PRONI uploads digitised NI tithe books and school grant aid records

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni) has initiated a major evolution with its online catalogue, with the release of two important digitised record collections for the six northern counties now constituted as Northern Ireland (Antrim, Down, Armagh, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Londonderry). The collections are the Northern Ireland Tithe Applotment Books 1823-1837 (FIN/5/A), and the National Education Commisioners Grant Aid Applications (ED/1).

Tithe Applotment Books

The tithe applotment books can now be downloaded for each parish.

i) From the home page at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni, click on eCatalogue.
ii) Click on Search PRONI's eCatalogue
iii) Scroll down and click on the green Search the eCatalogue button.
iv) On the top right of the catalogue search screen, click Browse.
v) Type in FIN/5/A and click on Search.
vi) On the results page, which states the following, go to the second option:

vii) If you click on the word More in the Title/Description column, you will gtet a short summary describing what the tithe records are.
viii) If you instead click on the blue PRONI reference FIN/5/A link in the first column, you will now be taken to a more detailed listing for each parish in alphabetical order.

ix) The View link at the end column allows you to download a hefty PDF file for the relevant parish. When you click on it you will first be asked to agree to a copyright statement:

Then you will be asked if you wish to save the relevant PDF file or to open it. Upon completion, this is the sort of thing you will then see:

COMMENT: Some of the files are quite large, but the quality of the digitisation is superb. Note that the records cannot be keyword searched - you'll have to go into them the good oul' fashioned way!

I have downloaded a couple of parishes, but one parish of interest, Islandmagee (simply noted as Island in the list) is showing as a damaged file which 'cannot be repaired'! I have notified PRONI, suspect it is just a minor teething issue.

Tithe records for the Republic of Ireland are already freely available at http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie.


National Education Commissioners Grant Aid Applications

The search technique for these is similar to the above, with the results portrayed in county order over a series of files covering different periods from 1832-1899. For example, County Antrim is presented across ED/1/1 to ED/1/10, each of which subdivides further to individual schools - the ED/1/1 link, for example, leads to individual PDFs for 163 separate school applications (ED/1/1/1A to ED/1/1/164). Note that the applications are for named schools, so don't be going in looking for parish names in these.

Again, the presentation is superb, and the files with these are considerably smaller, so will open much quicker.

Have fun with the records!

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Scottish-Ancestry-through-Church-and-State-Records-Paperback/p/16848. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

TheGenealogist expands its Education collection

TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk) has expanded its Education records collection:

New School and University Registers on TheGenealogist

As children go back to school, TheGenealogist has just released a diverse batch of school and university records to join its ever growing education collection.

Researchers can use this new data to find ancestors who attended or taught at a variety of Educational establishments between the 1830s and 1930s. Also listed are the names of those who held high office in the institutions, such as the patrons, deans, visitors, professors, masters in the case of universities and the principles and governors in the case of schools.

Use these records to add colour to a family story and glean important information from the biographical details to use in further research.

The list of records included in this release are:

St. Lawrence College Ramsgate Register, 1879 to 1911
Upper Canada College Address List 1829-1929
The Report Of The President Of Queen's College Belfast 1896-1897
The Glenalmond Register 1847-1929
Clifton College Register 1862-1912
Edinburgh Institution 1832-1932
King Williams College Register 1833-1904
The Bradfield College Register 1850-1923
The Old Denstonian Chronicle 1915
The Old Denstonian Chronicle 1916
The Old Denstonian Chronicle 1917
The Old Denstonian Chronicle 1918
The Old Denstonian Chronicle 1919
Isle of Man, King William's College Register 1833-1927
Ireland, The Campbell College Register 1894-1938
Eton College, Easter 1862
Keble College Register, 1870-1925
Rathmines School Roll, 1858-1899
Charterhouse Register 1911-1920 Vol. III
Cheltenham College Register 1841-1927
Alumni Carthusiani, 1614-1872

This expands our extensive education records collection.

Read our article:
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2019/find-ancestors-in-education-records-1180/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

PRONI to release new digitised records online

Just back from Belfast, where I attended the latest stakeholder meeting at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni) - and with some very exciting news!

