Site contents © Copyright Michael Crouch, 2000. |
Site contents © Copyright Michael Crouch, 2000. |
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Historical Records Glossary
Ag. Lab. Often found as occupation for an individual listed on census returns and other histroical documents, it simply stands for Agricultural Labourer. Assizes The sessions of the coruts of assizes were presided over by circuit judges to try capital and other serious offences. The quarter sessions were a seasonal event and remained in use until 1876. Records are held in the Public Record Office and local record offices. Bridewell A house of correction for petty offenders and vagabonds. Census Returns Census records have been taken and kept every ten years since 1801 and contain detail about household occupants, occupations, family make up, working patterns and such like. Only censuses taken since 1841 still survive almost in full, but due to the 100 years confidentiality clause, only those between 1841 and 1891 can currently be seen. The entire countrys records are held at the Public Record Office in London. The information they provide covers not only families, but also roads, villages, and institutions such as workhouses and prisons. Deeds Records of property ownership are kept in the form of title deeds. They tell us who sold to whom and for how much. They also contained information about the property and the use it, or its rooms, was put to. They are kept in local record offices. Electoral registers Since the Parliamentary Reform Act of 1832, lists have been kept of all persons within a parish who were eligible to vote. They can help tell us something about the type of people living within the parish, and sometimes indicate which way they voted. Electoral registers are stored in local record offices. Oral history People often underestimate just how much they and others know or remember. It is always worth rattling someone's memory who may hold clues or the key to further information. The memory can cheat however and it is usually as well to compare one persons recollections with other accounts. Parish registers When Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558, local authorities began to maintain records of births, deaths and marriages within their boundaries. The detail contained within them varies from parish to parish and generally become more detailed as they approach more recent times. In 1837, they were superceded by civil registration when records had to be sent to London. The indexes to these are now stored at St. Catherine's House. Many parish registers or transcriptions are held by local record offices. Prisons Supervised by the town Sheriffs, prisons were a relatively new innovation of the 16th century. Records of prisoners from 1770 to 1894 can be viewed at the Public Record Office in London. Other records can be found at local record offices. Probate records About 30,000 probate accounts survive. They detail the accounts of people about a year after their deaths, providing an inventory of their possessions, stock, debts and expenses. They are useful in the study of businesses and in the woman's role in property matters since three-quarters of probate accounts were filed by women. Quarter sessions These are records kept by justices of the peace (JPs) of their cases. Any kind of law and order issues, civil disturbances, building requests, wage disputes, licensing and so on were dealt with during the quarter sessions and surviving records can be seen at local record offices. Trade directories Prior to the modern telephone directory, trade directories were made across the country detailing towns and counties. They usually listed all the traders and their addresses, as well as a short history of the area. Some detailed their plans for the future, and such directories can offer an unrivalled picture of a place. They can be found at libraries and local record offices, and are often printed as facsimile versions. Wills Laws to make writing a will compulsory have never been laid down, but nevertheless many people wrote them for their own peace of mind. Local parishes usually dictated how a will was settled until 1858 when it became a state matter. They vary in detail and content and can be particularly useful when tracing an individuals life or his family connections. Workhouse records The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 divided the whole of England and Wales into parish unions. In each was held a board of guardians of the poor responsible for the running of workhouses within their parish. Over time they evolved into orphanages, hospitals and other similar institutions. Various records exist pertaining to workhouses, particularly the master's accounts, admission registers and the guardians minutes. Those that survive are kept in local record offices. |
