Genealogy Chat

Well believe me, if I can navigate the site, anyone can, including your cat and your budgie. I go to the 'Region' which in my case is North West. Then I start a really tedious search, entering all known and unknown spellings of my family name (one by one, obviously) There is a Wild-card search thingy, but I can never make that work. After I have done that, I then search all the areas in which my ancestors lived. It takes me hours and hours and I have now learnt to keep a list of exactly what spelling I have searched. Don't forget though, if your Ancestor was called Snodgrass, you will only find papers which have exactly that spelling - in my case I have found (so far) twenty-seven different spellings of the surname on the original docs and endless misspellings of places, so you really have to be patient. It has been well, well worth it in my case, mind you, my rellies seem to have owned about a third of Lancashire at one time. (No need to curtsey, just a small bow from the waist will do) Now for the address, lets see if this comes out, A2A org uk. You know what to put in the spaces.(Honestly, how daft is this?) Happy hunting Marjorie

I was going to ask that just been on there just put name in and press search before that just put down what area good fun but none of my family on there:0(

Hi I know A2A is Access to Archives but how do you do a trawl around ? I've been in a couple if times &,I know I'm thick but, I can't work out how to navigate around. Vivienne

I was thinking that Jeanette

What's A2A, the only one I find is some sort of internet thing? Jac

Marjorie What is A2A? (bet i'm not the only one to want to know!) Jess

Actually folks, I didnt pay a penny for any of mine - they are all published, in full, (minus the In The Name Of God bits) on A2A. I doubt if sending for them will give me any more info than I have already got, but I do a weekly trawl of A2A to see if anything new has been posted and when it has, I am like a kid at Christmas! I especially loved my batty ancestor, who tried to give away his Manor and lands so that his son wouldn't inherit - he raced round the Moors, giving away fields etc to delighted Ag Labs - sadly, his son grabbed them all back again. Marjorie

Great-great-great-granny left - among other things - a diamond ring - where is it now? I'd like to now! Joy

Tracy If you know they were reasonably well off (their occuaptions are a huge clue) it is likely they left a will. Give them the date of death, where they died, their name, their occupation and they'll probably find them - that's the info I was given to follow. The first 4 years is £5 and then it goes up the more years they have to search - some weren't proved until the next heir died so it could become quite costly. Good Luck! Debby P.S. The deeds for Hague Hall which he mentions in his will are for sale on a website for £20 and it says 'not for export' so obviously an item they want to stay in this country. I'm really tempted to send for them but they're dated 20years earlier 1840 and none of the names match my family so not sure what to do!

Jan You must - mine's 5 pages long! It named all his 9 children (2 of them dead), some of the grandchildren, all of the spouses. For the one who didn't marry, he said if she had issue - she was 37 when he died - it would all go to the children once she died (as long as they were born in wedlock). He left her 3 houses and all the belongings of the 'Hague Hall Property'. The amount of info I've gained from one document is amazing! Hope you find one! Debby

How do you find the wills? I understand they can search, for a fee. I'd like to find them myself, but I don't know where to look. Any ideas?

By 1871 his son Edwin is an owner & farmer of 10 acres of land! So the field wasn't that small and how did Edwin get hold of it - he didn't get a share?! Debby

Thanks for this tip Debby. I also found Wills recently when I was searching of all things 'Military'. A section came up on Wills and I found one of my rellies but only in early 1800s. I'm definitely going to try your tip. Thanks again Jan

Julie/Tracy www(.)courtservice(.)gov.uk/cms/3800(.)htm Good Luck! Debby

Marjorie I've just found all 7 children living in the houses that they inherited!. The 3 adjoining ones he mentioned in his will 'and not to make any walls for seperation either now or thereafter'. The best bit is I think the houses are still there so I can go and take photographs - I am SO chuffed. There better not be any walls built LOL! Julie/Tracy It took me a while to suss it out but I'll try and remember how I did it! Bear with me I'll get back to you. Debby

Using Wills has taken me back seamlessly to the late 1600s. There are more before that, however one crucial one is so far missing and I am waiting patiently for it to 'turn up' so that I can wizz back to 1389! All this thanks to the Lancs Family History Soc, who have translated the early ones. I have also found proceedings of a Court Case which lasted 70 years. Both sides were made to prove their lineage, which they did through the Court of Heralds, who used certified copies of documents going back to 1400s. OK, I know these 'pedigrees' are not totally reliable, however, the Court accepted them as true and awarded accordingly. As part of their claims, both sides also made use of Land transaction documents which again went back to the 1400s. It was fascinating to read that the rent was originally 'a rose on the feast of St Stephen' and 'one iron-tipped arrow on the feast of St John', although the rent later went up to ten bob a year - for a Manor which had 1500 acres! Lovely stuff! Marjorie

Hi Julie www(.)courtservice.gov.uk I was just about to order it when a lovely lady on here contacted me and had already had it so she posted it to me! It's one of my best finds yet as it's proved who my gggg grandfather was and it mentions all his 9 children and the spouses and even some grandchildren. I really didn't expect any of my ancestors to be so wealthy! Good luck! Debby

How and where did you find the will? I have not yet tried this avenue. Julie

I received my gggg grandfathers will yesterday and am staggered to find he left 18 houses, a pigsty & yard, 2 fields, a mortgage of £100 secured on the 'Old Mill', £85 split between 5 grandchildren, 2 shillings a week to one daughter, 1 and a half share in 'Union Mill', worktools and linen! Got to find them all on 1861 census now as no addresses but some were adjoinng and have all the childrens names! What a gem of a document! Debby