For some time PRONI has been discussing making available through its online catalogue various digitised record sets. This already happens at the archive's search room in Belfast, where, for example, you can access various digitised church records collections (see https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Church%20Records%20Available%20as%20Digital%20Copies%20in%20PRONI_0.pdf)

The plan now is to try to make several collections available for users to access from home in time for Explore Your Archive Week, towards the end of November. The collections being made available will include:

ED/1 National Education Commisioners Grant Aid Application ( 1832-1889)
From the PRONI catalogue:
In September 1831, the Commissioners of National Education were established to administer a fund of 30,000 per annum placed at the disposal of the Lord Lieutenant for the education of the poor in Ireland. They were empowered to make grants to local schools on condition that part of the required sum was raised locally and in addition they supervised the work of the schools, supplied textbooks and trained teachers. This class of records which bears the PRONI reference number ED/1, consists of 33 volumes of applications made to the Commissioners for grants for building schools, payment of teachers, provision of textbooks, equipment etc. The applications were made on printed questionnaire forms (occasionally accompanied by correspondence), which were filed and bound together in date order and arranged county by county. They cover the period 1832-1889. ED/1/1 to ED1/28, are available on microfilm and bear the reference number MIC/548, Reels 1 to 52. The National Archives in Dublin hold a few unbound applications from Counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh and Meath, as well as a volume of Rejected Applications from Ulster schools for the period 1868-72.

Tithe Applotment Books (Northern Ireland)
The books from the Republic are already available online at http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp. This collection from PRONI will not be presented in the same way, in that they will not be keyword searchable, but instead must be browsed by the relevant townland or parish (much more preferable, in that when browsing you can pick up on things that a keyword search may miss). They will be presented as large scale PDF documents, via a 'View digital object' button on the catalogue entries. PRONI will be adding to its site a how-to user guide to explain how to work through the collections. 

(NB: It is hoped these will be ready in time for the main launch, but they admit they are working to a tight deadline - nevertheless, if not ready by November, they are imminent)

Photo collections - various collections will be made available, including some gems such as circus photos, historic images from the Steeple estate in Antrim, and material from the Northern Ireland Photographic Association (formed 1967).

Hansard Papers - from the Northern Irish Assembly

Other news:

340 documents have been added to the Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN) covering the years 1991-1992. Plans are in place to add further records for 1993-94 over the next year.

State papers form 1995 have now been added to the site's catalogue. (535 fully open, 172 partially redacted, with 45 still closed to access).

I'll blog about forthcoming events on a separate thread.

But hey - the tithe records are coming online soon!

(With thanks to all at PRONI)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FamilySearch updates Derbyshire and Northumberland collections

FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org) has updated two English parish records collections, and a UK military set:

United Kingdom Great Britain, War Office Registers, 1772-1935
Added 3,153 indexed records to an existing collection
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2366620

England, Derbyshire, Church of England Parish Registers, 1537-1918
Added 305,850 indexed records to an existing collection
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1911752

England, Northumberland, Parish Registers, 1538-1950
Added 994,791 indexed records to an existing collection
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2353070

Also of potential interest are additions to an Australian record set:

Australia, South Australia, School Admission Registers, 1873-1985
Added 50,944 indexed records to an existing collection
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2862204

For details of additional records updates and releases, including several collections for the USA and Europe, visit https://media.familysearch.org/new-historical-records-on-familysearch-week-of-january-21-2019/.

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

School Registers released online by TheGenealogist

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

School Registers released online by TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist launches more school registers into its Educational Records adding tens of thousands of additional individuals.

* The records can be used to discover a school pupil or university student’s achievements
* Educational records will confirm birth dates and sometimes place of birth
* Give father’s name and address useful when they are missing from the census
* Give details of their later occupation etc.

The newly released registers on TheGenealogist are:

The Register of Tonbridge School, Kent, 1826-1910
Repton School Register Supplement to 1922 edition 1933
Allhallows School Register and Record 1908-1932
A History Of Wigton School 1815-1915
Alumni Felstedienses, Boys Entered at Felsted School, 1897-1903
Leeds Grammar School Registers 1820-1910
The Sherborne Register, Third Edition, 1550-1937
The Roll of St Edwards School 1863-1939
The Lancing Register 1932
Sussex, The Lancing Register, 1848-1900
Chigwell Register 1653-1907
Bury, Directory of the Technical School, Acting Teachers' Classes and School of Art, 1909-1910
Tonbridge School Register 1847-1926
Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland 1928
New Zealand, School List Christ's College Grammar School 1850-1921
The Edinburgh Academy Register 1824-1914
Summer Fields Register 1864-1929
Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Schola Novocastrensis Newcastle Royal Free School 1545-1699
Cambridge, Leys School, Handbook and Directory 1920
Bromsgrove School Register 1553-1905
Cambridge, The Leys School Directory 1912
Register of Oakham School 1875-1929
Merchiston Castle School Register 1833-1903
The Whitworth Book; Scholars And Teachers Of Ackworth School 1879-1900
A Biographical Register of Peterhouse Men Part I 1284-1574
Album Aberhonddu 1755-1880, Brecon Memorial Book (In Welsh)
Bootham School Register, 1935 and Charterhouse Register, 1872-1900

