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TheGenealogist have just sent out an announcement: TheGenealogist Launches Various London Educational Records   TheGenealogist has just released a batch of London school and university records to join its ever growing educational collection.

Researchers can use this new data to find ancestors who attended or taught at a variety of Educational establishments within London between 1831 and 1927. Also listed are the names of those who held high office in the institutions, such as the patrons; deans; visitors and professors, in the case of universities and the principles, masters and governors in the case of the schools. This release covers the names of those who graduated from the University of London between 1836 and 1926 - while for King’s College London, it also provides a list of Fellows from 1847 to 1920, registered students for 1920-1921 and those awarded degrees in 1920 and 1921 as well as the prizes given at King’s. With a number of school records, joining this London release, researchers can also find old boys who served in World War I. For example it is possible to track down men serving with the colours in the Great War in the case of the Old Wilsonians, as listed in The Wilsonian Magazine. For those Old Alleynians and Old Haberdashers, who perished in the war, their names and often a photograph are recorded in the First World War Roll of Honours for both Dulwich College and the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hampstead School. The list of records included in this release are

• University of London Historical Record 1836-1926
• The Skylark Magazine from Haberdashers' Aske's Hampstead School 1918
• The Wilsonian Magazine April 1914-April 1919
• University College School, London Register 1831-1891
• Royal College Of Chemistry, Royal School Of Mines And Royal College Of Science Register Of Associates
• Record of Old Westminsters Vols 1 and 2 earliest times -1927
• King's College, London Calendar 1921-1922
• Dulwich College War Record 1914-1919

These records and more are available at TheGenealogist.co.uk  

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Example

CAPTAIN JOHN DUDLEY WHYTE of the 8th Service Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, was born on the 5th July, 1890. He attended Dulwich School between 1902-8 and after this he went up to London University, having obtained an Andrew's Scholarship at University College, and shortly afterwards he was awarded a Law Society Studentship.

Like many of his generation, his life was cut short in action during the First World War. Who knows what he may have made of his life, but by using a combination of two of the newly released records we are able to discover his achievements in his earlier life. The Dulwich College Roll of Honour includes a picture of the deceased officer in uniform and a potted history of his academic and military career. We learn that at University College, London in 1910 he was awarded a Scholarship in English History, and also a Scholarship for Research in History. The school’s roll of honour tells us that in 1912 he took his B.A. degree with honours in History.

By then searching for him in the University of London Historical Record 1836-1926, also made available by TheGenealogist in this new release, we find John Dudley Whyte listed among the students in 1912 awarded a Second Class Bachelor of Arts (Internal) degree in History. By continuing to search further within the University of London records we locate his name again in 1913, now as an external student of the University College and London Day Training College. This would point to him training to be a teacher as that was the purpose of the London Day Training College which, by that date, was a school of the University of London. The start of World War I ended that path for him. The Dulwich College Roll of Honour

explains that ‘being a member of the London University Miners Training Corps he obtained a commission in September, 1914, as 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, and trained at Colchester, being promoted temporary Lieutenant in November. When the 8th Battalion was converted to a Pioneer Battalion he transferred and was promoted temporary Captain in January, 1915. In May, 1915, he moved to Salisbury Plain and crossed to France in July. For some months his company was engaged on forestry work behind the lines with the 18th Division, but during the winter they were on the Somme, with headquarters at Albert. He took part in the July advance and was killed in action at Bernafay Wood during the night of 13th—14th July, 1916, and was buried at Danzig Valley Cemetery.’   By using these records you can find out a lot more about your ancestors who were educated in London between 1831 and 1927. These records join an ever growing collection of family history resources at TheGenealogist.co.uk    

The National Archives has an interesting number of podcasts and webinars. Head over to: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ One that is being publicised at the moment is by Tracy Borman who reveals how the Tudor monarchs were constantly surrounded by an army of attendants, courtiers and ministers, even in their most private moments. A groom of the stool would stand patiently by as Henry VIII performed his daily purges, and when Elizabeth I retired for the evening, one of her female servants would sleep at the end of her bed. Dr Tracy Borman is a historian, author and joint Chief Curator for Historic Royal Palaces. Her books include the highly acclaimed ‘Elizabeth’s Women: the Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen’; ‘Matilda: Queen of the Conqueror’; and ‘Witches: A Tale of Sorcery, Scandal and Seduction’. Her latest book is ‘The Private Lives of the Tudors’, published by Hodder & Stoughton.

