This podcast from the National Archives contains a look back at the year in which Neil Armstrong took his ‘giant leap for mankind’, Concorde continued its flight test programme and the hippy culture reached its zenith with the age of the pop festival. However, the summer of ’69 also saw Harold Wilson’s government wrestling with difficult issues such as the sending of British troops to Northern Ireland. This illustrated talk explores the British take on the summer of ’69, using examples from public records to shed light on this eventful time.
Christine Smith was a Land Army girl between 1942 and 1945. She worked on a 1000-acre farm in Pilton near Glastonbury that was run by the War Agricultural Committee. Twelve Land Army girls worked there, together with conscientious objectors, Italian prisoners-of-war, and older farm workers. Christine was involved with the cultivating, harvesting, and carting of hay; as well as wheat, mangolds and apples. Christine also drove tractors on the farm and helped to control pests.
This podcast from the National Archives discusses the Royal Naval medal rolls held by The National Archives in record series ADM 171, and explains how to interpret the most commonly used codes and abbreviations found in them. It also demonstrates how the medal rolls can be used to locate other records relating to an individual’s Royal Naval service.
Richard Sheppy was born at Three Bridges Farm at Bradford-on-Tone. His father was engaged in mixed farming and then cattle farming, until he was advised that his farm was ideal for growing quality cider apples. He won prizes for his cider in various shows, and by the 1920s he decided to concentrate on developing the cider business, which was a successful firm by the time Richard inherited it. The difficulties encountered in producing cider has necessitated the development of a museum at the farm as an extension of the business.
The company started out as Ancestry Publishing, a small publisher of genealogy books. Soon after launching its first web site, the corporate name was changed to Ancestry.com. Since then, the company has changed its corporate name about once every 2 or 3 years. Most recently known as The Generations Network they have announced still another name change, reverting back to Ancestry.com, the name by which they have always been known to their users.
Brendan Sellick is a fisherman in the village of Stolford, on the Somerset coast near Storgursey. His family have lived in the parish and fished for generations. Brendan works on the mud flats using an ancient sled called a ‘mud-horse’ to catch shrimps and other fish from his nets. In this excerpt Brendan describes fishing and his earliest memory of going out with his father.
Did your ancestors fight in the American Revolution 233 years ago? Thousands of men answered the call to arms in 1776. These thousands probably have many millions of descendants today. Many Americans can find a Revolutionary War veteran in the family tree if they expend a bit of time and effort. Luckily, there are a number of online and offline sources to help you in that search.
Jane Sealy was born in Middlesex, went to school in Bracknell, Berkshire, and Chandler’s Ford in Hampshire. She trained as a legal secretary but has subsequently worked as a school secretary. She does all the farm book keeping and helps out with milking in the school holidays. Andrew Sealy was born in Wells, Somerset, and lived in Westbury-sub-Mendip, Somerset. He went to school in Westbury and Wells, attended college in Strode and studied general farming at Cannington Farm Institute, near Bridgwater. He is a tenant farmer for the Church Commissioners in Westbury, with a 300-acre dairy farm, milking 140 cows together with approximately fifty followers or beef cattle. Andrew and Jane discuss the milk quota system during the 1990s and describe the wildlife in the area.
This podcast from the National Archives is an introduction, using case studies, to the records of British government departments responsible for the administration of colonial affairs from about 1801 to 1968.
