Timeless Genealogies: Guides & Information
Genealogical Information
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
MyHeritage's DeepStory: A Genealogist's Reflection on a ByGone Tool
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
England Apprenticeship Records
Heber (2009) describes apprenticeship as a “contract by which a boy learned a trade from his master that was controlled by a guild.” This trade would be his way of earning a living for the rest of his life and supporting a family in the future.[1] The National Archives Website states the following in connection with laws governing apprenticeship:
The
Statute of Apprentices passed in 1563, made it illegal for anyone to enter a
trade if they had not first served an apprenticeship. Subsequent Acts of
Parliament and legal judgments modified this statute, which remained in the
statute book until 1814.
The Statute 8 Anne c.5 (1710) made stamp duty payable on apprenticeship
indentures (that is, agreements), but until that time, there was no central
register of apprentices kept in England and Wales. So, you will have to look
for evidence of apprenticeship locally in the surviving papers of firms,
parishes, charities, and individuals. See, for example, WB Stephens, Sources of
English local history (1981).[2]
The document that accompanied an apprenticeship was called an ‘Indenture’ and would contain the following information:
Name
of the apprentice |
Name
of the master |
The
trade being taught |
The
apprentice’s father |
Terms
of the apprenticeship |
|
Note that sometimes, the occupation and residence of the father are provided along with the date and place of birth of the apprentice. One copy was given to the father, and the master kept the other. Apprenticeships were also recorded in registers, as indicated by the above law. The master would provide housing, clothing, and food along with full training in the specific trade/craft and receive payment for providing the training.
It was against the law to practice a trade without having been apprenticed; fines would be levied, and court records for these types of cases are usually found in the Quarter Session Records. To locate these records, one can check the guild, parish, or taxation records. These arrangements were often private and may only be located in family papers if they have survived. Digitization has made it possible for many of these records to appear online. The National Archives has a collection in their “Documents Online” section called IR 1. This collection is known as the “Apprenticeship Books, 1710-1811”. According to their site,
Duty (taxes) on indentures was payable by the master
at the rate of 6d (sixpence) for every £1 under £50 received for taking on the
apprentice. The rate increased to 1s (shilling) for every £1 over £50. These
duties were due one year after the indenture expired.[3]
The payment of these monies was recorded in registers by Stamp Office clerks. Some of these records are online at FindMyPast.com. According to their site, there are about 350,000 indentures included in this database that cover 1710-1774; interestingly, 20% of these records are Scottish. It is worth mentioning that this particular collection is typewritten abstracts from the originals.[4] Poor law indentures were exempt from this duty. This would mean that the only records available would be the original records created at the time of indenture. If it survived, it would be located among the parish chest records.
Ancestry.com has
some apprenticeship records listed by county, as well as the UK Register of Duties Paid for
Apprentices' Indentures, 1710-1811. Findmypast.com has County
Apprentices from 1710-1808. While visiting the Guildhall Library, I noted that
they have the apprenticeship records of the individual livery companies in
London. These abstracts, along with indexes to the London Apprenticeship
Abstracts from 1442-1850 and Cutlers’ Company Apprenticeships,
are all available online at Findmypast.com. On FamilySearch in the
Research Wiki, there is an excellent article with links to multiple resources under
England Business and Occupations: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/England_Business_and_Occupations.
Familysearch.org also has a collection of these records. A list of them can be
obtained either by using the ‘keyword’ search or checking in a location under
‘occupations,’ ‘guardianship,’ ‘public, ‘or ‘church records.’ To locate them in
the church records, one would need to check the ‘parish chest’ records of the
church; these would be considered ‘poor law apprentices. For instance, just a
quick look under film number 1470829 brings up the following:
Item 1 Apprenticeship bonds of parish
poor children, 1694. West Horsley (Surrey)
Item
2 Apprenticeship bonds of parish
poor children, 1630-1821 Lingfield (Surrey)
Items
3-4 Apprenticeship records of
parish poor children, 1802-1823, 1844 Mitcham (Surrey)
Item
5 Apprenticeship records of
parish poor children, 1831 Mordon (Surrey)
Item
6 Apprenticeship records of
parish poor children, 1778 Nutfield (Surrey)
Item
7 Apprenticeship records of
parish poor children, 1833-1839 Petersham (Surrey)
Item
8 Apprenticeship records of
parish poor children, 1670-1868 Send (Surrey)
Item
9 Apprenticeship records of
parish poor children, 1739-1741 Titsey (Surrey)
Items
10-15 Apprenticeship records of
parish poor children, 1742-1863 Wimbledon (Surrey)
Item
16 Poor law documents, 1659-1860
Betchworth (Surrey)
Items
17-19 Census and electoral papers,
1801, 1811, 1850 & 1852. Bletchingley (Surrey)
Item
20 Statistical census of 1841 (no
names) Capel (Surrey)
Item
21 Papers relating to census
returns, 1831-1841 Cobham (Surrey)
Items
22-24 Census and electoral papers,
1830-1838 Egham (Surrey)
It is worthwhile to see what is available on microfilm from the Family Search Library Catalog; it can be ordered through a Family Search Center or seen right at the Family Search Library in Salt Lake City.
