a small apple in many counties is a codling but in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire this is the name for a small cod. Quite natural really with Hull and Grimsby being the biggest fisheries for a very long time. For some reason it is thought that the French coeur-de-lion or lion hearted is linked to the solid centre of the apple and with the accent changes to GIRDELION and later to GIRDLING and GIRLING. Further south the name became QUODLING and QUADLING in Norfolk and Suffolk. It is all down to accents again.
Another name is that of BEMMENT. This one for Suffolk if said with a strong accent will soon lead you to the origin. Delightful view of a hill it may be but it is usually spelt BEAUMONT. There are five places in Normandy that could the original home of the name but I am afraid it is up to your research as to which is which.
Bits and Bobs
Thomas SHARPE, a regular customer, was charged by Policeman No. 3 with being drunk and riotous that morning at three o´clock, against the Fourteen Houses. The Officer stated that he heard the prisoner when at a great distance from him, making use of the most horrible obscene language to some girls, who would not admit him into their house, and such was his violence that he disturbed the whole neighbourhood. He was drunk, but not without a knowledge of what he was doing. Prisoner denied that he was drunk, and asked the officer if he did not tell him he was sober when he locked him up. He said that in this town he got punished for things of which he was not guilty. Their worships told him the sooner he left the town the better and fined him £2 and costs, or two months in prison, from which he only came a few days ago.
No doubt his mother didn’t love him!
Selling the Family Silver
Selling the Family Silver?
With the introduction of online access in the reading rooms at Kew, The National Archive finds that it has a certain number of redundant microfilms and is offering these free on a first-come, first-served basis. The batch is of the Women's (later Queen Mary's) Army Auxiliary Corps: Service Records, First World War 1917-1920 and to be found listed in CatRef WO 398. There are 240 reels and it is a single organisation that gets the batch. If you know of a deserving home for these then get them on line to the National Archives before October 2nd, and if you feel the need to take a look at WO398 before making a request for the film then the easiest way to get to Kew Gardens is with Pam and the Grimsby Family History Group coach trip. You do not need to be a Family History enthusiast to use this bus. All the genealogists have reserved their seats so the group is throwing the final few seats open to those who might like to visit Kew Gardens. They will be starting from Immingham at 4.15 am then Grimsby - Caistor - Caenby - Lincoln getting to Gt Gonerby for 6.30 a.m. Contact Pam for details on 01469 560152.
While at the Kew you might like to look at the photographs of the Victorian Prisoners. On the website there is a link to one of Julia Ann CRUMPLING aged seven. She was given a weeks hard labour in 1870 in an adult prison for stealing a baby carriage. Ah the Good Old Days. I can’t find mention of the CRUMPLING surname in the dictionary. There are too few of them for a mention in the Surname Profiler as well. Both of the names CRUMP and CRAMP mean curved or hooked so one assumes that one of their children would be the diminutive adding - LING on the end. The curved or hooked item might have been a physical item as with King Richard Crookback. The only link I find in the search engine is the one to the National Archives and there certainly weren’t any in Lincolnshire in 1881. They all seem to have lived in Hampshire.
Still with Kew I found a link that took me to the 1871 census for Albert Square., East End at St Paul’s Shadwell. It is no laughing matter but one has to smile when one reads that the head of the household is a brothel owner and the majority of the female occupants living in the square are listed as having ‘fallen’ as an occupation and most of the males are down as ‘sailors’. One of the occupants is Thomas FLINN who was a costermonger from Ireland. Being Irish but living in England means that the ‘O’ is dropped from O’FLINN and back in Ireland anyone could have told you that the should be the descendant of FLANN. Coming from the Irish O FLOINN this was a nickname meaning red.
Bits and Bobs
Boothby Graffoe General Register – Jun 6th 1736 – Mary daughter of Lydia saunders, a travelling woman was baptised, whose husband died at Halifax. Peter, the father of Mary saunders and Lydia Carter were married at White Chappel, London and legally settled at Norwich but in which particular Parish the said Lydia did not remember.
With the introduction of online access in the reading rooms at Kew, The National Archive finds that it has a certain number of redundant microfilms and is offering these free on a first-come, first-served basis. The batch is of the Women's (later Queen Mary's) Army Auxiliary Corps: Service Records, First World War 1917-1920 and to be found listed in CatRef WO 398. There are 240 reels and it is a single organisation that gets the batch. If you know of a deserving home for these then get them on line to the National Archives before October 2nd, and if you feel the need to take a look at WO398 before making a request for the film then the easiest way to get to Kew Gardens is with Pam and the Grimsby Family History Group coach trip. You do not need to be a Family History enthusiast to use this bus. All the genealogists have reserved their seats so the group is throwing the final few seats open to those who might like to visit Kew Gardens. They will be starting from Immingham at 4.15 am then Grimsby - Caistor - Caenby - Lincoln getting to Gt Gonerby for 6.30 a.m. Contact Pam for details on 01469 560152.
While at the Kew you might like to look at the photographs of the Victorian Prisoners. On the website there is a link to one of Julia Ann CRUMPLING aged seven. She was given a weeks hard labour in 1870 in an adult prison for stealing a baby carriage. Ah the Good Old Days. I can’t find mention of the CRUMPLING surname in the dictionary. There are too few of them for a mention in the Surname Profiler as well. Both of the names CRUMP and CRAMP mean curved or hooked so one assumes that one of their children would be the diminutive adding - LING on the end. The curved or hooked item might have been a physical item as with King Richard Crookback. The only link I find in the search engine is the one to the National Archives and there certainly weren’t any in Lincolnshire in 1881. They all seem to have lived in Hampshire.
Still with Kew I found a link that took me to the 1871 census for Albert Square., East End at St Paul’s Shadwell. It is no laughing matter but one has to smile when one reads that the head of the household is a brothel owner and the majority of the female occupants living in the square are listed as having ‘fallen’ as an occupation and most of the males are down as ‘sailors’. One of the occupants is Thomas FLINN who was a costermonger from Ireland. Being Irish but living in England means that the ‘O’ is dropped from O’FLINN and back in Ireland anyone could have told you that the should be the descendant of FLANN. Coming from the Irish O FLOINN this was a nickname meaning red.
Bits and Bobs
Boothby Graffoe General Register – Jun 6th 1736 – Mary daughter of Lydia saunders, a travelling woman was baptised, whose husband died at Halifax. Peter, the father of Mary saunders and Lydia Carter were married at White Chappel, London and legally settled at Norwich but in which particular Parish the said Lydia did not remember.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Your Lincolnshire He
Your Lincolnshire Heritage
Hazel has told me that The Lincolnshire Family History Society will be just one of 80 events showcasing the Lincolnshire Heritage during the Open Days from 7th – 10th September 2006. The theme for this year is ‘Homes & Families’. The Research Centre at Unit 6 Monks Way, Monks Road, Lincoln is to be open on Saturday 9th September from 10.00 a.m. until 4.00 p.m. and Sunday 10th September from 2.00p.m. until 5.00 p.m. for visitors to come along to discover how to start researching their ancestors. All the LFHS research facilities are to be available for you to use. Throughout both days demonstrations will be running giving a brief introduction to genealogy – so pop along for a visit – who knows they could help to break through that brick wall. Further details are available from 01522 511548.
Paul WHITELAM is writing an article for the Echo on the series of county council events in September. His starting point is what spurs people on to carry out the research and the effect that the BBC programme Who Do You Think You Are? has had on genealogy in Lincolnshire. Watch out for it. He thought that as he was writing for the Echo readers he might just take a look at his name via the column. The surname WHITELAM in 1881 according to the Surname Profiler is Lincolnshire based with very few elsewhere. Moving on 110 years and while the name has spread out over the whole country the major concentrations are still in the east of England. The top area for both of the times is Lincoln. The origin of the name which can also be spelt WHITLAM and WHITLUM is from a nickname. Now whether this nickname came about because the person was associated with the sign of the white lamb as in the public house of that name, perhaps a shop or maybe the person just used a white lamb as an advertisement.
Mrs REANEY of Crowle has presented the most difficult of problems in family history. That of finding a person alive today. There are databases on the internet which can be searched for a fee and the main one to be used for Where are they now? is the electoral roll. One of the easiest to use is that of www.tracesmart.co.uk. Sadly the name that I put in showed two results in 2003 but only one in 2006. Could the one I am looking for still be alive. It costs around £20 to find out. I could check the GRO index and see if there is a death certificate for this name. The GRO from 1837 to 2003 can be searched at www.192.com and at www.1837online.com and here again there is a cost but it could be cheaper than getting the car out of the garage. The most cost effective is the 1837 site.
Bits and Bobs
Grantham Petty Sessions - 20 April 1849 - Edw. FREESTON, of Doddington, (formerly a butcher at Barrowby), was ordered to pay 1s 6d per week and the usual expenses towards the maintenance of the illegitimate child of Ann SWAIN, of Barrowby. The amount was laid low, (though FREESTON was an old married man), in consequence of the female's having had three children previously.
Market Rasen Petty Sessions - 16 April 1849 - John ROBERTS, of Legsby, labourer, appeared upon summons to answer the complaint and application of Charlotte ROBINSON, of Claxby, for an order of maintenance upon him of her bastard child: the girl having had four before, an order of 6d per week only and costs was made.
Both of these came from Ann on the net. The woman seems to be the guilty party in these cases. Being a serial producer of illegitimate children is obviously frowned upon with the amount being drastically cut by the Market Rasen sessions.
Hazel has told me that The Lincolnshire Family History Society will be just one of 80 events showcasing the Lincolnshire Heritage during the Open Days from 7th – 10th September 2006. The theme for this year is ‘Homes & Families’. The Research Centre at Unit 6 Monks Way, Monks Road, Lincoln is to be open on Saturday 9th September from 10.00 a.m. until 4.00 p.m. and Sunday 10th September from 2.00p.m. until 5.00 p.m. for visitors to come along to discover how to start researching their ancestors. All the LFHS research facilities are to be available for you to use. Throughout both days demonstrations will be running giving a brief introduction to genealogy – so pop along for a visit – who knows they could help to break through that brick wall. Further details are available from 01522 511548.
Paul WHITELAM is writing an article for the Echo on the series of county council events in September. His starting point is what spurs people on to carry out the research and the effect that the BBC programme Who Do You Think You Are? has had on genealogy in Lincolnshire. Watch out for it. He thought that as he was writing for the Echo readers he might just take a look at his name via the column. The surname WHITELAM in 1881 according to the Surname Profiler is Lincolnshire based with very few elsewhere. Moving on 110 years and while the name has spread out over the whole country the major concentrations are still in the east of England. The top area for both of the times is Lincoln. The origin of the name which can also be spelt WHITLAM and WHITLUM is from a nickname. Now whether this nickname came about because the person was associated with the sign of the white lamb as in the public house of that name, perhaps a shop or maybe the person just used a white lamb as an advertisement.
Mrs REANEY of Crowle has presented the most difficult of problems in family history. That of finding a person alive today. There are databases on the internet which can be searched for a fee and the main one to be used for Where are they now? is the electoral roll. One of the easiest to use is that of www.tracesmart.co.uk. Sadly the name that I put in showed two results in 2003 but only one in 2006. Could the one I am looking for still be alive. It costs around £20 to find out. I could check the GRO index and see if there is a death certificate for this name. The GRO from 1837 to 2003 can be searched at www.192.com and at www.1837online.com and here again there is a cost but it could be cheaper than getting the car out of the garage. The most cost effective is the 1837 site.
