Category: family history
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Going to see Uncle
An everyday tale of pawnbroker folk
An everyday tale of pawnbroker folk A bonus, month, subscription to FindMyPast has enabled another trawl of the British Newspaper Archive records. There are more digitised journals than the last time round, but a new target seemed a good idea. Who in the family tree might be most likely to appear in a regional or local rag? The answer was pretty obvious, given that the latest issue of Who Do You Think You Are magazine {1} turned the gaze of its regular occupation pages onto pawnbrokers. » »
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A proud pit fireman
A hundred year old certificate
A hundred year old certificate The archive of old photos on the Howes side of the family has now passed in to my possession. This will allow more scans, filling in gaps from the 2011 exercise {1}. There are also a few snaps on the Watkins side that were in a separate bundle or mixed up in other papers. Here’s a partial image of probably the largest item in the whole collection – 16½ by 20 inches {2}. It has multiple folds, a few tears and » »
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Piecing together the anti-war evidence
New WW1 ‘conchy’ records
New WW1 ‘conchy’ records A new record set covering conscientious objectors has been published on the ‘Lives of the First World War‘ website {1}, run by Imperial War Museum and FindMyPast. Added to mark International Conscientious Objector Day on 15th May, the Pearce Register of British World War One Conscientious Objectors collates fragmentary evidence to produce over 16,500 records {1}. The exact status of grandfather Sydney Howes during WW1 has been a little uncertain, with the rather woolly conclusion to date that although not » »
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A new look for Cutlock & Co
More images, more mobile
More images, more mobile Cutlock & Co has had a design makeover. Nothing greatly wrong with the old look, which has been the same since the start. However it wasn’t perfect for meeting Google’s new emphasis on being “mobile-friendly”. And I’d been on the look out for a simple “magazine” format for ages, although not necessarily for this website. This new WordPress theme {1} appeared to fit the bill, so time for a play! Ann Harriet Howes (Cutlock) with daughter Gertie on the beach The design » »
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Not taking a hint on Griffith Watkins
Highs and lows in a Rhondda life
Highs and lows in a Rhondda life Taken separately, none of the information in this piece is exceptionally noteworthy, but together perhaps there is enough for passing interest. This little session kicked off with one of Ancestry’s “new hints” email notifications – usually highlighting irrelevant items or ones I’d checked out a day or two before. This time, it included a 1911 Wales census hint for Griffith Watkins, a great great uncle {1}. While this did indeed prove to be a hint to ignore, it prompted » »
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Cycling in, and out of, the family story
Changing transport, and work, options
Changing transport, and work, options As a cyclist, and sometime cycle campaigner and rides organiser, I was delighted to be contacted out of the blue (via this site) about family bike shop connections. Second cousin (once removed) Ronnie Myhill used to have such a shop in Carlisle, before switching to grocery – I’d already spotted his dad Sidney was a cycle agent at one point. Ronnie was definitely involved with bicycles in 1953, and the grocery store existed by 1969, per phone directories on Ancestry. Our » »