1921 Census

1921 Census

The 1921 Census was taken on the evening of the 19th June 1921 in England, Wales, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Scotland. There was no census taken in Ireland in 1921 due to the War of Independence, the first censuses taken independently in the Irish Free State and in Northern Ireland were on 18 April 1926. Where can the census be viewed? Find My Past and Ancestry have the 1921 Census for England, Wales, Isle of Man and the…

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Civil Registration in Great Britain and Ireland

Civil Registration in Great Britain and Ireland

Birth, marriage and death certificates are invaluable to genealogists. In Great Britain and Ireland, civil registration began in the 19th century: Before those dates, we need to rely on parish records. England and Wales Birth, marriage or death certificates for England or Wales can be obtained from the General Register Office. Currently (July 2024) hard copies received through the post cost £12.50. You can save money by ordering a pdf for £7, or digital certificate for £3 for birth entries…

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Julian To Gregorian Calendars

Julian To Gregorian Calendars

It’s likely you will have come across dates where the transcribed year appears in the format 1748/49, using both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Before 1752 the UK used the Julian Calendar, after 1752 the Gregorian Calendar came into use. Whilst the Gregorian Calendar uses 1 January as New Year’s Day, in the Julian Calendar it was 25th March. The relevance of this to genealogists It’s natural for us today to glance at dates and see December as the end…

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Ministry of Labour Instructions Centres

Ministry of Labour Instructions Centres

In 1934 my grandfather worked at Bourne Transfer Instructional Centre in Lincolnshire, one of many work camps set up by the Ministry Of Labour to retrain unemployed young men. At Bourne, the men spent much of their time clearing ground owned by the Forestry Commission, prior to re-afforestation. Although grandad may not have learnt much about agriculture here, it did give him a taste for working on the land which was something he did until the early 1950s. Although I had…

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Llanberis Castle Hotel

Llanberis Castle Hotel

Built in the mid 19th century, the Castle Hotel is located on High Street in Llanberis. It closed in the 1980s and fell into disrepair, before being completely renovated and converted into a shop and flats. Slide the arrows to compare the images When the hotel was sold in 1861, it appears there were no buildings across from it because it boasted views of Llyn Padarn and Dinorwic Quarry. The hotel, gardens, coach house and stables were sold again in…

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Mason Street, Bolton

Mason Street, Bolton

In the late 19th century, my 3 x great grandfather William Higginson owned four houses on Mason Street in Bolton, numbers 78, 80, 82 & 84. He lived at number 82 with his family and rented out the other three houses. William was a sawyer in a wood mill, so I’m curious as to how he ended up owning four houses and what happened to them. This post is to try and help me get my own thoughts and research…

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Transcription Errors

Transcription Errors

We all make mistakes, transcribers and the original form writers (whether they be parish clerks or census enumerators) included. As we know, it’s important to check original documents whenever possible and not trust in just the transcription, but sometimes the details on original documents should be taken with a pinch of salt. Poor Handwriting I would imagine that most people researching their family history have come across a few transcription errors – usually names that have been mis-transcribed from difficult…

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Catholic Records In England

Catholic Records In England

If your ancestors were Catholic, you may find that you struggle to find parish records online. The National Archives has provided a guide to help in research. Between 1754 (Marriage Act) and 1837 it was a legal requirement for all marriages to take place in an Anglican church. Many Catholics also married in a Catholic church, with the record of this marriage never being handed in to the authorities. Because of this, some Catholic baptism and burial records that were…

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Ireland’s Lost Records

Ireland’s Lost Records

Many of Ireland’s historic records were destroyed by a fire in 1922. Now a project is hoping to bring many of these records back to life. What happened to the original records? In the mid 19th century, it was feared that records, particularly those held by parishes, were in danger of deteriorating and being destroyed. In 1867 the UK parliament passed the Public Records (Ireland) Act, which was further amended in 1873. The act instructed that all court, probate and…

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