Bits and Bobs
Grantham Petty Sessions - 20 April 1849 - Edw. FREESTON, of Doddington, (formerly a butcher at Barrowby), was ordered to pay 1s 6d per week and the usual expenses towards the maintenance of the illegitimate child of Ann SWAIN, of Barrowby. The amount was laid low, (though FREESTON was an old married man), in consequence of the female's having had three children previously.
Market Rasen Petty Sessions - 16 April 1849 - John ROBERTS, of Legsby, labourer, appeared upon summons to answer the complaint and application of Charlotte ROBINSON, of Claxby, for an order of maintenance upon him of her bastard child: the girl having had four before, an order of 6d per week only and costs was made.
Both of these came from Ann on the net. The woman seems to be the guilty party in these cases. Being a serial producer of illegitimate children is obviously frowned upon with the amount being drastically cut by the Market Rasen sessions.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
A Name with STYLE
A Name with STYLE
Winifred STEGGALL has written from Reepham and thinks that the time is ripe for me to check out her unusual surname which has its local dialect to thank for the spelling. This is not a Lincolnshire name but neither has not travelled very far over the years. Originating in the Suffolk area it is a locational name. There are somewhere in the region of twenty different spellings for STEGGALL and the only thing all these have in common is that they all start with ST and have an L in them. The spellings include STEGGLE, STECKEL, STYGLE and finally the one that it all started with, STILE. One of the first references to the surname is in the 13th century and we find Reginald atte STIGHEL when the Old English stigol was the word for a stile but took a century or three to get to the Middle English stegele and eventually the surnames STYGLE and STYLE. Reginald therefore was a dweller by the stile or steep ascent. As you can see from the example I have given above, with a broad accent, they can all sound very similar and G is easily changed to a C sound. However as usual there is an alternative explanation. The surname STILE might originally come from the Old English stiell which was a dweller near the place to catch fish..
The arrival of the new Lincolnshire Family History Society magazine brings with it the information that Mrs Smith of Lincoln has come across the family bible belonging to the SONDOR family. Try as I might I can’t find this in my books. Originally from Great Rissington which is not far from Oxford there can’t be many families with this name in Lincolnshire. A search of the Surname Profiler gives no indication of where they came from because, as there are less than 100 in the country, they are nor picked up. Still, a look at the 1881 should give a hint, however I was out of luck here as well for there were none listed. I shall have to have a more thorough search during the week. Watch this space.
The surname PINDARD below is a corruption of the occupational surname PINDER. This was necessary work in the villages when the fields were less enclosed than they are today. The stray animals would be rounded up and put into the pinfold under the care of the pinder who was a village officer and he would then charge for their release. The name comes from the Old English word pyndan which was to impound or shut up.
Bits and Bobs
PINDARD, of Boston, plumber, for payment of 2s 6d a week and costs towards the maintenance of a bastard child belonging to Barnett SMITH......The case occupied the court for a considerable time, and involved a nice point, the woman having been married, and it was unknown whether her husband was living or dead. [A witness claimed he had seen the husband in Grimsby more than a year ago, and at the last Boston fair, but BS swore she hadn't seen him for two years & she had been informed he was killed on the railway near Syston] etc.
Winifred STEGGALL has written from Reepham and thinks that the time is ripe for me to check out her unusual surname which has its local dialect to thank for the spelling. This is not a Lincolnshire name but neither has not travelled very far over the years. Originating in the Suffolk area it is a locational name. There are somewhere in the region of twenty different spellings for STEGGALL and the only thing all these have in common is that they all start with ST and have an L in them. The spellings include STEGGLE, STECKEL, STYGLE and finally the one that it all started with, STILE. One of the first references to the surname is in the 13th century and we find Reginald atte STIGHEL when the Old English stigol was the word for a stile but took a century or three to get to the Middle English stegele and eventually the surnames STYGLE and STYLE. Reginald therefore was a dweller by the stile or steep ascent. As you can see from the example I have given above, with a broad accent, they can all sound very similar and G is easily changed to a C sound. However as usual there is an alternative explanation. The surname STILE might originally come from the Old English stiell which was a dweller near the place to catch fish..
The arrival of the new Lincolnshire Family History Society magazine brings with it the information that Mrs Smith of Lincoln has come across the family bible belonging to the SONDOR family. Try as I might I can’t find this in my books. Originally from Great Rissington which is not far from Oxford there can’t be many families with this name in Lincolnshire. A search of the Surname Profiler gives no indication of where they came from because, as there are less than 100 in the country, they are nor picked up. Still, a look at the 1881 should give a hint, however I was out of luck here as well for there were none listed. I shall have to have a more thorough search during the week. Watch this space.
The surname PINDARD below is a corruption of the occupational surname PINDER. This was necessary work in the villages when the fields were less enclosed than they are today. The stray animals would be rounded up and put into the pinfold under the care of the pinder who was a village officer and he would then charge for their release. The name comes from the Old English word pyndan which was to impound or shut up.
Bits and Bobs
PINDARD, of Boston, plumber, for payment of 2s 6d a week and costs towards the maintenance of a bastard child belonging to Barnett SMITH......The case occupied the court for a considerable time, and involved a nice point, the woman having been married, and it was unknown whether her husband was living or dead. [A witness claimed he had seen the husband in Grimsby more than a year ago, and at the last Boston fair, but BS swore she hadn't seen him for two years & she had been informed he was killed on the railway near Syston] etc.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
OUSE
?OUSE
Passed on via the internet was the following information that I thought interesting having never come across the MOUSE family name. Family bible undated but first family entry is 1846 belonging to the GROOBY family from around the Long Sutton area. It is a bit worn and a few pages are torn but most of it is intact as are most of the colour plates which are very nice in their own right. The entries for the GROOBY family date back to 1846 starting with the birth of William GROOBY he married Emma MOUSE [I think it is "M"] on Oct. 20th 1870 at Long Sutton church. However some research into the GROOBY family tree turns up the information that William is in fact from Helpstone in Northamptonshire according to the 1881 census and his wife is from Gedney Dike. Who was Mrs GROOBY? There is a number of MOUSE family members but these all live in Bedfordshire. Using the wildcard ‘?’ search we have as a result DOUSE, HOUSE and ROUSE individuals and of these only William and Mary ROUSE are living in Gedney and they have children born in Long Sutton. Also from Helpstone and living in Spalding with Spalding wives are a couple more GROOBY families and the oldest of all these is Solomon who was born in Spalding. The family liked biblical names for this was the son of Zachariah GROOBY. There must be a story here as to why the family flits backs and forth apart from the fact that there would be relatives in both places. Almost all occurrences of the GROOBY name are around the Fens and it is of a locational origin. The village in Leicestershire that goes by the name Groby is pronounced as Groobi and it is here that they all came from.
MOUSE is unusual and found almost exclusively in Bedfordshire. It is not in the dictionary but of those that had mouse in the word seem to be linked to the colour grey. ROUSE on the other hand is numerous and found south of a line drawn between the Bristol Channel and the Humber. Again its origin is from the colour and the Ancient French word rous or red.
The name HOUSE was concentrated in the Dorset area with an outcrop in the highlands of Scotland. It is believed that the name came from the person concerned being employed at ‘the’ house which was most likely of a religious nature.
Finally the name DOUSE or DOWSE or one of the other variations. The Old French dous or doux meant pleasant or sweetly smelling and was also used a female Christian name. It was also used occasionally as a male name along the lines of Hilary and Leslie.
The National Archives who run a family history service at Myddleton Street in London has decided that the time is right for the whole of its service to come together at Kew. However the Office of National Statistics has no plans at present to close or move its part of the Family Records Centre. What difference will this make to the family tree researcher? I suppose it all depends on your reason to visit Myddleton Street. If it is for the certificates then no change but if its for the census then Kew will be the place.
For those of you who are just starting out on the family history trail and would like to know more about how to go about it and the data sources that are available to the family researcher then the workshop being held at Grasby Village Hall on Sept 10th is just for you. For more information please give me a ring on 01652 628337 or send an email to ifor@familyroots.org.uk
Bits and Bobs
What the Papers Said - Sept 28th 1792 Marriage - On Thursday se’nnight was married at Carlby in this county, Mr James GLENN, farmer, to Mrs HODGKIN, a most disconsolate widow for 20 days.
Passed on via the internet was the following information that I thought interesting having never come across the MOUSE family name. Family bible undated but first family entry is 1846 belonging to the GROOBY family from around the Long Sutton area. It is a bit worn and a few pages are torn but most of it is intact as are most of the colour plates which are very nice in their own right. The entries for the GROOBY family date back to 1846 starting with the birth of William GROOBY he married Emma MOUSE [I think it is "M"] on Oct. 20th 1870 at Long Sutton church. However some research into the GROOBY family tree turns up the information that William is in fact from Helpstone in Northamptonshire according to the 1881 census and his wife is from Gedney Dike. Who was Mrs GROOBY? There is a number of MOUSE family members but these all live in Bedfordshire. Using the wildcard ‘?’ search we have as a result DOUSE, HOUSE and ROUSE individuals and of these only William and Mary ROUSE are living in Gedney and they have children born in Long Sutton. Also from Helpstone and living in Spalding with Spalding wives are a couple more GROOBY families and the oldest of all these is Solomon who was born in Spalding. The family liked biblical names for this was the son of Zachariah GROOBY. There must be a story here as to why the family flits backs and forth apart from the fact that there would be relatives in both places. Almost all occurrences of the GROOBY name are around the Fens and it is of a locational origin. The village in Leicestershire that goes by the name Groby is pronounced as Groobi and it is here that they all came from.
MOUSE is unusual and found almost exclusively in Bedfordshire. It is not in the dictionary but of those that had mouse in the word seem to be linked to the colour grey. ROUSE on the other hand is numerous and found south of a line drawn between the Bristol Channel and the Humber. Again its origin is from the colour and the Ancient French word rous or red.
The name HOUSE was concentrated in the Dorset area with an outcrop in the highlands of Scotland. It is believed that the name came from the person concerned being employed at ‘the’ house which was most likely of a religious nature.
Finally the name DOUSE or DOWSE or one of the other variations. The Old French dous or doux meant pleasant or sweetly smelling and was also used a female Christian name. It was also used occasionally as a male name along the lines of Hilary and Leslie.
The National Archives who run a family history service at Myddleton Street in London has decided that the time is right for the whole of its service to come together at Kew. However the Office of National Statistics has no plans at present to close or move its part of the Family Records Centre. What difference will this make to the family tree researcher? I suppose it all depends on your reason to visit Myddleton Street. If it is for the certificates then no change but if its for the census then Kew will be the place.