As time continues, more and more of these valuable
records will not only be digitized but also will be located in volumes of books
not even listed or filmed at this time. Apprenticeship records are another
great resource for locating ancestors who learned a trade and need to be
considered as such when doing ancestral research.
[1]
Heber, M.D. (2007). Ancestral trails: the complete guide to British genealogy
and family history. 3rd ed. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing
Co., 2009.
[2] "Apprenticeship records | The National Archives. “The National Archives. N.P., 20 Dec. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/apprenticeship-records.htm>.
[3]
"Apprenticeship
records | The National Archives." The National Archives. N.p., 20
Dec. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/apprenticeship-records.htm>.
[4]
"Apprentices
of Great Britain 1710-1774 | Findmypast.co.uk." Research your family
tree and family history today | Findmypast.co.uk. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov.
2011. <http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/apprentices-of-great-britain/>.
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
England Cemetery Records
One of the biggest problems is that these headstones have been deteriorating, and if your family was poor, they could be buried as a pauper in a common grave without a headstone. Many burial grounds are overgrown with natural growth, and tombstones are cracked or destroyed. The interiors of the churches with the tombstones and various plaques are usually in much better condition; however, these usually represent land owners, those of wealth, or heroes who may have died in a military conflict. Cathedrals are famous for having individuals in the church or on their grounds.
Societies and various groups throughout England realized the poor condition of the churchyard tombstones back in the 1970s and began to walk through the cemeteries and record what was on the tombstones and created what is known as ‘Monumental or Memorial Inscriptions’. These records are usually published and available through those societies as well as through the parish church itself and other libraries throughout the area.
Many of the MI records have been filmed along with parish burial registers and are available through a Family History Center or in the Family History Library. The Society of Genealogy (SOG) also has a very large collection of MIs. The one caution is that these were handwritten records and could contain errors as with any other record that individuals have transcribed due to the poor condition of the tombstone or just a simple transcription error.
When researching cemetery records, one must be familiar with the customs and the laws in effect during the specific time of the ancestor. Not only did churchyards provide burial locations, but to compensate for overcrowded churchyards, private companies formed to fill this need with a primary difference that anyone could be buried for a fee.
Originally, parish burial registers gave the scantiest amount of information, which included the name of the person and a burial date. To aid this, the “Burial in Woollen Acts 1666-1680” may provide some assistance as it was required that individuals have a woolen shroud. If the family could afford this, the register was marked with an “A” for the word ‘affidavit’ to confirm this was done or a “P’ for ‘poor’ for those who could not afford the shroud. There are also some separate registers where this information is recorded. For instance, the FHL catalog lists this entry for Barnby-in-the-Willows in Nottingham:
“Register of burials in woolen, 1678-1734”
The above record is located on Film # 0580859 on items 21-23. The Rose Act of 1812 changed that and brought in printed registers to use which gave more information to help in identifying the deceased.
Eventually, the English government stepped in and created a ‘burial board’ to handle locations and cemeteries across the country. There are histories for some cemeteries and these can be found in various locations online or in books or on film. It is simply looking in a catalog for a particular repository.
Some families had private burial grounds on their own families, and the deeds for that burial property would usually be held in the families’ papers. There are many war memorials for those who died serving their country. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was put in charge of handling these records. The various cemeteries are located in many different locations. Their website is a great aid to locating a specific individual at https://www.cwgc.org/. The site provides a wealth of information on fallen soldiers.
Another resource for burial information may be an academic location. Often founders and benefactors of the institution may have an obituary in the library and could be buried on their grounds. There are various governments and other outstanding individuals buried in unusual places in a country, depending on their stature in society. All these situations are often overlooked when researching and need to be considered if one is a descendant.