You can also read our article about finding more about an ancestor from their school days: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2018/musical--literary-greats-discovered-in-newly-launched-school-records-962/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Oxford College Archives new website launch

A new Oxford College Archives website has been established at https://oac.web.ox.ac.uk, designed to provide useful information on its constituent members. From the site:

Oxford contains the largest concentration of archival repositories in the south-east. The documents they hold include the papers of local government and administration, the records of the University and its colleges, business records, and personal correspondence. Museums and galleries all have their own papers about their collections and collectors. There are maps and plans, archaeological records, the papers of religious institutions and politicians, charity and health records, and the papers of schools. In fact, there is very little you won’t find in an archive somewhere in Oxford.

Although these pages deal principally with the archives of the Oxford colleges, you will find information about, and links to, many other local archives and to other resources which will help you in your research.

The Oxford Archivists’ Consortium (OAC) was set up in 2001 to provide a support network for all those working in archives in the city. We hope that these pages will answer any questions you have about archives in Oxford but if the answer you are looking for evades you, please contact OAC and we should be able to point you in the right direction.

(With thanks to Wendy Archer)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Fife criminal and electoral records added to Ancestry

Two collections concerning the county of Fife have been added to Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk):

Fife, Scotland, Electoral Registers, 1914-1966
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61432
Source: Fife Electoral Registers, Fife Library and Archives Service, Fife, Scotland

About Fife, Scotland, Electoral Registers, 1914-1966

This database contains yearly registers listing names and residences of people in Fife, Scotland, who were eligible to vote in elections. These year-by-year registers can help place your ancestors in a particular place and possibly also reveal a bit about property they owned.

Please note that coverage for these burghs is incomplete:

Kilrenny, Anstruther Easter and Anstruther Wester Burgh, 1939 and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Burntisland 1934 and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Crail, 1939 and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Culross, 1934-1937 and from 1950 onwards
City and Royal Burgh of Dunfermline from 1958 onwards
Royal Burgh of Inverkeithing from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Kinghorn from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Kirkcaldy from 1956 onwards
Burgh of Lochgelly 1914 and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Pittenweem- 1939, and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of St Andrews 1918,1932-1939, and from 1950 onwards


Fife, Scotland, Criminal Registers, 1910-1931
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61426
Source: Fife Criminal Registers, Fife Library and Archives Services, Fife, Scotland.

For each individual found within the report, you may be able to find (where available):

Name
Age at time of incarceration
Birth Place
The Nature of the Crime
Conviction Date
Conviction Place
Sentence
A photograph of the individual and/or a Physical Description


Also released are student records from London, England:

UK, University of London Student Records, 1836-1945
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61488
Source: The University of London Archive

Further information on the collection is available via the stated link. Note that "During the 19th and early 20th centuries, students who attended other institutions took University of London examinations as external students. Included in these lists, therefore, are students who attended the predecessor institutions of universities such as Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Dundee, Heriot-Watt, Southampton, Exeter, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Surrey, Queen’s University Belfast, and University College Dublin."

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Ancestry adds poor law union removals from England to Ireland

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has released two new Irish collections, as indexed as part of its World Archives Project. The following are the descriptions:

Ireland, Poor Law Union Removals From England, 1859-1860
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61317

Following the Act of Settlement in 1662, parishes in the United Kingdom were obliged to help those who were ‘legally settled'. If they could not fulfil the required criteria, they could be removed by force and sent to their parish of legal settlement.

Removal Orders could be issued if the person or family were deemed to have no right to settlement in the parish. Removal Orders record the names of the poor persons involved, the parish from which they were removed and the parish to which they were to be removed. Removal Orders sometimes list all the children in the family and give their ages.

Amongst those who were affected by removal were thousands of Irish applicants in England. If, upon examination, it was found that they had no right of settlement, they could be deported from the nearest port back to Ireland, at the time part of the United Kingdom. Often, families were placed on boats to the port nearest their home parish, but they still may have had a journey of many miles after disembarking. They would have had to pay their own way as the English parish would only pay enough for them to get to Ireland, not for the entire journey back to their original home parish.