For those of you who are just starting out on the family history trail and would like to know more about how to go about it and the data sources that are available to the family researcher then the workshop being held at Grasby Village Hall on Sept 10th is just for you. For more information please give me a ring on 01652 628337 or send an email to ifor@familyroots.org.uk
Bits and Bobs
What the Papers Said - Sept 28th 1792 Marriage - On Thursday se’nnight was married at Carlby in this county, Mr James GLENN, farmer, to Mrs HODGKIN, a most disconsolate widow for 20 days.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
American Trail
American Trail
During a search this week for a COCHRAN individual who was born in Canada and lived for many years in Massachusetts I rediscovered the problem of countries holding the census at different times. The first time I find George F he is married to Ada and in the US 1910 Census they had been married 10 years. It is easy enough to work out that they therefore married in around 1900. According to the census Ada, who was born in Beverley, Yorkshire and entered the States in 1898, so why are they not to be found on the US 1900 census? Could it be they were away in Canada on honeymoon? By the time they come back the census is over and it is another year before the census takes place in Canada where they can’t be found either. One of the handy items to be found on the US census is the nationality of the parents and of the individual. In George’s case this is Canada on all three and this allows (assuming that the nationality doesn’t change) one to discount those that do not fit. They both were naturalised in 1916 and this is listed on the 1920 census. If you use Ancestry.com you can sign up for a trial period for free. The name COCHRAN and its many variations all come from Cochrane the place in Scotland
The first COCHRANE recorded in Scotland was one Waldeve de COVERAN who witnessed a charter in favour of the 5th Earl of Menteith in 1262. Tradition traces the COCHRANE ancestry to a Viking warrior who settled in Renfrewshire where his descendants took their name from the lands of Cochrane near Paisley. The 10th Earl of Cochrane pursued a naval career during the Napoleonic Wars and became popular due to his expertise in capturing larger ships, and his ingenuity for discomfiting the enemy. Later, as MP for Westminster, he became a victim of party politics, and with his services largely unrecognised, in 1817 he accepted command of the Chilean Navy and assisted that country gain its freedom from Spain.
A new name came my way this week with a letter from Stephen ALLEN who is working on the name FENN. The name as it suggests does come from the fenlands. In the 12th century it could be found as Ralph de FENNE or Thomas atte FENNE. As you can see the name has quite a long history. It originated from the Old English fenn, which was a marsh or fen. If you were living in the far southwest of the country it might be a corruption of the place name Venn.
Bits and Bobs
Vellum indenture dated November 28th 1588, being a grant of messuages and lands at 'Strabbie' (now Strubby), as well as a manor, grange, etc., called 'Shepewasshe' in Sheepwash and Canwick, Lincolnshire, signed amongst others by Sir Julius CEASAR, written in a remarkably legible hand, lacking seal but otherwise in fine condition. An extremely interesting document which makes it clear that the grant, to William HENNEGE of Benniworth, by Nicholas WILLSON of Sturton,., was in settlement of a £1,000 debt following a King's Bench judgement against WILLSON, after he had breached the terms of a marriage settlement. The colourfully named Sir Julius CEASAR (1558-1635) rose to Chancellor of the Exchequer under James I
Sold by Auction 2002
During a search this week for a COCHRAN individual who was born in Canada and lived for many years in Massachusetts I rediscovered the problem of countries holding the census at different times. The first time I find George F he is married to Ada and in the US 1910 Census they had been married 10 years. It is easy enough to work out that they therefore married in around 1900. According to the census Ada, who was born in Beverley, Yorkshire and entered the States in 1898, so why are they not to be found on the US 1900 census? Could it be they were away in Canada on honeymoon? By the time they come back the census is over and it is another year before the census takes place in Canada where they can’t be found either. One of the handy items to be found on the US census is the nationality of the parents and of the individual. In George’s case this is Canada on all three and this allows (assuming that the nationality doesn’t change) one to discount those that do not fit. They both were naturalised in 1916 and this is listed on the 1920 census. If you use Ancestry.com you can sign up for a trial period for free. The name COCHRAN and its many variations all come from Cochrane the place in Scotland
The first COCHRANE recorded in Scotland was one Waldeve de COVERAN who witnessed a charter in favour of the 5th Earl of Menteith in 1262. Tradition traces the COCHRANE ancestry to a Viking warrior who settled in Renfrewshire where his descendants took their name from the lands of Cochrane near Paisley. The 10th Earl of Cochrane pursued a naval career during the Napoleonic Wars and became popular due to his expertise in capturing larger ships, and his ingenuity for discomfiting the enemy. Later, as MP for Westminster, he became a victim of party politics, and with his services largely unrecognised, in 1817 he accepted command of the Chilean Navy and assisted that country gain its freedom from Spain.
A new name came my way this week with a letter from Stephen ALLEN who is working on the name FENN. The name as it suggests does come from the fenlands. In the 12th century it could be found as Ralph de FENNE or Thomas atte FENNE. As you can see the name has quite a long history. It originated from the Old English fenn, which was a marsh or fen. If you were living in the far southwest of the country it might be a corruption of the place name Venn.
Bits and Bobs
Vellum indenture dated November 28th 1588, being a grant of messuages and lands at 'Strabbie' (now Strubby), as well as a manor, grange, etc., called 'Shepewasshe' in Sheepwash and Canwick, Lincolnshire, signed amongst others by Sir Julius CEASAR, written in a remarkably legible hand, lacking seal but otherwise in fine condition. An extremely interesting document which makes it clear that the grant, to William HENNEGE of Benniworth, by Nicholas WILLSON of Sturton,., was in settlement of a £1,000 debt following a King's Bench judgement against WILLSON, after he had breached the terms of a marriage settlement. The colourfully named Sir Julius CEASAR (1558-1635) rose to Chancellor of the Exchequer under James I
Sold by Auction 2002
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Much Ado About Nothi
Much Ado About Nothing
There are just two returns given when Lincolnshire is put into the search engine for the Victorian Prisoners Photographs at the National Archives site. Louisa MITCHELL who was born in 1844 in Grimsby stole a watch in Surrey and was given three months hard labour in 1873 for doing it. In 1872 John ARCHER was given six months hard labour for stealing three brass balls from his master. The descendants of these can get a copy of the photo from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ using their visa. While we consider it a bit of luck to find such things I am fairly certain that the ancestors concerned would not have viewed it in this light.
The surname MITCHELL was rarely used as a Christian name for this was normally Michael but it is from this that many MITCHELLS have come. However there is a link in one family back in the 12th century when Michael de Middleton was the Keeper of the Kings Wolfhounds. Twenty years later the keeper was William MICHEL and later still Richard MICHEL. It is thought that this was the father passing on the post to his sons. The second possible origin is from the Old English mycel and the Middle English michel and muchel. These translate to the word big. Most of us have heard of this one without realising it. One of the outlaws with Robin Hood was Much the Millers son. We know John nicknamed Little was big and so it is likely that the Millers son nicknamed Much was little.
It is coincidental that the second photo is of John ARCHER and who knows perhaps he is descended from one of the archers with Robin HOOD. Some of the earliest instances of the surname were spelt L’ARCHER with it being an occupation.
Another very interesting site I came across recently is that of www.durtnall.org.uk/. This is the family site of Mike Durtnall. What Mike has done is to collect the details of ancient documents and put them on his web site. Some are for sale now while others have been on eBay. The following is the sort of item I found 63/7 Searby - 1827 - Disposal of Half of Manor of Searby by Mary Ann Roadley to John Walter Dudding and John Iles. 4 sheets parchment - signed and sealed by Mary Ann Roadley and witnessed by John Ferraby and Chas. Smith. Contains details of all properties and land included in the sale, and the tenants. Names mentioned - Berry, Bristow, Brown, Clark, Cousin, Dauvatt, Day, Dixon, Drewry, Duislake, Ferraby, Field, Gibson, Hall, Hargrave, Hilton, Jacklin(g), Jackson, James, King, Kirkland, Medley, Mumby, Nicholson, Petch, Platt, Portas, Radley, Rands, Scutterby, Sharp, Smith, Taylor, Trow, Walker, Wakefield, Weston, Wildbore. £58.
If you do not know the area then something along the lines of the next item that was for sale in 2002 can happen. Archive of fifteen indentures on paper, 1750-1803, dealing with land and property transactions in the Manor of Somerby and Searby , Lincolnshire, all in fine condition. An important archive of documents for local historians and genealogist. Somerby is today the village of Somersby and Searby is the village of Swabey, both lying between Horncastle and Alford. They have just moved the village of Somerby 30 miles south.
The last one I do not have a date for. Did anyone see this item? Up for sale were the marriage registers for 1812 -1837 for the villages of Saxby and what seems to be Firsby. How did they become saleable items? I checked the Archives list of deposited Registers and there is no mention of any being missing. The Saxby register has one page used and the Firsby has eight. Not an earth shattering omission to the data available unless it is a marriage of your family. Where did they go to, does anyone know?
Bits and Bobs
Court Report – Tuesday Oct 5th 1858 – William Plaskitt of Cabourne was charged with refusing to attend and be sworn as a parish constable. Discharged on his consenting to be sworn into office.
A policeman’s lot never was an ’appy one Lincolnshire Family History Society 1997
There are just two returns given when Lincolnshire is put into the search engine for the Victorian Prisoners Photographs at the National Archives site. Louisa MITCHELL who was born in 1844 in Grimsby stole a watch in Surrey and was given three months hard labour in 1873 for doing it. In 1872 John ARCHER was given six months hard labour for stealing three brass balls from his master. The descendants of these can get a copy of the photo from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ using their visa. While we consider it a bit of luck to find such things I am fairly certain that the ancestors concerned would not have viewed it in this light.
The surname MITCHELL was rarely used as a Christian name for this was normally Michael but it is from this that many MITCHELLS have come. However there is a link in one family back in the 12th century when Michael de Middleton was the Keeper of the Kings Wolfhounds. Twenty years later the keeper was William MICHEL and later still Richard MICHEL. It is thought that this was the father passing on the post to his sons. The second possible origin is from the Old English mycel and the Middle English michel and muchel. These translate to the word big. Most of us have heard of this one without realising it. One of the outlaws with Robin Hood was Much the Millers son. We know John nicknamed Little was big and so it is likely that the Millers son nicknamed Much was little.
It is coincidental that the second photo is of John ARCHER and who knows perhaps he is descended from one of the archers with Robin HOOD. Some of the earliest instances of the surname were spelt L’ARCHER with it being an occupation.
Another very interesting site I came across recently is that of www.durtnall.org.uk/. This is the family site of Mike Durtnall. What Mike has done is to collect the details of ancient documents and put them on his web site. Some are for sale now while others have been on eBay. The following is the sort of item I found 63/7 Searby - 1827 - Disposal of Half of Manor of Searby by Mary Ann Roadley to John Walter Dudding and John Iles. 4 sheets parchment - signed and sealed by Mary Ann Roadley and witnessed by John Ferraby and Chas. Smith. Contains details of all properties and land included in the sale, and the tenants. Names mentioned - Berry, Bristow, Brown, Clark, Cousin, Dauvatt, Day, Dixon, Drewry, Duislake, Ferraby, Field, Gibson, Hall, Hargrave, Hilton, Jacklin(g), Jackson, James, King, Kirkland, Medley, Mumby, Nicholson, Petch, Platt, Portas, Radley, Rands, Scutterby, Sharp, Smith, Taylor, Trow, Walker, Wakefield, Weston, Wildbore. £58.
If you do not know the area then something along the lines of the next item that was for sale in 2002 can happen. Archive of fifteen indentures on paper, 1750-1803, dealing with land and property transactions in the Manor of Somerby and Searby , Lincolnshire, all in fine condition. An important archive of documents for local historians and genealogist. Somerby is today the village of Somersby and Searby is the village of Swabey, both lying between Horncastle and Alford. They have just moved the village of Somerby 30 miles south.
