National Archives First World War

The National Archives has launched its new First World War portal as part of the 100th Anniversary commemorations.  The new portal makes it easy to access all the collections held by the National Archives from one convenient location. The Archives will be marking the centenary of the war with an extensive programme, spanning a five-year period from 2014 – 2019. With a rolling series of digitised record releases, online and on-site events and education resources being added to this portal as we move through the centenary period, the national Archives will open up their unique collection of First World War records as never before.  Some charges may apply to access some records.

Included are record collections of :

• Medals 
• RAF officers 
• Merchant Seamen 
• Army Nurses 
• Prisoners of War 
• Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve 
• Royal Naval Division
• Women’s Royal Air Force
• Women’s Royal Naval Service 
• Royal Naval Air Service

A Postcard from Egypt

My uncle, Ernie (Squib) Green, sent the original of this postcard to one of his sisters from Egypt during WW2.  He spent his time in the army mostly in Egypt and Syria, and was fortunate enough to return uninjured.  Ernie was second eldest of 10 children, and his older brother Frank and youngest brother Peter also served in the war. Another brother Les, worked on the land farming and so was part of essential services.  I have not seen another postcard like this and have wondered how and where he had it made.

Green family of Fordham, Essex

Pictured are 4 generations of the Green family of Fordham in Essex.  Left to right they are : Mary Ann Green (1830-1915), her son Walter P. Green, (1857-1942).  Seated on his right is his daughter Constance (1882-1957).  The baby is not named but I believe she is Constance's daughter Rachel and that the photo was taken around 1910.

National Library of Wales

The National Library of Wales has a significant selection of databases you can search from The National Library website.

•   Crime and Punishment - Index to the Gaol Files of the Court of Great Sessions in Wales, 1730-1830

•   Marriage bonds - Index of applicants for marriage licences 1616-1837

•    Schedules - Finding-aids containing detailed descriptions of the archives housed at The National Library of Wales (incomplete, but growing).  Archives and Manuscripts received before 1999 or Archives and Manuscripts received after 1999 

•    Manors - Manorial Documents Register. A guide to the manors and manorial records of Wales searchable through the National Archives website.

•     Basic Inventory - Descriptions of our acquisitions year by year since 1909, based on the appendixes of the Library's Annual Reports

•        Probate - A new index to the pre-1858 wills and administrations proved in Wales.

Clergymen of England

Was your ancestor a clergyman?  The Clergy of the Church of England Database 1540-1835 (CCEd), launched in 1999 and makes available and searchable the principal records of clerical careers from over 50 archives in England and Wales with the aim of providing coverage of as many clerical lives as possible from the Reformation to the mid-nineteenth century.
The CCEd’s major features include:

• Records relating to the major events of clerical careers – ordination, appointments as curates, rectors and lecturers
• Information about parishes, chapelries and the many secular institutions and persons with chaplains
• Information about patrons, many of them women
• Information about schools and schoolteachers
• Two search engines, one ‘Basic’ and the other ‘Advanced’, for investigating the records, as well as a Browse facility
• A website, containing a host of useful aids, such as descriptions and maps for dioceses, lists of bishops and parishes, a glossary of terms, and an Online Journal containing essays and ‘notes and queries’

Biographical Database of Australia

The Biographical Database of Australia (BDA) has been launched and it already contains some 500,000 records. According to the website, this first batch of records contain convict, muster, census, baptism, marriage and burial records from New South Wales (1788 to 1828) and for Norfolk Island & Tasmania (1802 to 1811). In the future, data will be added for all states and territories. BDA is a not-for-profit database that is the result of years of work by volunteer genealogists, historians and contractors.  The indexes can be searched for free but there is a fee to see the underlying records.

The death of Mr and Mrs Frost

I had always found it somewhat odd that this couple in my family tree appeared to have died on the same day until I stumbled across this newspaper article.

EXTRACT FROM THE IPSWICH JOURNAL January 17th 1745

"Last Tuesday Morning a very melancholy Accident happen'd at Freston, about three Miles from this Town. Mr. William Frost, a considerable farmer in that Parish, was standing with his Wife by his Kitchen Fire, with the door open; and seeing his Son (about 18 Years of Age) going out a Shooting, with a Fowling Piece in his Hand, call'd to him, and told him that that Gun had been laid by so long, that he was afraid the Lock was not in good order, and desired he would strike it down. The Son, who continued without the Room, but while he was talking to his Father, had unhappily turn'd the Muzzle of the Gun towards the Fire Place, having first looked into the Pan and found no powder in it, struck down the Cock as he was ordered; when to his very great Surprize, the Piece went off, and he saw both Father and Mother fall to the Ground, and expire almost instantly. A Nephew of the deceas'd Mr. Frost, and two Servants, were very near to the Fire, but received no Hurt. The nephew stood almost close to his Uncle, but was very happily reaching towards the Window, to get his Hat, the very Moment that this Misfortune happen'd. It is now apprehended, that one of the Servants had made use of the Gun without Leave, and laid it up with a Charge in it." 

I am still investigating the outcome of the incident.