Here are a few online locations where burial records can be located:
- www.ancestry.com
- www.freereg.org.com
- www.ukbmd.org.uk
- www.findagrave.com/geographic
- www.deceasedonline.com
Mentioning cemetery records, one can’t overlook obituaries. Various newspapers and histories could easily contain enough information about an individual who has passed on and provide burial information.
As one reflects on using cemetery records, the death of a loved one could have generated a number of documents depending on their status in society or their parish. One needs to look at all the possible places records could exist where death was recorded, including the family bible as well as the National Burial Index, which is available on CD and www.FindMyPast.co.uk. Currently this index contains over 18.4 million names and is representative of many family history societies hard work over the last 15 years. This index covers records from parish, non-conformist, Roman Catholic, and many other cemetery registers for the years from 1538 to 2005.
Researching English cemetery records in its various formats is definitely a great aid to family history researchers everywhere.
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
England-Assize Court Records
Assize Records
The Assize courts dealt with serious criminal cases dating
back to the 1200s and replaced Eyre courts. Heber points out that originally,
these courts dealt with property disputes; however, over time, they dealt with
criminal courts and were replaced by Crown Courts in 1971.[1]
According to this guide, the types of cases heard in these courts were:
The justices worked in pairs and followed a circuit system
between towns to hear cases not handled by the local courts. This system
allowed individuals to be heard in their own local rather than having to travel
to London for a trial, with the drawback being many accused were held in jails
for long periods of time waiting for a justice to hear their case.
There were six assize circuits set up by 1340; this list is
available online in the
FamilySearch Research Wikihttps://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Assize_Court_Records#Assize_Circuits.
Over time, these jurisdictions were changed, so one needs to know the time and
place to locate a specific case record.
The type of information available on these records can prove
helpful for those researching their family history as they would contain the
name, occupation, and residence of the accused. The guide provided by the
National Archives mentions that the residence could be the location of the
crime rather than where that individual actually lived[2].
Assize records can also include:
Coroners’ inquests |
Gaol delivery
calendars (gives the name of the judge, place, and date of the court session,
prisoner names, and their sentences) |
Depositions |
Crown Minute
Books, Agenda Books – listed prisoners and records of whether they were charged
and sentenced. |
Recognizances |
Assize
vouchers (includes costs submitted by the sheriff for reimbursement per
person) National
Archives |
Gaol books
(jail books) |
Treasury
warrants (sums paid to sheriffs) National
Archives |
Appeal Registers (A conviction could be appealed-Located at the National Archives) |
In accessing these records, one needs to remember that prior
to 1732, they were in Latin[3].
Assize cases usually involve individuals from the middle and/or poorer classes.
Records pertaining to the cases are held at the Public Record Office, with few
being available at the Family Search Library.
Some cases have been reported in the newspapers. To see if a
transcript of a case is available, one can check the local County Record Office
website as well as any of the British newspapers that existed for that time
period.
Unfortunately not all assize records have survived as clerks would often destroy old cases to make room for new cases. According to the National Archives, most of those that have survived were from the northern counties before the 19th century, while Midland circuit court records have survived since 1818. The National Archives publishes two keys broken down by counties to aid in locating available records viewable at the National Archives:
- Assizes: key to series for English Criminal trials 1559-1971
- Assizes: key to series for Welsh trials 1831-1971
Additional records were created in conjunction with the
assize courts. For instance, Biographies
of Executed Criminals, 1676-1772, is available online at London Lives. These
prisoners were executed at Tyburn and spent their remaining time at Newgate
Gaol. These biographies contain valuable
information about the condemned as recorded by the prison chaplain.
A similar publication in relation to Old Bailey’s is called The Ordinary’s Accounts, which is also
available online at London
Lives. An index of individuals who are in both these record sources and
their biographies is also provided on this site.
According to Heber, “convictions could be appealed or
reviewed by a writ of certiorari”. In
the beginning, they would be directed to the Court of the King’s Bench; after
1848, they went to the Court for the Crown Cases Reserved, from 1907 by the
Court of Criminal Appeal and from 1966 by the Court of Appeal (criminal
division). Some of these appeal registers are also held at the National
Archives.[4]
Some records are available on Ancestry.com.
·
England & Wales
Criminal Registers, 1792-1892
·
Proceedings
of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913
These records are worth looking at regardless of one’s ancestral circumstances. Often individuals can be witnesses and provide valuable information at the time of a crime. As with all research, no stone should be left unturned.
[1] Heber,
Mark D.. "Records of The Criminal Courts and Criminals." Ancestral
trails: the complete guide to British genealogy and family history.