The last one I do not have a date for. Did anyone see this item? Up for sale were the marriage registers for 1812 -1837 for the villages of Saxby and what seems to be Firsby. How did they become saleable items? I checked the Archives list of deposited Registers and there is no mention of any being missing. The Saxby register has one page used and the Firsby has eight. Not an earth shattering omission to the data available unless it is a marriage of your family. Where did they go to, does anyone know?
Bits and Bobs
Court Report – Tuesday Oct 5th 1858 – William Plaskitt of Cabourne was charged with refusing to attend and be sworn as a parish constable. Discharged on his consenting to be sworn into office.
A policeman’s lot never was an ’appy one Lincolnshire Family History Society 1997
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Research al Fresco
Research al Fresco
Wendy PANKHURST sent in the following information that St. Peter's Church at East Halton will be holding an Open Day for family history researchers. They will get the opportunity of looking at the Parish Records and Bishops Transcripts where they were written and a map of the graveyard will also be available. The great day is on Saturday 19th August and at the same time you can enjoy the refreshments that will be available. Perhaps other churches will follow East Haltons lead. The surname PANKHURST along with PENTYCROSS and PERRYCOST all come from the Old French Pentecost and were generally born during that festival.
Sold recently was a Mortgage of an estate in Winterton, Lincolnshire, between John THOMPSON of Winterton, plumber and glazier, and Isaac LEVI of Barton upon Humber, silversmith. It was dated 25th March 1818 in the 58th year of the reign of King George III. The LEVI surname was not regularly found in Lincolnshire. By 1881 there were just two and these were both immigrants. One is from Russia and the other from Poland. The name LEVI means "attached" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites (the tribe that eventually became the priests of the Israelites). In the New Testament this is another name for the apostle Matthew. Tending to be of Jewish origin the occupation also hints at the same conclusion. I wonder what happened to him? Isn’t it odd how one can get sidetracked? I looked up George III in Wikipedia as I was unsure as the veracity of his reported 58-year reign. Then I moved back in time to the Jacobite Rebellion of the 18th century and thought about who, if anyone, was claiming the English throne today through their descent from Bonny Prince Charlie; and there is someone. I found that Francis II of Bavaria is the present claimant. The heir presumptive of Franz, Duke of Bavaria, is his younger brother Prince Max of Bavaria. Then his daughter Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, and then her eldest son Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein, born 24 May 1995 in London. Prince Joseph is first heir in the Jacobite line born in the British Isles since James III and VIII, The Old Pretender in 1688. Well I found it interesting and by the way George III was on the English throne from 1738 until his death in 1820.
Bits and Bobs
Humberstone (more recently spelled Humberston) is from the Old English Humbre+stone for "the boundary stone in the River Humber". In the 1086 Domesday Book, it is rendered in its original form as Humbrestone. May 5th 1815 – Death – Lately at Humberstone, near Grimsby, aged 83 years, Ann KILLOCK: she had performed the duty of Clerk to the Parish church for 20 years and followed four husbands to their grave, and left 60 children and grandchildren behind her. Lincolnshire Family History Society Magazine 1997.
This must be an unusual occurrence for a woman to have been the Parish Clerk in the 19th century. Her surname is thought to have originated from the village of Kilnwick in Yorkshire.
Wendy PANKHURST sent in the following information that St. Peter's Church at East Halton will be holding an Open Day for family history researchers. They will get the opportunity of looking at the Parish Records and Bishops Transcripts where they were written and a map of the graveyard will also be available. The great day is on Saturday 19th August and at the same time you can enjoy the refreshments that will be available. Perhaps other churches will follow East Haltons lead. The surname PANKHURST along with PENTYCROSS and PERRYCOST all come from the Old French Pentecost and were generally born during that festival.
Sold recently was a Mortgage of an estate in Winterton, Lincolnshire, between John THOMPSON of Winterton, plumber and glazier, and Isaac LEVI of Barton upon Humber, silversmith. It was dated 25th March 1818 in the 58th year of the reign of King George III. The LEVI surname was not regularly found in Lincolnshire. By 1881 there were just two and these were both immigrants. One is from Russia and the other from Poland. The name LEVI means "attached" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites (the tribe that eventually became the priests of the Israelites). In the New Testament this is another name for the apostle Matthew. Tending to be of Jewish origin the occupation also hints at the same conclusion. I wonder what happened to him? Isn’t it odd how one can get sidetracked? I looked up George III in Wikipedia as I was unsure as the veracity of his reported 58-year reign. Then I moved back in time to the Jacobite Rebellion of the 18th century and thought about who, if anyone, was claiming the English throne today through their descent from Bonny Prince Charlie; and there is someone. I found that Francis II of Bavaria is the present claimant. The heir presumptive of Franz, Duke of Bavaria, is his younger brother Prince Max of Bavaria. Then his daughter Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, and then her eldest son Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein, born 24 May 1995 in London. Prince Joseph is first heir in the Jacobite line born in the British Isles since James III and VIII, The Old Pretender in 1688. Well I found it interesting and by the way George III was on the English throne from 1738 until his death in 1820.
Bits and Bobs
Humberstone (more recently spelled Humberston) is from the Old English Humbre+stone for "the boundary stone in the River Humber". In the 1086 Domesday Book, it is rendered in its original form as Humbrestone. May 5th 1815 – Death – Lately at Humberstone, near Grimsby, aged 83 years, Ann KILLOCK: she had performed the duty of Clerk to the Parish church for 20 years and followed four husbands to their grave, and left 60 children and grandchildren behind her. Lincolnshire Family History Society Magazine 1997.
This must be an unusual occurrence for a woman to have been the Parish Clerk in the 19th century. Her surname is thought to have originated from the village of Kilnwick in Yorkshire.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
What's It Worth
What's It Worth?
Back in 1680, employing a craftsman for 13 days would cost you the equivalent of just one hour for a modern plumber. In 1270, for the same amount, you could add five extra days of craftsman work, 14 lbs of wool and a bale of wheat. How do I know this? Well I found the converter on www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency At The National Archives the new currency conversion program where you can convert old money into new equivalent values, and at the same time you can also see what the relative buying power of money was in days gone by. For example, did you know that Jane Austen left £50 in her will in 1817? That sum is approximately equal to the spending power of £2,096 today. It would have bought her beneficiary: 318 days of craftsman labour or,53 stones of wool or, 8 quarters of wheat or, 9 cows or, 4 horses.
Grasby had a visit from a gentleman who lives in Hykeham and more years ago than he would like to remember his address here was the same as mine is today. He was kind enough to let me scan a postcard he had with him which was of our house in the very early part of the 20th century. What is it about these old postcards that makes them so much more evocative than the coloured ones of today? When these visits occur always try to get a name and contact number. Me? I forgot! Hopefully he will get in touch again.
A document recently for sale dated 6 April 1773 in the 13th year of the reign of King George III and for the Release of land in Wigtoff, Lincolnshire, between John GAINSBOROUGH of Swineshead, Lincolnshire, yeoman and Mary his wife (nee WATERS) and Samuel FOSTER of Swineshead, yeoman. The property is All that piece of land in Wigtoff called the Fore Fen of 4 acres lying South East of the turnpike road from Boston to Donington (No 49 on the Inclosure Map).
By 1881 the FOSTER family seems to have disappeared for the FOSTER that is living in Swineshead comes from Stamford and has his father in law Levi DAYBALL staying with him. The name FOSTER, so the book says, might come from Middle English foster as in cild-foster, a foster parent or nurse. However having seen the name FORSTER, FOSTER and FORESTER being used for the same family I feel that it is more likely to be the occupational name of a person who works in a forest.
The Mormons with the IGI lump all the DIBBLE, DYBELL, DAYBALL, and DABBLE together as having the same root. Just about all of the elder members of these families came from Norfolk according to the 1881 census. I seem to spend this week disagreeing with the book; it says that DAYBELL is a nick name that came from the practise of ringing a bell at dawn which was called imaginatively enough the day-bell. The alternative, and the one I prefer, is the ease with which some words can be changed by using a D instead of a T. The name Tibbald was represented in Old Saxon as Dibald which started off as the font name Theobald. It is not very far to go to get DIBBLE or DAYBELL from DIBALD.
Bits and Bobs
LRSM 8 December 1848 - Spilsby Petty Sessions 27 November - Ruth DAWSON, of Bolingbroke, applied for an order upon Wm. STENNETT, of Revesby, to prove that the defendant (who is cousin to the plaintiff) had sent her money not to swear the child, plaintiff had called a second Wm. Stennett, also a cousin; but upon examination he swore positively that he had never spoken to the plaintiff upon the subject, and so prevaricated in his statements that it was clear he had been tampered with. The magistrates expressed their strong disapprobation of the witness' conduct, and of the defence which was attempted to be set up. Order granted for 2s 6d weekly and expenses.
Back in 1680, employing a craftsman for 13 days would cost you the equivalent of just one hour for a modern plumber. In 1270, for the same amount, you could add five extra days of craftsman work, 14 lbs of wool and a bale of wheat. How do I know this? Well I found the converter on www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency At The National Archives the new currency conversion program where you can convert old money into new equivalent values, and at the same time you can also see what the relative buying power of money was in days gone by. For example, did you know that Jane Austen left £50 in her will in 1817? That sum is approximately equal to the spending power of £2,096 today. It would have bought her beneficiary: 318 days of craftsman labour or,53 stones of wool or, 8 quarters of wheat or, 9 cows or, 4 horses.
Grasby had a visit from a gentleman who lives in Hykeham and more years ago than he would like to remember his address here was the same as mine is today. He was kind enough to let me scan a postcard he had with him which was of our house in the very early part of the 20th century. What is it about these old postcards that makes them so much more evocative than the coloured ones of today? When these visits occur always try to get a name and contact number. Me? I forgot! Hopefully he will get in touch again.
A document recently for sale dated 6 April 1773 in the 13th year of the reign of King George III and for the Release of land in Wigtoff, Lincolnshire, between John GAINSBOROUGH of Swineshead, Lincolnshire, yeoman and Mary his wife (nee WATERS) and Samuel FOSTER of Swineshead, yeoman. The property is All that piece of land in Wigtoff called the Fore Fen of 4 acres lying South East of the turnpike road from Boston to Donington (No 49 on the Inclosure Map).
By 1881 the FOSTER family seems to have disappeared for the FOSTER that is living in Swineshead comes from Stamford and has his father in law Levi DAYBALL staying with him. The name FOSTER, so the book says, might come from Middle English foster as in cild-foster, a foster parent or nurse. However having seen the name FORSTER, FOSTER and FORESTER being used for the same family I feel that it is more likely to be the occupational name of a person who works in a forest.
The Mormons with the IGI lump all the DIBBLE, DYBELL, DAYBALL, and DABBLE together as having the same root. Just about all of the elder members of these families came from Norfolk according to the 1881 census. I seem to spend this week disagreeing with the book; it says that DAYBELL is a nick name that came from the practise of ringing a bell at dawn which was called imaginatively enough the day-bell. The alternative, and the one I prefer, is the ease with which some words can be changed by using a D instead of a T. The name Tibbald was represented in Old Saxon as Dibald which started off as the font name Theobald. It is not very far to go to get DIBBLE or DAYBELL from DIBALD.
