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Author Topic: Where's the Social History??  (Read 624 times)
TaffyBlue
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Posts: 289



Where's the Social History??
« on: Saturday 25 February 06 22:53 UTC (UK) »

I have read a lot of posts, with people describing their ancestors having worked in certain places earning xx amount of money, and the conditions they lived in were poor, etc.

Where do you find this information?

I am gathering information on my ancestors.  I have the basic BMD info, but would like more interesting facts about what life was like for them, where they worked, what they earned, things that were happening at the time, that sort of thing.

Can anyone suggest any good web sites or books where I can find this information?

Many thanks in advance of your replies  Smiley
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BAYLIFF - Lancashire, CAMPINI - Birmingham/Shropshire, FLOWERDEW - Norfolk, GUERIN - London, HAMER - Wales, INGLEBY - Wales/Yorkshire, MACAULEY - Glasgow, NOBBS - Yarmouth, Norfolk, WILLIAMS - Caernarfonshire, WILSON - Glasgow, WOOLSEY - Norfolk

Census Information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
kerryb
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Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 25 February 06 22:59 UTC (UK) »

You have my sympathy, I have just recently started on this aspect myself. 

One site I keep forgetting about which is invaluable is the national archives [url]http://www.a2a.org.uk/[url].  I recently searched on the surname of one of my families and came up with loads of information about properties they had rented and sold plus for one guy, a farmer an auctioneer's records of machinery and household goods auctioned just after his death.  I would love to know why it was auctioned off and not passed to one of his sons!

Very interesting and revealing.  It's worth looking at the site because it can bring up some really interesting stuff.

Kerry
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Searching for my family - Baldwin - Sussex, Middlesex, Cork, Pilbeam - Sussex, Harmer - Sussex, Terry - Surrey, Kent, Rhoades - Lincs, Roffey - Surrey, Traies - Devon & Middlesex & many many more to be found on my website .... www.kerrysfamilyhistory.co.uk
TaffyBlue
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 289



Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 25 February 06 23:04 UTC (UK) »

Whoa.  Thanks for the link Kerry.  I just put a surname in and came up with 71 catalogues with multiple hits in each.  Got some reading to do!!  Cheesy
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BAYLIFF - Lancashire, CAMPINI - Birmingham/Shropshire, FLOWERDEW - Norfolk, GUERIN - London, HAMER - Wales, INGLEBY - Wales/Yorkshire, MACAULEY - Glasgow, NOBBS - Yarmouth, Norfolk, WILLIAMS - Caernarfonshire, WILSON - Glasgow, WOOLSEY - Norfolk

Census Information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
suttontrust
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Posts: 2710



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Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 25 February 06 23:08 UTC (UK) »

A great deal of social history comes from the censuses.  You can see from the occupations and addresses the sort of lives people lived.  It's relatively easy to get information on a particular area, from books as well as websites, and you can research particular occupations.  You may not get specific information on your people, such as Kerry describes, but you can certainly read around their lives - and that's the most interesting part of family history.
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Godden in East Sussex, mainly Hastings area.
Richards in Lea, Gloucestershire, then London.
Williamson in Leith, Vickers in Nottingham.
Webb in Bildeston and Colchester.
Wesbroom in Kirby le Soken.
Ellington in Harwich.
Park, Palmer, Segar and Peartree in Kersey.
TaffyBlue
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Posts: 289



Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 25 February 06 23:20 UTC (UK) »

Hi Suttontrust,

I have the basic census info, and am trying to fill in the 10 year gaps in between.  But, a good idea to research the actual jobs they did. 

Another reason is because in 1868, for a reason currently unknown to me, my 2xgt grandparents and their new son upped and left Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and headed for Bermondsey, London.
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BAYLIFF - Lancashire, CAMPINI - Birmingham/Shropshire, FLOWERDEW - Norfolk, GUERIN - London, HAMER - Wales, INGLEBY - Wales/Yorkshire, MACAULEY - Glasgow, NOBBS - Yarmouth, Norfolk, WILLIAMS - Caernarfonshire, WILSON - Glasgow, WOOLSEY - Norfolk

Census Information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Keith Bateman
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.....The Cheshire Cat


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Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 25 February 06 23:35 UTC (UK) »

Hi TaffyBlue,

That was what really got me going - I started thinking it was all about names and dates!!

And without wishing to plug my website  - ( yes I do!!) - thought I knew everything about the dates my ancestors moved - but never WHY!!

Have a look here and see:
http://batemans-history.rootschat.net/preconceivedideas.htm

Cheers

Keith
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Bateman - Ware, Herts, London.
Partington - Liverpool - Devon - Manchester
Foster - Liverpool - Manchester - Scotland
Gates - Cumberland - Liverpool - Manchester - Australia
Westwood - Ware, Herts

Website- http://www.batemans-history.rootschat.net

"Any information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk"
TaffyBlue
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Posts: 289



Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 26 February 06 00:08 UTC (UK) »

Hi Keith.

Nice plug!!  Grin

It's a great looking site.  I had a quick read through a couple of bits but will come back to it, as my eyes are going square on Ancestry at the moment!

I read your life story of James Bateman, and that is exactly the sort of thing I would like to do.  I apologise, but I did have a chuckle at your comment about young Eddie, known as Dick, living as their daughter!  Grin  It was also nice to read that they holidayed in Llandudno.  I live in North Wales, and it's unusual to see local place names in stories.