Gloucestershire: Sutton Pub. in association with the Society of Genealogists, 1997,
p. 458. Print.
[3]
Heber, Mark D.. "Records of The Criminal Courts and
Criminals." Ancestral trails: the complete guide to British genealogy
and family history. Gloucestershire: Sutton Pub. in association with the
Society of Genealogists, 1997, p. 456. Print.
[4] Ibid, p. 463. Print
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Genealogy & Family History - The Perfect Social Media
Genealogy & Family History ~ The Perfect Social Media
by Claire V Brisson-Banks, BS, MLIS, A.G. ®
© Copyright 2013 Timeless Genealogies
This class will cover a variety of Web 2.0 Internet-based tools that assist with connecting and keeping in touch with family while locating new family information and staying up-to-date with genealogical technology and social media. Wikipedia defines Social Media as follows:
“Social media are primarily Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences.”
Material Presented:
- RSS Feeds
- ITunes
- The Old Reader
- Netvibes
- Blogs
- Wikis
- Family Websites
- Photo Sharing
- Pins
- Video Contact
- Skype Research Communities
- Facebook Genealogical Applications
- Facebook Research Communities
- TweetDeck
- Social Bookmarking
- Grave Networking
- Genes Reunited
- WikiTree
- DNA
- PC, Online and Portable Genealogical Software Programs
- Digital Genealogical Books and Readers
- FamilySearch Digitized Books Collection
- YouTube
- FamilySearch and Ancestry Online Research Classes
- ICAPGen Mentoring and Educational Resources
- Dropbox – Google Docs – Your Files online
- Genealogy Training in Second Life
RSS
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download
Top Social Media Sites
http://social-networking-websites-review.toptenreviews.com/
http://www.theoldreader.com
Personalized Home Page
http://www.netvibes.com
Blogs
http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com/
http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/
http://blog.eogn.com/
http://www.familysearch.org/blog
http://www.geneabloggers.com
http://geneamusings.com/
http://www.genealogyblog.geneanet.org
http://rzamor1.blogspot.com/
http://www.blogger.com
http://timelessgen.blogspot.com/
Wikis
http://www.biographicalwiki.com/index.php/Main_Page
http://www.eogen.com/
http://genealogy.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Main_Page
http://www.wikipedia.org
http://ladyclaire.pbworks.com/
http://pbworks.com/
http://www.mediawiki.org
Family Websites
http://www.johnpackfamily.com
http://familysearch.org/lear/wiki/en/Create_and_Maintain_Family_Associations_or_Organizations
Social Media Sites
http://www.flickr.com/
http://pinterest.com/
http://historypin.com/
http://www.skype.com
http://www.facebook.com
http://www.twitter.com
http://www.tweetdeck.com
http://www.delicious.com
http://www.genesreunited.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://www.familytreedna.com
PC Genealogical Data Management
http://ancquest.com/
http://www.familytreemaker.com/
http://www.heredis.com
http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/
http://www.rootsmagic.com/
http://www.macgenealogy.org/
http://www.leisterpro.com
Online Genealogical Data Management
http://trees.ancestry.com/
http://www.genesreunited.co.uk
http://www.myheritage.com/page/online-family-tree
http://onegreatfamily.com
http://www.phpgedview.net/
http://lythgoes.net/genealogy/software.php
http://www.wikitree.com
Portable Genealogical Data Management
http://www.astersoftware.biz/
http://northernhillssoftware.com/index.htm
http://www.synium.de/products/mobilefamilytree/index.html
http://www.pocketgenealogist.com/EN/Download/downbydevice.htm
Mobile Genealogical Applications
https://play.google.com/store
http://www.apple.com/
Digital Books
http://www.google.com/
https://familysearch.org/#form=books
Digital Readers
http://www.toptenreviews.com
Training and Information
http://www.youtube.com/
http://familysearch.org/
http://learn.ancestry.com/home/hmlnd.aspx
http://www.icapgen.org/icapgen/resources
Files Online
http://adrive.com/
http://dropbox.com/
http://minus.com
http://openoffice.org/
http://zoho.com/
http://www.typewithme.tiddlyspace.com
http://www.primarypad.com
http://www/drive.google.com
Virtual Training
http://secondlife.com/
http://www.virtualworldsreview.com/info/categories.shtml
Reading Materials
Social Media for Family Historians by Carole Riley
Social Networking for Genealogists by Drew Smith
The Social Media Guide for Ancestral Research by Claire Brisson-Banks
Updated 25 June 2013
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Breaking Through the Generation Gap
Learning about ones' family history is both rewarding and interesting no matter what age the individual asking is concerning their ancestral background.