Bits and Bobs
LRSM 8 December 1848 - Spilsby Petty Sessions 27 November - Ruth DAWSON, of Bolingbroke, applied for an order upon Wm. STENNETT, of Revesby, to prove that the defendant (who is cousin to the plaintiff) had sent her money not to swear the child, plaintiff had called a second Wm. Stennett, also a cousin; but upon examination he swore positively that he had never spoken to the plaintiff upon the subject, and so prevaricated in his statements that it was clear he had been tampered with. The magistrates expressed their strong disapprobation of the witness' conduct, and of the defence which was attempted to be set up. Order granted for 2s 6d weekly and expenses.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Its The Accent What
It’s The Accent What Does It
My searches just recently have been for the PETT family of Spalding who left the county to live in the Doncaster area in the early part of the 19th century. In the parish registers we only have the PITT surname and the occasional PIDD. Usually this can be explained by the fact that the PETT that is giving his/her name to the vicar has a strong accent which the vicar then translates as PITT. The books agree with me here (which doesn’t help) for under PETT they say to ‘See PITT’. So the question is how do you prove that they are one and the same. What one hopes for here is a change in the vicar and hopefully a change in the name. To illustrate this take that of the gentleman who discovered a comet; most people pronounce the name as HAYLEY or HALIE but is this right for I have seen in one register the name spelt HALLEY and HAULEY. This indicates that the first element is pronounced HALL. Where does this leave PETT research? To be as sure as one can be the only thing one can hope for is to carry on looking for an entry with a change of spelling where the two can be linked together. In addition to the spellings above the book also has putt and they all come from a location. It is the dweller by the pits or hollows and is from the Old English pytt. There is village with the name Pett in Kent and one called Pitt in Hampshire.
A phone call set me on the trail of GUENIGAULT & COSFORD of London. What an opportunity we have to get the spelling wrong when it comes to a French name and an English accent. These are Huguenots that had been here a while but in the 1881 census there is but one head of house and that is Charles who was born in London. Could this be the one and only link to today’s families? A swift rummage on Google and up comes the www.tolliss.com/ site where can be found 84 GUENIGAULT individuals. A number of these should be living in London during 1881 so why aren’t they listed? The father of Charles, Louis Stephen GUENIGAULT, can be found on the Tollis site along with half a dozen of Charles uncles. Many of these had children. A French genealogical site also has GUENIGAUD as a spelling. Swapping a few letters around gives a few more individuals by the surname GUEINGAULE living in Battersea. The family is still there today with Mary GUENIGAULT working with the Liberal Democrats in Southwark. There is a hero in their midst for during the First World War amongst those lost on the raid on Zeebrugge was Able Seaman GUINIGAULT. Charles William GUENIGAULT was 19 years old and the son of Frederick William and Hannah of Essex Road. My books are deficient as to a meaning. The second however is a place name and comes from the person called Cossa who had control of the ford over a river.
Bits and Bobs
Fiona of the Grimsby FHS was at the Lincolnshire Family History Society AGM and was one of those lucky enough to hear John Wilson, archivist at the North-east Lincolnshire Archives speak on the Lottery funded project which involves indexing the Crew Lists held at Grimsby and Hull. While there is a lot more Grimsby data the Hull index has beaten them to the punch and they are on line at www.hullcc.gov.uk/. Go to the online catalogue and using DPF as a reference type in your name. She will let those on the internet know when Grimsby is up and running.
My searches just recently have been for the PETT family of Spalding who left the county to live in the Doncaster area in the early part of the 19th century. In the parish registers we only have the PITT surname and the occasional PIDD. Usually this can be explained by the fact that the PETT that is giving his/her name to the vicar has a strong accent which the vicar then translates as PITT. The books agree with me here (which doesn’t help) for under PETT they say to ‘See PITT’. So the question is how do you prove that they are one and the same. What one hopes for here is a change in the vicar and hopefully a change in the name. To illustrate this take that of the gentleman who discovered a comet; most people pronounce the name as HAYLEY or HALIE but is this right for I have seen in one register the name spelt HALLEY and HAULEY. This indicates that the first element is pronounced HALL. Where does this leave PETT research? To be as sure as one can be the only thing one can hope for is to carry on looking for an entry with a change of spelling where the two can be linked together. In addition to the spellings above the book also has putt and they all come from a location. It is the dweller by the pits or hollows and is from the Old English pytt. There is village with the name Pett in Kent and one called Pitt in Hampshire.
A phone call set me on the trail of GUENIGAULT & COSFORD of London. What an opportunity we have to get the spelling wrong when it comes to a French name and an English accent. These are Huguenots that had been here a while but in the 1881 census there is but one head of house and that is Charles who was born in London. Could this be the one and only link to today’s families? A swift rummage on Google and up comes the www.tolliss.com/ site where can be found 84 GUENIGAULT individuals. A number of these should be living in London during 1881 so why aren’t they listed? The father of Charles, Louis Stephen GUENIGAULT, can be found on the Tollis site along with half a dozen of Charles uncles. Many of these had children. A French genealogical site also has GUENIGAUD as a spelling. Swapping a few letters around gives a few more individuals by the surname GUEINGAULE living in Battersea. The family is still there today with Mary GUENIGAULT working with the Liberal Democrats in Southwark. There is a hero in their midst for during the First World War amongst those lost on the raid on Zeebrugge was Able Seaman GUINIGAULT. Charles William GUENIGAULT was 19 years old and the son of Frederick William and Hannah of Essex Road. My books are deficient as to a meaning. The second however is a place name and comes from the person called Cossa who had control of the ford over a river.
Bits and Bobs
Fiona of the Grimsby FHS was at the Lincolnshire Family History Society AGM and was one of those lucky enough to hear John Wilson, archivist at the North-east Lincolnshire Archives speak on the Lottery funded project which involves indexing the Crew Lists held at Grimsby and Hull. While there is a lot more Grimsby data the Hull index has beaten them to the punch and they are on line at www.hullcc.gov.uk/. Go to the online catalogue and using DPF as a reference type in your name. She will let those on the internet know when Grimsby is up and running.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Greetings from New Z
Greetings from New Zealand
Pauline Allen from New Zealand has an aunt that lives in Lincolnshire. Just to show you what good taste aunt has she sends Pauline cuttings from the Lincolnshire Echo. The name she is interested in is that of MORPHUS. Apart from the origin of the name she is trying to find out what happened to George William who was born in Bulwell in 1899. The only family detail that she has is that he might have died in 1947 but where. In 1881 there were just three families in the whole of the country with this name so there is a good chance that this is a change of spelling due to the accent used. The website FreeBMD although not yet finished gave me the information that there was a George aged 0 who died in September Quarter of 1902 in Nottingham District. A few months later there is the death of Emma aged 35. The mother perhaps dying due to infection. Marriages on FreeBMD of which there are few gave me Emma PIDDUCK marrying Samuel MORPHUS in 1889 in Basford. There are a total of 8 births in Nottinghamshire - all boys. However three of these are after the death of Emma. Did Samuel marry again? The name is most likely to be MALPASS and as the name is most prevalent in the west country my guess is that as the two Nottinghamshire MALPASS heads of family came from Gloucestershire this could be the original area for the family. Malpass arrived around the 13th century as the French gave places that were difficult to travel over the name. The Old French mal pas is a bad passage.
A book recently sold on eBay that I would have liked to buy is that of the life of Thomas LIDGETT printed in 1908. It is described as One of Lincolnshire's best known men as written by himself. Modest too! LIDGETT was born in Rothwell, a village near Caistor in 1844, and wrote this book shortly before his death in 1908. This is a wonderful historical account of Lincolnshire life in Victoria times. He became a preacher and travelled widely, including to Switzerland. "About the age of three and a half, I went with my mother to Moortown station to go to Hull. I thought when in the train we were not moving, but that the stacks, trees etc., were running past us in a desperate hurry". "At sixteen years of age I went to live with a farmer in Thoresway Parish named Surfleet". This 55 page book has 5 b/w photographs of LIDGETT. I’ll bet there aren’t many copies of this one about. The early references to the LIDGETT name all use the additional de or atte. This confirms the idea that it is from someone who lived near a swing gate from the Old English hlidgeat.
Bits and Bobs
Spilsby Petty Sessions - 25 September 1848 - Sarah HOUGHTON, of Wainfleet All Saints, applied for an order in bastardy against Luke WALKER of Ingoldmells. Mr. MERRIFIELD appeared for the defendant, and Mr. THIMBLEBY for the plaintiff: after hearing the case (which evinced considerable depravity on the part of the defendant, who is a widower with a family of nine children, while the plaintiff is a poor half-witted girl of seventeen), the bench made an order for 2s weekly and expenses.
Pauline Allen from New Zealand has an aunt that lives in Lincolnshire. Just to show you what good taste aunt has she sends Pauline cuttings from the Lincolnshire Echo. The name she is interested in is that of MORPHUS. Apart from the origin of the name she is trying to find out what happened to George William who was born in Bulwell in 1899. The only family detail that she has is that he might have died in 1947 but where. In 1881 there were just three families in the whole of the country with this name so there is a good chance that this is a change of spelling due to the accent used. The website FreeBMD although not yet finished gave me the information that there was a George aged 0 who died in September Quarter of 1902 in Nottingham District. A few months later there is the death of Emma aged 35. The mother perhaps dying due to infection. Marriages on FreeBMD of which there are few gave me Emma PIDDUCK marrying Samuel MORPHUS in 1889 in Basford. There are a total of 8 births in Nottinghamshire - all boys. However three of these are after the death of Emma. Did Samuel marry again? The name is most likely to be MALPASS and as the name is most prevalent in the west country my guess is that as the two Nottinghamshire MALPASS heads of family came from Gloucestershire this could be the original area for the family. Malpass arrived around the 13th century as the French gave places that were difficult to travel over the name. The Old French mal pas is a bad passage.
A book recently sold on eBay that I would have liked to buy is that of the life of Thomas LIDGETT printed in 1908. It is described as One of Lincolnshire's best known men as written by himself. Modest too! LIDGETT was born in Rothwell, a village near Caistor in 1844, and wrote this book shortly before his death in 1908. This is a wonderful historical account of Lincolnshire life in Victoria times. He became a preacher and travelled widely, including to Switzerland. "About the age of three and a half, I went with my mother to Moortown station to go to Hull. I thought when in the train we were not moving, but that the stacks, trees etc., were running past us in a desperate hurry". "At sixteen years of age I went to live with a farmer in Thoresway Parish named Surfleet". This 55 page book has 5 b/w photographs of LIDGETT. I’ll bet there aren’t many copies of this one about. The early references to the LIDGETT name all use the additional de or atte. This confirms the idea that it is from someone who lived near a swing gate from the Old English hlidgeat.
Bits and Bobs
Spilsby Petty Sessions - 25 September 1848 - Sarah HOUGHTON, of Wainfleet All Saints, applied for an order in bastardy against Luke WALKER of Ingoldmells. Mr. MERRIFIELD appeared for the defendant, and Mr. THIMBLEBY for the plaintiff: after hearing the case (which evinced considerable depravity on the part of the defendant, who is a widower with a family of nine children, while the plaintiff is a poor half-witted girl of seventeen), the bench made an order for 2s weekly and expenses.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Staff Discount
Staff Discount?
