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On
this page I invite you to share some of the best websites I have
used in researching John Bankes, plus a few that are not necessarily
relevant to Bankes, but are of continuing interest to me. Hopefully
they will be of use to some of you.
The records offices listed are those that hold most of the information
I have used in my research. They should be of use to you if you
want to look at any of these sources. Obviously, not all of you
will be as obsessed by Bankes as I am, but you will find that the
material can be used for other kinds of research, besides that which
I have carried out.
For those of you who are interested in Bankes, much of the information
on the sites listed should enable you to place him in his historical
context, as well as to research him.
I shall add to the list as and when I can, so don't forget to come
back for another look!
Inevitably, from time to time the content or locations of these
sites may change; that is beyond my control. I would be grateful
if you would advise me of any problems you may experience in using
these links, by clicking
here. Additionally, if you know of other websites that may be
of interest to me in my research, I would be delighted to hear from
you.
Records Offices and Related Sites
"The
A2A database contains catalogues describing archives held throughout
England and dating from the 900s to the present day." That
quotation just about sums up this sight. Superb.
The Archives Hub website is very useful for locating items in UK University collections.
In you are researching Welsh history or family history and you want to find out which Welsh archive holds the records relevant to your research are held, try the Archives Network Wales website.
The
COLLAGE database. This site displays images of pictures held
in the Guildhall Library's collection, and thus allows us to see
views of London from the past, as depicted by some fine artists.
Opportunities to look and buy.
Guildhall Library, City of London. Heaps of material here about the Manuscripts Section of this wonderful library, and its holdings. My paternal ancestors hail from Lancashire, and my research into them has involved many visits to Lancashire Record Office, in Preston. The
website of London Metropolitan Archives - yet another fine London
repository, crammed with treasures.
On its
London
Signatures website London
Metropolitan Archives has made available a free index to10,000 wills
from the Archdeaconry Court of Middlesex, dated 1609-1810. Recently added are 23,500 Marriage Bonds from the Diocese of Winchester, Commissary for the Archdeaconry of Surrey marriage bonds, 1673-1850. As a bonus, you can buy
copies of these documents online at a very reasonable price.
The National
Archives, Kew, is the home of the British Government archives
and a veritable treasure trove containing all kinds of official
records. The catalogue to the collection is available here, and
If you follow the Documents
Online link to PCC Wills you can search for - and buy
- your ancestors' wills without leaving your desk!
The National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth holds a wealth of material of interest to local or family historians with Welsh interests, and has proved of great value in researching the Welsh Bankes descendants. Click here to visit its website.
Westminster
City Archives website, with searchable on-line catalogue.
Other Archives
The
Society of Genealogists, London. This library is full to bursting
point with all kinds of genealogical material, and has proved immensely
useful to me in my research into the Bankes descendants pedigree. Indexes to
Certain records held by the SOG are available on-line at
Origins.net.
The archives of the Wellcome Foundation contain some medical
writings written by Thomas Hunt (1789 - 1879). You can search their
catalogue by clicking
here.
London History & Livery Companies
A Guide to the Alleys, Courts, Passages and Yards of Central London is a lovely site. Ivor Hoole has the aim of including information about
"all byways designated as alley, court, passage, or yard" in Central London, and he's produced a site that is an invaluable aid when you want to learn about the places your London forebears knew.
Carole Reeves is the Outreach Historian at the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London. Through her Bloomsbury People project she is creating an archive of 19th century literary, medical and scientific Bloomsbury (London). The link will take you to the material she has collected already, but maybe you can add to the archive yourself?
As I expect you know, Charles Booth carried out his survey into life and labour in London, dating from 1886 to 1903. The results of his research is contained in a series of notebooks, which you can see on the web at the LSE's Charles Booth Online Archive. This is an amazing site, containing the famous Booth Poverty Maps of London and much besides. If your forebears lived in the area covered by the survey you can learn a lot about them here. There are a number of excellent map sites on the internet. If you are looking for a really clear, easy to use map of London in 1827 try the Greenwood Map. I have used it quite a lot. The
Haberdashers' Company website. Lots of information about the
Company past and present. Having visited the recently built Haberdashers' Hall a few months ago, I can tell those of you who have not been there yet that it is a lovely building..
