tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148282232024-03-07T14:04:52.634-08:00Cornish Census ReturnsMichael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-20845276252534886642019-03-23T08:55:00.000-07:002019-03-23T08:55:38.575-07:00Flying in the Vulcan
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<span class="s1">Snapshot File - Flying in the Vulcan</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Flying as a rear crew member in a Vulcan was both frightening and uncomfortable.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The discomfort started when you got dressed.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>There were several options as to what to wear, depending on the time of year and the task you were undertaking.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>For flying in the airfield circuit you might get away with wearing your underpants, a green tee shirt (everything was green), aircrew socks, boots and a flying suit.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The flying suit was light and comfortable and composed mainly of pockets and zips. If you were, for instance, flying low level over the United States, then you would wear over your tee shirt and under your flying suit, a white cotton air ventilated suit.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This was a mass of little tubes and was connected to the aircraft cooling system.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The most uncomfortable option was also the most common.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>If it was winter or if you were flying over the sea, you wore an immersion suit.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Under the immersion suit you wore a green (of course) bunny suit.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This was a one piece suit with a nice warm fluffy inside.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The immersion suit was of rubber and covered you from neck to toe and out to your wrists.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>At the neck and wrists were thin tubes of rubber that the Flying Clothing people cut the fit very tightly to stop the water getting in.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It also made it hard to breathe and to get blood through to your hands!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Next came the external gear.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>First was your Mae West, or inflatable jacket.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Your parachute harness came next, and had to fit tightly, especially through your crutch.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Failure to get this right meant finding your balls behind your ears if you had to bail out.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>On your back was your parachute, and hanging down behind your bum was a dinghy.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>When you sat in your bare metal seat, these two items formed bone hard padding to lean back on and to sit on.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Then came your seat harness and you plugged yourself into the intercomm, oxygen and air conditioning.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And finally finally, there was line that armed your parachute as you left the aircraft.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The overall affect of this was that not only were you trussed like a chicken, but you had a curved spine.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>After six years of flying in the Vulcan I had more or less permanent backache.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It took six months of not flying in the Vulcan for the backache to depart! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">The Vulcan cabin was pressurised to 10,000 feet.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>You can live at this altitude without an oxygen supply, there is enough in the atmosphere.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>For safety reasons, one pilot and one rear crew member were always on oxygen, which meant wearing a mask.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Down the back we were supposed to take turns, but I always volunteered to have mine on.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This was because the microphone was in the mask and the AEO had a lot of talking to do.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In addition, for my first three years the Nav Plotter, sitting next to me, was a guy with a stomach defect, which meant he was always airsick at low level.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Not many people know that air sickness is catching.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The rear crew sat down the back, in the dark, facing aft.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The pilots were several feet higher and in daylight.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>They also had ejector seats.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>For reasons of aircraft design and money, the rear crew didn’t have ejector seats.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Our seats did swivel though, to give us a slight chance of making the exit which was set into the floor just forward of our seats. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">In the event of having to bail out, the Nav Radar would open the door in the floor and would be first out, followed by the Nav Plotter.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Last of all would be the AEO - me.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>There wouldn’t be time to disconnect the various tubes and cables you were hooked up to, so they were designed with “break” points.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The parachute line would arm the chute, stopping it opening till you were below 10,000 feet.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>So, if you bailed out at 30,000 feet, you were supposed to free fall till 10,000, when your chute would open.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A possible problem was if the undercarriage was down (hydraulic failure?).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The nose wheel was aft of the hatch, so as you slid down the hatch with all your connections safely disconnecting, the first thing you saw was the nosewheel.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>You leapt aft, grabbed the nose wheel strut and swung round it.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Likely story!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A final point about the “break” points.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I was taking a Canadian air force major through the various safety drills once.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>He slid down the door and the breaks didn’t break.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>He hung upside down and then the leg of his nice Canadian flying suit tore off.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Luckily there was only about 4 feet to the ground.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>He wasn’t very happy though.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I really must remember not to fall over when I am laughing.</span></div>
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<br />Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-42915949225416141792019-03-15T02:31:00.001-07:002019-03-15T02:31:06.342-07:00Memories of Majunga<div class="" style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify; text-size-adjust: auto;">
<span class=""><b>Snapshot File - Memories of Majunga</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="">Majunga is a town on the north western side of Madagascar, near the northern end of the island. Madagascar was either the first island God made and he learnt from his mistakes - or the last one and he used all the bits left over. Majunga was a ramshackle town sat on a river estuary. It had many buildings that looked French provincial - not surprising considering it had been a French colony. The French killed 70,000 people in 1947 and they were not very popular with the locals. The locals spoke French, which was a problem because we didn’t - being English. </span></div>
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<span class="">Majunga had an airfield. It wasn’t very big, although an Air France Boeing 707 came in once a week, which must have been a heart-stopping experience for its pilots. The Shackleton was OK, as long as it wasn’t too hot. With a full fuel load, its usual state, it took every inch of the runway to get airborne. There were usually 2 Shackletons and 3 crews based at Majunga, and their task was to log all the tankers in the Mozambique Straits. We would fly down the straits to the frigate stationed off Beira, drop their mail to them, and fly back, logging all tankers heading south west. We did this because the UK government wanted to stop oil reaching Rhodesia, which was in a state of rebellion against the Crown. We couldn’t stop tankers unloading at Beira because it was Portuguese. But if they were identified, pressure could be brought to bear on the companies that owned them. It was all futile, because oil entered Rhodesia via South Africa.</span></div>
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<span class="">We did 3 or 4 sorties per crew each week. The Shackleton heaved itself into the sky at about 8 am. We couldn’t go earlier because the locals were in bed instead of in the tower. One morning we actually took off without local air traffic control or the fire service (Huggis!) . We flew down to Beira and dropped things to the frigate, then flew back. It was a good idea to land before it got dark, as the locals packed up early. To drop things to the frigate we used a gear called Lindholme. This consisted of canisters that floated. One Christmas we announced we had their Christmas mail including a cake. We dropped the canister and it sank. We had filled it with stones! After they had recovered, we dropped the real mail canister. </span></div>
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<span class="">On another occasion, the Navy were lowering their whaler to recover the Lindholme when it stuck. So they launched a rib, and it’s engine failed. So they threw the ship’s diver over the side and he swam to the Lindholme. Happy that all was well we departed, only to get a call. They had lost sight of their rib, could we find it? We did and departed on our way. </span></div>
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<span class="">Life in Majunga was pretty basic. The officers lived down in the town centre, but the SNCOs and the airmen lived out on the edge of town. The airmen were in an ex-French army encampment - called the Camp Britannique. The SNCOs lived nearby in a big house owned by the Mayor. Which was pretty basic. We had beds but our lockers and things were made out of orange boxes etc. The food was also grotty. We often feasted on food which had been in storage in Aden for many years. The cook did his best, but he was on a hiding to nothing. </span></div>
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<span class="">The Maison de Maire depended on a well in the grounds for its water. The pump was broke, so the fire brigade came up occasionally and filled the tanks in the roof. The chief night spots were Madame’s, a brothel, and a night club that was in a converted garage. The toilets in the night club were appalling, so you just walked over the road and pee’d over a small cliff. I was doing that one night, when the guy next to me tried to light his cigarette off a distant lighthouse. He fell over the cliff down onto the beach. It was only about 20 feet and as he was drunk he landed like a baby.</span></div>
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<span class="">I did four months in Majunga. Two months from Singapore and two from the UK. None of it was enjoyable. The place itself was a miserable shambles created by the French. There were quite a lot of Frenchmen around and they were uniformly unpleasant. No wonder the Malagache hated them. We on the other hand, were cheered as we drove out to the airfield for another 12 hour flight.</span></div>
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<span class="">On my second visit one of the other signallers had a project as part of his university degree course. He got a detailed map of Majunga and we spent many happy hours wandering round identifying the usage of lots of tin shacks. </span></div>
Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-9046128082091154592017-03-30T03:31:00.000-07:002017-03-30T03:31:03.618-07:00Holiday in Italy<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
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<li><b style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Snapshot File - Holiday in Italy.</span></b></li>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The UK
joined the Common Market in 1972.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Six years earlier, we holidayed in Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went with Ann and Bryan Mercer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was quite a big step for all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We and our friends didn’t usually go
abroad to holiday; in fact, Mary and I didn’t holiday!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brian and Ann usually went to her
parents in Cornwall for their summer holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We parked our young children (2 each) with our parents and
went to Italy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We went in
Brian’s 6-month old Ford Cortina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was rather careful with this car, but he allowed Mary and I to share
the driving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trip started out
in Harwich, where Brian’s precious car was swung high into the air and down
into the hold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No drive on/off on
this route.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Brian and I
were both sergeants in the RAF; so we didn’t have much money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no credit cards then, so we
took cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably mainly Italian
Lira plus some German Marks and Swiss Francs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also had BFG (British Forces Germany) tokens for fuel in
Germany and Italian tourist tokens for fuel in Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We crossed international borders ten times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time, we drove up clutching our
British passports; they waved us through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only time they inspected them was in the middle of the night
crossing from Italy back into Switzerland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lonely Swiss soldier guarding his country, burst out
laughing at the ladies’ passport photographs!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We first
drove non-stop to Lake Garda in northern Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This took about 18 hours and saved us a night in a hotel. We
then drove into Venice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a
guide book, but chose the first hotel in the tourist bureau list -
Academia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A really good choice,
right in the centre of Venice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
stayed in Venice for 4 nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ann, Mary and Bryan spent a day on the Lido beach, while I took in more
of the sights, including the Doge’s palace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Highlight of that was seeing a tryptich by H. Bosch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only 3 of them survive and I saw another
one in Vienna many years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We left
Venice for a day on the beach at Rimini.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had just rented loungers and sunshade on a beach, when the heavens
opened up and we left.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We then
drove down to Rome and did the sights there for several days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again the other three spent a day
on the beach; I went round the ruins of Ostia, the port for Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left Rome and drove overnight to Basle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stayed in a gasthof in the centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There we had our first encounter with a
duvet; we didn’t have them in England.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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finally, overnight to the Hook of Holland and home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">The holiday was planned to cover long
distances overnight. Which meant
we didn’t have to pay for hotels.
So, quite a lot of sleeping was done in the car, especially by Ann, who
didn’t drive. The holiday was
planned by Ann and I, with little input by the other two. They agreed to the holiday because they
didn’t think we would go ahead.
