Discover Your Ancestors

Issue 082

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A warm welcome to the February issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, your monthly digital family and social history magazine.

The big news this month is that our new annual print ‘bookazine’ edition – Issue 9 – is coming out on 8 February! This is the usual bumper collection of new features about all aspects of family and social history – and this time there’s a special set of features about tracing the history of a house. This publication runs to almost 200 pages in a premiumquality format, and if you come to the Family History Show in Bristol on 8 February, you can be the first to get hold of one!

For details of that show, see www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com. As always, the print issue will also be available in WHSmith or directly from us online at discoveryourancestors.co.uk.

In the meantime, do enjoy this latest digital issue!

Andrew Chapman, Editor.

Articles

Skin in the game

Most of us today consider the wearing of animal fur unethical: we also have many choices when it comes to effective cold weather clothing. But in the past fur was a prominent aspect of dress and the animal skin processing industries employed many of our ancestors.

The early papers

Newspapers are invaluable for researching ancestors, before the census or the registration of births, marriages and deaths, and, as databases often enable searches by names, individuals may be identified in stories, obituaries and announcements.

Find the bad egg

I’ve sometimes complained about how disappointed I am to be a crime historian with not a single criminal ancestor in my family tree. My husband’s family is full of them: from the ancestor who was convicted of stealing women’s underwear in mid-19th century Cornwall, to the female ancestor who attacked a bailiff with an axe, and her daughter, who was hauled up before the magistrates for assaulting a relative in the street. My family tree, however, is the opposite – it is full of vestrymen, Poor Law guardians and even one of Gloucestershire’s first police officers. My ancestors appear to have been fine, upstanding members of their communities, and the only sniff of anything untoward I’ve ever detected is in the coverage of my 2x-great-grandfather’s death. A wealthy Dorset farmer, who had only ever dealt with the courts when giving evidence in relation to a burglar stealing from his property, he unsurprisingly had his obituary printed in the local press. However, the way his obituary was phrased suggested that he was seen as rather old fashioned and not particularly respected by his neighbours or the press.

Gather ye recirds while ye may!

Dropping into Leicester Cathedral recently to take a look at the tomb of Richard III, I listened to the guide retell the amazing story about how the 15th-century king had been found under the letter ‘R’ in the car park of a council building.

A sense of place

Although a substantial amount of Irish parish records and other resources were destroyed in 1922, during the Irish Civil War, many of the problems we face in tracing our families back in Ireland can be overcome with the use of land records. Among the materials that can help are records of purchases, tenancy, residence, inheritance, taxation and valuation.

New Norfolk records

TheGenealogist has just added over 500,000 individuals in a new release of Norfolk parish records with images of the original records in association with the Norfolk Record Office. TheGenealogist has transcribed them so that they are fully searchable by name and place. These East Anglian records feature the registers of baptisms, marriages and burials covering various parishes in Norfolk, allowing family history researchers from all over the world to search for their Norfolk ancestors online.

History in the details: Nursing uniforms

Major British hospitals like St Bartholomew’s (Barts), London, originated with the medieval religious houses that cared for the sick, their nursing sisters being issued from 1555 onwards with livery in the form of blue gowns. During the 1700s more modern hospitals were established, serving only medical needs, but most did not yet provide their nurses with standardised garments. As late as 1858 Guys nurses were only identified by a round tin medal worn around the neck, bearing the wearer’s position and ward. However, reflecting wider uniform trends across the services, it became more common for Victorian hospitals to develop distinctive uniforms, fashioned in specified colours and with varying details that identified the different ranks within their nursing hierarchy.

Place in Focus: Winchester

The area around Winchester has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and after the Roman conquest of Britain the settlement served as the capital of the Belgae and was known as Venta Belgarum, among the largest towns in Roman Britain. The city later became known as Wintan-ceastre (‘Fort Venta’). In 648, King Cenwalh of Wessex erected the Church of SS Peter and Paul, later known as the Old Minster. This became a cathedral in the 660s; the present form of the city dates from reconstruction in the late 9th century, when King Alfred the Great destroyed the Roman street plan.

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: [email protected]

W: www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk

Discover Your Ancestors – The Family History Show

The Family History Show, Online!

Saturday 8th February 2025
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 available on demand for 72 hours.
Free Experts on hand to help with your queries.
Visit exhibitors, societies, archives and companies all in our virtual exhibition hall.

Special Offer! Buy tickets for £7.00 (£10.00 on the day)

Find Out More Purchase Tickets

Future Events

Unable to make the next show? We also have shows planned for the following locations:

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.