London
Genealogy. This site holds a variety of material about the City
of London, as well as links to many other sites. Of relevance to
family and local history topics.
Anybody interested in the history of London must take a look at the London's History website. Articles on all manner of topics bring history to life.
Did
your ancestor feature in an Old
Bailey trial between the years 1674-1913? A few of the people in the Bankes Pedigree did. You can find out at
the Old Bailey Online site, and obtain a transcription of any relevant
trial reanscripts.
Family & Community History Research
I am a member of the East
of London Family History Society, so I'm biased, but I believe
this to be one of the best FHS websites around.
Anybody interested in the Dewsberry family and other families connected with the Llanelly Pottery should look at Richard Evans's website.
If you are interested in placing your ancestors in their social context, as I am, have a look at the website of the Family & Community Historical Research Society. Another society that I belong to.
Anybody involved in family history research will attest to the great part played in our research by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The mormons make available a vast range of primary sources and indexes at minimal cost. Their Familysearch website is well worth a visit.
Another site that is a "must" for all family historians researching in England and Wales is FreeBMD. This index to civil registration indexes is entirely the work of volunteers, and its nineteenth century coverage is now pretty much complete. It's free to use, and if you haven't already done so I recommend that you give it a go next time you are looking for a reference to order a birth, marriage of death certificate. Genuki
- Genealogy UK & Ireland This site gives you all sorts of information
about family history research, including addresses of, and links
to, family history societies. I recommend it highly.
If you look at the tree on this website you will see my Holliday line. James Frederick Holliday (1853-1938) - not my direct ancestor - migrated to Brazil in the late nineteenth century, and his descendants have a very rich history from that time to this. The Holliday Family in Brazil Blog was set up by George Holliday, with help from Johnnie Holliday, in order to record the family's history, and to display some quite brilliant family photographs. Have a look! If you are interested in community history you will be interested in The Online Historical Population Reports (OHPR) collection. This site makes available online the complete British population reports for Britain and Ireland from 1801 to 1937. Although, so far as I know, I have no Shropshire ancestry, I am also a member of my local family history society - Shropshire FHS. You can reach their website by following this link . If you have Suffolk ancestry you will find the Suffolk Surnames List of great interest. Here you will find all sorts of information about Suffolk, including: links to village and town web sites, lists of Parishes, Registration Districts, and lots more.
Other Sites of Interest
For all sorts of information about UK genealogy have a look at the British Genealogy.com website.
A perpetual calendar. Do you know the day of the week on which your ancestor was born or married? You can find out here. Very useful for all kinds of information about dates. Need some more links to genealogy sites? Genealogylinks.net will help you.
In the Articles section of this website you will see my article, written for the Shropshire FHS Journal, on the use of Directories. In it I mention the Leicester University Historical Directories Searchable Digital Library. Whatever type of historical research you are involved in, you really must make good use of this tremendous resource.
The
Institute of Historical Research History on Line website. Articles
and other information on a variety of historical topics. John Newton was a minister in the 18th - 19th centuries. He was a famous preacher and writer of hymns, and performed the ceremony when my ancestor - Ann Hunt - married John Stephens in 1791. 2007 was the bicentenary of Newton's death, and to mark the occasion the John Newton Project has been carrying out research into the life and works of this remarkable man. On their website you will find some of the fruits of the project.
The BBC History Website's Sceptred Isle section contains information about historical events in various periods. Click here to see information relevant to 1660-1702. Alternatively, Click here to see information relevant to 1702-1760. You can find vast amounts of information about various aspects of British history on the BBC site, so while you're visiting, have a play!
A Timeline, showing significant events that occurred during the lifetime of John Bankes. This helps us to place Bankes in his historical context. When you reach the point in your research where you need to read up on an Act of Parliament, the Transcripts of Various Acts of Parliament of Interest to the Genealogist website is a great place start.
Last updated by Geoff Culshaw 31 January 2009
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