But we did. Interesting
really, as Ann and I ended up married to each other</span><!--EndFragment-->
</div>
Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-19868708042871277142014-06-10T08:26:00.001-07:002017-12-21T07:20:53.679-08:00Training as an Air Signaller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cfO_2VyFW1jJinse7jnkR1vftqNyOVNJdvQAn4ixRW_CNF4OLSC5VyyViBONujzWskkJOTlp6bcoFteCgl7OI9lCUWmR6a5x-xO27eNFq4JQ5SkTcEG3l_CRf7TZ4A0qL3kn/s1600/img018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="480" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cfO_2VyFW1jJinse7jnkR1vftqNyOVNJdvQAn4ixRW_CNF4OLSC5VyyViBONujzWskkJOTlp6bcoFteCgl7OI9lCUWmR6a5x-xO27eNFq4JQ5SkTcEG3l_CRf7TZ4A0qL3kn/s200/img018.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In
August 1954 I became an Aircrew Cadet at RAF Swanton Morley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, I was an AC2, the lowest
form of RAF life, but I wore brass Albatross badges on my arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commonly known as shite hawks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The camp at Swanton Morely was built to
a design used in the run up to WW2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The living accommodation was made up of 3 H-blocks, each containing
dormitories and toilet facilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We lived about 20 to a room, each with our own “bed space”, which we
were required to keep clean and tidy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Immaculate in fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The No
1 Air Signaller’s School was organised into 3 wings, each containing
entries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A new entry, containing
about 30 cadets, started every 3 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My entry was DE119, the 119th Direct Entry flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After DE122 they changed the
designation to AS; don’t ask me why, but there is an enormous department in the
Air Ministry dedicated to changing things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or so they say.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The
Basic section of the year-long course consisted of ground school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was lots of marching and slinging
rifles around of course - but the chief thing was morse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The morse code was the main method of
wireless communication in aviation, especially military aviation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent a couple of hours every day
sending and reading the morse code.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The aim was to be proficient at 25 words a minute by the end of the
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The instructors were elderly
gents, ex-RAF usually, who did nothing but send morse to rooms full of
struggling students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trick, as
with typing, was to stop thinking about what you were doing - stop reading
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also learnt how to use the
radios carried in the aircraft used by Swanton Morley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The
radios were the R1155 (receiver) and the T1154 (transmitter).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These radios were developed during WW2
and were very widely used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
them, we worked to a plan given to us on take off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Radio stations had to be contacted and messages sent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the ground stations were
“real”, others were sited at Swanton Morley and solely for the use of the Air
Signaller cadets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPer-_wU5N8lkKUd3v-cF6_1XXFN2m_ZQ_ZzRJORVhDbTkbcBUkdpsH7dlAzVmnPfCghyphenhyphenJqdILbn9HoZcDu_Myc9NvStTWje0_s4Pzutiel5sfhc80yeWM-VctCAweDERZldK/s1600/avro-anson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPer-_wU5N8lkKUd3v-cF6_1XXFN2m_ZQ_ZzRJORVhDbTkbcBUkdpsH7dlAzVmnPfCghyphenhyphenJqdILbn9HoZcDu_Myc9NvStTWje0_s4Pzutiel5sfhc80yeWM-VctCAweDERZldK/s1600/avro-anson.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Avro Anson<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The
first flight was in an Avro Anson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This meant that a staff signaller could supervise you and check that you
were safe on your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that,
all the flights except the last one were in the Percival Prentice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This small aircraft had a pilot and a cadet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cadet sat in the back and couldn’t
see ahead, or see the pilot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
pilot could only be contacted by the intercom which was OK most of the
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were 18 airborne
exercises that had to be completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first and the last was in an Anson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bulk of the exercises were in the Prentice and lasted
two hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We flew a triangular
track over eastern and central England at about 2000 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqwhHCxhTrs1-GGbx_4lSHp-ZFY3Ib7i5JRm0jL9GquEMnRvECkINppR4oXEXFHVupotkxH4WfOtWG6v3UsKwupiGsJxhRZmieKNOHnksTUO5VWO_8dyUUBl_sYr9j9VVxOWX/s1600/Percival_Prentice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqwhHCxhTrs1-GGbx_4lSHp-ZFY3Ib7i5JRm0jL9GquEMnRvECkINppR4oXEXFHVupotkxH4WfOtWG6v3UsKwupiGsJxhRZmieKNOHnksTUO5VWO_8dyUUBl_sYr9j9VVxOWX/s1600/Percival_Prentice.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1025"
type="#_x0000_t75" alt=":Percival_Prentice.jpg" style='width:267pt;height:200pt;
visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In
theory, as you completed each item of the exercise, you wrote up your wireless
log, on which you were assessed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, with up to 30 cadets in the air it was dog-eat-dog, and your
logging tended to get behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Often you would be landed and taxing in and still be busy writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The instructors would leap onto the
wing of the aircraft and snatch your log off you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were also very hot on people who sent their take-off
message before they got airborne!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Generally
there were two flights each day, one before lunch and one afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>30 small aircraft would take off in
waves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cadets didn’t do much
sight-seeing; they were too busy trying to establish contact with the ground
stations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On one occasion there
was a very strong wind, and the pilots flew into it and remained more or less
stationary over Swanton Morley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I was
excused the last flight, the check flight in the Anson, because I was still
recovering from an operation to remove my appendix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My marks were good enough for this – so I got my wings and
was promoted to sergeant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-12143366602483546532013-04-09T09:25:00.002-07:002013-04-09T09:25:41.646-07:00Margaret Thatcher<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfwTW2YgTGFAygb3_rKSCRTShKlJmwv0sXgwurZSgWsB6E7T6pcEF79O_YMo5CuQqzTpnLREOXoY5vG2SHrsecsqoaugMyqBdPJj7ZUiFIH6MGeBDOiRFF8EX-tp2EN1BZEPV/s1600/Margaret_Thatcher.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfwTW2YgTGFAygb3_rKSCRTShKlJmwv0sXgwurZSgWsB6E7T6pcEF79O_YMo5CuQqzTpnLREOXoY5vG2SHrsecsqoaugMyqBdPJj7ZUiFIH6MGeBDOiRFF8EX-tp2EN1BZEPV/s320/Margaret_Thatcher.png" width="230" /></a></div>
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In the early 1980s, I was on holiday in Italy. We were enjoying a leisurely lunch in a back street in Sienna. At the next table was an Italian chap, a bit younger than me. Would we mind if he practised his English on us? After a bit of practice, he asked us if English ladies always wore "hets"? From this we got to Mrs Thatcher. She always wore a "het" he remarked. Yes I said, but did he know that she was actually a man in women's clothes? His brown Italian eyes grew round and new English words were exchanged. Behind us there was an explosion. Another Italian, eavesdropping, collapsed into his soup. He didn't know Mrs Thatcher was a bloke either…….</div>
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I nearly met her once. One Saturday afternoon, I was scheduled to give her an intelligence briefing on cruise missiles. Unlike most politicians, in my experience, she was not happy to talk about something she knew nothing about. I was warned to speak normally, answer all questions and be prepared for a lot of them. All prepped up and wearing my best suit I arrived at the Cabinet Office just after lunchtime on Saturday. Only to be told that her flight to Washington had been brought forward and the briefing cancelled. </div>
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What's this all about you ask? Well, everyone else is writing about her and most of them never met her, let alone nearly gave her a talk on cruise missiles! Going back to the first paragraph, I met lots of foreigners, Americans, Canadians, Frogs and various other sorts of Europeans. All of them admired her AND us for electing her. Would we like to swop they asked; her for half a dozen of their leaders. </div>
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In my opinion, her greatest achievement was to change the national mood. In 1979 we were depressed and depressing. She changed all that. Far too many people have forgotten what it was like pre-Margaret, and many of those with an opinion are rather too young to hold it. Before she came along we had a long line of depressing male plonkers ruling over us. Since she fell, we have had more of them.</div>
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<br /></div>
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God bless Mrs Thatcher and please, God, send us another one!</div>
</div>
Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-38825512406101155822013-03-20T03:58:00.000-07:002013-03-20T04:02:08.584-07:00Writing to your MP<span style="color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 48pt; text-align: start;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 48pt; text-align: start;">T</span><span style="color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: small; text-align: start;">f </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 48pt; text-align: start;">C</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 48pt; text-align: start;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="p1">
I would like to encourage all OPCs who are UK residents, not just those living in Cornwall, to write to their MPs. You can find their email addresses on Theyworkforyou. Obviously, you will have to edit my email, not just forward it. Nor does it matter if an MP hears from several constituents. <br />
<br />
Dear Ms Newton</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I am a constituent of yours, living in Mitchell, and I would like to enlist your help.</div>
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My hobby is family history, in particular, Cornish family history. I am a founder member of the Cornish Online Parish Clerk project (<a href="http://www.cornwall-opc.org/index.htm"><span class="s1">http://www.cornwall-opc.org/index.htm</span></a>). This is basically an "adopt-a-parish" scheme with over a hundred volunteers world wide. OPCs are committed to helping Cornish FH researchers free of charge. The project has an online, searchable, free-to-view database (<a href="http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/"><span class="s1">http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/</span></a>) with over 2.3 million records online. Our main target is the parish registers, but we always looking for other sources of useful data. </div>
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For the last six months I have been exchanging emails with the Registration Office in Truro, trying to persuade them to let me photograph and transcribe the indices of the 19th century registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths. Not the registers, the indexes. Yesterday, they said no, quoting an email they had had from the Policy Dept of the General Registration Office. This said:</div>
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“This query is linked to a wider issue relating to access to records by family history societies, Ancestry, Find my past etc. We are still seeking a resolution to this query and while I am unable to provide a definitive answer at present, I will advise you as soon as I am aware of the outcome.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
In the interim, you may wish to advise the parish clerks that the public may only have access to the indices in the manner provided for by statue, i.e. in accordance with s.64 of the Marriage Act 1949, where you will note that there is no provision to transcribe or photograph the indexes, see link below.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/76/section/64">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/76/section/64</a><span class="s2"> “</span></div>
<div class="p6">
<br /></div>
<div class="p7">
It is interesting that they mention commercial operators such as Ancestry. They, of course, would charge for access to the data, we don't. Also, they say that the relevant act has no provision to allow the photographing or transcription of the indices. But does it say that they can't be? </div>
<div class="p8">
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As they have a policy dept, I would like to know what the policy actually is and how they intend to alter it.</div>
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I would like to re-iterate that it is the indices I want to transcribe, not the registers.</div>
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Hoping you can help.</div>
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Rgds</div>
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<br /></div>
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Michael<br />
<br />
Some background. There are about 30 such projects in operation. According to the administrator of UKBMD, he has been at usergroup meetings with the GRO and no objection to such projects was raised by them.<br />
<br />
The Truro RO allowed CFHS to copy and transcribe the indices some years ago, but the results were not used for reasons not explained to me. Personally, I think it was because rather belatedly they realised that CFHS charged for access. I also think that within County Hall there is an IT department that would like a council web site to host the data, but they have neither the expertise or money to do it. We on the other hand have both the expertise and the web site!<br />
<br />
Finally, despite not admitting any knowledge of UKBMD, in 2009 the Truro RO asked UKBMD for advice on setting up such a project.<br />
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<br /></div>
Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-27847892242570785622013-03-19T05:29:00.002-07:002013-03-19T05:30:51.493-07:00Local BMD registers<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 48pt; text-align: start;">T</span><span style="color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: large; text-align: start;">f </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 48pt; text-align: start;">C</span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>A couple of years ago, Myra asked me to subscribe to the mailing list of
the Open Genealogical Alliance.
This is a bunch of people interested in public access to public data. They are operating a bit above our pay
grade but they are interested in the same data as we are. This is a quote from the mailing list.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The index for the civil register of life events - births, deaths and
marriages (BMD) - is a collection of books populated with tables, where each
row is a reference to a certificate for a corresponding life event. Every time
someone is born, dies or gets married, the local council register issues a full
page certificate, then it makes an entry of the event in the local index, and
they also make a copy of the local index to be sent to a central location: the
General Registry Office (GRO), part of the Identity and Passport Service (IPS).