NB: I presume that these removal lists were originally sourced from the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (http://parlipapers.proquest.com/parlipapers) collection, which is freely accessible via subscribing libraries across the UK. It should be noted that there are many such lists from the 1860s and 1870s in the archive, not just from England, but from Scotland and Wales also. You will find additional lists freely available on the Raymond's County Down website at http://countydown.x10.mx/html/index2.htm, as follows:

• Return of all poor persons, removed from Scotland to Ireland 1867/1869
• Return of all poor persons removed from England & Wales to Ireland 1867/1869
• Return of poor persons, England & Wales since 1st Jan. 1875
• Return of poor from Scotland to Ireland, 1875/76/77/78

Ireland, School Masters and Mistresses, 1826
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61316

The Irish Education Inquiry published its second report in the year 1826, in Dublin, Ireland and aimed to provide a picture of the state of education in Ireland at the time. The stated goal of the commission was "To inquire into the nature and extent of the instruction afforded by the several institutions established for the purpose of education and maintained either in whole or in part from the public funds; to inquire also into the state of the diocesan and district Schools, and the Nature of the Instruction there given; for ascertaining whether any and what regulations may be fit to be established with respect to the Parochial Schools, and for reporting as to the Measures which can be adopted for extending generally to all classes of the People the benefits of Education." The report's findings were presented to the UK Parliament as Ireland was, as that time, part of the United Kingdom.

The report also included the names of Masters and Mistresses employed in schools at that time.

What can be found in the records?

For each Master or Mistress found within the report, you may be able to find (where available):

Their Name
The County in which they taught
The Parish in which they taught
The location of the school in which they were employed


Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102.
For details on my Scottish & Irish genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
For my genealogy research service, please visit http://www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk.

TheGenealogist releases London educational records

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

TheGenealogist Launches Various London Educational Records

TheGenealogist has just released a batch of London school and university records to join its ever growing educational collection.

Researchers can use this new data to find ancestors who attended or taught at a variety of Educational establishments within London between 1831 and 1927. Also listed are the names of those who held high office in the institutions, such as the patrons; deans; visitors and professors, in the case of universities and the principles, masters and governors in the case of the schools.

This release covers the names of those who graduated from the University of London between 1836 and 1926 - while for King’s College London, it also provides a list of Fellows from 1847 to 1920, registered students for 1920-1921 and those awarded degrees in 1920 and 1921 as well as the prizes given at King’s.

With a number of school records, joining this London release, researchers can also find old boys who served in World War I. For example it is possible to track down men serving with the colours in the Great War in the case of the Old Wilsonians, as listed in The Wilsonian Magazine. For those Old Alleynians and Old Haberdashers, who perished in the war, their names and often a photograph are recorded in the First World War Roll of Honours for both Dulwich College and the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hampstead School.

The list of records included in this release are

● University of London Historical Record 1836-1926
● The Skylark Magazine from Haberdashers' Aske's Hampstead School 1918
● The Wilsonian Magazine April 1914-April 1919
● University College School, London Register 1831-1891
● Royal College Of Chemistry, Royal School Of Mines And Royal College Of Science Register Of Associates
● Record of Old Westminsters Vols 1 and 2 earliest times -1927
● King's College, London Calendar 1921-1922
● Dulwich College War Record 1914-1919

These records and more are available at TheGenealogist.co.uk

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Diaspora collections and Irish military records on FindmyPast

Latest offerings from FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com):

Ireland, Royal Hibernian Military School History

Explore this 168 page document to uncover the history of the Royal Hibernian Military School in Dublin. This fascinating publication includes transcriptions from memorial inscriptions, a roll of honour from the First World War, and transcripts from both the 1901 and 1911 census.

The Royal Hibernian Military School was founded in 1765 in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Today, it is the site of St Mary's Hospital. When the school closed in 1
924, all the registers and minute books were taken to Walworth, London. However, during the Second World War, these documents were destroyed in the Blitz. The Ireland, Royal Hibernian Military school history provides a valuable substitute for the records that were lost.


Ireland Military Records

Ireland Military Records is comprised of 8 different Irish military publications and contains over 2,700 records. The collection includes memorial inscriptions, army lists from the 19th and 17th centuries as well as two volumes of popular novels written by Charles Lever.

Each record is displayed as a PDF (Portable document format). The detail found in each record will vary depending on the publication and the subject.


United States marriages

Over 2.7 million additional records have been added to our collection of United States Marriages. The new additions come from 13 different states and include significant updates from Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Rhode Island.

The records include transcripts and images of the original documents that list marriage date, the names of the bride and groom, birthplace, birth date, age and residence as well as fathers' and mothers' names.


