London burials, Red Cross volunteers and Irish military pensions and medals

The first FindmyPast Friday in 2018 from FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has seen the release of the following collections:

Middlesex, Brompton Cemetery Records

Search through more than 645,000 records from one of Britain's oldest and most distinguished garden cemeteries. 'Middlesex, Brompton Cemetery Records' consists of transcripts and images of original documents held at the National Archives in Kew. In many cases, you will find more than one result for your ancestor – a burial register entry and a grave purchase record. Transcripts may reveal a combination of your ancestor's death year, age at death, burial date, burial place and residence. Images may reveal additional details such as the cost of the grave, the owner of the gravesite, who paid for the burial, whether a private or common grave, and your ancestor's occupation.


Greater London Burial Index

Over 19,000 new records covering Clerkenwell in central London have been added to the Greater London Burials Index. The Index contains over 1.6 million names from more than 300 Anglican and non-conformist parishes in the Greater London area.


England, Cheshire School Records, 1782-1950

Were your ancestor's educated in the English county of Cheshire? Search over 423,000 records covering more than 120 schools across the county in this collection of records from FamilySearch.


British Army, British Red Cross Society Volunteers 1914-1918

Find out if your ancestor volunteered for the British Red Cross Society during World War 1. Following the start of the 'Great War' in 1914, the British Red Cross joined forces with the Order of St. John Ambulance to form the Joint War committee and Joint War Organisation. They pooled resources and formed Voluntary Aid Detachments (or VADs) with members trained in First Aid, Nursing, Cookery, Hygiene and Sanitation. These detachments all worked under the protection of the Red Cross, working in hospitals, rest stations, work parties and supply centres.


Mississippi, Tippah County Records 1836-1923 Image Browse

Browse through more than 115 records related to deeds, chattel deeds (personal property), and probate case files from Mississippi's Tippah County Courthouse.


Ireland Military Pensions and Medals 1916-1922

Search over 52,000 records Pension and Medal records to find out whether your Irish ancestor served during the Easter Rising or the War of Independence. The collection covers members of the Óglaigh na hÉireann, National Army, Irish Republican Army, Irish Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army, or Cumann na mBan.


For further details and collection links visit https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-2522528536.html.

Chris

Needing a Christmas present for a family history obsessed love one (or for yourself)?! 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.

English volunteers who fought in the Easter Rising

There's an interesting article in the Irish Post today, looking at the story of a gent from Manchester called Liam Parr, who travelled to Ireland to participate on the side of Irish republicans in the Easter Rising. Following the Rising he was imprisoned in Wales, and eventually saw out his days in Stockport. The full story is at http://irishpost.co.uk/yorkshire-family-unearth-the-hidden-past-of-their-heroic-easter-rising-ancestor/.

The tale is one that features in a new book by Robin Stocks, entitled Hidden Heroes of Easter Week: Memories of Volunteers from England who joined the Easter Rising, The book also has its own dedicated web page at https://hiddenheroesofeasterweek.wordpress.com, where copies can be ordered. Here's the blurb:

In the middle of the Great War, members of the Irish community in British cities resolved to travel to Dublin to prepare for a rebellion to achieve Independence for Ireland.

The part played by the Manchester Volunteers has never before been made public; at last this exciting story of the Easter Rising and its build up can be brought to life in the words of those who took part.

Here are the experiences of a group of ordinary Volunteers who spent Easter Week under fire behind barricades or in the GPO. It concentrates on the human stories of two of them, a piper and a political radical, and also of their friend from Dublin who fought with the women’s volunteers, the Cumann na mBan.

This book captures the rebellious spirit of those times when Volunteers from England fought for Irish independence and to create a fairer world.

This project has come to fruition because many, many people have cooperated in sharing their memories and knowledge. For too long this part of our history had been suppressed, but now that it can be told, I hope that publishing this book will encourage others to come forward with their memories. I would love to hear from anyone who would like to contribute to this developing project. Perhaps between us we can ensure that no one remains a hidden hero of Easter Week. Please contact the author at the email or address below.

220 pages-Paperback-44 Illustrations including some unique period photographs.
ISBN: 978-0-9934399-0-2
£14.99.


NB: Don't forget also that my own new book, A Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923 is also now available to help you trace stories like that of Liam Parr and others who participated, both on the British and Irish sides of the Home Rule debate, the Suffragette struggle, the fight for workers' rights, the First World War, Easter Rising, War of Independence, Partition and the eventual civil war in the Irish Free State.

The ebook edition is available at www.gen-ebooks.com/a-decade-of-centenaries-researching-ireland-1912.html, and the print edition in Australia is at www.gould.com.au/A-Decade-of-Centenaries-Researching-Ireland-1912-p/utp0288.htm. I've just had confirmation that it will also be available very shortly in the UK from My History (www.my-history.co.uk).  Once the UK edition is available I'll provide another update.

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/.

Glasnevin Museum to host What's Your 1916 Story? event

Glasnevin Cemetery and Museum in Dublin is to host a What's Your 1916 Story? event, to ask folk to bring along documents, photos or other mementoes connected to the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916.

The event will take place on November 20th and 21st from 10am-4pm, and in addition to providing a free historic assessment of the items, requests for some items to be included in a temporary 1916 themed exhibition at the Museum's Prospect Gallery may be made of attendees with some of the more unusual items brought along.

For further details on the event, please visit www.glasnevintrust.ie/visit-glasnevin/events/whats-your-1916-story/index.xml.

And if interested to find out about their stories - those who were, or who knew or were connected to the Rising's participants - a new book has also been launched, entitled To Speak of Easter Week by Dr Helene O’Keeffe. It includes oral testimony from 240 people, the oldest of whom are relatives currently aged 102 and 104 when interviewed.

For more on the book, visit the Irish Times article at www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/to-speak-of-easter-week-brings-together-testimony-of-25-family-members-of-rebels-1.2390223.

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/.