Family History Revisited Part 2 - The Early Searches

 

The Family Record Centre

I first visited the Family Record Centre in Islington in early 2000. Situated in Taylor House, 1 Myddelton Street, Clerkenwell, it opened in 1997 and provided a vast amount of free information well before it all became available on the internet. Long rows of tall shelves housed huge volumes that one could study to record births, marriages, and deaths. It was then possible to take your results to the desk and order certificates. Over the next few years I found records for seventeen of my father's family and nineteen of my mother's, starting in February of 2000. 

George and Jane Askew

The 1841 to 1901 census returns were also available at the Family Record Centre on microfiche. My post of 11th January 2011 details one of my big breakthroughs when, on 5th July 2000, I found the 1891 census records for George and Jane Askew, my mother's grandparents. These included records for their children, my mother's aunts of whom there was never any mention. These were "The Five Eldest Askew Sisters" in that post of 11th January 2011. See also my post of 7th January 2011. 

The Family Record Centre was closed in 2008, and the huge volumes are no longer accessible. 

Correspondents

I have two lever-arch files of correspondence. In no particular order they include Chris Rathbone, Nigel Buchanan, Liz Smith, Patricia Anning, Dawn Crofts, Kath Swarbrick, John Thomson, Gillian Leather, and Sally Stamford. Also, Ruth at Lincolnshire Family History Society. In addition, there is a lengthy letter from W G Hunt, the Windsor Herald of Arms. 

Then the relatives of my family: Peter Clifford, Aunt Molly, Aunt Joy, Aunt Iris, and cousins Caroline and Stephen. 

Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths

I conducted searches at various locations such as the Family Record Centre, Aylesbury Library, and finally online.

Census Records

The following census records have proved invaluable: 1841, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1901. I started off with those records on microfiche at the Family Record Centre, then those at the Aylesbury Library, and finally online. 

Ancestry and the International Genealogical Index

Both Ancestry and the IGI have been of little use in my searches. 

Search Notes

My notes and records are pretty much haphazard but are all in my files.