1840 U.S. Census, Revolutionary War Veterans

Over 21,000 records of ex-servicemen and their next of kin who were receiving pensions in 1840 for service in the Revolutionary War.

On the back of the population schedules for the 1840 census, enumerators recorded the living pensioners of the Revolutionary War as well as other military service. The lists also noted an individual's age and the name of the head of household in which the individual lived.


New Zealand Wars, officers and men killed 1860-1870

This consists of 193 transcripts of nominal returns of colonial officers and men who were killed in action while fighting in the Maori Wars. The Māori Wars, began as a result of contested land purchases by the colonial government. The conflict between the colonial government and the Māori resistance reached its height in the 1860s, with the largest campaign, the Waikato invasion, occurring from 1863 to 64.


New Zealand, military pensions 1900-1902

Find out if your ancestor was eligible for a military pension and uncover details of their next of kin with a collection of over 5,000 transcripts recording former servicemen who were eligible for military pensions between 1900 and 1902.

Further details and collection links at https://blog.findmypast.com/findmypast-friday-2077866124.html

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Latest additions to The Original Record website

Latest additions to The Original Record (www.theoriginalrecord.com):

1664
Suffolk Archdeaconry Marriage Licences
Marriage licence bonds in the Suffolk Archdeaconry Registry at Ipswich, abstracted and printed by Frederick Arthur Crisp

1845-1850
Consistory Court of London Divorce Cases
The list of causes of divorce determined in the Consistory Court of London gives the title of the cause; whether opposed or unopposed; whether promoted by husband or wife; whether for adultery and cruelty, or which; when commenced; when concluded; whether appealed or not; whether carried to the House of Lords.

1850
Masters and Mates in the Merchant Service
Masters and mates in the Merchant Service who voluntarily passed an examination and obtained certificates of qualification under the regulations issued by the Board of Trade, from 28 February to 11 April 1850.

1868
Art School Teachers
The Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council on Education produced this list of persons certificated as competent to act as teachers of art schools, revised to March 1868. The list gives name (surname first); school where previously taught; and certificates obtained (1 elementary drawing and colouring; 2 painting; 3 the figure drawn and painted; 4 modelling ornament; 5 modelling the figure; 6a mechanical drawing; 6b architectural drawing).

1876
Members of the Society of Biblical Archaeology
This membership list of the Society of Biblical Archaeology is corrected to January 1876; it gives names and addresses, asterisks indicating members of the society's council.

1882-1887
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders Died in Egypt and Sudan
The roll of officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the 79th Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders who were killed in action or died of wounds and disease in Egypt and the S(o)udan 1882 to 1887, compiled from the orderly room records by Captain T. A. Mackenzie and Lieutenant C. Findlay: giving rank, full name, and where or how died.

1909-1910
Durham University Matriculation Examination
The lists of students who satisfied the examiners, September 1909 and March 1910: surnames are given, with initials.

(With thanks to The Original Record)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Latest additions to The Original Record

New additions to The Original Records (www.theoriginalrecord.com):

Added this week:

1725
Citizens of London
A list of the persons who polled for Charles Goodfellow esquire at the late election for a member of parliament to represent the city of London, held 23rd to 28th November 1724. Full names are given, surname first, arranged by the livery companies to which the citizens belonged. This list was published in The Daily Post and elsewhere: 'Gentlemen, we desire you will carefully examine the following list of polsters, and in case you find yourselves or friends polled by others, or any polled who are dead or absent, or who have no right, that you'll give immediate notice thereof at Salter's Hall in Swithin's Lane, where attendance will be daily given from 8 a-clock in the morning till 9 a-clock at night. It is not doubted but the endeavours to obtain a law to secure your invaded rights and privileges will be soon successful, this should now excite you to a diligent search after false pollers, which will in all probability make the majority greater for sir Richard Hopkins. N.B. The scrutineers so far as they have proceeded, do find a much greater number of false pollers for Mr Goodfellow, than for sir Richard Hopkins.'

1789
Coggeshall, Essex, Owners and Occupiers
The rental of the copyhold and freehold estates held of the manor of Coggeshall or Coggeshall Hall, gives for each holding the annual rent; the name of the owner of the estate at Michaelmas 1789; the name(s) of the occupier(s) at that time; and a description of the copyhold premises.

1824
Deaf and Dumb Children
At a general meeting of the committee of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, London, held 12 July 1824, fifteen boys and fifteen girls were elected for admission.

1830
Sentenced to Death, Transportation or Imprisonment at Gloucester Assizes
31 prisoners were sentenced to death at Gloucester Assizes in April 1830; 11 to seven months' transportation; 36 to various terms of imprisonment; 23 were acquitted; four admitted King's Evidence; and against three the bills were ignored.