This institution has the collection of all these copied index books dating back
to the mid nineteenth century. Older life event records were maintained by the
church instead of the government, and are kept separately This index is meant
to be digitised and made available online for free, but the delivery of this
service has been delayed for many years due to problems with commercial
subcontracting. In the meantime, other forms of access to the index - such as
CDs - have been restricted or suppressed, ostensibly due to the imminent
availability of the online version. This long impasse has created a situation
where a number of commercial companies - such as Findmypast.co.uk --are
stepping in and providing paid for access to this public information that the
government has committed to deliver for free. The Crown claims copyright on the
design of the index, expiring 50 years after creation as they are not published
works, but the actual content is factual information not encumbered by
intellectual property restrictions. Thus anyone is free to copy the index data.
Our partner organisation FreeBMD.org.uk has been providing free online access
to a partial copy of the index transcribed by volunteers, as until recently the
registers were handwritten, and thus requiring manual typing into a computer.
The official advice form direct.gov.uk for citizens requiring free access to
the index is to go via FreeBMD. This volunteer group has offered to help
providing to the full index in collaboration with GRO, and we have been trying
to help communicate and advance this great idea. Unfortunately, these requests
have been batted away, without even being allowed to meet to discuss the
options. Emails have gone without reply for months. We have been told for 18
months now that a new plan is imminent and we should just wait. We have
responded that under the coalition agreement and the compact for the voluntary
sector, we should be consulted at an early stage in order to help shape the
plans, not informed afterwards. This is particularly applicable when we are
proposing a solution that could save taxpayers money. Unfortunately this has
been ignored. We have also been told that the online index is entangled with a
major ICT project that is suffering delays. However, new government policy is
to break down large contracts, and this would seem an ideal candidate for
outing this new policy into practice, given the costly delays already incurred
and the apparent inability of moving this forward within a reasonable timeframe.
We would like to request an urgent intervention from the Transparency Team to
help us reach to the GRO and discuss a way to promptly ensure that the full BMD
index is available online for free as open data.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Barriers in accessing this data: </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The index for the civil register of life
events - births, deaths and marriages (BMD) is meant to be freely available
online, but this has been delayed for many years. Volunteer groups have offered
to provide this as open data for free, but this has been dismissed without due
consideration.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Benefits overview:<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The BMD index is very valuable, being the first point of call for anyone
in need of tracing their ancestors, or obtaining a copy of the certificates.
This could be for practical reasons, such as an inheritance, but in most cases
it's people wanting to explore their family history. There is fundamental
transparency principle in making the civil register freely available, and also
an economic imperative. Family history is a very popular hobby and drives a lot
of cash online, with people paying up to £150 per year for subscriptions to
commercial sites. For the UK it could also become a major economic activity
thanks to ancestral tourism marketed to the descendants of British people.
There is a huge market for US travellers, and several county councils have
already started local programmes to tap into that market. The development of
this kind of services based on secondary reuse of data, where the business
model is tourism instead of data paywalls -- is hampered by the lack of proper
Open Data in the family history domain. County council tourism boards cannot
reach local US prospective travellers and commercial ancestry websites do not
provide those data services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>I have a
personal interest in this because 9 months ago I started an exchange of emails
with the Registration Officer in Truro.
I asked for permission to photograph the indices to the local BMD
registers. Why bother to do this,
given that FreeBMD has transcribed the GRO indexes. However, it is well documented that there are differences
between these indexes and those of the local BMD registers.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>In January they
said NO, although I pointed out to them that there are 30 such projects in
England under the umbrella group UKBMD.
These are usually joint projects between family history societies and
local Registration Offices. But not always, they also involve groups such as ours.
Their refusal was based on advice from the GRO, which I think was
incorrect. I therefore wrote to my
MP and asked her to ask the GRO just what the official policy was. I am still waiting for an answer. If anyone who is a UK resident would
like to ask their MP what the policy is – I’ll provide a copy of my email. The more people who ask, the better it
might be.</i></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-84751228513245990212013-03-11T05:35:00.002-07:002013-03-12T07:19:32.015-07:00Burial Registers of Lanreath in the 19th century<span style="color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 48pt;"><br /></span>
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Transcribing a Burial Register can be a tedious process, particularly when the incumbent’s hand-writing is not of the best, but occasionally the tedium can be alleviated when one encounters an enlightened Minister. One such was the Reverend Richard Buller of Lanreath.</div>
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Crockford’s Clerical Directory indicates that Richard Buller graduated with a B.A. from Oriel College, Oxford in 1826, and gained his M.A. 3 years later. He was made a deacon in 1828, in which year he appears to have been appointed Curate of the parish of Lanreath in Cornwall, and he was appointed Rector of the parish the following year. He was then 23 or 24 years old. He died on 19th June 1883 at Pounds near Plymouth (his death was registered at Plympton St Mary) but he had certainly been carrying out his duties in the parish until the previous month – he performed his last baptism on 13th May and conducted his last burial on 17th May.</div>
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He had therefore served his parish for some 55 years. That is, of course, a commendable and remarkable record of service, but in terms of social history, he left us so much more.</div>
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In 1812 Parliament had decreed that with effect from 1st January 1813, Parish Registers should be in a standard format, with one volume for baptisms, one for marriages and one for burials. The format was set out in the 1812 Act, and the Burials Register was to have 5 columns, headed ‘Name’, ‘Abode’, ‘When Buried’, ‘Age’, and ‘By whom the Ceremony was performed.’ Anyone who has transcribed a Burial Register will know that the majority of incumbents recorded just the information they were obliged to record, but not the Reverend Richard Buller.</div>
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Beginning on 8th October 1828, when he had only been in post for a few months, he recorded that Mary Searle, aged only 49, had died of consumption. Between then and 17th May 1883, when he conducted his last burial service, there were 615 burials in Lanreath. Of that total, Reverend Buller had entered some further information on no less than 245 occasions. Some of those entries related to the personality of the deceased – in August 1841, for example, when he buried Samuel Willcock, aged 78, he noted ‘55 years Parish Clerk’. Similarly, in March 1855, when he buried James Stevens, aged 72, he noted ‘A Peninsular hero; medal with 2 clasps’. But the most interesting entries, arguably, are those where he recorded the cause of death. There are 237 such entries, and the biggest killer, by far, was consumption with 52 entries, followed by accidental death (22), scarlet fever (14), diphtheria (13), typhus (11), decline (10), dropsy (10), inflammation of the lungs (9), childbirth (8) and atrophy (5).</div>
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Of the 52 deaths from consumption, 23 were female and 29 male. The ages of the deceased ranged from 9 to 76, but the average was just 29 years 9 months.</div>
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Of the accidental deaths, 2 were of children (aged respectively 1 and 8) who were ‘burnt’, 1 (aged just under 2) was drowned, and a baby aged just one month old was killed ‘by a stick running thro' the eye to the brain’. In 1842, James Martin aged 10 had been ‘killed by a well falling in’, and in 1849 Philippa West died as a result of ‘poisonous berries’.</div>
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The accidents claiming the lives of adults were in some cases somewhat bizarre – in 1835, William Searle, aged 58, was killed when ‘a gutter fell on him’; the previous year Edward Tucker had died when he ‘fell from a rick’ and in 1846 Francis Hicks, aged 40, died as a result of ‘fall from a horse in frost’. On 14th May 1876 three men were buried as a result of ‘explosion of gunpowder’ (presumably an accident at the powder mills in the parish). The most unfortunate, however, was surely Anne Stephens, aged 32, who in 1831 was ‘run over by the Mail Coach’. For sheer misfortune, you have to feel for the family of Elizabeth Hockin, buried in June 1867, aged just 37. In the Register, Reverend Buller has recorded ‘childbirth; the 3rd sister who died thru’ the same cause’.</div>
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It seems unlikely that the Reverend Buller had any assistance from a medical practitioner, because of the sometimes rather strange explanations for deaths. According to the Register, ‘cold on Erysipelas’ claimed Richard Rowe in 1846; Philip Hicks, aged only 21, was buried in 1843 and the Register records his death as having occurred from ‘fright’. Strangely this idea of fright being the cause of death also appears in 2 burials, one in 1840 and the other in 1842. They were both females, aged respectively 75 and 72, and the Register gives their cause of death as ‘typhus – from fear’. ‘Hysteria’ is the somewhat surprising cause of the death of Mary Hill in 1865, aged only 17.</div>
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If anyone in the parish could have afforded to call in a doctor, it would certainly have been the Buller family, and yet when he buried his 3 year old daughter Jane Elizabeth, in 1838, Reverend Buller records the cause of death as ‘malignant sore throat’ which does not sound a reason which originated from someone medically qualified. Four youngsters succumbed to measles – 1 with ‘suppressed measles’ and of those who were claimed by scarlet fever (14 children, all under 10 years of age) 4 of them are recorded as having the ‘suppressed’ form of the disease.</div>
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As you work your way through the Register, one fact that you cannot miss is the apparent high number of child burials. Much has been written, of course, on the subject of infant mortality in the 19th century, and I was interested to see the actual numbers, rather than rely on impression. Of all the burials in the parish between 1813 and 1900, the age group of 0-10 bears the brunt – on average 30% of total burials, and in some decades over one third. No other age group comes anywhere near that percentage – the closest is the 71-80 group (where one would expect the death rate to be fairly high) but in fact it is not far off half of the rate for youngsters.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">John R.P. Evans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-58505941600251729042013-01-20T00:40:00.000-08:002013-01-20T02:26:43.060-08:00Parish Burial Registers.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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In 2012 the question arose as to where family historians
should go in Cornwall to obtain details of burials of family members.
Historically, of course, most burials had taken place in the graveyard attached
to the Parish Church, and would have been recorded in the Parish Burial
Register. But as local populations increased and graveyards became full,
alternative arrangements had to be found. In the main those cemetery sites were
acquired and administered by the local authorities which existed at the time –
the Councils of Urban Districts, Rural Districts and Parishes. In time the UDC’s and RDC’s ceased to
exist, and their responsibilities were taken on by the 6 District Councils,
which in turn were recently disbanded and replaced by the Unitary Authority – Cornwall
Council. The cemeteries which they administer are detailed on their website.</div>
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As far as the other authorities were concerned, I emailed
all the town and parish councils in the county, asking whether they had a
cemetery. Predictably a number never replied; one replied in a very arrogant
and rude manner; one amusingly asked why I was asking the “real” parish clerk
rather than the online variety; but the majority were pleasant and helpful.
Again, as one might expect, most parish councils said that they had no cemetery, and that burials were
still taking place in the graveyards attached to the Parish Church.</div>
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Those who administered cemeteries were then asked whether
they would give permission for their burial records to be copied. Bude Town
Council and Falmouth Town Council said that, although they had no objection in
principle, they were in the process of putting their records online, and there
was little purpose in duplicating effort. Of the remainder, most said that they
had no objection, and I spent several enjoyable days visiting the homes or
offices of welcoming parish or town clerks and was usually liberally plied with
refreshments while photographing their Registers!</div>
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Some of the authorities had only acquired their cemeteries
after 1937 (in 2012 the “cut-off” date for the OPC database) so although I
photographed their records and transcribed them, they will not form part of the
database for many years. But some – notably St Stephen in Brannel, St Dennis
and St Enoder – have records which either have contributed or will contribute
(when I can complete the transcribing!) significantly to the database, not
merely in numbers but in the detail provided.</div>
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Unlike the Parish Registers, the Cemetery Registers always
give a grave location, very often give date of death as well as of burial, and
frequently give occupation or family information such as “wife of” or “son of”
etc.</div>
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So far I have recorded the Registers of Gorran, Luxulyan,
Mullion, Cury, Wendron, St Dennis, St Stephen in Brannel, Probus and St Enoder.
My quest will continue in 2013!<br />
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Written by the photographer, John Evans.</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-24471125445776991562013-01-16T05:13:00.001-08:002013-01-23T03:24:39.788-08:00Bodmin Prison Registers<br />
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County Records holds 24 volumes of the Bodmin prison registers, covering 1821 to 1916. These volumes are rather large and very heavy. They are in handsome covers, closed with brass clips. The pages are in good condition and the handwriting is very neat, if sometimes rather small. There are 10 records on each page and they contain minute detail about the prisoners including a detailed description of their physical appearance. Other detail, that is often included, is a list of all the letters sent by the prisoner and details of the recipients. <br />
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To photograph them, I use an iPad. The back camera is good and easy to use. It doesn't make any noise and hasn't got a flash. CRO doesn't allow noise or flashes! You often hear muttered curses from camera users as their flash goes off. When I started this project, I usually took 4 overlapping pictures to cover a complete page. However, I now get by with two plus close ups for particularly dense patches of writing. <br />
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John Heath has been appointed supremo for transcribing the prison records and has 4 transcribers. The main problem with transcribing them is the large amount of detail to be recorded. I expect that most people are aware there is a commercial transcription available, but this is a limited transcript, and as usual, we are going for the full version. And its free. Each record is separate, so it is not possible for a researcher to browse the records. </div>
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Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-29211971045814857632012-10-27T07:20:00.003-07:002012-10-27T07:20:43.646-07:00The British in Afghanistan<br />
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This is a piece written by someone else. It expresses my thoughts.</div>
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There should be a national debate abnout the tragic loss of lives in that dusty hell-hole commonly known as Afghanistan; and perhaps more importantly a discussion of the possible fate of all the politicians who sent, and continue to send, British Services personnel into harms way in order to establish a ‘Democratic State’ in Afghanistan.</div>
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The other ‘purpose’ of this multi-billion pound endeavour is alleged to be ‘keeping us safer here at home’ because of the sacrifices of those bright shining spirits in the drug- and blood-soaked sands of Afghanistan. The sheer lunacy of even believing in the very idea of a ‘democratic Government’ in Afghanistan should give all sensible people a pause for thought.</div>
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We tried it, to govern Afghanistan that is, over a century ago, and we eventually scurried out over the bodies of the sixteen-odd thousand British members of the column from Jalalabad. We went in again, time after time, to prevent influence from France, from Russia, and it got us absolutely nowhere.</div>
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We should have taken to heart the warning of the latest Russian occupation which was to support their Afghan proxy, an occupation which was total, brutal and unswerving, but which eventually came to nothing after the Mujahideen gained superiority through the advent of the Stinger missile supplied by America. Was the NATO-led invasion justified after 9/11? Most certainly yes, but instead of ‘nation-building’ by force, which has ever been a fruitless exercise wherever it been tried, we should have handed over to the Afghanis, told then that the next time the West would be coming, we would be coming to make their ‘country’ a smoking radio-active car-park, and to mind their manners; and then left.</div>
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Western politicians have yet to learn that you cannot make a Nation out of ten thousand villages, soaked in the beliefs of muslim autocracy. But we saw Bush, and Blair, and all the other guilty parties, including the fool John Reid, with his forever-remembered ‘British Forces could leave Afghanistan without a shot being fired’, prate, and parade, and posture.</div>
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We saw them line up beside the Cenotaph, with their wreaths of poppies, while not understanding that what they had signed the British Army up to achieve was just unachievable. And let us not forget that none of these posturing, primping princes of political thought have ever served one single day in uniform, of any colour or rank, at all.</div>
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We do not retain, in Britain, the ability to legally kill someone who has committed treason, but I for one would sign any petition to restore such a power, and then the first ones to be tried would be every politician, of any Party, who has expressed the slightest desire to extend, for one second, our presence in the corrupt stagnant pool of drugs, grand-scale larceny and murder which is the alleged country named Afghanistan.</div>
Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-9598359136922497612011-09-20T13:54:00.000-07:002011-09-20T13:57:29.242-07:00The Sharrocks of Cornwall<p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">In 1620, the College of Heralds visited Cornwall. Their visit was to check on the pedigrees of families claiming the right to bear arms. Armigerous families. Amongst the minor gentry of Cornwall was a family listed as the Sharrocks of Veryan. A later note was attached to the family tree claiming that they had originated in Lancashire, fled to Ireland, where they stayed for a hundred years before moving to Cornwall.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Unfortunately, I have been unable to link my wife’s paternal line to the Visitation family. She seems to be descended from a Thomas Sharrock, born about 1640, location unknown. His oldest known child was Matthew, baptised in St Just in Roseland in 1671. Matthew is my wife’s 6 times grandfather. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The family lived in and around St Mawes, where they were farmers. Matthew described himself as Yeoman, one step above a tenant farmer, and fairly respectable, as he was the Reeve of the Manor of St Mawes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Throughout the 18th century, the family remained in St Mawes, presumably farming and also fishing. Certainly Joseph Sharrock, who died in 1833, was a mariner. The next generation joined the Royal Navy and then the Coastguard. The Coastguard was recruited from Navy personnel. Usually, tours of duty were not in the man’s home town, so the family moved to Boscastle on the north coast of Cornwall. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next generation of my wife’s family was born near Swanage in Dorset at yet another Coastguard station. Joseph Pascal Rowe Sharrock, born in 1843, became a mariner in the Merchant Marine, often sailing out of Boscastle. The family now remained on the North coast of Cornwall, spread out between Newquay and Bude.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next generation left the sea and settled in Newquay. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Although I cannot find any link between the Visitation family and that of my wife, all of the Sharrocks in Cornwall till quite recently are members of this one family. There were also Sharrocks in Cornwall before the Visitation family. So, the note on the 1620 pedigree might be correct and the Sharrocks arrived in Cornwall in the 14th century. Long enough to be naturalised?</span></p>Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-60703603244025743412011-08-09T12:51:00.000-07:002011-08-09T12:52:27.887-07:00Rioting<p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In 1961 I was a 25-year old sergeant in the RAF. I was stationed in Singapore flying Shackletons out of RAF Changi.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In the British colonies, as in the UK, the military were committed to assisting the Civil Power However, in Singapore it was a bit more immediate than in the UK. Which is how I came to be in a scruffy street in central Singapore. I was not on my own, there was a very young officer (younger than me), a Chinese magistrate and 30 airmen. We were a riot squad. Six of the airmen had rifles but no ammunition; the rest had batons. They wore khaki shirts and shorts with long socks and boots. They also wore steel helmets. The officer and I were dressed in similar fashion and we had revolvers - also with no ammo.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The opposition was about 20 Ghurka soldiers in sports kit The weren’t allowed to throw things at us, so they shouted, leaped about and pulled faces. A bit like the New Zealand rugby squad in their pre-match dance. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The magistrate read the riot act and we then unfurled our banner. Disperse or we fire. The airmen with rifles moved from the rear of the squad to the front, but didn’t aim their weapons. This had no effect, so the officer ordered me to send in the snatch squads. There were 3 pairs of airmen detailed off for this and they ran forward to nobble significant rioters. Three fights started, but eventually they secured three Ghurkas. I turned to my officer to report this and found him gone. Half a dozen Ghurkas had snuck up a side alley and seized this commissioned twit. He was supposed to stay in the middle of the squad but had wandered off for some reason. I watched him being hustled off down the alley and out of sight. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I was then seized of the dilemma that had bothered Hannibal, Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington. Should I split my force, deal with the rioters and at the same time chase after my officer. Things seemed to be going well without him, so I decided to deal with the rioters and forget about him. My own inclination was to order the riflemen to open fire (shouting bang bang), but the magistrate thought not. In fact, I was now in charge, once he had read the riot act he was out of the loop. However, I took his advice and got ready to lead the squad in a frontal attack on the Ghurkas. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">At that point, the Army officer acting as observer stepped in and halted the exercise. He thought it had gone well, although he did suggest that losing your officer was pretty bad form. The Ghurkas returned my officer and we all got into our truck. </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span>
<br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Another part of life’s rich pattern was complete! </span></p>Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-82111067925468765592011-03-22T09:17:00.001-07:002011-03-22T09:30:15.309-07:00Monthly newsletter for FreeBMD, FreeCEN and FreeREG<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Issue 1 - </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">March 2011</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Welcome to the first FreeUKGEN newsletter, updating you on the latest information about the three constituent projects, FreeBMD, FreeCEN and FreeREG. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Dr Nick Barratt - </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Executive Director (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Tahoma;"><a href="mailto:nick.barratt@virgin.net"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">nick.barratt@virgin.net</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Tri-project seminar</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The tri-project seminar will take place on Thursday 21 April 2011 at The National Archives. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. Executive meetings<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In advance of the Tri-project seminar on 21 April, I will be meeting the Executives of FreeCEN and FreeREG on 29 March to discuss detailed requirements for each project. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Access to data and copyright<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This issue remains a major concern to FreeCEN and FreeREG, and is currently being addressed in conversations with various organisations, including Familysearch, Ancestry, Find My Past and the Federation of Family History Societies. Contact with county and diocesan archives will also be made, once the first set of discussions to obtain material via partner organisations have concluded.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">However, the situation is complicated by copyright issues which need to be addressed at the same time. This is not an easy area to work in, given the way copyright is created and assigned especially when ‘format shifting’ original raw data into printed format, microform or digital image. Similarly, copyright of transcriptions entered into the three project websites needs clarification as well and is also being addressed as an ongoing issue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. Software and website development<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We are currently examining ways to make the three project websites look more synchronised, as well as provide elements of synchronicity when searching for people. The aim is to move towards a front-end platform that serves as a portal to the three sites, permitting the user to search across all three datasets by name; or drilling down into each individual website to search specific datasets, as they do at the moment. The look and feel – the skin – of the sites needs to be updated, and decisions made about the level of advertising hosted on each site, as without funds we cannot survive as an organisation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Linked to this is a recognition that amendments need to be made to the current software for creation and submission of transcription data to ease the workload of Dave Mayall, and make the data easier to search across the projects. As with copyright, this is a tricky area because of the ongoing nature of the work; integrating new software could cause problems, whilst a completely new operating system might be equally disruptive. Work is ongoing, though, to fix existing problems based on the feedback we receive from the project Executives and Co-ordinators; however, as with any volunteer network, these things can take time so one route under consideration is the injection of funds to commission some work in this area. We are talking to a couple of organisations that might be able to assist with this, as well as the possibility of Open Source coding from the web or recruiting more technical volunteers. If you know of anyone who would be able to assist with coding and web development, please let me know via email.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. Marketing and Promotion<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Until the website situation is addressed, there is only a limited amount of marketing and promotion we can do around the three projects. However, an article about the work of FreeREG in </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Your Family History </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">magazine generated a flood of enquiries from potential volunteers; and at the recent </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Who Do You Think You Are Live </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">event, held at Olympia 25 – 27 February 2011 the projects won third place in </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Family Tree</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> magazine’s Website of the Decade award, as voted for by the readers of the magazine. Given that this is the largest circulating magazine in the sector, and considering the number of commercial websites out there with large budget spends, this is an amazing achievement and one of the Trustees, Camilla von Massenbach, proudly collected the award at the event. Congratulations must go to everyone – the transcribers for producing the data, the Co-ordinators and Executives of the three projects, and the Trustees for facilitating the site.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We are also looking into using the social network Twitter to promote our work, and encourage volunteers to join up for transcription. At the moment, the most obvious user names have already been taken – FreeBMD, FreeCEN and FreeREG – so alternatives are being sought. If anyone would like to manage their relevant project account and post information, please let me know.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6. Open Genealogical Alliance<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The three projects, under the banner of FreeBMD, have become major supporters of the Open Genealogical Alliance, announced at </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Who Do You Think You Are Live </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">on the main theatre with the support of actress Miriam Margolyes. The aim of OGA is to challenge the current predominance of commercial organisations in the sector, as they skew access to data towards ‘pay-per-view’ models which means organisations such as ours are disadvantaged when trying to access data at source from the archives. This is one of the issues we’re facing at the moment when negotiating with county archives for access to parish registers, albeit a special case since parish registers are not considered public records per se, something else that OGA will be examining as part of its remit. As a consequence, OGA is questioning whether pay per view data is truly open; and if not, then projects such as ours should be given free access to the digital images to work off – thus producing higher quality ‘clean’ transcriptions which will benefit everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Other projects that OGA are investigating include an economic survey of the genealogical sector, examining ways in which the market can still be monetised, but more room is made for volunteer transcription projects without compromising the need for archives to digitise, and recover costs (linked to what’s been outlined above); a survey of the various means of access to genealogical data, to produce a one stop shop guide to all data on the web (think ‘genealogy supermarket price comparison website, and you’re on the right lines); an assessment of Big Society Government projects that we could get involved with, such as the civil registration digitisation and indexing project that was halted last year; and an assessment of the legal status of parish registers – public record or private deposit by the church.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The other key driver of OGA is the Open Rights Group, and supporters also include the Open Knowledge Foundation and the Federation of Family History Societies. The website has only just been launched </span><a href="http://www.opengenalliance.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">www.opengenalliance.org</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and you can follow them on Twitter @opengenalliance<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This is an edited version - edited by me.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-80336676825634844502010-12-07T01:53:00.000-08:002010-12-07T01:55:40.143-08:00Cornish Family History for Free<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Occasionally I get emails asking for advice on researching Cornish family history. Sometimes the writer seems to be asking me to conduct family history research - to which I say no thank you. However, I do have advice on how to carry it out online - and for free.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The first port of call should be the Cornish pages of GENUKI. Not only is there lots of information about Cornwall in general, there is a page for each parish. Numerous sources of information are linked to these pages. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Then you might check out the Cornish OPC scheme web site. Here again, each parish has its own page and there is much information, both in general and in particular. The Online Parish Clerks are committed to helping FH researchers and you should write to them asking for help. At the very least, they should be able to give advice on where to look.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">A daughter project of the OPC scheme is C-PROP. Originally intended to carry parish register transcripts (which it still does), it has expanded its scope to include other sorts of data. It is a FREE online searchable database. No other county has one.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">All of the Cornish 19th century census returns have been transcribed and posted online at the COCP web site. You can search them as texts or you can use the accompanying search engine. All of the 2.25 million records have also been uploaded to the FREECEN database.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">You should join the CON-GEN Rootsweb mailing list. Post your questions there remembering to give as much detail as you can. List your surnames of interest in the subject line in BLOCK capitals. You can search the mailing list archives for these names, hopefully other people have included your names in their subject lines. In any case, an archival search will also search the texts.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">On the wider national front, you can search for free the index of certificates for the UK on FreeBMD. Over 16 million census records are available on FREECEN and about 5 million parish register entries on FREEREG. Not all of these are Cornish obviously.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Finally, there is on the international scene, the LDS, the Mormons. Their database, which is free, contains hundreds of millions of entries and is constantly enlarging itself. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">There are other avenues open to you, such as the Cornish FHS, but these are not free.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">By the way, I have attended a number of “granny hunts” at Wadebridge. I usually ask beginners (and others) if they have taken the time to type their names and places of interest into Google. It is surprising how many haven’t, almost as surprising as what turns up. My brother-in-law, who is in the film business, had about ten thousand hits! </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I haven’t listed any URLs (lazy) but Google will find them for you.</span></p>Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-84017479006140420532010-11-16T09:08:00.000-08:002010-11-16T09:10:57.017-08:00The Cornish OPC scheme - a personal view.<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Courier; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Looking round at the family history scene now, it is difficult to remember what it was like ten years ago when the OPC scheme was conceived. No Ancestry, no Familysearch and most people using computers had just been promoted from using toasters!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The three of us first met at the AGM of the CFHS, although we had been in touch via the internet and Paul and David had actually met as the latter returned from Canada. At the AGM we asked what were the plans of the CFHS to use digital media including the internet. Not only did they have no plans, but later correspondence revealed that the Chairman at that time was actively hostile to anything electronic.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first sign of the changes to come was the successful launch of FreeBMD. All those hours we spent pouring over microfiche or huge books to locate the reference numbers you needed to buy an ancestral certificate. Now, hundreds of volunteers were transcribing the indexes and putting them online – free-to-view.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A sister project of FreeBMD was FreeCen. In 1999 that project was running a pilot project transcribing the Devon 1891 returns. I invited myself aboard and started off transcribing the Cornwall 1891. I was pleasantly surprised to find volunteers easy to recruit. So easy, that we started up the 1841 in parallel. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After the AGM, the three of us decided to meet for a pub lunch once a month to discuss family history. Occasional shouting attracted interest from the regulars and we got FH questions from some of them. We thought that, given the successful launch of the census project, that it would be nice to turn to the parish registers and give them the same treatment. Then we decided that we quite liked the “adopt-a-parish” idea. But it was the arrival of the name “Online Parish Clerk” that spurred us into action.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We liked it because it married the internet to family history. We also widened the scope to include any data, not just parish registers. We also liked it because it involved the worldwide Cornish online society. A feature of the Cornish census project was something that the organizers of FreeCen didn’t like. The emphasis in recruiting was on the Cornishness of the project.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Initially, the job of scheme co-ordinator was just to maintain a list of parishes and OPCs. Recruiting was done by occasional messages on the Cornish Rootsweb mailing lists. In addition, we appealed for anyone who had transcribed parish registers to gift their work to us. Our intention was to accumulate these transcripts to place them online free-to-view – one day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This approach was maintained for two or three years with considerable success. Things changed when Myra took over as co-ordinator. The scheme acquired its own web site with a page for each parish. Then the searchable online database was created. The transcription of parish registers took off when the LDS started to supply copies on disc. Under Myra’s epic leadership, other sources of data were incorporated into the database.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Courier;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In my opinion, Myra, aided by Diane Donohue, Julia Mossman and Bill O’Reilly, has created a scheme that is better than our original vision. I look forward to the next ten years!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-44602534925859278472010-06-26T08:45:00.000-07:002010-06-26T08:56:36.294-07:00The history of Mitchell<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Michel is first styled a manor (manerium) in 1301 and a borough (burgus) in 1305, but both these titles were in process of creation in the earlier part of the thirteenth century. It is evident that the community was in its infancy at this time and we need not look in Domesday for any reference to it. In 1239 Walter de Ralegh and Isabel his wife (in whose right he was lord of the Manor of Degembris) obtained a royal charter for a yearly fair on St Francis’ day and a weekly market at Meideshol. It is probable that the chapel of ease at Michell dedicated to St Francis was erected by Walter de Ralegh at this time. We find it mentioned in a deed of 1292, and its dedication shows that it could hardly have been erected before the canonization of St Francis in 1222 and probably dates from about 1239. St Francis was the patron of the community and the chief Court Leet was held on the day after his feast.