Ian BARNSLEY works for an extremely well known newspaper in Lincolnshire and, having seen the column come out for the last 348 times, has decided that it is time for me to look at his surname. The surname comes from the place of the same name. Remember that this would only have been his name when he was away from home; everyone knew who he was otherwise. The other thing to remember is that just because someone has the same place or occupational surname as you does not mean they are a relative. The reason that there are so many people with the surname SMITH is down to the fact that this was one of the most popular occupations during the time that surnames took off. If you are lucky and your ancestor is important enough to get listed somewhere he could have more than one name. James de BARNSLEY being someone with a bit of get-up-and-go moved his business to the nearby village of Dodsworth. To the people of Penistone he is now James de DODSWORTH not James de BARNSLEY. Barnsley by the way gets its name from the fact that the –leah or grove belonging to Beornheard. A similar name is that of Barnsdale which was the hill belonging to Beornheard. Towards the end of the 19th century there was just one family of the surname Barnsley in Lincolnshire. At the same time there were dozens of families living in Birmingham from whence Ian’s grandfather Cyril came. Ian mentions the fact that there are few BARNSLEY families now living in Barnsley. Over time they may have moved back but, as I have already said, at one time those that lived in Barnsley would not have had BARNSLEY as a surname unless they left the town.
Roger TINDALL has written asking for information on John TINDALL who he believes was born in the Rasen area. There is one John TINDALL who was born around 1760 in Coleby but this is not the one. He married Sarah FARROW of Middle Rasen in 1794. The family then moved around the area, married at Owmby and had a child, Thomas, born at Tealby who later died in Searby in 1879, do you have any links to this family for Roger. Let me know and I’ll pass it on.
Bits and Bobs
For sale at eBay - Vellum Indenture -1854 Deed - Messingham, Transfer and Confirmation of Mortgage of a Messuage Maltkiln and Hereditaments at Messingham, Lincolnshire for securing £400 and interest. The document also has two receipts on the back signed by William CHATTERTON for the repayment of the moneys in two parts dated 6 November 1862 and 23 May 1867 - Parties: William CHATTERTON, George FRANKISH, George KIRKLAND, Harriet KIRKLAND, Richard KIRKLAND the younger, Sarah KIRKLAND the elder, Sarah KIRKLAND the younger, William KIRKLAND - Other names include: William BARNARD, Rev Henry Vincent BAYLEY, John KIRKLAND, Richard KIRKLAND , Rev George Daniel RENAUD, Mary Ann SMITH (nee KIRKLAND) Richard SMITH, Mr SOWERBY Document signed by: George FRANKISH, X The Mark of Sarah KIRKLAND, George KIRKLAND, Richard KIRKLAND, Sarah KIRKLAND, Harriet KIRKLAND, William KIRKLAND Witnesses: Thomas FREER, Thomas WILSON
Ian BARNSLEY works for an extremely well known newspaper in Lincolnshire and, having seen the column come out for the last 348 times, has decided that it is time for me to look at his surname. The surname comes from the place of the same name. Remember that this would only have been his name when he was away from home; everyone knew who he was otherwise. The other thing to remember is that just because someone has the same place or occupational surname as you does not mean they are a relative. The reason that there are so many people with the surname SMITH is down to the fact that this was one of the most popular occupations during the time that surnames took off. If you are lucky and your ancestor is important enough to get listed somewhere he could have more than one name. James de BARNSLEY being someone with a bit of get-up-and-go moved his business to the nearby village of Dodsworth. To the people of Penistone he is now James de DODSWORTH not James de BARNSLEY. Barnsley by the way gets its name from the fact that the –leah or grove belonging to Beornheard. A similar name is that of Barnsdale which was the hill belonging to Beornheard. Towards the end of the 19th century there was just one family of the surname Barnsley in Lincolnshire. At the same time there were dozens of families living in Birmingham from whence Ian’s grandfather Cyril came. Ian mentions the fact that there are few BARNSLEY families now living in Barnsley. Over time they may have moved back but, as I have already said, at one time those that lived in Barnsley would not have had BARNSLEY as a surname unless they left the town.
Roger TINDALL has written asking for information on John TINDALL who he believes was born in the Rasen area. There is one John TINDALL who was born around 1760 in Coleby but this is not the one. He married Sarah FARROW of Middle Rasen in 1794. The family then moved around the area, married at Owmby and had a child, Thomas, born at Tealby who later died in Searby in 1879, do you have any links to this family for Roger. Let me know and I’ll pass it on.
Bits and Bobs
For sale at eBay - Vellum Indenture -1854 Deed - Messingham, Transfer and Confirmation of Mortgage of a Messuage Maltkiln and Hereditaments at Messingham, Lincolnshire for securing £400 and interest. The document also has two receipts on the back signed by William CHATTERTON for the repayment of the moneys in two parts dated 6 November 1862 and 23 May 1867 - Parties: William CHATTERTON, George FRANKISH, George KIRKLAND, Harriet KIRKLAND, Richard KIRKLAND the younger, Sarah KIRKLAND the elder, Sarah KIRKLAND the younger, William KIRKLAND - Other names include: William BARNARD, Rev Henry Vincent BAYLEY, John KIRKLAND, Richard KIRKLAND , Rev George Daniel RENAUD, Mary Ann SMITH (nee KIRKLAND) Richard SMITH, Mr SOWERBY Document signed by: George FRANKISH, X The Mark of Sarah KIRKLAND, George KIRKLAND, Richard KIRKLAND, Sarah KIRKLAND, Harriet KIRKLAND, William KIRKLAND Witnesses: Thomas FREER, Thomas WILSON
Monday, June 05, 2006
Saw or Taw
Saw or Taw
Maria TUE has recently moved to Lincolnshire and started to do the family tree but, without knowing it, she is a yellow-belly descendant because her father’s side of the family comes from Heckington. Her earliest record to date is that of Jacob & Joseph Chadwell BEEDON who are the sons of Daniel & Elizabeth, born at the start of the 19th century. Here we have another example of the change in the name through the accent. This time it is interchangeable with BEETON. The question is which one really comes first. BEEDON the surname comes from Beedon the village which is just off the M4 in Berkshire. On the other hand BEETON comes from Beton the diminutive for Bete (Beatrice) and was in use as a Christina name in Cornwall in the 17th century. The descendants spread out over the county moving to Vauxhall House in Boston, a Militia House in Grantham via a spell in the 22nd Regiment of Foot, and lastly to Horncastle. The question that Maria would like answering is where did Daniel and Elizabeth originate from and where did they end their lives?
Maria TUE and her present surname do present a slight problem. With the TUE spelling there is a blank, but in Northamptonshire in the 19th century there are a number as TEW. This is from the village of Tew in Oxfordshire. There is a Middle English word tewe, which was to taw. And someone who tawed was a tawyer and later became a surname. TAWYER is an occupational name and was to prepare white leather. Exactly the same as one who sawed became a SAWYER.
I had occasion to make a telephone call to the Scotland GRO to order a birth certificate. The experience was something that all Archives should aspire to (Lincolnshire of course excepted). I gave the date in 1920 and was told that the person was not listed, I then gave the second year that I had and was told he wasn’t there either. “Just a second” the gentleman said “I have found one in 1918”. “The mothers maiden name was MENZIES” he said which was the middle name of the person I was looking for. The speed with which the answers came back I must assume that they have all the indexes computerised. When I put the phone down I had been on line the for just less than 4 minutes. OK I have not received the bill yet but I thought the service was exceptional.
Mrs ARMSTRONG of Lincoln is interested in the name ADDELSEE. The word comes from the Old English hathel and sae meaning a marshy pool in a hollow. This particular marshy pool could be found in North Yorkshire at a village now called Haddlesey. The village was called Hathel-sae in 1030. Early Lincolnshire family members were to be seen around Boston and Minting at the start of the 19th century. The one family with the name with the same spelling as that of the village came from Caistor. One must assume that it is the Lincolnshire accent that had persuaded people to drop the ‘H’ in the distant past.
Bits and Bobs
Sarah wife of Wm. LOCKTON, of Marston, applied for an order in bastardy. She was a married woman but her husband enlisted three years ago and is now at Corfoo: an old fellow named Edw. PIDD, finding her in a rather destitute condition, and he being a widower, first engaged her to attend to his house, and ultimately to cohabit with him, by which means she kept herself out of the workhouse: the old man was left with a family of six children, the youngest of whom is 14 years of age.........Pidd was ordered to pay 1s 6d per week and the midwifery expenses. From Anne
When you think about it, what else could the woman do in those days but hope to find someone who would look after her and the children?
Maria TUE has recently moved to Lincolnshire and started to do the family tree but, without knowing it, she is a yellow-belly descendant because her father’s side of the family comes from Heckington. Her earliest record to date is that of Jacob & Joseph Chadwell BEEDON who are the sons of Daniel & Elizabeth, born at the start of the 19th century. Here we have another example of the change in the name through the accent. This time it is interchangeable with BEETON. The question is which one really comes first. BEEDON the surname comes from Beedon the village which is just off the M4 in Berkshire. On the other hand BEETON comes from Beton the diminutive for Bete (Beatrice) and was in use as a Christina name in Cornwall in the 17th century. The descendants spread out over the county moving to Vauxhall House in Boston, a Militia House in Grantham via a spell in the 22nd Regiment of Foot, and lastly to Horncastle. The question that Maria would like answering is where did Daniel and Elizabeth originate from and where did they end their lives?
Maria TUE and her present surname do present a slight problem. With the TUE spelling there is a blank, but in Northamptonshire in the 19th century there are a number as TEW. This is from the village of Tew in Oxfordshire. There is a Middle English word tewe, which was to taw. And someone who tawed was a tawyer and later became a surname. TAWYER is an occupational name and was to prepare white leather. Exactly the same as one who sawed became a SAWYER.
I had occasion to make a telephone call to the Scotland GRO to order a birth certificate. The experience was something that all Archives should aspire to (Lincolnshire of course excepted). I gave the date in 1920 and was told that the person was not listed, I then gave the second year that I had and was told he wasn’t there either. “Just a second” the gentleman said “I have found one in 1918”. “The mothers maiden name was MENZIES” he said which was the middle name of the person I was looking for. The speed with which the answers came back I must assume that they have all the indexes computerised. When I put the phone down I had been on line the for just less than 4 minutes. OK I have not received the bill yet but I thought the service was exceptional.
Mrs ARMSTRONG of Lincoln is interested in the name ADDELSEE. The word comes from the Old English hathel and sae meaning a marshy pool in a hollow. This particular marshy pool could be found in North Yorkshire at a village now called Haddlesey. The village was called Hathel-sae in 1030. Early Lincolnshire family members were to be seen around Boston and Minting at the start of the 19th century. The one family with the name with the same spelling as that of the village came from Caistor. One must assume that it is the Lincolnshire accent that had persuaded people to drop the ‘H’ in the distant past.
Bits and Bobs
Sarah wife of Wm. LOCKTON, of Marston, applied for an order in bastardy. She was a married woman but her husband enlisted three years ago and is now at Corfoo: an old fellow named Edw. PIDD, finding her in a rather destitute condition, and he being a widower, first engaged her to attend to his house, and ultimately to cohabit with him, by which means she kept herself out of the workhouse: the old man was left with a family of six children, the youngest of whom is 14 years of age.........Pidd was ordered to pay 1s 6d per week and the midwifery expenses. From Anne
When you think about it, what else could the woman do in those days but hope to find someone who would look after her and the children?