1833
Visitors to Buxton, Derbyshire
The Derby Mercury of 14 August 1833 carries this list of arrivals at Buxton.

1861-1905
Women Students Entering Stockwell Teacher Training College
This list, revised to August 1908, gives the student's name and her then address (if known); the Remarks column indicates whether she left the course early; left the profession; went abroad; died; became a headmistress; and/or married: married name is often given.

1898
Subscribers to the History of Wisbech
Frederic John Gardiner's 'History of Wisbech and Neighbourhood during the last Fifty Years, 1848-1898' attracted a subscription list, mainly from the immediate vicinity of Wisbech.

(With thanks to The Original Record)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Somerset record databases released on Ancestry

The following records concerning Somerset, England, have been added to Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk):

Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60857

Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1531-1812
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60856

Somerset, England, School Registers, 1860-1914
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61024

Somerset, England, Church of England Confirmations, 1843-1913
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61012

Somerset, England, Gaol Registers, 1807-1879
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60900

Somerset, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1914
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60859

Somerset, England, Marriage Registers, Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60858

The records have been sourced from Somerset Archives & Local Studies, South West Heritage Trust, Taunton, England.

Further details are available via the links.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Yorkshire records added to FindmyPast

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com):

5.4 Million Yorkshire Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday

Findmypast completes project with six Yorkshire archives to create the most comprehensive online repository of Yorkshire family history records in the world

We are pleased to announce that this week’s Findmypast Friday marks the release of more than 5.4 million records released in partnership with the Yorkshire Digitisation Consortium. The publication marks the final phase of our Yorkshire Collection, a rich archive of more than 10.5 million records spanning the years 1538 to 1990.

The Yorkshire Digitisation project was first launched in October 2014 and has resulted in the creation of the largest online repository of Yorkshire family history records anywhere in the world. The final phase, released today, includes parish baptisms, banns, marriages, burials, school records, university records and a variety of other documents held by the East Riding Archives and Local Studies Service, the Borthwick Institute for Archives (University of York), the North Yorkshire County Record Office, Teesside Archives, Sheffield Archives and Local Studies, and Doncaster Archives and Local Studies.

As the provenances of the records are defined by historical, rather than modern boundaries, areas now outside of today’s Yorkshire such as County Durham, are also covered.

Also available to search this week are substantial new additions to our collection of United States marriage records and the PERiodical Source Index.

Yorkshire Baptisms
Over 2.2 million new records have recently been added to our collection of Yorkshire Baptisms. Yorkshire baptisms, 1538-1990, now contains over 4.4 million records from parish churches right across the three historic Yorkshire counties; North Riding, West Riding and East Riding.

Yorkshire Banns
Search 203,000 new additions to our collection of Yorkshire Banns to see if your ancestors declared their intention to marry in the county of Yorkshire. Yorkshire banns, 1653-1930, now contains over 541,000 records.

Yorkshire Marriages
Over 1.4 million new records have been added to our collection of Yorkshire parish marriages. Yorkshire Marriages 1538 – 1942 now contains over 2.2 million records spanning almost 400 years. The records list the details couples married in Anglican parishes across the three historic Yorkshire counties.

Yorkshire Burials
Uncover the location of your ancestor’s grave with over 1.5 million brand new Yorkshire burials. The Yorkshire Burials now contain over 3.2 million records spanning more than four centuries that list the details of men and women buried in Anglican parishes across the three historic Yorkshire counties.

Britain, School and University Register Books 1264-1930
Over 1,000 Yorkshire records containing biographical details about your ancestor after their school years have been added to our collection of school and university register books. Britain, School and University Register Books 1264-1930 contains over 18,000 records that list biographical details about your ancestor’s life after school, such as employment information and marriage and death dates. You can also discover if your ancestor taught at these schools, as all the registers include staff names.

Yorkshire Registers & Records
Delve through more than 34,000 assorted Yorkshire records, ranging from parish magazines to school registers, Kelly's directories and more. There are over 200 publications included in our collection of Yorkshire registers & records. The collection comprises various publications including, parish magazines, school registers, almanacs, abstracts of wills, and local histories, to name a few.

United States Marriages
Over 10 million new records containing approximately 45 million new names have just been added to our collection of United States Marriage Records including substantial new additions from Indiana, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Maine.

PERSI Update
Over 23,000 images have been added to eleven publications that will help you to discover useful contextual information about the time and place in which your ancestor lived. The PERiodical Source Index is the world’s largest and most widely used subject index for U.S. genealogy and local history literature.

(With thanks to Alex Cox)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Latest FindmyPast additions

Recent record releases from FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com) from last week and today:

British Royal Navy & Royal Marines service and pension records 1704-1934
Explore over 911,000 pension records, spanning over 200 years from 1704-1934, to uncover fascinating details of your relative's service with the British Royal Navy or Royal Marines.

Suffolk Marriage Index
Over 71,000 marriage records from over 200 parishes have been added to the Suffolk Marriage Index.

Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Births
Discover where your Irish Quaker ancestors were born with over 28,000 birth records from all over Ireland.

Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Marriages
Explore over 33,000 marriage records to discover when, where and to whom your ancestor was married as well as their occupation, parents' names and who attended the ceremony.

Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Deaths
Find out where your relatives were laid to rest with over 39,000 records dating back to 1654. Reveal when they died, where they were buried and the names of those they left behind.

Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) School Records
Explore over 43,000 records spanning more than a century to reveal your relatives birth date, parents' names, the school they attended and the date of their enrolment.

Kent, Bromley Absent Voters List 1918
The Kent, Bromley Absent Voters List 1918 records the details over 8,000 men who were eligible to vote and were away serving in the armed forces during the First World War. At that time, all men over the age of 21 and women over the age of 30 could vote. As well as servicemen over the age of 19. The Bromley absent voters list also includes the names of eight women who were members of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corp or Army Service Corp.

Queensland Births 1829-1919 contains over 930,000 records.
Registration for births, marriages, and deaths was not mandatory in Australia until March 1856. As Queensland was not made a separate colony from New South Wales until 1859, some events may have been registered in New South Wales. Additionally, you may want to search a range of dates considering that births may have been registered at a later date from when the actual birth occurred. For example, if a birth occurred in December of a given year, it might not have been registered until January of the following year.

Queensland Marriages 1829-1939 contains over 704,000 records.
Compulsory registration for marriages and other life events started in March 1856 in Australia. Since Queensland did not gain independence from New South Wales until 1859, some events may have been registered in New South Wales instead of Queensland. Additionally, you may want to search a range of dates considering that births may have been registered at a later date from when the actual birth occurred.

Further details via https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/fridays/

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

More English school records added to FindmyPast

The following English based records have been released on FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com) today:

National School Admission Registers & Log-Books, 1870-1914
Over 527,000 records schools from 8 separate archives across England have been added to the National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870-1914 collection. The collection, which was originally launched in September 2014, has had over 160,000 records added in this latest update and it now complete.

Worcestershire Baptisms
Over 8,900 records have been added to our collection of Worcestershire baptisms. The new additions cover the parishes of Droitwich St Andrew and St Nicholas between 1571 and 1900.

Worcestershire Marriages
Over 2,700 new records have been added to our collection of Worcestershire Marriages. The new additions cover the parishes of Droitwich St Andrew and St Nicholas between 1571 and 1900.

Middlesex Baptisms, 1543-1876
Trace your family line back to the 16th century with over 129,000 new Middlesex baptisms. Search by name, date and location to find out how far back your Middlesex roots go.

Further details at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/fridays/

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Stand Up and be Counted! Suffrage in the Decade of Centenaries

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.proni.gov.uk) has launched its Stand Up and Be Counted online resource, subtitled Suffrage and gender in Ireland during the Decade of Centenaries and beyond. The page holds links to several articles looking at the subject of women's suffrage in Ireland's most tumultuous period prior to Partition.

From the site:

The original archival documents made available as part of this online resource will allow anyone interested in the themes of suffrage, gender and democracy – or indeed the wider Decade of Centenaries – to explore original documents created at the time. This resource will not only widen access to PRONI archives, but will exemplify how they can be used to engage people in a conversation, exploring the relevance of historical events in today’s society.

The information packs available on the site are themed as follows:

PRONI Document Packs:
Document Pack 2 - Suffrage and Nationalism (Stand up and be Counted!: Suffrage in Ireland).
Document Pack 3 - Suffrage, Labour and Class (Stand up and be Counted!: Suffrage in Ireland).
Document Pack 4 - Suffrage and Suffragettes (Stand up and be Counted!: Suffrage in Ireland).

Background and context:
Background and Contextual Information (Stand up and be Counted!: Suffrage in Ireland).
Ireland Decade of Centenaries Timeline (Stand up and be Counted!: Suffrage in Ireland).
Female Suffrage in UK and Ireland Timeline (Stand up and be Counted!: Suffrage in Ireland).

