Death, Memory and Landholding in the Inquisition’s Post-Mortem, 1216 – 1660. In this podcast from The National Archives Podcast Series, Sean Cunningham tells us how the inquests taken after the death of people who were tenants of the crown reveal a great deal about land use, local customs, and how communal memory had an important social function for our English and Welsh ancestors. This talk looks at how these manuscripts help to paint a picture of local life and land use during the medieval and early modern periods.
Chettle, one of the villages of Cranborne Chase situated in the rolling foothills between Tarrant Hinton and Farnham, is built, as its name suggests in a secluded, wooded hollow. It has two ancient long barrows, dug over 2,000 years ago as the final resting place of Neolithic Stone Age farmers.
Just over 125 years ago, on September 22, 1882, at a meeting at the Rocks Hotel (now The Rock), it was decided that a name was needed for the suburb growing on the farmlands on the western side of the Backwater at Weymouth, Dorset, England. Thus the area of Westham was christened.
Read the full article by Nicola Rayner in the Dorset Echo
In this podcast from The National Archives Podcast Series, Mark Dunton looks at the system for purchasing and selling commissions as it worked from 1800 – 1871. He will cover first appointments, promotions, exchanges, retirement, the payment process and the activities of the ‘Army Agents’. He will use document examples to illustrate the talk.
In 1906 Sir Frederick Treves, Surgeon to the King and Lord Record of the University of Aberdeen published Highways and Byways in Dorset, the county of his birth. It is from that publication that this description of the village of Puddletown is taken.
In 1843 the reports of special assistant poor law commissioners on the employment of women and children in agriculture were presented to both Houses of Parliament. One of those examined was a Mary Cox, a married Woman in the Union Workhouse at Blandford Forum, Dorset.
Less than a century ago all of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom; six of its northern counties still are. Many records relating to our ancestors are to be found in the UK and not in Ireland. In this talk from The National Archives Podcast Series, Audrey Collins explores some of the hidden treasures at The National Archives.
In a recent posting on the ancestry.com blog Mike Ward the pulic relations director for Ancestry.com and The Generations Network, Inc. warned, ‘We have recently become aware of three websites purporting to allow family history research: SearchYourGenealogy.com, Ancestry-search.com and Australian-Ancestry.com.’, ‘In our opinion, are clearly fraudulent.’
In 1843 the reports of special assistant poor law commissioners on the employment of women and children in agriculture were presented to both Houses of Parliament. This is the Statement provided by the Rev. Henry Austen, Curate of Pimperne, Dorset.
In this podcast from The National Archives Podcast Series, Mark Dunton focuses on the prime sources at The National Archives for documenting First World War army service, covering both the officers and other ranks of the British Army.
