A Visit to TNA

It's been a while again since I've done much, but I fitted in a visit to The National Archives on Tuesday while in London.

I again concentrated on trying to find more about the career of my Excise Officer ancestor, William Childs Forster. I was particularly aiming to see if I could find his first appointment - and his last mention.

It takes a long while because of the 40 minute wait for the volumes, but I did achieve one of these goals. In June 1831, among the entries in the Board's minutes, I found a note to say that William Childs Forster "being dead" was ordered to be replaced.

I did, during the next wait, speed off to the PCs and try and see if I could find a burial for him on the LMA records available via Ancestry there, but no luck - shame, as that would finally have given me a rough age for him. It does occur to me that there was a Cholera outbreak in 1831 or 1832 in London, I think. (You see how my imagination runs on without any need for encouragement?)

However, it confirms my suspicions that he must have had an early death (unless his age is greater than I supposed, which, of course, it could easily be - hence my need for some sort of burial record. Curses on London complications, as ever!), which is why his daughter Eliza Ann Forster and her family were clearly struggling in poverty.

But armed with that information, I may stay on at the library soon and have a look through the online LMA records again for more Forster children, maybe even a second marriage for Eliza his wife (nee Taylor).

It's something. But it's slow going!

Happy New Year!

Well, 2010 already... How did that happen?

And I went back home for Christmas and managed a visit or two to the Somerset Record Office and even one short trip to the village of Broomfield. (So I have some photos, believe it or not).

There will be more on this later.

Really.

I promise.

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.)