Discover Your Ancestors

Issue 040

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Welcome to the August issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, with its signature blend of fascinating family and social history.

In this issue we spend a while in the Edwardian era, but at home rather than at war, looking at women’s fashions during wartime economies, and also the role the telephone played, and how phone directory records available online can illuminate our early 20th century research. Further back, we taste the fascinating history of Britain’s leading chocolate manufacturers, as well as nearly five centuries of Anglicanism.

You can still pick up issue 5 of our printed edition, packed with more than 30 new articles and some fantastic data offers, in newsagents such as WHSmith or online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk. And we’re already thinking about what to put in the next one!

Enjoy this issue meanwhile. Andrew Chapman, Editor.

Articles

Home Front Fashion

We all know something of the rationing, Make Do and Mend and Utility initiatives that shaped dress and many facets of everyday life throughout and after the Second World War, but what of Home Front fashion during the Great War? While the British government did not directly intervene to control civilian clothing production and purchases as it did in the 1940s, throughout the First World War many of our female ancestors struggling without male support endured not only reduced incomes, but also escalating prices, dwindling clothing supplies, and often longer working hours. Making ends meet and keeping up appearances while facing increasing challenges were vital for maintaining standards and presenting a respectable, capable image.

Is it work 'giving them a bell'?

There are many different records and resources which can be useful when it comes to building an accurate picture of our ancestors and their lives. One particularly intriguing way, that many of us may not think of using, is to refer to the early telephone subscriber directories such as those from the very beginning of the 20th century. These have now been made fully searchable on TheGenealogist’s website, www.thegenealogist.co.uk.

Wrens': the women of the Royal Navy

Before the 20th century, the mere idea of a woman officially serving in the Royal Navy would have been laughed at. However, this didn’t stop some women trying. Hannah Snell, for example, successfully impersonated a man and joined the Royal Marines as far back as 1747, where she remained undetected on board naval ships for three years. It is also known that during Nelson’s era a blind eye was often turned to women living on naval vessels as the partners

The Great British Chocolate Factory

“Peter was a very nice little boy, but he had one great fault; he was greedy, and he was specially greedy about chocolates." This short story, from a 1941 issue of the Liverpool Evening Express, was a rewriting of Alice in Wonderland, the newspaper making it a cautionary story about a greedy little boy who ‘could keep on eating chocolate all day long’. In this nightmarish tale, the boy, Peter, was taught a lesson about greed and consumption – something deemed necessary during the increasingly difficult war years, but also a reflection of the great hold that one particular, sweet, substance had on children in Britain.

Recreating the Great Fire of London

The Museum of London has opened a major exhibition about the Great Fire of London, which took place 350 years ago next month. Fire! Fire! combines a variety of sights, sounds, smells, textures and interactive exhibits to immerse visitors in the events leading up to, during and after the Great Fire of London in 1666.

History in the details: Smocks

In July we covered the history of dungarees – a form of overall. An earlier protective garment was the smock, a historic garment chiefly associated with British rural dress, but also adopted by other workers as a cover-all.

Anglicans in the archives

The Church of England – now part of the worldwide Anglican Communion – has its origins in Henry VIII’s break from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530s, but has since maintained its position as via media between Catholicism and those Protestant churches that broke away during the seismic changes brought by the Reformation. Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I, did not take the title of Supreme Head of the English church, nor did she wish to ‘make windows into men’s souls’ as far as people’s beliefs were concerned. Hence the Anglican Church occupies a middle ground, retaining an ordained clergy and the concept of apostolic succession, yet separate from papal Roman Catholicism.

Place in Focus: Swansea

Swansea (Abertawe in Welsh) occupies a position at the mouth of the River Tawe, at the eastern end of the Gower peninsula. It was the main town of its region for much of the medieval period.

Books for August 2016

For over 500 years, between the 14th and 19th centuries, the Justices of the Peace were the embodiment of government for most of our ancestors. The records they and other county officials kept are invaluable sources for local and family historians, and Stuart Raymond's handbook is the first in-depth guide to them. He shows how and why they were created, what information they contain, and how they can be accessed and used.

Additional Information

Other Formats

You can buy a printed version of the annual Discover Your Ancestors bookazine directly from the publishers, please see www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk and click on ‘Order print copies’ at the bottom.

Editorial Office

Discover Your Ancestors Publishing,

PO BOX 163,

Shaftesbury,

SP7 7BA

E: editor@discoveryourancestors.co.uk

W: www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk

Discover Your Ancestors – The Family History Show

The Family History Show, York!

Saturday 22nd June 2024
10:00 –16:00 (GMT)

Put your research questions to an expert, watch a talk, speak to a local society, archive or genealogical supplier.

Free talks all day, held in a large lecture hall.
Free Experts on hand to help with your queries.
Many family history societies, archives and companies will be attending from all over the country.

Special Offer! Buy tickets for £8.00 (£12.00 on the day)

Buy your tickets early and get two for the price of one!

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Future Events

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Discover Your Ancestors Periodical is published by Discover Your Ancestors Publishing, UK. All rights in the material belong to Discover Your Ancestors Publishing and may not be reproduced, whether in whole or in part, without their prior written consent. The publisher makes every effort to ensure the magazine's contents are correct. All articles are copyright© of Discover Your Ancestors Publishing and unauthorised reproduction is forbidden. Please refer to full Terms and Conditions at www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk. The editors and publishers of this publication give no warranties, guarantees or assurances and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised.