Bye Rod

Way back in March 2000 Rod NEEP had a bright idea; now that the technology was available why not scan in rare books, directories and census returns and put then onto CD; before Rod knew where he was the CDs were being produced in the UK and soon in USA, Canada, Australia, Holland and Ireland. There are now over 2,500
old and rare books on CD for sale to historians and genealogists. Sadly as Rod NEEP has decided to retire – again - Archive CD Books will cease taking new orders and the company will be closed down. The company is not being sold. I mentioned in this column recently that the company had a closing down sale and the profits from this are being used in the Archive CD Books Kenyan project; as Rod says "I am donating £20,000.00 from the proceeds of the GB closing down sale to the funds to build another new school in Kenya. (Would I like to keep that as profit? Sure! But there are others who can gain immense benefit from it). Everyone who has purchased our CDs can take some pleasure in that too". I for one shall really miss this resource but we will still be able to get disks from the other countries still working and Ireland is not so far away. Looking at one set of disks that I recently bought I notice that the Isle Wight census of 1861 is available for €17.17 plus €2.25 postage etc instead of £12.93 plus £2 p&p which at today's exchange rate looks like a bargain to me.

While on the subject of the Archive CD Books there are a series of indexes that you can download from the site. Along with Lincolnshire 1841 Pigots Directory and a number of other counties directories, there are seven 1841 censuses place indexes, numerous Visitation books, but not Lincolnshire. You will have to buy one from the Lincolnshire Family History Society who has indexed all the censuses plus just about everything else.

We have just rung a quarter peal at Elsham and wandering around the churchyard I came across the Yorkshire name ETTY. This one occurred mostly in the East Riding but by 1998 the highest concentration moves from York to Lincoln. The Lincolnshire families seem to come from the Sleaford area in 1881. A very similar name is that of ATTY and where ETTY came from the Old English word eata and Yorkshire, ATTY is from further north and from Old English teag, an enclosure.

Bits and Bobs THE BRITISH FREEHOLDER & SATURDAY EVENING JOURNAL - 18th January 1823 - DEPLORABLE OCCURRENCE - On Friday last, 10th inst., a melancholy circumstance occurred in the neighbourhood of Broadholme near Lincoln. Mr. COCKING, a respectable farmer of that place, in company with a visitor went out for the purpose of shooting rabbits. Whilst in pursuit of their game, a rabbit offered a good opportunity for a shot, by passing in a direction which, however, was obstructed by Mr. COCKING´S friend standing in that quarter. Mr. COCKING presented his piece over the head of his friend, who accordingly crouched down a few paces off - the trigger was pulled - the powder flashed in the pan, - and as the gun did not instantly go off, the young man who stooped conceived that the piece had missed fire, and arose from his bended position, when, shocking to relate, the contents of the gun were exploded within a few yards of his head, which was so dreadfully shattered, as to cause his immediate death.

An Interesting Snippet

The Parish Registers of Whaplode - Memorandem - January 27th 1820 - At the last summer assizes, John BIMROSE, of this parish, was capitally convicted of wilfully firing a gun about midnight, into the chamber window of William Wilders, of the Star public house. He supposed that his wife, whom he had turned out, was there: for which offence the said John BIMROSE received sentence of death, & was left for execution on Friday the 6th day of August 1819. But on Sunday: August 1st, myself, the Churchwardens, Overseers of the Poor, & almost every Parishioner, signed a petition for commutation of punishment: at the same time setting on foot a subscription to defray the expenses of sending a special messenger after the Judge, to Derby, for that purpose, which was happily effected: & the messenger arrived back at Lincoln Castle with a reprieve on Wednesday Aug 4th at about 10 o'clock at night... Ultimately he was transported for life N.B. The whole expense was £21

It ought not, by any means, to be omitted recording that, among the principal people of this Parish, shooting into houses, breaking open doors, demolishing windows & such like transactions, in the night, has been, for some years, a common drunken frolic: which was always made up in a day or two, by paying for the damage done, & spending a few shillings, by way of a treat!!!....It might have been reasonably supposed that the narrow escape of this poor culprit would have proved a wholesome example: & effected a moral reformation in the Parish, but, alas, the grosser acts of violence are only restrained! The same spirit of notorious impiety, profligacy & licentiousness continues to prevail. And a great many are triumphantly bringing up their children in the same contumacious manner!!! That God Almighty may turn the heads of the disobedient, into the wisdom of the just, thro Jesus Christ our Lord Saml OLIVER. It was in the registers of Samuel OLIVER that the fact was noted that the parents of the child were 'stark raging Ranters'. The name BEMROSE seems to have started out in the Lincolnshire area wsere it was highly concentrated in the 1881 census. It is thought to have originated from the name of a now vanished village.

Whilst on the subject of prison. The archive books CDs are at half price and I have just purchased the 1861 census for the Isle of Wight. On one disk is the prison and if one of your ancestors was here then you will have trouble pinpointing him as they are only listed as for instance - J. B. – Prisoner – U – 17 – Tailor – Lincolnshire – Boston or J. B. – Prisoner - U – 12 – Labourer – Lincolnshire – Frampton and these two do exist as above. Best of luck.

Bits and Bobs

The Times (London) 17 Jul 1908 - Prizes for large families - At the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society's annual show, opened yesterday at Sleaford, prizes were offered to the agricultural labourers who had brought up and placed out the largest numbers of children, without having received parochial relief. The first prize of £4 went to George FARMERY, of Hemswell, Lincoln, who had 23 children, 17 of whom were brought up, and 14 placed out. The second prize went to John ELSEY, of Lusby, near Spilsby, who had 14 children, 14 of whom were brought up, and 11 placed out. The third prize-winner was William BELL, of Croxby, Caistor, with 14 children born, 11 brought up, and the same number placed out. The five men competing in the class had a total of 78 children.

A couple of months later it was listed in the New Zealand newspapers. He won again the next year and received another £4. With wages being 15 shillings a week the winnings would have been a nice addition to the family budget.

Posted by Alan MOORHOUSE