TheGenealogist is adding to its Court & Criminal records by publishing online a new collection of Quarter Session rolls and books from Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Surrey and Middlesex covering dates from as far back as the 16th century and up to, in some cases, the Victorian period.   Also released at this time are the Middlesex Colour Tithe Maps to join the grayscale maps of the National Tithe records already available on TheGenealogist. This latest issue covers parishes in the County of Middlesex and will allow researchers to view the plots where their ancestors may have owned or occupied land at the time of the survey which took place at the start of Victoria’s reign.

The Quarter Session records were produced by local courts traditionally held at four set times each year. Being made up of two or more justices of the peace and presided over by a chairman, they sat with a jury at Epiphany (in January), Easter (March/April), Midsummer (June/July) and then at Michaelmas (September/October).  

• Find the names of people before the courts that include those indicted, witnesses, as well as the names of the Justices of the Peace and the Clerks
• Some of the earliest records in this release reach as far back as 1549 for Middlesex and 1591 in Worcester
• Indictments can range across a wide number of offences. These include Larceny, Housebreaking, Assault and Riot, Running Unlicensed Alehouses, Receiving Rogues and Not Going to Church on Sunday

  We may be amazed at some of the cases that came before the magistrates. One example we found was in 1613, before the Worcestershire Justices, where Margaret Lewys stole ‘an old towell’ at Feckenham. Other proceedings include one involving Daniel Steane who was fined 20s at a private session at Wolston, Warwickshire in 1631. His indictment was for ‘selling less than a full quart of his best ale for a penny’ -  showing us that consumers, back then, were equally as concerned with short measures of alcohol as they are today.   Searching these new records, for your ancestors, may also find them appearing in the many Orders handed down by the JPs. These can include the names of people at the bottom rung of society who were in need of financial help from their communities. An example of such, from the Easter 1625 session in Warwickshire, is the case of Anne Harte of Hampton in Arden. Her husband having been ‘pressed for a soldier out of this county and have left her destitute of maintenance and one child’, the Justices of the Quarter Sessions made an order to the effect that Hampton in Arden pay her 4d weekly and find her work; plus, if she were to get sick, the parish officials were to pay her more ‘until this court take order to the contrary’.   Orders for the upkeep of illegitimate children can also be found in these records. In Michaelmas 1632, Katherine Singleton was to have ‘10s out of the treasury towards the keeping of a bastard child’ that had been left with her by a man who had promised to pay her to look after the child and had not returned.   From riotous Luddites to the gentry sitting on the bench, all echelons of society can be found in these fully searchable Quarter Session records for Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Surrey and Middlesex. To search these and the many other records, including the National Tithe Records on TheGenealogist, go to: www.thegenealogist.co.uk  

The National Archives has revealed on it website that one of the earliest surviving public records – Domesday Book – is going to be loaned to Lincoln Castle as part of a major exhibition for 2017. The iconic document that was commissioned in 1086 by William I, the Norman king best known as William the Conqueror, to give him an insight into his new realm by recording the taxable value and resources of all the boroughs and manors in England is to travel North. The document will be on loan to Lincoln Castle from its permanent home at The National Archives in Kew. It will be on display in the Magna Carta vault from 27 May to 3 September along with a number of local and national treasures showcased as part of the exhibition 'Battles and Dynasties'. Read more on TNA's website: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/domesday-loan-to-lincoln-castle/  

Well that, sadly, was the last in the series of the UK edition of Who Do You Think You Are? In Wednesday's show we saw Sophie Raworth discover that green fingers ran in her family. There was also a very interesting insight into the Priestly riots against Nonconformists in Birmingham in 1791. Sadly it had a bearing on her ancestors as they migrated to New York in search of a better life. something that was not to be. Read this article here to find out more: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2017/who-do-you-think-you-are/sophie-raworth-471/