Family History Group
CHESS VALLEY U3A – FAMILY HISTORY GROUP
NOTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 5 MAY 2009 AT THE 1ST CHESHAM
SCOUT HQ, EAST STREET, CHESHAM
WELCOME
34 members, including a number of new people, were welcomed to this our fifth meeting.
PURPOSE
Learning from the family research experiences of Sue Gordon through her presentation
‘Connections and Surprises’
PRESENTATION by Sue Gordon (Curator of Chesham Museum) entitles ‘Connections
and Surprises’
I would firstly wish to record a vote of thanks to Sue for allowing us entry into her family and
sharing with us personal facts that she had unearthed during her 25 years of researching her
ancestors.
Through the use of family related examples Sue took us on a journey covering a multitude of
varying research materials, ranging from the all too familiar certificates of birth through to Land
Tax records. The following seeks to pick out each of the categories of research materials
mentioned and to provide advice on where to obtain further information if needed. What it
doesn’t do is attempt to provide a comprehensive reference guide – I’d rather leave that to the
experts.
First Steps
This has already been covered in some detail in the paper ‘Ten First Steps in Family History’
circulated to members earlier this year.
Record Keeping
Covered in part through the presentations at our April meeting during which we gained an
insight into the features of a number of computer based recording packages – the notes of the
meeting also sign posted members to the Family Records site for further ‘package’ reviews.
However, I identified a website that provides a range of genealogy forms and charts that may be
useful. The address is http://www.genealogysearch.org
Civil Registration
Covered in a talk by Claire Patterson at our February Meeting. A transcript of Claire’s
presentation was made available to members
Censuses
Every 10 years the government takes a census which should tell us who lived where on that
particular evening. The first census to contain the details of every individual in Great Britain was
taken in 1841 but this is less informative than later ones. More detailed questions were asked in
1851 and subsequent censuses.
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Census records from 1841 to 1911 have been fully transcribed and digitised and can be seen
online at various commercial sites. In general, using the name indexes is free, while you pay to
view a transcription (where this is provided) or the original census return itself. The quality of the
indexing varies, so you may need to use a lot of imagination to find your ancestor. In one index
for the 1881 census, for example, the great German philosopher Karl Marx is indexed as Karl
Wass.
There is a full (and free) surname index for the British 1881 census, which gives you almost all
the information you would find on the original document, at www.familysearch.org.
The following websites provide paid-for access to all or part of the censuses. Charges vary, so
shop around or take advantage of any special offers:
www.ancestry.co.uk
www.findmypast.com
www.genesreunited.com
www.thegenealogist.co.uk
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk (Scotland only)
The Ancestry website facility can be accessed free of charge through the local library, the
County Record Office networks and through The National Archives at Kew.
Almost all Irish census records before 1901 have been destroyed. Those for 1901 and 1911 are
being digitised and made available, free, at www.census.nationalarchives.ie
If you prefer to use copies on microfilm The National Archives at Kew, has a complete set for
England and Wales, while most county archives and local study libraries will have ones for their
locality. Access is free.
In Scotland you will find a similar service at the Family History Centre in Edinburgh.
There is a wide range of books and other publications available to those seeking a more
detailed insight into the subject of the national census. However, a good starting point would be
a Public Record Office publication ‘A Clearer Sense of the Census’ by Edward Higgs and
‘People Count – A History of the General Register Office’ by Muriel Nissel, both published by
OHMS
Wills
Wills are a truly remarkable source for family historians: not only do they contain invaluable
information about family relationships, but the fact that they were written by our ancestors
themselves gives them the sort of authority and authenticity that documents created by the
government or the church so often lack.
Searching for a will that was proved on or after January 1858 is a relatively straightforward
process. Annual indexes to all wills proved in England and Wales were produced right from the
start of the civil probate system. A full set of these indexes is held by the Principal Probate
Registry, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1 6NP.
Before 1858, the situation is much more complicated:
 there are more than a hundred church courts where wills could have been proved;
 there is no centralised index; and
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
surviving records of the courts are now spread around the country in local and county
records offices.
The system was based on the hierarchy of ancient English ecclesiastical jurisdictions, with the
provinces of Canterbury and York at the top of the tree, a number of dioceses underneath, and
the smaller ‘peculiar’ courts at the bottom. In practical terms this means that wherever your
ancestors lived, their wills could have been proved in one of three or four different courts, and
you will have to search the records of each of these in order to establish whether they left a will
or not.
Over the years, a number of record offices and local and family history societies have compiled
and published various will indexes, and some record offices have produced card indexes of
their holdings (which Sue was able to benefit from). But by far the most significant change in the
more recent years has been the advent of online probate indexes, in some cases allowing
access to digital images of the wills themselves.