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the early thirteenth century we can picture the infant community of Michell as a mere appendage to the Manor of Degembris. In 1284, however, Peter de Ralegh sold that manor to Sir John de Pello Prato. Michell was at this time cut adrift from the manor and sold separately to Sir Reynfry Arundell, who died lord of it in 1288. Once separated from the parent manor, the new Manor and Borough of Michell could hope to develop as an independent community. In 1283 it had sent its own representatives, a jury of six, to the Eyre at Launceston, thereby showing its right to a separate representation from the Hundred of Pydar. It did the same in 1301 and 1305. In 1283 and 1301 it bears the humble title of ‘villa’ but in 1305 the style ‘burgus’ is used to the first time. Sir Reynfry Arundell probably purchased Michell as a speculation. His son in 1289, regardless of the laws of political economy, raised the tolls at the fair, to the great hurt of the whole country. For this he was punished at the Eyre of 1301. At the same time he was compelled to show by what warrant he claimed ‘emendation of the assize of bread and ale when broken’, in his Manor of Medeshole.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Michell never became wholly exempt from its duties as a tithing of the Hundred of Pydar, despite its separate representation at the Eyre. It had to pay 13s. 4d. as smoke-silver and also maintain a thing-man at the Hundred Courts. In 1327 the ‘villa de Medeshole’ pays the subsidy apart from the parishes of St Enoder and Newlyn in which it was situated. In later rolls, however, no distinction of this kind is made.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Besides the actual village, the limits of the co-extensive ‘Manor and Borough’ included the tenements of Goonmarth and Nantellion. The greater part lay in St Enoder parish, the residue in Newlyn.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries there were probably some eight free burgesses, holding burgages of the lord (freeholders). Some of these holdings were amalgamated and their holders at the end of the eighteenth century became the five ‘Mesne-Lords’ of the borough, who were created by the chief lord of the manor by lease and release; and it was from among these that the portreeve or returning office had to be chosen. The lord of the manor had become the ‘chief lord’. In 1552, when the borough acquired parliamentary representation, these offices and titles gained a real importance. After constant disputes the House of Commons finally decided that the mesne-lord (including the portreeve), and the inhabitants who paid scot and lot (i.e. Rates), were alone entitled to vote. In 1829 there were four mesne-lords and three rate-payers!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Michell was probably at the zenith of its prosperity in the fourteenth century, before the Black Death. It sank in the fifteenth to rise again under Henry VII. Parliamentary representation failed to do more than keep it a living and increasingly corrupt corpse. After 1832 it became a peaceful country hamlet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:36.0pt 72.0pt 81.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt 468.0pt 504.0pt 540.0pt 576.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-35470204029149484112010-06-07T03:01:00.000-07:002010-06-07T03:07:44.803-07:00The People of Mitchell 1851<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The people of Mitchell were enumerated in April 1851. There were 183 people, divided into the parishes of St Enoder (101) and Newlyn East (82). The number of people and households has doubled since 1851, this is mainly due to the lead mine a mile to the north at Wheal Rose.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 1 Richard Pope Head M 33 Ag Lab born Lanteglos </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 2 Thomas Courtis Head M 36 Ag Lab born Newlyn </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 3 Mary Moyle Head U 25 School Mistress born Kenwyn </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 4 Simon Yeoman Head M 45 Blacksmith born Lower St. Columb </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 5 William Harris Head M 25 Lead Miner born St. Clements </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 6 John Curtiss Head M 47 Labourer born Crantock </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 7 Ann Batten Head W 43 Employed On Farm born St. Dennis </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 8 William Nancarrow Head M 57 Mason Emp 2 Men born Newlyn </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 9 John Trenberth Head M 43 Lead Miner born Gwinear </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 10 Samuel Brabyn Head M 35 Ag Lab born Mawgan </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 11 Philip Oates Head M 39 Lead Miner born St. Agnes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 12 Mary Ann Williams Head W 65 Retired Dressmaker born St. Minver </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 13 Francis Bassett Head M 28 Innkeeper & Farmer Of 140a born Mitchell</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 14 Mary Williams Head M 61 Maltster's Wife born Kea </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 15 Charles Woon Parks Head M 49 Farmer Of 180a Emp 6 Men born Newlyn </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 16 William Bassett Head M 27 Miner born Roche </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 17 Henry Henwood Head M 30 Butcher born Newlyn </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 18 Grace Tamblyn Head W 38 Shopkeeper born St. Erme </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 19 Michael M Chegwidden Head M 33 Lead Mine Agent born Gwennap </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 20 John Vincent Head M 60 Retired Farmer born Crantock </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 21 William Tremayne Head M 31 Lead Mine Agent born St. Mewan </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 22 Ann Long Head W 48 Grocer born Gwennap </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 23 William Tremayne Head M 55 Lead Mine Agent born Phillack </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 24 Timothy Symons Head M 62 Retired Farmer born Grampound </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 25 William Tamblyn Head M 37 Master Carpenter Emp 1 Man born St. Enoder </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 26 Elizabeth Merrifield Head W 51 Blacksmith Widow born St. Enoder </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 27 William Merrifield Head M 28 Blacksmith born St. Erme </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 28 James Tamblyn Head M 54 Farmer Of 10 a born St. Enoder </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 29 Richard Manhire Head M 49 Farmer Of 30a Emp 1 Man born St. Enoder </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 30 John May Head M 53 Ag Lab born Newlyn </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 31 Richard May Head U 20 Lead Miner born St. Enoder </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 32 William H Martyn Head M 25 Master Blacksmith Emp 1 Man born Newlyn </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 33 John Manhire Head M 46 Master Shoemaker Emp 2 Men born St. Enoder </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 34 William Whetter Head U 57 Ag Lab born Mitchell</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 35 James Martyn Head M 30 Carpenter (Journeyman) born Mitchell</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 36 James Oliver Head M 29 Lead Miner born Ladock </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 37 Amy Francis Head U 70 Annuitant born St. Minver Blind </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 38 Robert Vincent Head M 25 Maltster Farmer 23a 3 Men born St. Enoder </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Household 39 Richard Tabb Head M 35 Lead Miner St. Enoder </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-59130672148337380852010-06-07T02:35:00.000-07:002010-06-07T02:48:10.203-07:00The People of Mitchell 1841<p class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times, serif;">On the 6th June 1841, the people of Mitchell were enumerated. The census showed there were about 70 people in 18 households. Just over 50 were of working age - 14 years and upwards. The rest were children and one Army Pensioner. At that time, the village straddled the parish boundary between St Enoder and Newlyn East. Households 1-12 were in Newlyn East, the rest in St Enoder. Addresses were not in general use in 1841. </span></span></p><p class="MsoTitle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times, serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoTitle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times, serif;">Household 1 - Tamson Bilkey<span> </span>65 Female Servant Born Cornwall</span></p><p class="MsoTitle"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times, serif;"></span>Household 2 – Francis Bassett 20<span> </span>Inn Keeper Born Cornwall</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 3 - John Kendall 60<span> </span>Ag Lab Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 4 - William Nancarrow 40<span> </span>Mason & Builder Born Cornwall<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 5 - Richard Bassett 50<span> </span>Farmer Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 6 - Charles Parks Woon 40<span> </span>Farmer Born Cornwall<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 7<span> </span>-Richard May 35<span> </span>Ag Lab Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 8 - Thomas Curtis 25<span> </span>Ag Lab Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 9 - Nathan Tamblyn 30<span> </span>Carpenter Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 10 - John Curtis 35<span> </span>Ag Lab Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 10 - James Morcom 30<span> </span>Ag Lab Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 12 - Mary Kea<span> </span>40 Independent Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 13 - William Whetton 47<span> </span>Ag Lab Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 14 - John Vincent 50<span> </span>Farmer Born Cornwall</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 15<span> </span>- Edwd. Budge 50<span> </span>Drainer Born Cornwall</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 16 – Harriet Tamblyn 20 Female Servant born Cornwall<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 17 - Amy Francis<span> </span>55 Ind Born Cornwall</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 18<span> </span>- John Manhire 35<span> </span>Cordwainer Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 19<span> </span>- Richd. Manhire 40<span> </span>Farmer Born Cornwall <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Household 20 - William Bassett 40<span> </span>Farmer Born Cornwall<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-61867488100162767532010-05-17T03:43:00.001-07:002010-05-17T03:48:54.800-07:00The House of Lords<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">One of the worst characteristics of the Blair-Brown governments of the last 13 years has been their cavalier attitude towards our constitutional arrangements.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Nothing has been sacred to them, from a botched Scottish devolution to the abolition of the heretidary peerage.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Here is my plan for reform of the House of Lords.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">There should be an elected House of Lords, populated by Senators.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">These Senators would be elected under our normal first-past-the-post arrangements, with two Senators from each of our ancient counties with extra ones from London and a few other large cities.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">They would serve a fixed five-year term.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">None could serve more than five terms or for more than three consecutive terms for a particular county.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Minimum age would be 40 and retirement would be automatic on reaching the state pension age.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">One of the most noticeable things about the recent election was the almost total absence of women from the national campaign.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This is carried over into the current government, with only one major office filled by a woman.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">So each county would be required to elect a senator of each sex.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">A major objection to an elected House of Lords is that we don’t really need another layer of party politicians.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Obviously, you couldn’t prevent political parties putting up candidates but you could discourage them by banning Senators from being members of the government of the day.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">They would have to resign.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">It is often said that the current arrangements means that the House of Lords holds lots of expertise and experience. This might be true, but it also houses a lot of clapped out ex-politicians.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Personally, I can’t see why Melvyn Bragg, for instance, should be making laws for me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The new Senators would be salaried and would have a substantial budget to pay for any expert advice and research they needed.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The remaining hereditary peers and the life peers could retain their titles but would lose access to the Palace of Westminster.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">As they are serving for a fixed term, there would be a fixed date for Senatorial elections. This would be the first Sunday in May and 20% of the Senators would be up for election every year.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This would also be day for local elections.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The current government seems to be inching towards a fixed term for the House of Commons, so perhaps this “Election Day” could serve us for all three types of elections.