Federation Of Family History Societies

Bedfordshire Family History Society (BFHS) has recently added this title to its extensive list of publications.

Bedfordshire Parish Registers Surnames CD

This index of over one million entries covers all baptisms and burials up to 1851 and marriages up to 1837 in the Bedfordshire parish registers. Details from marriage licences are included for bride, groom and surety. Initial sorting is alphabetical by surname using the precise spelling that appears in the original source, so readers need to check each possible spelling variation.

The title of the CD is slightly misleading, as the index contains forenames as well as surnames. The year, parish and type of event also appear. However, other details that may exist in the original record, such as the names of parents or spouses, precise date and age, are not included in the index. Therefore, when items of interest appear you will need to seek such more detailed information elsewhere. A publications list on the BFHS website gives more details about how you can obtain full transcripts of parish records.

Christian names are arranged strictly alphabetically under each surname with baptisms, marriages and burials identified but not separated into different lists. The abbreviations of Christian names that were used when the earlier events were extracted have been retained so, for example, “William” and “Wm” are printed and sorted as though different names.

The Index is available direct from BFHS for £10.00 inclusive of postage & packing, by using the order form at http://www.bfhs.org.uk/publications.html  It is also possible to buy the CD from online shops, which charge extra for postage & packing.

Reviewed by Francis Howcutt (FFHS)

3 January 2013

The Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society has added 4 new titles to its range of CD's. They can be purchased from Sales (CD), LFHHS, 2 Straits, Oswaldtwistle BB5 3LU. For full details visit the website http://www.lfhhs.org.uk/shop/cds/cdbuy.htm

Postage costs are:
UK 1 CD £1.40, 2 CDs £1.80 3 CDs £2.10
Overseas (Airmail) 1 Cd £4.00, 2 CDs £4.70, 3 CDs £5.30

CD020 The Parish Church of St. James, Clitheroe St. James's Street, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 1HH: Memorial Inscriptions & Images £9.50 + P&P

The CD contains all the memorial inscriptions from the church and churchyard for St. James, Clitheroe. Between 2000-2001 the church underwent an internal reorganisation which involved the exhumation of an area of the graveyard prior to an extension being built. The removed headstones were placed against the south wall and all the remains were placed in three caskets and re-interred at Clitheroe Cemetery Waddington Road.
This is an excellent aid to anyone with ancestors buried at St. James or with family connections to the church. Good colour photographs of the memorials as well as internal shots of the church are especially invaluable to anyone unable to visit in person.

CD021 The Parish Church of t. John the Divine Coppull, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 5AB: Baptisms 1912-1951 £9.50 + P&P

The CD contains in alphabetical order the baptisms between 1912 and 1951. The transcription and checking work was undertaken by the members of the Chorley Branch of LFHHS and includes entries contained in the first two registers for the Parish Church as well as a history of the church.

CD022 St. Michael the Archangel Whittington, Lancashire LA6 2NT: Monumental Inscriptions & Images £9.50 + P&P

The CD contains the monumental inscriptions and images for the ancient parish church of St. Michael the Archangel, Whittington. Many of the old stones date back to Norman times. Whittington Heritage Society and members of the Lancaster & Morecambe Branch of the Lancashire FHHS conducted a survey in 2006-2007 which provided the basis for this CD .
Details are also included of the men of the parish who lost their lives in WW1 recorded on the War memorial as well as much general information and internal and external images of the church.

CD023 Prominent People of Blackburn & District 110-1899 £4.50 (+ P&P)

A surname index is provided to this extensive database of prominent people of Blackburn and district. It covers the period 1100-1899 and is presented century by century. It is the work of Ray Smith Chairman of the Blackburn Local History Society. Whilst in the early periods Ray has included anyone who lived in Blackburn as he progressed through the centuries he has been more specific as to who is listed. The criteria for the C19th has been Mayors, Alderman, Councillors, JPs, industrialists, scholars, solicitors etc as well as international sportsmen and women and actors and actresses of national merit.

14 May 2012

East Grinstead, Sussex
Transcription of the 1811,1821 & 1831 Census

Sussex Family History Group

This CD, the latest from the Sussex Family History Group, is a transcription of the surviving records of three early East Grinstead census.  East Grinstead is a large parish stretching from the Surrey border south to West Hoathly.  It is also the only Sussex place where three (1811, 1821, 1831) census name lists have survived out of the four pre-1841 census.

All 3 census have lists of householders, by name, with some details of  employment and the numbers of males & females at each property.   The 1821 & 1831 census also have records giving the age ranges of the inhabitants of each house.  As not all of the original manuscripts of the East Grinstead 1811, 1821 & 1831 census have survived and, of the  parts that are available, some are in very poor condition, supporting population information has been included from other publications.

The transcriptions are in Adobe Reader PDF format, there is a comprehensive index of names across all 3 census and all are fully searchable.  There are also notes about the census and the transcriptions.

The East Grinstead Census CD is available from Sussex Family History Group and costs £3.50 including surface post and packing. 

Order from: SFHG Publication, 40 Tanbridge Park, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1SZ

Peterborough Cathedral Registers 1575-2007

Produced by Peterborough & District FHS Price £10 (exc. P&P) Please note £1 for every disc sold will be donated to Cathedral funds
Available direct from the society

The CD contains a transcription by PDFHS members of the Baptism (1615-1986), Marriage (1615-2007) and Burial (1575-2007) Registers which are held at Peterborough Cathedral. The information is shown “as entered” in the registers as well as alphabetically by surname. Each section has a supporting “Notes” document and the “Welcome” document gives general information on the registers and how to use the transcription.