The most important of these online resources (and by far the largest) is the National Archive’s
Documents Online website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline The website
provides full access to the entire collection of the will proved in the Prerogative Court of
Canterbury – known more conveniently to family historians as the PCC. The collection contains
over one million wills dating from 1383 to 1858.
A useful guide in helping you to trace the possible whereabouts of pre 1858 wills prepared by
your ancestors is ‘Probate Jurisdictions: where to look for wills’ compiled by Jeremy Gibson and
Else Churchill. This is available through the Federation of Family History Societies bookshop at
www.genfair.co.uk
Monumental Inscriptions
Monumental Inscriptions (MI’s) can provide vital clues to aid your family research, particularly
for the years before civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began in 1837, and
censuses from 1841. Before then, the most important source of information are the parish
registers of baptisms, marriages and burials; although pre-1812 the amount of information
varies widely. An MI, however, may often record a whole family, with their relationships to each
other clearly stated, so you can draw up a genealogical tree with confidence.
Yet they are rarely used, probably because they are difficult to locate and there is no single
archive or website you can search. In addition, only a very small proportion of burials are
marked by gravestones and inscriptions. However, a good starting point for the family historian
is the National Burial Index (NBI) – available at local record offices and family history research
centres – which contain over 10 million records, from which you may be able to locate a place of
burial. Much of it is also viewable online at www.findmypast.com. You can follow this up by
contacting the relevant family history society to find out whether there is an inscription transcript
available; alternatively you can visit the churchyard or cemetery personally and enjoy the thrill of
searching through the gravestones for your ancestors.
Land Tax Records/Enclosure Maps
The Land Tax was introduced in the late 17th century, but the chances of assessments
surviving before 1780 are very hit and miss. These assessments take the form of annual lists of
names of proprietors of land in each parish and the names of the actual occupiers.
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Assessments were organised on a county, hundred, and parish basis, so the returns may be
found amongst quarter sessions, in estate and family archives or in parish collections. The
duplicate returns that were made each year between 1780 and 1832 and deposited amongst
quarter sessions records have the best chance of survival. The only record that covers almost
the whole of England and Wales in a uniform way is that for the year 1798 which is contained in
121 volumes in class IR.23 at The National Archive.
Enclosure maps date from around the middle of the eighteenth century to the middle of the
nineteenth. These maps were accompanied an enclosure award and came with a schedule
which listed details of ownership of the land. These enclosure awards and maps are lodged at
the Quarter sessions and should be held in the county record office. See W E Tate’s ‘Doomsday
of English Enclosure Acts’ for further detail.
The parish tithe map, produced between 1838 and 1854, was very similar to the enclosure
map. The tithes were a type of annual local taxation, made in kind, by the farmers and
landowners. A large-scale map was drawn up of the parish, showing every field, building, and
home. Schedules were made up of ownership, and in some cases also showing the tenants. By
using the censuses of 1841 and 1851 it is possible to pinpoint the exact residence of an
ancestor which would then lead you to the appropriate tithe map. The legislation did not apply to
Scotland or Ireland, but Wales was very well covered. Even if the map is missing, there may
well still be a copy of the schedule. Tithe maps can be found in the county record office; The
National Archive; or the diocese archives see R J P Kain and H C Prince’s ‘Tithe Surveys of
England and Wales’ for further detail.
Workhouse/Asylum Records
In the early 1800s changes to the Poor Law meant that recipients of relief were paid in kind
rather than money. The 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act stated that all poor, able-bodied people
should be relieved in the workhouse. As workhouse conditions were intended to be very
unpleasant , it was supposed to make people work harder to stay in their own homes rather
than face going to the workhouse. As soon as the Act was passed many Poor Law Unions
started to build their own workhouses.
The main records of the Unions concerned the day-to-day running of the workhouses, and
where these records have survived they are to be found in the county record office. These
records offer one of the most underused sources of the family historian. They include:
 registers of the inmates, recording births and deaths, and parishes whence they came;
 minutes of the Board of Guardians (sometimes with a list of inmates);
 committees for boarding-out (with lists of children);
 accounts ledgers, petty cash books, poor rate returns, loans granted to paupers; and
 admissions and discharge books.
Similar records are held for Asylums e.g. Stone Asylum records are held at the Centre for
Buckinghamshire Studies, Aylesbury. It will need to be noted that the availability of individual’s
records is restricted by the 100 year rule.
A series of four books called ‘Poor Law Union Records’ by Jeremy Gibson, Cliff Web and Colin
Rogers is available from the Federation of Family History Societies. These books are split into
areas of England and Wales and list the records and where they can be viewed.
Family Tradition
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As emphasised by Sue in her presentation, although there is no guarantee that those tantalising
snippets of family history passed down through the generations bear any resemblance to reality
it is best not to dismiss them out of hand. Record them and keep then safe
When time permits, and you’re in the mood for a slight diversion, look again at the detail of
those hand-me-down family tales. Then comes the process of establishing, through evidence,
the credence of the proposed facts; starting from the known, and then working back.
