Category: family history
Census 2021: and those of old
Census 2021: and those of old Census 2021 is upon us! By now, every household in the UK is likely to have received a letter addressed to The Householder, asking them to complete the details. These day... Read More
Wrong certificate: a lesson for family historians
The wrong certificate A death certificate that turned out not to be the person I was looking for isn’t all ‘bad news’. It eliminates that possibility. And this being Cumbrian Characters, won’t... Read More
Lancelot Pattinson the Patterdale cave man
The ‘case’ of Lancelot Pattinson of Patterdale is a useful one for any family historian tempted to excitement over what seems an unusual name – or indeed a good yarn! The Matterdale puzzle A Lan... Read More
William Jarman – and Customs job titles
It’s not hard to imagine what brought William Jarman to Bowness-on-Solway circa 1824. But what became of him of later is patchy. I am publishing this post in the hope that someone ‘out there’ wi... Read More
Restitution of conjugal rights: the deserted spouse
‘Restitution of conjugal rights’ sounds a strange thing for a deserted wife or husband to seek to obtain from the courts. But in 1913, when the wife of a Cumbrian war hero petitioned for restituti... Read More
Old occupations: the bellman
If you see ‘bellman’ on a census entry or certificate as a person’s occupation, what did it mean? Being Cumbrian Characters, this post includes an example with a story to tell. Bellm... Read More
Poor Relief – and some Cumbrian cases
Poor Relief; Parochial Relief; ‘on the parish’… if you see any of those words alongside the name of one of your ancestors, then it was all that stood between them and destitution –... Read More
Christian names and family history
Christian names may seem less important to family history research than surnames. After all, it’s the surname that tells you two people are, or may be related, isn’t it? But christian name... Read More