Transcriptions of the War Memorials in the Cathedral are included as well as some information on the various clergy and others who appear in the registers. Pictures of the memorials as well as of various register entries and general views of the Cathedral are also on the CD.

For information on other publications by Peterborough & District FHS please visit the society's website at  http://www.peterborofhs.org.uk/

Devon FHS have recently added new titles to their already extensive list of CD publications.

Crime and Punishment

CD047 Cost £5

An index of the Register of Summary Convictions containing over 15,000 names of people who committed a crime in Plymouth between 1875 and 1904

Caught in the Act!

CD046 Cost £5

An Index of over 9,000 names in Plymouth of those giving sworn statements as witnesses to crimes plus the names of those standing sureties for either themselves or a witness.

Plymouth Prison Index

CD048  Cost £5

An index of over 17,000 people committed to Plymouth Prison during the following years:- 1867-1878; 1888-1891 and 1909-1930

3 Deaneries; Okehampton (CD043), Moreton (CD039) and Torrington (CD045) have also been added at a cost of £15 each. For full details of coverage and all other available CD's please visit their online shop at http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/shop/product_list.php?cat_id=5

18 July 2011

Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society have recently published these new CD’s
They are available direct from the society www.lfhhs.org.uk or through GENfair or Parish Chest

Yoxall of Brierfield, Burnley & Nelson: A family of substance

by James Wignall
CD018 £9.50 (plus P & P)

It is said that 'Anyone considering writing a book on their family tree should consider buying this book, if only as an example of how to record their family tree on a shoestring'. At more than 170 pages, the book is packed with details of Parish Registers, BMDs, Wills, Directories, census from 1841-1911, newspaper reports and a considerable number of both colour and black and white photographs. Descendants of Peter and Martha Yoxall who married on 31st December 1834 in Middlewich, Cheshire are featured in the book, including Johnny Yoxall of Nelson whose Meccano Model Looms were watched at a London Exhibition by King Edward V111 before he abdicated and Harry Yoxall a superior Burnley grocer whose shop was referred to as the Harrod's of the North! The excellent photographs of the interior of Harry's shop and the memories of Dorothy Yoxall, Harry's granddaughter evoke memories of a time when grocery shopping was  very different to the rushed dash around the supermarket today!

Great Marsden (Nelson), St. John the Evangelist: Memorial Inscriptions & Grave Books

CD019 £9.50 (plus P&P)

the CD contains the following information:

• Memorial Inscriptions - surveyed in the mid 1990's
• Grave Books - 1870-1990's
• Receipt Books - 1870 - 1962 (1914-1937 are missing)
• Plot Boards - showing the grave number and the purchaser.

The information may show:

• The type of grave
• The nake of the person who purchased the grave
• The people in the grave with Name, Address, Date of Burial & Age  at death
  Memorial Inscriptions (if any)
• Stonemason's name (if any)

Whilst there are no images included, there are few photographs showing the churchyard and a brief history of the church which are an added bonus for those unable to visit in person. For those planning a visit the plan of the graveyard is a useful addition.

1851 Map of Lancashire (CD016)

CD £5.00 (plus p&p) Paper A1 size £7.50 (plus p&p)

For those with an interest in Lancashire this map will be an invaluable aid to research. Researching in Lancashire can be complicated due to the number of different administrative boundaries. This 1851 Map of Lancashire helps over come these problems. The map was produced by Andrew Todd in 1983, a second edition with small amendments was produced in 1991. The society is now able to reissue it in this format. The map shows:

• Registration Districts of Births, Marriages & deaths
• Registration Sub-Districts
• Parishes
• Townships
• Churches: all Anglican churches in existence in 1851 with their dedications and dates of their earliest registers.

Layton Cemetery, Blackpool: Monumental Inscriptions (CD015)

CD £9.50 (plus p&p)

This CD contains the monumental inscriptions from when the cemetery opened in 1873. It is stressed that this is a record of MI’s and not internments in the cemetery. There is a Name Index and two plans, one that shows the locations of the graves by plot numbers and the other which shows the location of the graves by the MI reference numbers. This is particularly useful for those wishing to visit the cemetery. Having found 5 entries of interest to me personally, I hope to make use of the plans one day!
There are many prominent people buried in this cemetery and brief biographical information on some is included, along with a photograph of their memorial. As we approach the London 2012 Olympics, I was interested to note that Alfred Ernest Tysoe (1874-1901) a British athlete who won two gold medals at the 1900 Olympic Games and only the second Britain to win a gold medal in athletics is recorded here.

A Lad From Accrington: Flight Sergeant Thomas Starkie (1918-1944) by John Porter (CD017)

CD £4.50 (plus p&p)

This is the story of an Accrington lad from the generation after the Accrington Pals, but from the same mould and fashioned in the same school of hard knocks. It has been painstakingly researched by John Porter who used a wide range of sources, including Ministry of Defence records and contacting contemporaries of Thomas. He died in 1944 aged 26 on a bombing raid over Germany. He was in 97 squadron and flew 19 missions. During WW2 Accrington lost 175 servicemen, 49 of which were RAF personnel. The author is the nephew of Thomas Starkie.

Reviewed by Philippa McCray – Administrator FFHS

27 May 2011