Workshop activities:
Workshop activities (Stand up and be counted! Suffrage in Ireland)

An interesting fact that I wasn't aware of is that women in the Irish Free State obtained equal suffrage rights to men in 1922, gaining the right to vote at the age of 21, whilst in Northern Ireland this did not happen until 1928.

An excellent resource.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

FindmyPast adds English college records and New York parish registers

The following collections have been released by FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

New York deaths & burials 1758-1862 
Explore fascinating death and burial records to find out if you have any ancestors buried in the state of New York. New York deaths & burials 1758-1862 contain over 1,300 records spanning more than a hundred years. The records cover Jamaica, Newton and Success in Long Island, Staten Island and Yorktown.

New York marriages 1639-1900 
Containing over 55,500 records, New York marriages 1639-1900 allows you to search through transcripts of church and county records from Long Island, Staten Island, Yorktown, Montgomery County, and Westchester that begin 14 years after the colony of New Amsterdam was founded by the Dutch West India Company in 1625.

New York baptisms 1660-1862
Discover your New York ancestors by exploring nearly 16,000 records of New York baptisms spanning more than 200 years. The records cover baptisms conducted Long Island, Staten Island, Kingston, New York City, between 1660 and 1862 and allow you to discover if you had family in the region when it was still a Dutch colony.

Sussex, Lancing College Register 1901-1954 
Lancing College was the first more than 30 schools founded by Reverend Nathaniel Woodard. Woodward established the school in 1848 in order to provide education “based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith.” The records are comprised of transcript and scanned images that allow you to explore the pages of original registers to discover the names of pupils and masters from the College. Records can also reveal your ancestors birth year, address, employment and achievements later in life.

London, Dulwich College Register 1619-1926
The London, Dulwich College Register 1619-1926 is comprised of over 18,000 records spanning three centuries. Dulwich College, an independent public school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, was founded in 1619. Each record consists of a transcript and image of the original document. Records can reveal the details of both pupils and staff, including their names, position within the school, birth year, parents’ names and any notable achievements after leaving school.

Berkshire, Eton College Register 1441-1698 
The Eton College Register 1441-1698 allows you to explore fascinating school records dating back to the 15 century from one of the UK’s leading Independent schools. Spanning three centuries and containing over 4,000 records, the registers not only reveal the names of Old Etonians but also their year of birth, the name of their father and details surrounding their education and employment after leaving the college. Each record includes a transcript of the original document and a scanned colour image that allows you to uncover the great deeds of former pupils.

Full details at http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/fridays/

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Irish, English and Welsh school records go online

FindmyPast has added several new collections today, including school registers:

First those from England and Wales, are available in a collection entitled National School Admission Registers 1870-1914 (with variable dates for individual schools), and are accessible at http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/national-school-admission-registers-and-log-books-1870-1914, which includes a list of participating archives, though no catalogue numbers.  A list of the individual schools involved is available at www.findmypast.ie/articles/britain-national-school-admission-registers-and-log-books-school-list.

Secondly we have an Irish equivalent, the Ireland National School Registers collection, at http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/ireland-national-school-registers. This has 142,000 records from some National Schools in the Republic of Ireland from 1860-1920, but there is no list of schools presented that I can see, and although the digitised images state that they have come from the National Archives of Ireland, no accession numbers for the relevant collections.

Also available Surrey, Southwark, St Saviour's Grammar School Admissions 1690-1895 (http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/surrey-southwark-st-saviours-grammar-school-admissions-1690-1895) and for New South Wales in Australia, Coffs Harbour District Schools lists (1912-1984) at http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/coffs-harbour-district-schools.

Further details at http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/fridays/

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Did your ancestor claim a grant for a Scottish university?

Did your ancestors receive a grant for university education in Scotland? I've been contacted by Dr. Patricia Krus from the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (www.carnegie-trust.org) concerning a fantastic look up facility being offered by the trust's archives:

For over a century the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland has provided grants to students wishing to attend university. Until the introduction of government grants, we were the main source of support for students of low income backgrounds and we think we have played an important role in increasing social mobility and educational attainment for generations of Scots. The trust always kept index cards recording the details of its grant recipients and we now have a database with the scanned cards. Although we can’t make the database accessible online, we will happily look up records for anyone who requests a search. We think this resource would be of interest to family historians and social historians.

A sample of the cards can be viewed online at http://www.carnegie-trust.org/alumni/archive-of-student-records.html, along with the request form to fill in should you wish to make an enquiry. 

(With thanks to Dr. Krus)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.