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This new Senate should inherit the powers of the current House and its first task should be to instigate a joint commission with the House of Commons into their future relationship.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">If this commission resulted in proposals for change, then they must be put to a general referendum.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Indeed, this is my final proposal.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The switch from appointed Lords to elected Senators must be first agreed by the electorate in a referendum.</span></span></span><!--EndFragment-->Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-54542300540074687322009-07-27T07:09:00.000-07:002009-08-10T01:59:15.722-07:00A mounting tide of irritation!<div style="text-align: justify;">Last February, I noticed that I could get all I wanted from my ISP, Demon, by using their Demon Home 8000 service rather than my current service, Demon Home Office 8000. Thus saving £4 a month! I wrote to them and they sent me the paperwork which I completed and sent back. And thought nothing more of. In May, I switched credit card numbers and noticed that they were still charging me for the Home Office service. I told them and they asked for a copy of my original paperwork. I sent it in.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On July 14th, we had a power interrupt during a thunderstorm. The computer went off, but the router didn’t. Later that day, I noticed I had no broadband connection. The next morning I spoke to the Demon Help Desk. I have always found them to be very helpful, and at the price of a local rate phone call, very cheap. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After checking I had all the correct things set, username, password and so on, they said it was my router. I then spoke to the router people, Draytek. They said it didn’t seem to be the router, but as it was 6 years old, it would probably be a good idea to get a new one. I popped into Truro (using my free bus pass!) and bought one. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Started setting up the new router using the disc supplied by Belkin. This had a set-up wizard, so I used that. The details I inputted were from the previous router, already checked as correct by Demon. The start-up Wizard failed, sticking on the 6th of 6 steps. On the phone again, this time to Belkin. Set up the router using the browser. Nice and easy, except that I couldn’t make a web connection.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back to Demon. They didn’t know anything about Belkin of course; but we went thru’ the whole rigmarole again and again. Username, password, email address etc, etc. No joy. Finally, they declared that it was a BT line fault, involving my local exchange. This would take 24-48 hours. As I was going away the next morning I decided to leave it for now. In the event, I accessed my email over the weekend using Demon Webmail. I also have a Googlemail account. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On my return home, I took up the phone again with Demon. Every time I contacted the Help Desk I had to go over the whole problem; the notes they are supposed to make don’t seem to avoid having to do this. Eventually they decided it was another BT line fault (they had supposedly fixed the first one) and this time it would take up to five days. I just gave up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next day, they phone me – made a change. The gentleman calling identified himself as the BT Line fault guy. It was not a line fault he said. He gave me a new username and said that he was sure it would work. And it did. I had my broadband connection back after 8 days. Why was my username changed? He didn’t really know he said. Nor did he know why the numerous so-called “advisors” I had spoken to hadn’t known either. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So – everything fixed. Of course not. I could not connect to collect emails by my email programme, or by webmail. In both cases, the Demon server said the passwords were wrong. Back on the phone – passwords re-set – still no joy. Whilst waiting for something, I idly sent myself a test message from my Googlemail account. It bounced – domain not known! Back on the phone; and then it dawned on them, someone somewhere had changed my domain name by adding a 1 at the end of Medeschole. It wasn’t the passwords after all.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although I can’t get them to admit it, what I believe happened was that the change of service from Home Office to Home involved a change of username. They made this change and told no one including their own Help desk. Some days after this change, they also changed the domain name. Once again, they didn’t pass this change on to anyone. I subscribe to a number of mailing lists and companies. All of these are now broken because of the change of domain name. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Demon Help Desk is helpful but you can’t help feeling that they know little about Apple computers (although they are supposed to be the UK ISP of choice for Apples). And of course, they are based in India or somewhere and English is not their first language. I could hear myself getting more and more irritated! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am now looking for a new ISP – any ideas?</div>Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-63460300970058887722009-03-05T01:41:00.000-08:002009-03-05T01:46:12.042-08:00Change of course - again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cyizoy7ua3jvHF7ZZz1qRYxulwdzZWb1pn78s6iOkprzjrL9IkNqVlLh_e_Co9kcVfkSIMy4mpny0q5Wl_9KTPBnDBrNEFwBjK-Gz1Y9GTHpMLkP2LC7B-kUHpzVQk5oKrkK/s1600-h/Parrot+with+hammer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cyizoy7ua3jvHF7ZZz1qRYxulwdzZWb1pn78s6iOkprzjrL9IkNqVlLh_e_Co9kcVfkSIMy4mpny0q5Wl_9KTPBnDBrNEFwBjK-Gz1Y9GTHpMLkP2LC7B-kUHpzVQk5oKrkK/s320/Parrot+with+hammer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309637359514307058" /></a><br /><br />"Parrot with hammer". By Jamie, 2 years old, completed in about ten seconds. Nothing to do with anything really.<br /><br /><br />Hello folks<br /><br />With the ending of my assocation with Free Census, the main reason for this blog disappeared. I had thought to change it to Tales from the past, but it is too much like hard work.<br /><br />So, I am just going to use it as a pulpit to get things off my chest. Mainly about Cornwall of course.<br /><br />However, if anyone wants to send in a Tale from the past, I would be only too happy to accommodate them and publish it.<br /><br />Rgds from a sunny Cornwall<br /><br />MichaelMichael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-81830165359746506842009-02-03T01:42:00.000-08:002009-02-03T02:01:03.700-08:00Tales from the Past No 5 - Joseph Ward<div style="text-align: justify;">Tales from the Past – Joseph Ward one of Cornwall’s first Police Inspectors<br /><br />Joseph is my Gt. Gt. Grandfather on my Mum’s side and it’s his fault that I got involved in the Cornwall Online Census Project and later took on the OPC role for Gerrans – hence he has a great deal to answer for!<br /><br />Joseph was born in Gerrans and was baptised there in Dec 1822, the son of Richard Ward, a labourer, and Harriet Sawle. I really don’t know much about his early years other than a sentence in his obituary saying that “…in early life took to the sea. Not liking this he entered the Metropolitan Police Force. ” That probably explains why I haven’t been able to locate him in the 1841 census as he was probably on a boat somewhere.<br /><br />He’s still a sailor when he marries Jane Broad Collett in Aug 1850 in Philleigh but 8 months later in the 1851 census he’s a policeman in Kenwyn so according to his obituary he must have already been through the Met. Police in London. His wife was not with him in 1851 but staying with her parents in Philleigh, possibly because she would have been pregnant with Eliza Jane, her first child. Pregnancy seems to have become an almost full time role for her as she produced 10 children over 15 years:<br />Eliza Jane (1851), Ellen (1853), Richard John (1854), Joseph (my Gt. Grandfather, 1856), Alfred (1857), James (1859), William Henry (1861), Peter Collett (1863), Albert (1865) & Arthur (1866).<br /><br />While Jane was busy with the children, Joseph was busy with police matters and his name crops up several times in the West Briton e.g.<br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic;">TRURO POLICE (extract from West Briton 18th March, 1853)</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">On Monday last, John WEST, who lives near Malpas, was charged with being drunk and assaulting policeman WARD while in the execution of his duty. Between nine and ten o'clock on Saturday night, the policeman saw the prisoner lying drunk on the pavement outside the Devon and Cornwall Bank in Boscawen Street. He got him up and advised him to go home, on which the prisoner struck him three or four times. He was fined 5s. and costs, or one month's imprisonment.</font><br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic;">TRURO POLICE (Extract from West Briton, Friday August 19, 1853)</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">On Monday last, John TRESIDDER, labourer, of Kenwyn Street was charged with stealing apples from the garden of Mr. John TICKARD, of Trehaverne. He was fined 40s., or in default to be committed for two months to hard labour. Tresidder was also charged with assaulting policemen WARD and PRATER, while in the execution of their duty. He was fined 40s., or one month's hard labourer for assaulting Ward, and the same penalty for assaulting Prater. George PAPPIN was charged with attempting to rescue Tresidder when in custody, and also with assaulting Policeman Ward and Prater. When in the execution of their duty. He was fined 40a., or one month's hard labourer, for each assault, and was ordered to find sureties to keep the peace for six months.</font> <br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic;">TRURO POLICE (extract from West Briton, Friday October, 21, 1853)</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">CATHERINE BROWN, 46, was indicted for obtaining from Mary GLUYAS the sum of 2s. 7d., by falsely pretending that a compound metal ring she sold to her was gold. Mr. CHILDS conducted the prosecution. Mary Gluyas is a servant with Mrs. MUDGE, of Truro, and said that on Wednesday, last week, prisoner came to the back door of the house, and offered to sell her a ring, which she said was gold. She asked 3s. 6d. for it, but said she was in distress, and ultimately sold it for 2s. 7d. The ring was produced in court by police constable WARD, and was stated by Mr. W.B. SHAW, goldsmith, of Truro, to be made of compound metal, and that such rings were sold for 8d. or 9d. a dozen. Verdict, Guilty. Another indictment of the same nature was preferred against the prisoner, for obtaining 1s. 9d. from Sibella DUNGEY, of Truro, by selling her a ring of compound metal, which she falsely pretended was gold. Verdict, Guilty. A third indictment against the prisoner for selling a similar ring for gold to Eliza TREGANOWAN, of St. Clement, for 3s. 6d. was on the calendar, but was not proceeded with. Four Months’ Hard Labour.</font><br /><br />Joseph moved from Truro to Camborne which is where the family were when my Gt Grandfather (Joseph) was born in 1856. A year later the Cornwall Constabular Force was formed and Joseph was appointed an Inspector – initially in Liskeard and from August 1857 in Penzance. This is Joseph in his rather stylish inspector’s uniform:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8PaMuOFdLr_5WzeDnE2nZQi_jhAppHXs-HB2iUpSfC5bGFe-QE7LWPKrG7n6oI9JOGcz_kdvN58qxaaeudNrlk3pirJUmctKacalnjk2ycEzpNj80opohhxuyjpzxdKTxjpJ/s1600-h/joseph+ward+profile.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8PaMuOFdLr_5WzeDnE2nZQi_jhAppHXs-HB2iUpSfC5bGFe-QE7LWPKrG7n6oI9JOGcz_kdvN58qxaaeudNrlk3pirJUmctKacalnjk2ycEzpNj80opohhxuyjpzxdKTxjpJ/s320/joseph+ward+profile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298506669463830898" border="0"></a><br />In Penzance he and Jane continued to raise their expanding family until tragedy struck when Jane died on Christmas Eve 1867, just 2 weeks after the birth of Arthur. Her death was recoded as being due to “Chronic disease of knee joints and tubercular disease of lungs”. This left Joseph with 10 children to raise on his own and his own health was probably already deteriorating as on 31st Oct 1869 the Chief Constable issued the following bulletin:<br /><br />“The Chief Constable informs the force that Inspector Ward has now been compelled from ill-health to retire from the service, and would now record his great regret at losing the services of this officer who was one of the first to join the Force on its formation, has served the County faithfully for 12 years and leaves the Force with an exemplary character.<br /><br />The Chief Officer takes this opportunity of laying before the officers of the Force the scheme by which he determined the gratuity awarded to Inspector Joseph Ward and which he proposes to carry out in similar cases of retirement – as to gratuities to officers of good character compelled by ill heath to leave the Force before completing 15 years service and recommended by the Chief Constable for gratuity.<br />1) up to 10 years service he shall receive a month’s pay for each year’s service<br />2) after 10 years service and up to 15 years service, he shall in addition receive at the rate of 2 months pay for each year of good service.”<br /><br />Thus I infer that Joseph was the first member of the Cornwall Constabulary to be retired through ill health as the Chief Constable had to make up the pension rules for him! His police record shows that he received a gratuity of £105 1s 3d out of the superannuating fund.<br /><br />Just over a year later Joseph was dead from TB and he was buried in Gulval on 30th Nov 1870. His obituary read as follows:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Death of Mr. Joseph Ward, late of the Cornwall County Constabulary</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">November 27th, 1870, aged 48 years</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hundreds of persons who knew Inspector Ward first at Truro, then at Camborne, then at St. Just, and last at Penzance will regret to hear of his death, at the latter town on Sunday evening, of haemorrhage of the lungs age 48. Mr. Ward we believe was a native of Gerrans and in early life took to the sea. Not liking this he entered the Metropolitan Police Force and afterwards held a similar situation in Truro. He then removed to Camborne where he was engaged by the parish prior to the establishment of the local constabulary. On the formation of this body he was made an inspector, soon afterwards was transferred to St. Just and, eventually was placed in Penzance with a view to aid him to recover broken health. There his wife died leaving 10 young children. Gradually Inspector Ward’s strength failed owing to repeated bleeding from the lungs and becoming incapacitated from active service he received a gratuity of a hundred guineas from the county, and resigned. For two years since then he had lingered until he succumbed on Sunday to a violent and protracted attack.