From experience I have found that there is invariably an element of truth within the suggested
tradition and that research often uncovers one of those much talked about skeletons in the
cupboard. Well worth the journey
Photographs
Photography was ‘born’ early in 1839 and became more widely available in the 1850s. From the
1860s prices for photographs fell and more and more people could now afford to have their
‘likenesses’ taken.
Original nineteenth century photographs can usually be dated within a decade from the costume
worn by the subject(s), the pose and photographic studio settings, as well as the size, type of
print and mount used. In addition, where the photographer’s name and address has been
included on the mount, research in local directories will help determine the years they were in
business. Identification from modern copies can only be made from the costume and studio
setting, as all other features are generally ‘lost’ in the copying process.
The style of commercial photography changed dramatically at the turn of the 20 th century and
the thick and elaborate printed mounts were replaced by plain white, beige or brown card
mounts in various sizes. As prices fell, many families owned a camera and amateur family
snap-shots from roll film can usually be found in great quantities in almost every collection.
Postcards of views as well as family portraits were extremely popular from 1904 and also very
cheap and quick to send through the post.
There are a number of general books written on the subject of dating photos, possibly the most
popular of which have been those written by Robert Pols
(NB: The above is taken from handout prepared by Jean Debney of Reading)
Military
Some of the most popular records in The National Archives relate to the Army and Navy. In her
presentation Sue focused on her research of the WW1 medals awarded to her ancestors, and
also the use of photographs as an aid in identifying the regiment/battalion in which the ancestor
served.
In your search for relevant military records it’s ideal if you are able to identify which Branch of
the service your ancestor belonged; whether he was an officer or ‘other ranks’; and which
regiment or corps he served in, plus his battalion. So, as with other family research projects it’s
about searching around your home for any clues; of papers or photos kept by members of your
family.
One of the first aspects you will discover in your research is that soldiers who die are easier to
trace than those who survived. A number of web sites to aid this particular area of research are:
the Commonwealth War graves Commission Records at www.cwgc.org and those that provide
access to the ‘Soldiers Who Died in the Great War’ index.
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The key to finding out about someone’s career during WW1 is his service record. Each man’s
entry, progress and departure was meticulously documented so a pension could be paid to him,
and hundreds of thousands of these dossiers can still be found at The National Archive at Kew.
Unfortunately about 60% of records of ‘other ranks’ were destroyed by enemy action during
WW2. Numerous others were salvaged and, although damaged, are partly legible. Unburnt
Documents, comprising about 4,000 reels of microfilm, are in series WO 364 at Kew, whilst
Burnt Documents are in WO 363. For more about the records read The National Archive’s
research guide ‘The British Army Soldiers’ Papers: First World War, 1914-1918 at
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=18
If service records for your ancestor were among those destroyed, you will at least find basic
information in the Medal Index Cards at The National Archives, which list those who received
campaign medals.
Although not complete. The Medal Index Cards are probably the most comprehensive listing of
men who served in WW!. You can view the cards online at
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Developing a Group Programme
As you will all be aware, Sue has done a sterling job in pulling together a calendar of events for
us for the coming 6 months based on offers received to present topics to the Group, Sue
Gordon’s presentation was the first of those scheduled events. However, there is still much to
be done in preparing the hoped for Group Programme and therefore Sue (Rawbone) is still
most keen to hear from those members who are prepared to assist in this important work.
Members’ visit to The National Archives at Kew
In response to keen interest from our members a further visit to Kew is already planned for
November this year when we will again accompany our colleagues from the Chiltern Group.
Programme for Beginners
The development of our proposed programme ‘To Aid Family Research Back to 1834’
continues, albeit at a more pedestrian pace than had been hoped.
During April 2009 details of the ‘Beginner’s Programme’ were circulated to all members for
consideration and comment. The response was encouraging and in the main supportive of the
range of topics identified for inclusion.
So this provided the mandate from our members for the structure and content of the
programme; there was now the need to address the issue of its delivery, and to this end the
eleven members who provided responses to the proposal were invited to a meeting. This took
place on the 14th May 2009 in the salubrious surrounding of Café Nero in the centre of
Chesham.
The primary purpose of the meeting was to determine the means by which we were to deliver
the varying elements of the programme, including the proposed Help Line, and following
general and detailed discussion (plus the odd cup of coffee) the meeting arrived at a set of
proposals. Details of these proposals have been prepared and it is the intention that they be
circulated to all members; hopefully prior to our next meeting on 2 June 2009.
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The bottom line is that we are looking to get the agreed programme up and running by the end
of June under the guidance of Andrew Patterson, who has agreed to act as the co-ordinator for
the delivery of the programme
.