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Easy Start and Dusty
Easy Start and Dusty Finish
Norma of blueyonder.co.uk has set me a nice easy task to start this week with. Here name of interest is COWLEYSHAW and the question is “Where did it come from and what does it mean?” In this case they are both the same thing. This surname is a locational name and comes from the village of Cowlishaw in Lancashire. The word -SHAW is from the Old English scaga for a copse. The first element COWLI- is thought possibly to come from a similar root as the first element in COLLEYHURST. Colleyhurst is a village in Lancashire. COLLEY as a first element is generally thought to be from coal dust, black, or swarthy HURST by the way is a hill that may be wooded. It therefore looks as though parts of Lancashire are covered in coal dust. The explanation is of the names are of a copse or a hill that might be wooded that is covered in coal dust . Examples of this word are top be found as colley-sheep which are those with a black face and legs. A colley in Somerset is a dialect name for a blackbird.
Another name I am working on at the moment is that of HAYES. The surprising thing is that if you type Patrick HAYES into the 1881 census national index almost without exception every one born before 1860 and given this name comes from Ireland. The name comes from the Old English haes and the word hease which is found as places in Sussex as Heaseland and Heasewood. This originated as the Old French heis and brushwood.
Norm ASHTON is trying to figure out why his ancestor Alfred JACKSON, who was born in Belper in Derbyshire, would have moved to Boston by the time of his marriage to Harriet Hand SMITH and the birth of their first child in 1855. Alfred was a blacksmith and nail-maker by trade. He must have itchy feet for by 1881 they are living in Toronto. Alfred had a son named Samuel and he kept a small diary in which he kept his important dates. Any of these of interest to you? Sarah Ann SMITH/RASON - 14 Feb; Ethel SHEPHERD - 20 Feb; Ada SHEPHERD - 14 Mar; S. RASON Jr - 24 Mar; Alfred SHEPHERD - 2 Apr; Cousin Gertie (G.E.) JACKSON/HOLBEACH - 12 May; M.E. JACKSON, cousin Mary Edith HOLBEACH - 1 Jun; A. M. JACKSON, cousin Maud - 2 Jul; Arthur SHEPHERD - 23 Jul; G.L. RASON - 8 Aug; W. H. SHEPHERD - 14 Aug; C. SHEPHERD - 15 Aug; G.H. RASON - 22 Sep; E. M. RASON - 27 Sep; F. B. RASON - 17 Oct; G.E. SHEPHERD, Grantham - 7 Dec; Aunt E. JACKSON - 22 Dec. Do you have something similar in your family?
Bits and Bobs
For sale on eBay with one day to go and already up to £275. Mons Star Trio with Bar & Rosette on Star all named to 9358 Pte Thomas Harry Johnson 1st Lincs BUT plaque named Henry Johnson!!. I hope that it is a family member bidding. At the same time the following were for sale - Trios to Pte 9547 S T Hayward, Pte 16790 R J Dodds & Pte 3065 G W Watkinson. The numbers are very handy if you are going after the individual’s military papers.
Norma of blueyonder.co.uk has set me a nice easy task to start this week with. Here name of interest is COWLEYSHAW and the question is “Where did it come from and what does it mean?” In this case they are both the same thing. This surname is a locational name and comes from the village of Cowlishaw in Lancashire. The word -SHAW is from the Old English scaga for a copse. The first element COWLI- is thought possibly to come from a similar root as the first element in COLLEYHURST. Colleyhurst is a village in Lancashire. COLLEY as a first element is generally thought to be from coal dust, black, or swarthy HURST by the way is a hill that may be wooded. It therefore looks as though parts of Lancashire are covered in coal dust. The explanation is of the names are of a copse or a hill that might be wooded that is covered in coal dust . Examples of this word are top be found as colley-sheep which are those with a black face and legs. A colley in Somerset is a dialect name for a blackbird.
Another name I am working on at the moment is that of HAYES. The surprising thing is that if you type Patrick HAYES into the 1881 census national index almost without exception every one born before 1860 and given this name comes from Ireland. The name comes from the Old English haes and the word hease which is found as places in Sussex as Heaseland and Heasewood. This originated as the Old French heis and brushwood.
Norm ASHTON is trying to figure out why his ancestor Alfred JACKSON, who was born in Belper in Derbyshire, would have moved to Boston by the time of his marriage to Harriet Hand SMITH and the birth of their first child in 1855. Alfred was a blacksmith and nail-maker by trade. He must have itchy feet for by 1881 they are living in Toronto. Alfred had a son named Samuel and he kept a small diary in which he kept his important dates. Any of these of interest to you? Sarah Ann SMITH/RASON - 14 Feb; Ethel SHEPHERD - 20 Feb; Ada SHEPHERD - 14 Mar; S. RASON Jr - 24 Mar; Alfred SHEPHERD - 2 Apr; Cousin Gertie (G.E.) JACKSON/HOLBEACH - 12 May; M.E. JACKSON, cousin Mary Edith HOLBEACH - 1 Jun; A. M. JACKSON, cousin Maud - 2 Jul; Arthur SHEPHERD - 23 Jul; G.L. RASON - 8 Aug; W. H. SHEPHERD - 14 Aug; C. SHEPHERD - 15 Aug; G.H. RASON - 22 Sep; E. M. RASON - 27 Sep; F. B. RASON - 17 Oct; G.E. SHEPHERD, Grantham - 7 Dec; Aunt E. JACKSON - 22 Dec. Do you have something similar in your family?
Bits and Bobs
For sale on eBay with one day to go and already up to £275. Mons Star Trio with Bar & Rosette on Star all named to 9358 Pte Thomas Harry Johnson 1st Lincs BUT plaque named Henry Johnson!!. I hope that it is a family member bidding. At the same time the following were for sale - Trios to Pte 9547 S T Hayward, Pte 16790 R J Dodds & Pte 3065 G W Watkinson. The numbers are very handy if you are going after the individual’s military papers.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Lost and Found
Lost and Found
Diana ROBINSON (nee GARDNER) of Rochester in the USA is looking into the history of her great grandmother Jane STUBBLEDAY who married William Dawson FLETCHER at St. Mark's Church in Lincoln on Feb. 20, 1848. The trouble is that William, on occasions, did not use his middle name of Dawson and this has caused some problems with identification. Jane’s maiden name can also be found being spelt in various ways by the family with one of her children it is down as STUBLEY. As Jane only put her mark on documents it is thought that she would not be able to correct the registrar’s mistake. What she would like to know is why, when Jane was born in Wyberton, would she be in Lincoln getting married and where was she in 1841 because she can’t be found on the census? Here we have the Son of Robin and a Gardener plus the person who puts the feathers onto arrows but STUBBLEDAY is not to be found. STUBLEY is thought to be a place in Essex. There is always a chance that the name could have changed from DOUBLEDAY.
Robin DUNN has dropped me a line. His family comes from the north of the county. A look at the 1901 census on line gives the names of George and Elizabeth as being the eldest members there. The trail through the 1881 census lead to brothers John and Joseph and their families. Most families in Lincolnshire were farm labourers but Joseph was the odd one out being a blacksmith by trade. Robin says that the family was living in Wrawby at one time. My transcript of the register confirms the link between Wrawby and South Ferriby with the same pairs of names turning up and this takes the family back to the baptism of William, the son of John & Ann in 1753. The surname DUNN is also the Old English word dunn for dark brown and was sometimes used as a nickname for a dark or swarthy person. The dark brown hedge sparrow is called a dunnock and gets its name from the same root.
Janice is now an OAKMAN and her husband George’s family come from Cambridgeshire and many of these lived in the Foxton area in the 19th century. There were none living in Lincolnshire in 1901 and only 51 individuals in Cambs, there were even less in 1881. The name comes from the Old English Acmann and is a straight forward sort of name as it translates to OAKMAN. Almost without exception the word oak in a name such as OAKES, NOKES or NOCK, OAKER and OAKENROYDE are all linked to people who live near the oak trees or in a clearing (royd). Oakman is slightly different as at one time (1219 in Yorkshire) it was used as a Christian name as in Alexander filius OKEMAN.
Bits and Bobs
Spalding Tuesday February 6th 1855 - Groundless Alarm - on Friday morning, at three o'clock, police constable MEASURES, while crossing the Victoria Bridge, heard cries of murder, fire &c. On proceeding in the direction of the sounds, he observed females with their heads out of the upper windows of the house of Mr. CULY, who, in answer to his inquiries, stated that someone was breaking into the house. The constable looked well around the premises, but saw nought but a heap of snow, which, it appeared, had just fallen over the back door from the roof of the house, and had awakened the inmates.
Diana ROBINSON (nee GARDNER) of Rochester in the USA is looking into the history of her great grandmother Jane STUBBLEDAY who married William Dawson FLETCHER at St. Mark's Church in Lincoln on Feb. 20, 1848. The trouble is that William, on occasions, did not use his middle name of Dawson and this has caused some problems with identification. Jane’s maiden name can also be found being spelt in various ways by the family with one of her children it is down as STUBLEY. As Jane only put her mark on documents it is thought that she would not be able to correct the registrar’s mistake. What she would like to know is why, when Jane was born in Wyberton, would she be in Lincoln getting married and where was she in 1841 because she can’t be found on the census? Here we have the Son of Robin and a Gardener plus the person who puts the feathers onto arrows but STUBBLEDAY is not to be found. STUBLEY is thought to be a place in Essex. There is always a chance that the name could have changed from DOUBLEDAY.
Robin DUNN has dropped me a line. His family comes from the north of the county. A look at the 1901 census on line gives the names of George and Elizabeth as being the eldest members there. The trail through the 1881 census lead to brothers John and Joseph and their families. Most families in Lincolnshire were farm labourers but Joseph was the odd one out being a blacksmith by trade. Robin says that the family was living in Wrawby at one time. My transcript of the register confirms the link between Wrawby and South Ferriby with the same pairs of names turning up and this takes the family back to the baptism of William, the son of John & Ann in 1753. The surname DUNN is also the Old English word dunn for dark brown and was sometimes used as a nickname for a dark or swarthy person. The dark brown hedge sparrow is called a dunnock and gets its name from the same root.
Janice is now an OAKMAN and her husband George’s family come from Cambridgeshire and many of these lived in the Foxton area in the 19th century. There were none living in Lincolnshire in 1901 and only 51 individuals in Cambs, there were even less in 1881. The name comes from the Old English Acmann and is a straight forward sort of name as it translates to OAKMAN. Almost without exception the word oak in a name such as OAKES, NOKES or NOCK, OAKER and OAKENROYDE are all linked to people who live near the oak trees or in a clearing (royd). Oakman is slightly different as at one time (1219 in Yorkshire) it was used as a Christian name as in Alexander filius OKEMAN.