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">At Camborne and St. Just when a policeman was a novelty, and some of the rougher sort, especially on pay days, relished a set to with the man in blue, Inspector Ward had hard times of it occasionally, yet he gained not only the confidence of his superiors, but the goodwill of those who at first looked on him as an enemy. His quiet but firm demeanour, his discharge of his duty without the least appearance of meddling, and his neighbourly conduct, joined to sympathy for his position when sickness fell on him and deprived him of his helpmeet, made for him a host of friends and well-wishers who will regret to hear that his large family are now orphans.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Joseph’s police record describes him as follows:<br />Height: 5ft 9in. Visage: Long, Complexion: Fresh, Eyes: Hazel, Hair: Brown<br />…that just about describes me and my facial profile is very similar to his. I’d also very pleased with myself if I could live up to the qualities described in his obituary!<br /><br />Posted by Bill O'Reilly - UK<br /><br /></div>Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-22337306825018275052009-02-03T01:25:00.000-08:002009-02-03T01:40:39.751-08:00Tales from the Past - Thomas RiellyThomas is my Gt. Gt. Grandfather and a bit of a thorn in my side! He was born about 1836 somewhere in Ireland. He attested for the army in Kilrush, Co Clare in 1853 stating that he was from Tulla in Co Clare but researchers in the area confirm that there were no Rielly, Reilly or any other spelling (with or without the ‘O’) families in that area so “Thanks a bunch Thomas” for leaving me this brick wall.<br /><br />Thomas served with the 18th Royal Irish Regiment and the Royal Artillery for 21 years. Between 1854 and 1855 he saw service in the Crimea and was at the siege of Sevastopol. There he was awarded the English medal for the Crimea with clasp for Sevastopol and also the Turkish medal for the Crimea. The medals have not survived within the family and I recall my Dad saying that they had probably been pawned by his grandfather<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpeSgBNUy3NKFtGUh79UdmwPlNb19PgjTSDNpQzpyEUAqTyUFbL4CCRKzdlG74Cv1peBE3VoT0Moxyp0z3AXyUF6u7GpamjbD8SeqChykbGh6nLtfy6IGN2gzsgvkggQS6eRv/s1600-h/Thomas+Reilly.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpeSgBNUy3NKFtGUh79UdmwPlNb19PgjTSDNpQzpyEUAqTyUFbL4CCRKzdlG74Cv1peBE3VoT0Moxyp0z3AXyUF6u7GpamjbD8SeqChykbGh6nLtfy6IGN2gzsgvkggQS6eRv/s320/Thomas+Reilly.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298500310682677746" /></a><br />Thomas served with the 18th Royal Irish Regiment and the Royal Artillery for 21 years. Between 1854 and 1855 he saw service in the Crimea and was at the siege of Sevastopol. There he was awarded the English medal for the Crimea with clasp for Sevastopol and also the Turkish medal for the Crimea. The medals have not survived within the family and I recall my Dad saying that they had probably been pawned by his grandfather<br /><br />After the hell of the Crimea he returned to Ireland and spent a couple of years based in Dublin at Pigeonhouse Fort before being shipped off to India. He was in India between 1857 and 1859 no doubt addressing another aspect of British history, the Indian Mutiny.<br /><br />Somewhere along the way he married Maria Mooney but I’ve never found out when or where. Tracing Irish marriage records is not easy unless you happen to know which church they married in! I suspect he married while he was in Dublin but there are quite a few churches in Dublin and I’d probably need to spend at least 2 weeks researching in Dublin in order to have a chance of locating the record.<br /><br />Thomas & Maria’s firstborn was Christopher William, my Gt. Grandfather (see photo), who was born in about 1861 in Madras. Does that make me Indian? <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichF_BtHwY2SUhRlsKczdx0WjMVbEsHRJwDeo9qMjEJ00J0YxP9CzTxEo2yjQ8FPh2eYMbFcv7ktQZ3wy0N0FFe075YEeXQommNdDH2S9HnY9X-Pc0Q9knJETaQW47OGtbYjEG/s1600-h/Christopher+William+OReilly+(Snr).jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 237px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichF_BtHwY2SUhRlsKczdx0WjMVbEsHRJwDeo9qMjEJ00J0YxP9CzTxEo2yjQ8FPh2eYMbFcv7ktQZ3wy0N0FFe075YEeXQommNdDH2S9HnY9X-Pc0Q9knJETaQW47OGtbYjEG/s320/Christopher+William+OReilly+(Snr).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298502575344660658" /></a><br />Next came Alfred in about 1866 in Secunderbad and then John in about 1868 somewhere in India.<br /><br />By 1869 he and his family were back in Ireland and Elizabeth was born in 1869 while he was back at Pigeonhouse Fort followed by Sophia in 1871 when they were based in Athlone. At about that time he seems to have switched regiments again as in Sept 1872 he was serving with the Coast Brigade when he rescued Lizzie McFadden by jumping into the water (the Shannon) and bringing her to the surface. She was ‘insensit’ and he rolled her on the grass to bring her round. For his efforts he was awarded a testimonial on vellum by the Royal Humane Society. The rescue was witnessed and reported by the Horse Guards who received a reward. I hope Thomas received more than a piece of nice paper for his efforts!<br /><br />In October 1874 he was discharged from the army in Belfast and appears to have relocated to Newcastle on Tyne where Henry was born. By March 1878 he was working as a labourer in Newcastle when Joseph arrived and in the1881 and 1891 census records he was a labourer living in Elswick in Newcastle. In the 1901 census he was a ‘labourer in Elswick Works’ which later became known as Vickers Armstrong – manufacturers of military ordnance.<br /><br />Thomas’ obituary appeared in the Illustrated Chronicle in Newcastle on 25th Jan 1912,<br />“Mr Thomas Riley, one of the oldest members of the Northumberland Veterans' Association, died at his residence, 932, Scotswood Road, Newcastle, yesterday, after a brief illness.<br />Mr Riley had a distinguished military record, having served in the 18th Royal Irish Regiment, and later in the Royal Artillery for a period of over 21 years. He was one of the veterans who were inspected by King George V., when, as Prince of Wales, he visited Newcastle in July 1908.<br /><br />Mr Riley served throughout the Crimean campaign with the Royal Irish Regiment, and was present at the siege of Sebastopol. He was in possession of the Turkish medal for the Crimea, the medal for long service and good conduct, and also a testimonial from the Royal Humane Society, awarded to him on Jan 16, 1873 for gallantry in saving life.<br /><br />He was a fine specimen of the Crimean veteran, standing nearly 6 feet high. His photograph was presented to Col. R.O. Kellett and officers of the Royal Irish Regiment by special request some time ago. An enlargement was made and framed with a small tablet attached, setting forth Riley's record of services to his country, and by command of the present commanding officer of the regiment was placed in a prominent place in the regimental institute.<br /><br />The funeral takes place at Elswick Cemetery on Sunday.” I’ve tried to locate that framed photograph but I suspect it was consigned to the skip when the regimental institute was closed. It certainly never made it to the regimental museum in Ballymena.<br /><br />Thomas was certainly given a good send off! His coffin was borne through the streets of Newcastle on a gun carriage and he buried with military honours in Elswick.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOSWfOrZBCeiA8RhX3l4W_GHyzR7JZm6YW7LC-hkQPjceJkOZZKKnuZyKAX40biFKoO8Hgtr9oJi-oUiLJvvusWGihShhFoolPTAzWMyIZkAYLbfXuVF9zS-ljHBLVZnZx9al/s1600-h/Thomas+Reilly+funeral+procession.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOSWfOrZBCeiA8RhX3l4W_GHyzR7JZm6YW7LC-hkQPjceJkOZZKKnuZyKAX40biFKoO8Hgtr9oJi-oUiLJvvusWGihShhFoolPTAzWMyIZkAYLbfXuVF9zS-ljHBLVZnZx9al/s320/Thomas+Reilly+funeral+procession.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298503183136694194" /></a><br />So this is my one and only link with Ireland and unless there is a minor miracle I suspect it will continue to have that status.<br /><br />People often assume that with my surname I must be Irish but that really isn’t the case. My Dad was born in Newcastle and his family came from Ireland, India and Somerset; my Mum came from Barnsley but her ancestors came from Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Cornwall. So am I Irish, Indian, Cornish or whatever? I don’t know – but I do know that I’m from the Isle of Wight!Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14828223.post-5451797197126124582009-01-01T02:14:00.001-08:002009-01-02T03:28:37.182-08:00Tales from the past No 2 - Cornelius Delaney<div style="text-align: justify;">One of my paternal great great grandmothers, Mary Vaughan, sticks out like a sore thumb on the English census returns, because she was born in Gibraltar. She was married to Thomas Vaughan, born in Ireland about 1827. When I obtained a copy of her Irish marriage certificate, I discovered that she was the daughter of Cornelius Delaney, who was described as a pensioner.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I posted a message to the Delaney message board and to my surprise, got an immediate response from two Australian ladies. Cornelius had gone to Australia in 1850 and I had suddenly acquired lots of Australian relatives.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cornelius had gone to Tasmania in 1850 as an Enrolled Pensioner Guard on the convict ship Rodney. He was listed as being late of the 94th Regiment of Foot. With this vital piece of information, I engaged a researcher to look for his Army records at Kew.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He had enlisted in 1824 at Borris-in-Ossery, in what was known as Queens County. He was born about 1800 in Aghaboe, which is near Borris. When I visited there in 2005 I found a ruined abbey, a church and 3 houses. The researcher found his record of service and in 1825, the year Mary Vaughan was born, he was in Gibraltar. Searching the parish registers of the only Roman Catholic church in Gibraltar in 1825 (courtesy of the LDS) I found that Mary was the child of Cornelius and Sarah Delaney.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwp37PSuNfegTSaiQmtVvQGZqGQDFr-xdRaYjb4Ld4puSnvdReIKV39ct5iK_i1beK0f6vwoSfNFfU3zld1qR6sZVcqdesSXq2dxf_ShRKbu2tKAq6XOiwz8b-MG6lmmX-QZc/s1600-h/Mary+Delaney+PR+entry.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 54px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwp37PSuNfegTSaiQmtVvQGZqGQDFr-xdRaYjb4Ld4puSnvdReIKV39ct5iK_i1beK0f6vwoSfNFfU3zld1qR6sZVcqdesSXq2dxf_ShRKbu2tKAq6XOiwz8b-MG6lmmX-QZc/s200/Mary+Delaney+PR+entry.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286310554393906450" /></a><br />Baptismal entry for Mary Delaney (click to enlarge)<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know nothing else of Sarah and do not know if Delaney was in fact her maiden name. They had a son two years later, but no further trace of him was found. What I know of Army wives at that time is based on reading the Richard Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell. I understand that a battalion was allowed a limited number of “official” wives on foreign service, but there was usually a number of “unofficial” wives. So Cornelus might, or might not, have been married to Sarah.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, by 1832 he was in Malta and married to Margaret Horan. In 1835, they had a daughter Catherine, born on board ship, offshore Malta. At that time they were on their way to India. Cornelius only served in India for just over a year and in 1836 he was probably back in Ireland. He was in India long enough to get busted from Sgt to Private for being drunk on a bathing parade. Don’t ask.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1840 he was discharged on a pension of 6 pence a day because of ill health. He had scurvy and was suffering from arthritis. I don’t know what he did then but the British government maintained Army units of reservists and pensioners to maintain civil order, this was the time of the Irish famine.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1850 he sailed to Tasmania on a convict ship. On arriving in Hobart he was appointed as a police constable. This was not unusual for guards. He was granted some land, about 7 acres. After less than a year, he resigned from the police and in 1857 the whole family, plus a new ex-convict son-in-law, sailed to Victoria.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When he arrived in Hobart he had his wife Margaret with him and several daughters. Cornelius and Margaret seem to have had 4 daughters after Mary Vaughan, but I only know of two survivors, Margaret and Catherine. These two ladies produced over 20 children between them, most of them survived and so I have lots of Australian cousins.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QkVSr_AeNDz4UrZ68v6tmrvPXhgnyKemtBYlqRkRnI4S5uZi67cu7qlgNxQpIpNPGPDtVQLHP-G7oL6gHrJ9RZMgMCJ0vRUVHSHBx74vmf-4bu6zz3uaj_ZfO2o7oH3Qri8o/s1600-h/Catherine+Delaney+01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 156px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QkVSr_AeNDz4UrZ68v6tmrvPXhgnyKemtBYlqRkRnI4S5uZi67cu7qlgNxQpIpNPGPDtVQLHP-G7oL6gHrJ9RZMgMCJ0vRUVHSHBx74vmf-4bu6zz3uaj_ZfO2o7oH3Qri8o/s200/Catherine+Delaney+01.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286268899328794162" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Catherine Delaney in Sidney about 1913.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cornelius lived a long life, dying in 1895 in Hesket, Victoria. When he died he was missing a leg and one eye. Family legend had it that he had been injured in the Crimean War, but he was in Tasmania at the time!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">[I gained much information from Cornelius' Australian Death Certificate. He HAD married Sarah in 1819 but the informant didn't know her surname. He married again in about 1823. The certificate listed 5 children, 3 of them alive, one of them my gggmthr in England. The Australian branch obviously knew of her]<br /></div>Michael J McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420031175369432868noreply@blogger.com0