Thanks again.  Smiley
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BAYLIFF - Lancashire, CAMPINI - Birmingham/Shropshire, FLOWERDEW - Norfolk, GUERIN - London, HAMER - Wales, INGLEBY - Wales/Yorkshire, MACAULEY - Glasgow, NOBBS - Yarmouth, Norfolk, WILLIAMS - Caernarfonshire, WILSON - Glasgow, WOOLSEY - Norfolk

Census Information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Keith Bateman
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Posts: 3824


.....The Cheshire Cat


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Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 26 February 06 00:21 UTC (UK) »

Hi TaffyBlue,

Sorry about the Plug  Wink

But it was only after reading Kerry's website and others - that I realised that I wanted more than just dates and places!!

You can learn a lot at looking at census returns - when/where children were born - (ie so no 1 child was born in one place and others were born elsewhere - so they moved!) why - bigger house - more money? - and off you go on finding the answers!

Llandudno was ALWAYS my favorite place - had some great times there.
Another plug - but just shows you - have a look at the last photo -it looks just like me 50 odd years ago!!
http://batemans-history.rootschat.net/wheniwasyoung.htm


Cheers

Keith

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Bateman - Ware, Herts, London.
Partington - Liverpool - Devon - Manchester
Foster - Liverpool - Manchester - Scotland
Gates - Cumberland - Liverpool - Manchester - Australia
Westwood - Ware, Herts

Website- http://www.batemans-history.rootschat.net

"Any information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk"
MaryA
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St Chads, Kirkby


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Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 26 February 06 09:11 UTC (UK) »

As well as A2A the National Archives have more documents http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ which is where I got some discharge papers for soldiers in the Napoleonic Wars.

I'll meet you for a cuppa in Llandudno in July  Wink

Mary
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Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Lunt (Wavertree/West Derby), Forshaw (West Derby), Richardson (Knowsley), Kent (Cheshire),
Cain (Hertfordshire, London), Larkins (Bedfordshire, London), Nunn (London), Lenton, Hillyard (Bedfordshire),
Parle, Lambert, Furlong, Wafer (Wexford)
Special separate interest in Longford (Blackrock, Dublin)
Berlin-Bob
Global Moderator
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by: My Daughter. Chatting to find her Roots !


Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #9 on: Sunday 26 February 06 09:46 UTC (UK) »

Hi TaffyBlue,

you mention you live in North Wales, and I'm sure you can find lots of info. on the internet about it.

If your ancestors came from London, then there is a wealth of London social history available, for instance

- the Charles Boot Archives and povert maps at http://booth.lse.ac.uk/
- Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor: Volume 1 at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2000.01.0026
and many many more.

Although the above links are specifically for London, I am sure many of the conditions described would apply to any big town or city.

Good luck with "putting flesh on the (BMD/Census) bones"

Bob
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Searching for Coleman, Moore, Kallnung in London; Margulies, Remenyi in E. Europe;
Ancestors of Hessie Stevenson-Coleman-Baxter (Ireland, 1861)
and, of course, any other ancestors for my web-site.

All Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)
PassionPlay
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Posts: 437


There was a hush in the passion play


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Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #10 on: Sunday 26 February 06 10:52 UTC (UK) »

Another good source of info for London is http://www.victorianlondon.org/ and if you sign up for the mailing list you will get loads of other site links, most of which are fascinating.

Steph.
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Beer (Kent)
Hall/Halle  (Stafford/Enfield/Folkestone)
Richards (Kent)
Silk (Kent)
Southan/Southen/Southern/Southon (Kent)
And more (there are always more!)

All census info: Crown Copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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XPhile2868
RootsChat Aristocrat
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Posts: 1011



Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #11 on: Sunday 26 February 06 11:25 UTC (UK) »

You have my sympathy, I have just recently started on this aspect myself.

One site I keep forgetting about which is invaluable is the national archives [url]http://www.a2a.org.uk/[/url]. I recently searched on the surname of one of my families and came up with loads of information about properties they had rented and sold plus for one guy, a farmer an auctioneer's records of machinery and household goods auctioned just after his death. I would love to know why it was auctioned off and not passed to one of his sons!

Very interesting and revealing. It's worth looking at the site because it can bring up some really interesting stuff.

Kerry


Some people get bored with a dog...

http://www.a2a.org.uk/search/... (long link)

FILE  [no title] - ref.  CC/JQ/380/4 [n.d.]
[from Scope and Content] 7 Jury presentments 19 Sep 1581; Disturbances, one involving a 'mastye dogge'; W Berrye: selling bread full of weevils; J Blye, butcher: breaking the head of R Myls, shoemaker; J Blye: taking his bear for walks on the town walls
« Last Edit: Sunday 26 February 06 11:43 UTC (UK) by Berlin-Bob » Logged

Smith (Lancashire), McKenna (Ireland/Liverpool/Leyland), Maynard (Hertfordshire/London/Preston), Ricketts (Gloucestershire/Wigan/Preston), Scowcroft (Preston), Harling (N. Yorkshire/Lancashire), Willis (Preston), Clegg (Manchester/Preston), Dodd (Wigan/Cheshire), Alston (Lancashire), Hulks (Hertfordshire), Nicholson (Lancashire), Russell (Lancashire), Wilson (Kendal)

Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
TaffyBlue
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 289



Re: Where's the Social History??
« Reply #12 on: Sunday 26 February 06 12:43 UTC (UK) »

Loads of great links, thank you all.  Cheesy

I've gone from stumbling around trying to find morsels of informtation here and there, to having reams of things to read. 

Hopefully there will be loads of juicy bits of informations hidden away somewhere.  Thank you all once again.
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BAYLIFF - Lancashire, CAMPINI - Birmingham/Shropshire, FLOWERDEW - Norfolk, GUERIN - London, HAMER - Wales, INGLEBY - Wales/Yorkshire, MACAULEY - Glasgow, NOBBS - Yarmouth, Norfolk, WILLIAMS - Caernarfonshire, WILSON - Glasgow, WOOLSEY - Norfolk

Census Information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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