Bits and Bobs
Spalding Tuesday February 6th 1855 - Groundless Alarm - on Friday morning, at three o'clock, police constable MEASURES, while crossing the Victoria Bridge, heard cries of murder, fire &c. On proceeding in the direction of the sounds, he observed females with their heads out of the upper windows of the house of Mr. CULY, who, in answer to his inquiries, stated that someone was breaking into the house. The constable looked well around the premises, but saw nought but a heap of snow, which, it appeared, had just fallen over the back door from the roof of the house, and had awakened the inmates.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Da Vinci Is A Better
Da Vinci Is A Better Way To Be Noticed
Lincoln is soon to become one of THE places to visit after the film of The Da Vinci Code hits the screens. This event had been brought to mind with the reading of a book on almshouses and mention of Lincoln being the second most important site after London for a leper hospital. The Lazar is called thus from St Lazarus and was run by an off-shoot of the Hospitallers of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. It is supposed that the first ever leper hospital in the country was founded in Lincoln by Bishop Regimius during the 11th century. It was named the Malandry and built on common land just outside the city walls near Little Bargate. One item of note was the funding of the Lazar; on Canwick Hill was situated a gallows, those that were destined to take a last look at Lincoln from this viewpoint were buried by the lepers and the Lazar received payment for this service. Leprosy in those days was considered your own fault; you must have been afflicted due to your sinful way of life! After it was discovered that you had the disease you would be given a pep talk by the priest to mend your ways, sprinkled with holy water, given a black gown to wear, a rattle to shake to let all know you were coming by and put into a Lazar and left to fend for yourself. The Leper would not be allowed to visit a church, mill or bake-house, talk to strangers, touch anything that was for sale nor wash in a running stream. A shovel full of earth was thrown at the lepers feet and as far as the community was concerned the leper was already dead - just not buried yet.
A local name I have come across is that of FARMERY. This has little to do with farms but comes from the English habit of knocking letters of from the beginning of French words. Similarly the hamlet near Caenby Corner named Owmby by Spital gets its name from the shortening of the word Hospital. The Old French word is enfermerie is the origin of the English infirmary and a FARMERY would most likely work in the monastery infirmary.
While still on the subject of shutting people away it seems that Sue from Perth, Australia had a relative on the wrong side of the law as far as Australians are concerned. He, Nathaniel FARRANT lived in Stamford as the Goal Keeper. Sorry but when I first read this I was thinking of football and wondered what they called the team in those days!! By 1851 he was a Magistrates Clerk. Could this be thought of as a step up the social ladder? If this is your family Sue would be delighted to hear from you. By 1881 the solitary FARRANT family member to be found in Lincolnshire, is George the bolt-maker of Lincoln who is living in Gainsborough.
The name FARRANT is thought to either come from the Old French ferant which is short for Ferdinand or ferrant being the nickname for one with iron-grey coloured hair.
Bits and Bobs
Jan 6 1837 – there is now living at Misterton near Gainsborough, Mr James FARAM, who has reached the very advanced age of 102 years, and is in the enjoyment of considerable activity and health except for his eyesight, which has failed. He is proof that this neighbourhood is not so prejudicial to health as common opinion has held it to be.
Lincolnshire Family History Society 2001
Lincoln is soon to become one of THE places to visit after the film of The Da Vinci Code hits the screens. This event had been brought to mind with the reading of a book on almshouses and mention of Lincoln being the second most important site after London for a leper hospital. The Lazar is called thus from St Lazarus and was run by an off-shoot of the Hospitallers of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. It is supposed that the first ever leper hospital in the country was founded in Lincoln by Bishop Regimius during the 11th century. It was named the Malandry and built on common land just outside the city walls near Little Bargate. One item of note was the funding of the Lazar; on Canwick Hill was situated a gallows, those that were destined to take a last look at Lincoln from this viewpoint were buried by the lepers and the Lazar received payment for this service. Leprosy in those days was considered your own fault; you must have been afflicted due to your sinful way of life! After it was discovered that you had the disease you would be given a pep talk by the priest to mend your ways, sprinkled with holy water, given a black gown to wear, a rattle to shake to let all know you were coming by and put into a Lazar and left to fend for yourself. The Leper would not be allowed to visit a church, mill or bake-house, talk to strangers, touch anything that was for sale nor wash in a running stream. A shovel full of earth was thrown at the lepers feet and as far as the community was concerned the leper was already dead - just not buried yet.
A local name I have come across is that of FARMERY. This has little to do with farms but comes from the English habit of knocking letters of from the beginning of French words. Similarly the hamlet near Caenby Corner named Owmby by Spital gets its name from the shortening of the word Hospital. The Old French word is enfermerie is the origin of the English infirmary and a FARMERY would most likely work in the monastery infirmary.
While still on the subject of shutting people away it seems that Sue from Perth, Australia had a relative on the wrong side of the law as far as Australians are concerned. He, Nathaniel FARRANT lived in Stamford as the Goal Keeper. Sorry but when I first read this I was thinking of football and wondered what they called the team in those days!! By 1851 he was a Magistrates Clerk. Could this be thought of as a step up the social ladder? If this is your family Sue would be delighted to hear from you. By 1881 the solitary FARRANT family member to be found in Lincolnshire, is George the bolt-maker of Lincoln who is living in Gainsborough.
The name FARRANT is thought to either come from the Old French ferant which is short for Ferdinand or ferrant being the nickname for one with iron-grey coloured hair.
Bits and Bobs
Jan 6 1837 – there is now living at Misterton near Gainsborough, Mr James FARAM, who has reached the very advanced age of 102 years, and is in the enjoyment of considerable activity and health except for his eyesight, which has failed. He is proof that this neighbourhood is not so prejudicial to health as common opinion has held it to be.
Lincolnshire Family History Society 2001
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Good Old eBay
Good Old eBay
The internet selling site eBay has some Lincolnshire items for sale with surnames attached; the first is an indenture for land in Skirbeck Quarter. Dated from 1860 it is worded thus “This Indenture made the Seventh day of November One thousand eight hundred and sixty between Edward HILLSON of the hamlet of Skirbeck Quarter in the parish of Skirbeck in the county of Lincoln Gardener of the first part, the said Edward HILLSON and Elizabeth his wife (Devisees in fee under the will of Edward HILLSON late of Skirbeck Quarter aforesaid Gentleman deceased) of the second part and Valentine PEPPER of Carrington in the County of Lincoln Farmer of the third part ..... to the mortgage and the price paid which was £1,150”. A fair sum of money for the 19th century. The surname PEPPER comes from the original occupation as a dealer in pepper, a pepperer or spice dealer and is linked to the French variation PEEVER. It was to be found in 1298 when John PEPPER alias PEYUER is listed in one of the London rolls.
Next is an Indenture Deed in the parish of Wigtoft for the Release of a cottage and lands in Wigtoft, Lincolnshire, between Grace CHAPMAN of Swineshead, spinster, and James HOLBOURN of Wigtoft, grazier. Dated 21 January 1784 in the 24th year of the reign of George III. The property consists of All that cottage with a piece of ground adjoining of half an acre in Hofleet in the parish of Wigtoft now in tenure of Richard WARRINER. Also land in Wigtoft Marsh. CHAPMAN comes from the Old English ceapman who was a merchant or trader. The area in London known as Cheapside comes from the same root and ceapman had a market there.
Finally from the same vendor is an Indenture Deed in the parish of Helpringham An indenture regarding property in Helpringham, Lincolnshire, between Eustace PHILIPS of Lincoln, coal merchant, William DURANCE of Helpringham, butcher, and Mary his wife, and Boaz BAXTER of Helpringham, gentleman. Dated 21 April 1774 in the 14th year of the reign of George III. The property consists of: All that cottage with yard, barn, dovecoat and outbuildings in Helpringham in the tenure of Edmund FRITH. Surnames such as FREAK, FIRTH, FRITH, FRIDD and FRIGHT and the latecomer THRIFT all come from the Old English firhþe or fyrhþe which was a woodland. The TH pronounced in FIRTH is the Old English þ.
Bits and Bobs
The following link was given on the internet www.fred.net/jefalvey/execute.html. This link is for a page on Newgate Prison in London and the List of Executions from 1606. Newgate Prison was probably the most notorious prison in all England and one that almost everyone has heard of. A prison has stood on the Newgate site for almost a thousand years. The first prison was nearly as old as the Tower of London and much older than the Bastille. It is first mentioned in the reign of King John and in the following reign of Henry the III, (1218), the King expressly commands the sheriffs of London to repair it, and promised to repay them from his own exchequer. This shows that the prison was under the direct control of the King at that time. The prison itself was originally above the gate or in the gatehouse. Carry out a search for the word Lincoln and the first entry for Lincoln that comes up is - HORRY, William Fred 1872 01 Apr Murder of wife; Lincoln.
The internet selling site eBay has some Lincolnshire items for sale with surnames attached; the first is an indenture for land in Skirbeck Quarter. Dated from 1860 it is worded thus “This Indenture made the Seventh day of November One thousand eight hundred and sixty between Edward HILLSON of the hamlet of Skirbeck Quarter in the parish of Skirbeck in the county of Lincoln Gardener of the first part, the said Edward HILLSON and Elizabeth his wife (Devisees in fee under the will of Edward HILLSON late of Skirbeck Quarter aforesaid Gentleman deceased) of the second part and Valentine PEPPER of Carrington in the County of Lincoln Farmer of the third part ..... to the mortgage and the price paid which was £1,150”. A fair sum of money for the 19th century. The surname PEPPER comes from the original occupation as a dealer in pepper, a pepperer or spice dealer and is linked to the French variation PEEVER. It was to be found in 1298 when John PEPPER alias PEYUER is listed in one of the London rolls.
Next is an Indenture Deed in the parish of Wigtoft for the Release of a cottage and lands in Wigtoft, Lincolnshire, between Grace CHAPMAN of Swineshead, spinster, and James HOLBOURN of Wigtoft, grazier. Dated 21 January 1784 in the 24th year of the reign of George III. The property consists of All that cottage with a piece of ground adjoining of half an acre in Hofleet in the parish of Wigtoft now in tenure of Richard WARRINER. Also land in Wigtoft Marsh. CHAPMAN comes from the Old English ceapman who was a merchant or trader. The area in London known as Cheapside comes from the same root and ceapman had a market there.
Finally from the same vendor is an Indenture Deed in the parish of Helpringham An indenture regarding property in Helpringham, Lincolnshire, between Eustace PHILIPS of Lincoln, coal merchant, William DURANCE of Helpringham, butcher, and Mary his wife, and Boaz BAXTER of Helpringham, gentleman. Dated 21 April 1774 in the 14th year of the reign of George III. The property consists of: All that cottage with yard, barn, dovecoat and outbuildings in Helpringham in the tenure of Edmund FRITH. Surnames such as FREAK, FIRTH, FRITH, FRIDD and FRIGHT and the latecomer THRIFT all come from the Old English firhþe or fyrhþe which was a woodland. The TH pronounced in FIRTH is the Old English þ.
Bits and Bobs
The following link was given on the internet www.fred.net/jefalvey/execute.html. This link is for a page on Newgate Prison in London and the List of Executions from 1606. Newgate Prison was probably the most notorious prison in all England and one that almost everyone has heard of. A prison has stood on the Newgate site for almost a thousand years. The first prison was nearly as old as the Tower of London and much older than the Bastille. It is first mentioned in the reign of King John and in the following reign of Henry the III, (1218), the King expressly commands the sheriffs of London to repair it, and promised to repay them from his own exchequer. This shows that the prison was under the direct control of the King at that time. The prison itself was originally above the gate or in the gatehouse. Carry out a search for the word Lincoln and the first entry for Lincoln that comes up is - HORRY, William Fred 1872 01 Apr Murder of wife; Lincoln.
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