Family History Group Web Page
Slapped wrist time – I have been saying for a couple of months that it is my intention to explore
the possibility of uploading material for circulation to members onto the FH web page – this
could save in e:mail traffic plus time in administration. The web page would also provide an
accessible venue for our archive of reference material.
My initial discussions with the webmaster suggest that the idea is probably feasible but alas I
have taken my eyes off the ball and the project is languishing somewhere in my ‘in’ tray.
However, I haven’t completely lost sight of it and I plan to address the issue again over the next
few weeks.
NB: We will certainly be taking account of the fact that not all our members have access to a
computer and look to continue with the current contact arrangements.
POT-POURRI
Little time was available to provide details of just a few topics that crossed my ‘desk’ over the
previous 4 weeks:
 Our less experienced researchers would be interested in the information pack provided
by the General Register Office. In addition to providing detailed information on the
sourcing and requesting of birth, marriage and death certificates the Pack includes useful
tips on starting your family history research together with a list of useful webite
addresses. To obtain your free copy of the ‘Getting Started’ pack email your name,
address and contact details to: certificate.service@ips.gov.uk. You will need to include
GQ in the subject field of your email to ensure an auto text response is not generated.

Just a reminder that further information for those new to family history is provided
through the Federation of Family Societies website at www.ffhs.org.uk. You will find that
the Home Page includes a heading ‘Are You New to Family History Research?’ – the
third item under this heading provides a link to the Societies’ ‘… really useful information
leaflet’. In addition to providing general information on ‘first steps in family history’ the
leaflet does include a list of member societies

For those more experienced members who may be researching non-conformist
ancestors then a visit to the National Archive site at
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/bmd/step1a.htm may prove useful. In
addition to promoting the catalogue detailing the non-conformist registers held at the
Archive the ‘leaflet’ points out that a range of registers can be accessed on line through
www.bmdregisters.co.uk. These registers include RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7 and RG33, all of
which were previously accessible through the Family Records Office, Islington. This is a
‘pay-as-you-view’ facility.
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MEMBER’S CORNER
A new section introduced to provide you with the opportunity of sharing information, or asking
questions of your fellow members. The following items received over the past month provide an
example of the types of subject that could be included. Having said that, it is your ‘notice
board’ so use it as you see fit- just submit your contribution to me at
brian_trevette@lineone.net
Wendy Stevens writes:
Family Tree Maker (FTM) Package
Those of you who have a Tesco clubcard may already know that the 2009 FTM Platinum
package is a new addition to the Tesco rewards programme for £15 in clubcard
vouchers. This also includes a six months Essential Membership to Ancestry.co.uk.
(same details were also provided by Sue Broad)
Sue Rawbone writes
Fan Trees
Regarding the mention of fan trees ( Sue Gordon’s presentation refers) ……. members
may be interested in downloading the ‘fan tree’ from www.genesreunited.co.uk. You don't
need to register, but if you click on FAQ at bottom right when website opens, and enter
'fan charts', then search result shows 'where are the printable charts'. If you click on this
it shows available charts at right hand side for you to click on.
Wendy Stevens writes
Family History Centre, Watford
……….. members of the Group might take encouragement from my experience in using
the Watford LDS Family History Centre to obtain and view films of distant parish records.
On 31/3/09 I visited Watford, armed with the name of the parish in Lancashire in which I
was interested, with the relevant film numbers, obtained from
http://www.familysearch.org .
At the centre a helpful gentleman checked the LDS database for availability of the films
and then gave me an application form to complete. The fee was £2.20 per film plus
postage. I was told it would the application would be made that day, and that the films
would probably arrive at the centre within 2-3 weeks, when he would phone me.
I was phoned on 24th April and I booked a microfilm machine for the 28th April. The film is
held by the centre for a month during which time you can view it as many times as you
need, before it is returned to the LDS library.
I was able to view the Baptism, Marriage, Burial records and Banns of marriage. I found
25 entries relating to my family. As well as taking notes I was allowed to use my digital
camera, although the quality of the resulting photos was poor, mainly because the
microfilms for this particular parish were on 16mm, fuzzy ,and quite difficult to read, let
alone photograph. However they are a useful back up to my notes.
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Sarah Phelps writes
Jewish Ancestry
…………….. because I have Jewish Ancestry I have paid for a subscription to the Jewish
Chronicle which gives me access to their Archives and copies of the paper back to 1841.
Their index is pretty good and if any member has Jewish Ancestry I would be happy to
look up names on the index. It would enable them to decide if it would be worth their
while to pay for a year's subscription.
(Sarah can be contacted at: sarahphelps@sky.com)
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Family History Group will be held on the 2 June 2009 at the 1st
Chesham Scout HQ, East Street, Chesham (adjacent to Chesham Station) starting at 2.00pm.
Sue Rawbone & Brian Trevette (Co-Convenors)
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