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Topic: Visiting the ancestor's Herefordshire homeland (Read 444 times)
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Grothenwell
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 371
Love Endures Delay
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Hi Folks,
Visiting the old ancestral homes of my great grandmother Alice Maud Wagstaff's family (Wagstaffs, Jones and hopefully finding more), tomorrow for a few days. She was born in Stoke Lacy (1864), to Thomas and Elisabeth Jones who were married in Ullingswick (1860). I think I have Thomas is in the censuses with his parents James and Alice (Turner?) 1841 & 51 Five Bridges, Much Cowarne. After marriage 1861 Dearndale Cottage, Ullingswick. 1871 Waterloo House, Canon Pyon (where most of their children were born). 1881 Little Dewchurch and 1891 Cinders, Pixley.
I think Elizabeth Jones parents were John Jones and Elizabeth (?). In 1851 (not in Herefordshire then) he states his POB as St Margaret and Elizabeth's is Michaelchurch. In 1861 they are at Lowdy Hall, Ullingswick, but he now says his POB is Bishops Frome, Eizabeth POB stays in Michaelchurch. There is a birth in the IGI for a John circa the correct time in Saint Margaret, none that I could find in Bishops Frome
I'd like to try and visit all the places mentioned (including some in other counties but that's another post!). I haven't done any research on the ground in England, all so far on the Internet, mostly here in the great Rootschat forums. So any tips from Herefordians about these places; where to go, Churches, Graveyards etc would be very welcome. I presume the best place to start would be the Herefordshire Record Office would this be correct?
Thank you in anticipation,
Grothenwell
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Aberdeenshire; Brechin, Robb, Clark, Hardie, Johnston, Watt, Elmslie, Milne, Harper, Adam, Edmond, Laing, Gibson, Aedie, Jameson, Tosche, Measonne, Anderson, Moir, Nicol, Burnet, Donaldson, Guthrie, Argo & Doverty.
Booth, Watson, Grothenwell, Ewen, Mackie, Simpson, Taylor, Davidson, Willox, Chalmers & Gordon
Still, Fraser, Robertson & Lumsden
Banffshire; Cruickshank, West
Caithness; Sutherland
Herefordshire & Worcester & Monmouthshire; Wagstaff, Jones &
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Spidermonkey
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1040
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi Grothenwell,
Welcome to the Shire! As you are here for a few days, personally I would start tomorrow in Hereford. There you can visit the Record Office, city library and the tourist information office (they are bound to have a few maps etc that might be useful.
I'll find you links to the RO and library - a phone call to the RO might be useful first thing tomorrow to discuss whether or not you need to book a fiche/film reader.
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Grothenwell
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 371
Love Endures Delay
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Spidermonkey,
Thank you for the welcome and tips.
It has always puzzled me when watching WDYTYA, that they go into Churches to look at old parish records. Do you know are they still in churches, or are they in the record offices?
Best regards.
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Aberdeenshire; Brechin, Robb, Clark, Hardie, Johnston, Watt, Elmslie, Milne, Harper, Adam, Edmond, Laing, Gibson, Aedie, Jameson, Tosche, Measonne, Anderson, Moir, Nicol, Burnet, Donaldson, Guthrie, Argo & Doverty.
Booth, Watson, Grothenwell, Ewen, Mackie, Simpson, Taylor, Davidson, Willox, Chalmers & Gordon
Still, Fraser, Robertson & Lumsden
Banffshire; Cruickshank, West
Caithness; Sutherland
Herefordshire & Worcester & Monmouthshire; Wagstaff, Jones &
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Spidermonkey
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1040
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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The vast majority of parish records are in the Record Office. Generally speaking, only the current register is kept in the church. However you might find that in some smaller churches (the one wedding a year type of church), the current parish register might be the one that dates back to 1900!
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Grothenwell
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 371
Love Endures Delay
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Hi,
I am just back from 4 wonderful days visiting my "roots". Firstly can I just say how thoroughly nice the people we met were. These people were so helpful and a real credit to Herefordshire.
I'll get the bad things of my chest first. Totally my fault I know, but I forgot to take any evidence of my identity, and despite my wife accompanying me who had loads of evidence of who she was I wasn't allowed to visit the records office. My wife could look and I could stay out in the lobby, but that was it. I am the one with interest in genealogy and the one with ancestors in Herefordshire, so that was a non starter. The very nice lady went to plead my case with her boss, that I was down from Aberdeen to do research, but it was a no. She did ask what I wanted and was kind enough to do some quick look ups to get me a few death dates to get certs from the registers. It was a downer but my main reason to visit was to see the places my ancestors had been so I wasn't totally disheartened, and as I said my own fault. The next bad thing is the roads that you have to travel to visit the villages, churches and farms. It is great that these hedge rows exist for the benefit of tradition and wildlife, but they are horrendous to drive: not seeing what is round a corner, having next to none passing places when you meet another vehicle coming the other way. I can live with it for a visit, but to use them all the time would be a nightmare or I suppose you just get used to it. (How did they manage in the days of horse and cart?? Reversing a horse over a mile couldn't have been fun/possible!?!) Finally my camera packed in and I couldn't photograph any of the wonderful places I visited.