- Visual
- Auditory
- Kinesthetic and Tactile
These artifacts and others can be intertwined into stories about ancestors. Once the stories are written they can be shared through blogs, wikis, websites, an online journal and scrapbooks. Some of the programs that make these things happen and possible are:
Scrap Booking
Ancestral Activities
One can also make a coloring picture of a family photo with a program by Anthony Craft called My Picture Puzzle, once installed it can be printed and then an individual can color the picture. Additional activities with pictures is to create online family albums with Flickr, Picaboo, Snapfish, Shutterfly or Photobucket.
- Discover what happened on the day of their birth or what happened on the date of birth for an ancestor
- This day in history from the History Channel
- Create a timeline of your own life events, or your ancestors
- Learn what your surname means
- MyHeritageBook is a great gift and learning tool, use TIMELESSGEN code and get a discount
- Build a fun pedigree chartwww.familytreetemplates.net from a favorite cartoon character or a more tradition one
- Create a tree on FamilySearch Keepsakes
- Interview a Relative (don't forget the recorder!)
There are various map games at Map Web Games. Taking an ancestral trip is also another possible opportunity to locate ancestors in distance cemeteries and their home towns. Family Atlas can help you with mapping your family.
Historical Records
There are many locations to find historical records both online and in person. Archives, libraries and the Family History Library are just a few of the many physical locations. A few online locations are:
http://familysearch.org/, Ancestry.com, Rootsweb.com, Fold3.com, and FindMyPast.com. There are many others that have records available online however many of them are also subscription websites.
Family Tree Kids
I Dream of Genealogy: Family is all around..
Walk Through Time
You Be the Historian
Who Am I?
America's Story
Abraham Lincoln Research Site
Middle Ages
Great Websites for Kids
Genealogical Software Program
Ancestral Quest
Maintaining total control of your family's information is most important, especially in today's world.
Ancestral Quest donated the code for PAF and created the first Family Tree Maker. It is simple to use, yet powerful for sourcing, adding pictures and linking and syncing with FamilySearch.org. It is available for both the PC and the Mac operating systems.
- Family History Activities for Children: 3-11
- Family History Activities for Youth : 11- ?
- Family History Activities for Youth
- Involve Children and Youth in Family History
- Youth and Family History
- Connect with your Family
© Copyright 2005-2017 Timeless Genealogies. All rights reserved. Written permission to reproduce all or part of this syllabus material in any format, including photocopying, data retrieval, or the Internet, must be secured in advance from the copyright holder. Contact: claire@timelessgen.com
Updated: August, 2017
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Libraries: Portals To Your Ancestral Past
-Faces of America PBS
-The Generations Project BYU TV
-Who Do You Think You Are? NBS
-Ancestors (Not running but available online) / http:www.byub.org/ancestors
Social Media Fuels Family History Interest
Public Library Resources
-Local Historical Events
-Centennial & Bicentennial memorabilia
-City/State Directories
-Historic Maps & Photos
-Historic Audio & Video Records
-Access to Online Databasses
-Pathfinders/Library Guides
Patrons Know What Resources are Available?
-film-fiche
-in-house-collections
-online through library website
-online to public
Additional Newspapers Resources
Access to http://access.newspaperarchive.comInternet Archives: http://www.archive.org
Various ProQuest databases:
http://www.genealogybank.com
http://www.smalltownpapers.com
Wikipedia’s Online Newspapers Listing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Wikipedia:List_of_online_newspaper_archives
Access to Online Databases
FamilySearch: http://familysearch.orgRootsWeb: http://rootsweb.com
Internet Archives: http://archive.org
Mortality Schedules: http://mortalityschedules.com
Ancestry: http://ancestry.com ($)
Heritage Quest from ProQuest: ($):http://www.heritagequestonline.com
World Vital Records: ($) http://www.worldvitalrecords.com
Create Library Guides of your resources
Pathfinders of your resources
Collaboration Through their Library with other Libraries
-Interlibrary loans-books
-Interlibrary loans-films
-WorldCat
-University Libraries
-Businesses
Online Research Communities
-Skype Research Communities-Facebook Research Genealogical Communities
by Claire V Brisson-Banks
© Copyright 2012 Timeless Genealogies. All rights reserved. Written permission to reproduce all or part of this syllabus material in any format, including photocopying, data retrieval, or the Internet, must be secured in advance from the copyright holder. Contact: claire@timelessgen.com