Visitation of God

Do you remember my last post in May when I left my (thankfully non-existent) readers holding their breath as to what my ancestor Matthew Knight died of?

Well, I waited for the certificate to arrive (although not as long as I waited to post the results) and there was an inquest and he died by a Visitation of God.

Just like Elijah.

Ooh, look, my blog...

Okay, yes, I'm rubbish.

I promise to do better.

Watch this space.

Oh, yes.

Actual Research!!

Will you believe it? I've stopped being the completely lazy family historian I've been of late and, during a visit to Somerset, actually managed to do some new research.

I looked into my Knight line, largely based in Broomfield, a small village near North Petherton in Somerset. I had rather arbitrarily decided previously that they looked rather dull in comparison to other lines and left them alone. Of course, as it turns out, they proved to be quite intriguing after all. (I'm sorry, it was a case of 'not more ag labs').

It looks as though my ancestor Matthew Knight, despite only being listed as an ag lab in most cases, may have been (briefly?) parish clerk. His daughter's marriage certificate records this as his occupation and while it does look very much like boasting to the in-laws after he was safely dead, I can't quite dismiss it. She married in the same parish, so someone would have known she was not being truthful. Plus, he could not only sign his name with some confidence, but he does turn up as witness on a few unrelated marriages at one point. I'd noted that earlier, thinking he looked as though he was acting as a 'professional' witness. So maybe it's not entirely out of the question? Certainly, I'll have to investigate.

Plus, I know why I couldn't find his youngest son Abel now that I also found his marriage entry in the register. He's listed as being in the marine artillery. Aha. Ha.

And, barring one link I have to confirm, I've got another line straight back to the 17th Century. I might even have reached my first Commonwealth gap.

Not bad, considering I didn't think I was going to get to go to the SRO after all and didn't really bring my proper notes with me (hence the decision to try a new line).

I've also located Matthew's burial entry, so I can now send for his death certificate. And I do have birthday money, so...

Watch this space. (Well, don't hold your breath, because I can't promise not to get sucked back into other things as I have done lately.)

Consuming Passions by Judith Flanders

Title: Consuming Passions: Leisure and Pleasure in Victorian Britain
Author: Judith Flanders
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date: 2006 (pbk 2007)
ISBN: 978000712962
Period etc.: 19th C Britain.

I started reading this one last autumn and instantly had to put it on my Christmas List. Despite the title, it's about leisure and shopping in 19th Britain and the origins of our consumer lifestyle. I assumed it wouldn't be as useful as her previous book, The Victorian House, but I was wrong.

It covers all social strands and aspects of 'leisure and pleasure'. Not only will it fill in the gaps as to what your ancestors might have done in their precious (and scant, in most cases!) spare time, but it's also simply a good read in itself.

I'd recommend it happily. (Oh, look, I am.)

It covers the Great Exhibition, Eighteenth century shops, Nineteenth century shops, newspapers, books, travelling (& holidays), theatre etc., music, art and sport, along with a Christmas Coda. Because I received this on Christmas Day, I read that first, which felt like a treat for the morning!

So, forgive me the long gap and I'll try and keep the recommendations regular even if I've not been an active family historian. I do intend to pull myself together. (It's basically all down to a pile of Somerset info that needs sorting. Instead, I hide and have been cheering myself up by writing fan fiction. Maybe not entirely sensible, but absolutely wonderful fun.)

Neglecting the Blog

I've been shamefully negligent of this blog, I realise. The trouble is, I've really stopped doing the family history much since January or so. Not deliberately, but it's just ended up that way.

I don't suppose it's any use to say that I've written a lot of fun fics?

In the mean time, to break up the lack of family history, I will try and make this a useful bit of webspace by reviewing some of the social history books I've been using for background info. (See? I've not abandoned things completely.)

Badly Behaved Ancestor

More adventures of William Childs FORSTER in the Excise Service. (I'd like to add that almost everyone else in the minute books was worse!)

(CUST 47/512 pp49-50)
Weds 30th July 1818
“William Childs FORSTER, Officer in the 17th Division Brewery, having in several instances changed the Depths of gages of Wort after he had cast the same and posted them into the Ledger, having taken no Account of 30 Barrels of Table Beer at a Common Brewer’s on July 9th at mp10 and the 10th at mp 2; and being addicted to drinking to Excess, and careless in the Performance of his Duty, as appeared on Examination before the Board. Ordered that he be dischanged.”

(CUST 47/515 p118)
Weds 12th May 1819
“William Childs FORSTER, late Officer in the 17th division Brewery, having petitioned the Board praying to be restored, begging Pardon for the Offence for which he was discharged, and promising Diligence in future. Ordered that he be restored on a proper Vacancy.”

And Home Again

Back once more, and I did at least succeed in finding out why my ancestor William Childs Forster was 'discharged and restored'. I'll share the shame of my drunken g-g-g-g-grandfather withe the world once I've sorted myself out. But doesn't it take so long to do so little at archives?

Off to TNA

I haven't vanished off the face of the earth, not really. Nor have I been spending all this time playing with the 1911 census.

However, I'm off to London shortly and should be able to fit in a visit to The National Archives, where I will hopefully find out more about my ancestor William Childs Forster's career as an Excise Officer.

I'm really pleased to finally be able to chase up this lead again.

I shall share my findings here. (Although at the rate of posts here lately, don't hold your breath!)

1911 Beta

I was lucky enough to get a play with this on Tuesday. London and Devon were available, so I could at least find some of my Dad's ancestors, if not my Mum's.

I'm really pleased that we get to see the householders' schedules themselves, not only because I get to see my ancestors' handwriting (very neat in most cases so far!) but because it allows for a bit of over-earnest filling in. My great-great-grandfather John Francis Jewitt has clearly recorded his children from his first marriage on the form, while widowed Louisa Hargrave has still filled in her details - informing me that there was another child who died. Now I have to track down that lost infant.

And, to my great joy, I have my great-grandparents in Devon (lying about their ages again). Not only does it include what is presumably Uncle Charlie, but their foster daughter, Auntie Elsie is there with them. And what's more, I can see that if there is another lost brother, he must have been between Uncle Charlie (born c. Dec 1910) and Uncle George (born August 1913).

As you can see, I need to study the GRO indexes closely now.

There was more, but I need to go and enter it into my info. Oh, and I've been to Somerset this time and I still haven't sorted that out fully, but it is my next step. I've updated the other four family lines.

So you never know, I might be telling you about what I found in Dec 2007 finally. It's amazing, isn't it?

And: Happy New Year everyone!