The good things are too numerous to mention, but the main ones apart from the people were: Seeing the beautiful Churches and standing where my ancestors would have worshiped, been baptised, married and been buried. (Although there were a lack of Monumental transcriptions of the graveyards, despite walking round the graveyards sometimes in the pouring rain the only ancestor I found was a 2 x Gt Uncle because thankfully someone had transcribed Bishops Frome's). We managed to stay in the lovely five bridges cottages that had formally been an Inn and Blacksmith where my 3 x Gt Grandfather, James Wagstaff and family had lived from at least 1841 and where his wife died in 1858. He died in Upper Court, Ullingswick, Herefordshire on 8/3/1861 from bleeding of his bladder, caused by injuries. If anyone can tell me where I might find out how those injuries were caused I would be really grateful. Wonderful Mike very kindly showed us round Ullingswick to see the lovely houses of Upper Court and Lowdy Hall, unfortunately Derndale Cottages eluded us. That concluded the Wagstaffs in Herefordshire, to follow them would have meant a trips to Worcestershire, and time didn't allow this time. My Joneses were my 3 x Gt Grandparents John Jones and his wife Elizabeth. Birthplaces according to censuses were Michaelchurch for her, and St Margarets for him. Unfortunately the visits coincided with heavy rainfall. Then another piece of serendipity arrived as a lady in St Margarets graveyard told me that in a nearby house another lady had access to the parish records. I won't name her as she appeared a private person, but what a lady! She came out in the downpour and showed me more recent records, but unknown to me managed almost impossibly difficult stairs (I still don't know how she managed!) to carry down older record books. I only knew how difficult they were when helping her put them back! Unfortunately I couldn't see John's baptism record (20-Nov-1792 in St Margarets to a John Jones and a Catherine according to the IGI), but in the records there is a marriage of John Jones and Elizabeth Whistance in 1816 who I believe would be my 3 x Gt Grandparents mentioned earlier and I also found a marriage of John Jones and Catherine Jones in 1789 who I believe would be my 4 x Gt Grandparents mentioned in the IGI.
Hopefully I'll get back another day, and this time I'll remember to take evidence of who I am!
Best regards,
Grothenwell
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Aberdeenshire; Brechin, Robb, Clark, Hardie, Johnston, Watt, Elmslie, Milne, Harper, Adam, Edmond, Laing, Gibson, Aedie, Jameson, Tosche, Measonne, Anderson, Moir, Nicol, Burnet, Donaldson, Guthrie, Argo & Doverty.
Booth, Watson, Grothenwell, Ewen, Mackie, Simpson, Taylor, Davidson, Willox, Chalmers & Gordon
Still, Fraser, Robertson & Lumsden
Banffshire; Cruickshank, West
Caithness; Sutherland
Herefordshire & Worcester & Monmouthshire; Wagstaff, Jones &
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Spidermonkey
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1040
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi Grothenwall,
I'm so pleased that you had some success in Herefordshire! You must give us all plenty of notice the next time you are coming down and we shall cobble together some Rootschatters to meet up.
Bad luck about the records office. Still, perhaps next time you will strike gold........ 
As for the roads......... my relatives always moan about the 'track' that they have to drive down to get to my village - they don't understand that it is the main road to the village  so I guess that you do get used to it!
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Grothenwell
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 371
Love Endures Delay
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Hi Spidermonkey,
Thank you, just like the friendly welcome we received from your county fellows. I have written to the library from your earlier link but do you know where else I could try regarding the injuries that caused James's death?
Best wishes,
Grothenwell
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Aberdeenshire; Brechin, Robb, Clark, Hardie, Johnston, Watt, Elmslie, Milne, Harper, Adam, Edmond, Laing, Gibson, Aedie, Jameson, Tosche, Measonne, Anderson, Moir, Nicol, Burnet, Donaldson, Guthrie, Argo & Doverty.
Booth, Watson, Grothenwell, Ewen, Mackie, Simpson, Taylor, Davidson, Willox, Chalmers & Gordon
Still, Fraser, Robertson & Lumsden
Banffshire; Cruickshank, West
Caithness; Sutherland
Herefordshire & Worcester & Monmouthshire; Wagstaff, Jones &
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Puffcat
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1278
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Frankly I am appalled at the attitude of the Records Office - did they tell you in advance you would need idenetification to be able to go in ?
Were you asking to view original documents or films on the viewer ?
I would write to the Council and ask ig this is their policy to welcome visitors to the area who are spending muchneeded money in a recession.
Glas rest of the time went well
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Grothenwell
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 371
Love Endures Delay
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Hi Puffcat,
Thank you for posting.
If i'd thought about it and planned it better then I'm pretty sure I'd have found out I needed a reader's ticket and therefore some ID with me. It would have been nice if they'd made an exception, but they didn't unfortunately. I didn't have a plan on what to look for, but just getting to read film or on their computer would have been fine. Hopefully sometime in the future.
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Aberdeenshire; Brechin, Robb, Clark, Hardie, Johnston, Watt, Elmslie, Milne, Harper, Adam, Edmond, Laing, Gibson, Aedie, Jameson, Tosche, Measonne, Anderson, Moir, Nicol, Burnet, Donaldson, Guthrie, Argo & Doverty.
Booth, Watson, Grothenwell, Ewen, Mackie, Simpson, Taylor, Davidson, Willox, Chalmers & Gordon
Still, Fraser, Robertson & Lumsden
Banffshire; Cruickshank, West
Caithness; Sutherland
Herefordshire & Worcester & Monmouthshire; Wagstaff, Jones &
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