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Complete Guide To Family History Research

VISITING LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES

Moving from the 'search' to the 'research' phase of your family history can be quite daunting initially but is ultimately exciting and rewarding. Most (but not all) libraries are free and contain a wealth of material which will give you many new ideas for family research. There is nothing like handling old and original documents!

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Written By Ancestry Aid Member: Gillian

POOR LAW RECORDS

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Bastardy Bonds

These were to ensure that the father's of illegitimate children paid maintenance for the child. Each case was dealt with differently. A Bastardy Bond would give the name of the mother of the child, the child's name, date of birth, the Parish where born and chargeable to. It would also show the name of the father that was appearing before the Justices and the amount ordered to be paid for birth fees, to the Overseers of the Poor and the amount for maintenance of the child. A father of a child may be found here when no record is shown on the Parish records. After 1733 any man that swore an oath stating that he was the father of a an illegitimate child was sent to jail.Check Quarter Session records for court proceedings also.

Prisoners committed for different offences since last Sessions, 168
99. George Goodall, age 19. Committed December 19, 1823 ……..for six weeks imprisonment to hard labour, for Bastardy.

Apprenticeship records

Parish Officers appointed Masters to apprentice young people, many of whom were paupers or orphans. They became members of the Masters household and although the apprentice's trades may have looked like a worthwhile trade many were no more than servants.

Church wardens account books

As well as items dealing with the upkeep of the actual building, the following may also be found in the Church Wardens account books: - administrative affairs of Charity Almshouses, listings of Parish rate-payers and the amount they paid, He would also pay parishioners for vermin bought to him.

From Otterbourne Hampshire Church Warden's Accounts
02 Jan 1820 Paid J Goodchild for Polecat 6p
1841 – Church rates 31/2p in the pound, Goodchild Richard 3p

Overseers of the poor account books

Overseers set the rate of poor relief, collected the money and made sure it went to those in need. The account books show listings of the rate payers also the recipients of poor relief. This relief could have been in the form of money or accommodation in houses built for that purpose. A note was made of all assistance given out such as food, medicine, fuel, clothing and funeral costs. Overseer's accounts and Church Wardens accounts can sometimes be found in the same volume. The parents of illegitimate children may be found in the overseer's account books.
1803. Cash received from George Bart to exonerate him from a b astard child liable to be born on the body of Mary Webb, Ten Pounds.

Workhouses

In 1834 the Poor Law Amendment act was passed. No able –bodied person was to receive help form the Poor Law authorities unless they were in a workhouse. Workhouses were built in every parish where possible but conditions were made deliberately harsh to discourage people wanting to get help. The ratepayers in each parish would then elect a board of Guardians to supervise and collect the Poor rate. Although workhouses had been around previously they now became the main source of relief

Vestry Minutes

All important decisions relating to the Poor law were made at Vestry meetings. Lists of apprentices and newcomers to the Parish can be found along with agreements for the care of illegitimate children in the Parish.

Where can they be found?

Poor Law records prior to 1834 can be found amongst Parish Records. Poor Law records since 1834 are held in the County Records offices and at the National Archives: - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Many workhouse records can be found on the internet and some can be found in Ancestry Aids Links and tips forum.

Written By Ancestry Aid Member: Starlight

POLL BOOKS

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What are they?

Before 1872, when the secret ballot was introduced, how a person voted was public knowledge and recorded in poll books. They were published from the late 1600s onwards but from 1711 there was a requirement to deposit them with the Clerk of the Peace, so many poll books survive from that time. The last general election for which poll books exist is 1868.

What information might they give?

The information recorded varies from election to election but usually includes a list of the men who voted in parliamentary elections, their parish of residence and the candidate(s) for whom they voted. Their occupations and qualification to vote were also sometimes included.

Where can I find them?

Those which survive are likely to be held in local and national libraries and local records offices. The Society of Genealogists' Library in London has a good collection. A few have been transcribed and a few are available on CD. If you are unable to locate possible records, please ask for assistance on the Ancestry Aid 'Request Help' forum.

Uses and limitations

Poll books can be a valuable source of information about an ancestor, particularly before statutory registers and census records are available. The main limitation is that only a small proportion of the male population was eligible to vote and no women. Throughout the 18th century only those who were landowners and those who rented property of sufficient value had the right to vote. Although the electoral franchise was gradually extended during the next 100 years, only a little over half of the adult male population was eligible to vote by the end of the 19th century.

Written By Ancestry Aid Member: Gillian

TRADE & STREET DIRECTORIES

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Directories were published during the upsurge in Trade by the Industrial Revolution and the growth of the British Empire. They became an invaluable source of information about communities. They describe details of local markets, transport facilities and a lot of background information on churches, schools, charities, and lists of people in local government, population statistics, local newspapers, and advertising and in some, maps of the area. Companies who produced them include Pigot's / White's / Slater's / Baines and the one known by most people, Kelly's.

It is unlikely you will find your ancestors in the early ones unless they belonged to one of the aforementioned trades. Counties were published up to the outbreak of WW11 and Town's up to approx 1970's. The later adoption of the telephone in the latter half of the 20th century brought about the disappearance of Trade/Street to be replaced by the Telephone and Yellow Pages Directories.

The first known publication was in 1677 and contained a list of London Merchants. The end of the 18th century brought the first trade directory (Baileys Northern) published in 1781. The first Street was published in the 19th century and most examples you will come across will be from 19th and 20th centuries. There are only a few copies left in circulation, so you will generally find them in reference libraries and local archives of the areas they cover. There are a few outlets on the web where you can purchase them in either CD or Microfiche format.

The following links list directories available:
http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/ (This one is online and searchable)
http://www.genealogysupplies.com/ (This one is fee paying to buy)

Entries usually start with a topographical account of the area, then you will get an alphabetical list of names and their occupations, in later ones you will get a list of Street's/Names/Occupations in the same format (They show only the head of household). These are followed by Advertiser's. The directories come into their own in between census years, giving you info on where your ancestors may have moved to and from.

Written By Ancestry Aid Member: Nanna

ELECTORAL REGISTERS

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What are they?

Electoral registers were introduced in 1832 and list all those who are entitled to vote in parliamentary elections. They have been compiled every subsequent year apart form some gaps during WW1 and WW2.

Key legislation includes:

What information do they give?

They list the names of electors and their addresses.

Where can I find them?

Most registers are held in County Records Offices, local libraries and the British Library. Current electoral registers are online at www.192.com. Electoral registers can be useful for checking how long a family remained at a particular address after the 1901 census. If a family stayed at the same address it is sometimes possible to trace more than one generation. Changes in the family members listed may give clues as to approximate birth and death dates. They can be used to find who lived at an address at a particular time. Current online registers can be very useful for finding living relatives.

Limitations

Registers are so large that you are unlikely to find a particular family without an address. Not all electors are listed on the current online registers as some have requested privacy. Not everyone is eligible to vote.

Written By Ancestry Aid Member: Gillian

WILLS

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Introduction

A Will is a legal document declaring a person's wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die. The will owes its development in most European Countries to clergymen or other people versed in Roman law. A will was spoken of in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament where Jacob leaves a larger portion of his inheritance to his son Joseph than to his other sons. These records are helpful to the genealogist because probate actions were recorded long before Baptisms, Marriages and Burials.

The structure of a will

A will can range from a couple of words on one page to twenty or so pages. Most wills will be on average of one in length. PCC clerks did not always start a new page when copying a will therefore you might also get the beginning of another will on the same page. The will may start with a codicil intended to alter or revoke an already executed will but you may find that an earlier will does not exist. If a codicil is not present the will would start with the name of the Testator/Testatrix, usually followed by where they lived and their occupation. Many early wills would then follow with religious references and instructions for burial. The name and description of the relationship of the first and chief beneficiaries will be given followed by an inventory or list of assets distributed. This would be followed by a list of secondary beneficiaries receiving gifts such as friends or servants. Finally the will would have been signed, witnessed and dated.

Further information that may be found on a will:

Wills before 1858

The Country was divided into two provinces where wills were proved. There were 300 ecclesial courts in a hierarchy of jurisdiction and importance. The P rerogative Court of Canterbury was the highest court in the land and covered the South of England and Wales. The Prerogative Court of York covered the areas of York, Durham, Northumberland, Westmoreland, Cumberland, Cheshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and The Isle of Man. The PCC and the PCY were both presided over by an archbishop. The value and location of the property bequeathed was the determining factor as to which court the will was proved at. In the early years only the wills of the richest people were proved at these two higher courts as only wills bequeathing land or property over the value of £5 were accepted. This was a vast amount of money during the c14th but as the years past the amount became affordable to a larger proportion of the population. If a property owner died overseas his will was proved by the Prerogative court of Canterbury regardless of where his property was. Probate records were not created for everyone that died and more people are named on wills than the number that actually made them.

Accessing wills pre 1858

The records of the minor Probate courts can be found in county record offices and with some Family History Societies. As the Prerogative courts of York and Canterbury mainly dealt with the rich most genealogists are more likely to find information about their ancestors at these smaller courts. The will of any property owner that dies abroad before 1858 will have the will proved in the prerogative court of Canterbury regardless of where his property is situated.

Wills can be also found at principle public libraries. An index can be found on the following website: - http://www.familia.org.uk/libraries.html. Other information can be found online at: -

Wills after 1858

On the 12th of January 1858 the prerogative courts of Canterbury and York ceased to exist and jurisdiction for granting of probate moved from the Church to the new secular Court of Probate. After this date a grant of representation would be issued by a court giving authority to administer an estate. The named person would deal with the estate of the deceased including the collection of money from banks etc, paying off debts and selling or transferring property as stated in the will.

Accessing wills post 1858

The only place where a full Probate Calender (National Index) can be found is at First Avenue House in London. Most district probate offices hold records for around 50 years. It is best to phone beforehand to check the dates available if planning a visit. Also remember that the year in the Calender is the date that the Grant was issued and not necessarily the year that the deceased died. If you are unable to get to a records office in person they will send a copy of a will by post but the will be a charge for this.

The only stipulations to getting a copy of a will are that the person is deceased and that probate must have been granted.

Wills after 1858 are held by the probate service: - http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1226.htm#calendarskept. Search wills from 1513 – 1901 for free, with option to download certificate for a fee of £5: - http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/
English wills exchange data base: - http://members.tripod.com/~Caryl_Williams/ewills.html
Free indexes and some transcribed wills can also be found on Ancestry Aids own links and tips forum by entering "wills" into the search engine.

Accessing wills abroad

A list of repositories and their contact details can be found on the National Archives site @ http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/foreign.asp

Terminology found in Wills

Written By Ancestry Aid Members: Chris & Starlight