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LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY
AND HERALDRY SOCIETY
Rossendale Branch
Newsletter September 1999
OUT VISIT- EXTRA
Sunday 19th September 1999
This will be the third time we have attempted to
organise a walk round Grane. It doesn’t always rain on the moors above
Haslingden. It just seems like it. Why do we keep trying? Because Grane
Moor and its reservoirs are very special. Not only is it a very beautiful
place, it is steeped in local history. This time the walk is being
combined with a trip round the Water Treatment Works. Please assemble at
the Works at 1.00 pm on the 19th September. If you are unfamiliar with the
area, you will find the turn off just beyond "The Duke of Wellington." on
the same side of Grane Road. Please add your names to the list held by
Kathleen Ashburner. Let us hope it is third time lucky.
Projects
The Society’s chief project co-ordinator Tony Foster
has given me some project forms to be completed by anyone undertaking any
work on behalf of the society.
Tony says it is essential for projects to be
registered, otherwise you are not covered for accident insurance. Also it
prevents duplication of effort.
Finished projects should be sent to the publications
committee for microfiching and then three copies will be bound, one for
the society library, one for the church and one for the public library
(unless they prefer to do their own binding), this is at no cost to the
branch. Paper and other requirements can also be claimed back.
The sale of microfiche contributes greatly to the
society’s income; the purchase of microfiche is one of the benefits that
can be enjoyed by out of County and overseas members.
Haslingden Library Learning Centre
Haslingden library has acquired 12 personal computers
for use by registered borrowers over 16 years. There is no charge except
for printing (10 p. per sheet) and 60p for downloading files onto a floppy
disk. Access to the internet is limited to one hour. It is possible to use
the e-mail and also a flatbed scanner is attached to one PC. Staff are on
hand to assist customers to get started. It is advisable to book in
advance. I have some leaflets issued by the library if anyone is
interested.
The 1881 Census on CD-ROM and Vital Records Index
Wilf Day has agreed to keep charge of these CDs. If you
would like to have an item checked, please contact Wilf. A small donation
to the society would be welcome.
Coming Events. Talks,
Conferences, Exhibitions.
Friday 15 October. The LFH&HS’s annual dinner will this
year be hosted by the Lancaster and Morecambe Group. A special evening of
"Lancashire fare" will be held at the Clarendon Hotel, Marine Road West,
Morecambe.
The after dinner speaker will be Ian Dewhurst. This
event costs only £10. It is worth that amount alone just to hear Ian
Dewhurst speak! I am told that on this particular evening
"clogs, shawls, waistcoats and flat caps will certainly
not be out of place."
Saturday 30 October 1999 NW Group Family History Fair
(previously known as the Stockport Fair) will this year be held at the
Guild Hall, Preston
The Public Record Office
The PRO is to put its entire catalogue (of 8 million
documents) on the web. It is hoped to achieve this by the end of the year.
Once this has been achieved, some of its most popular documents will also
be put on line. These include William Shakespeare’s will, Guy Fawkes’
confession and the crew and passenger list of the Titanic. The catalogue
gives a brief description of each file and its location. It will be
possible to order a document online so that when you go to Kew it will be
ready and waiting.
1901 Census
The PRO also intends to put the 1901 census online.
This is due to be released for public consultation in January 2002. It is
estimated that the PRO Family Records Centre at Myddelton Street will have
reached saturation point by 2003, even without the impact of the release
of the 1901 census returns. There are more than 32 million names on the
1901 census covering 2.5 million pages. Because of the potential increase
in demand at the FRC it has been decided to digitise the census and make
it available to researchers via the internet as well as at the FRC. The
PRO believes that most people now have access to the internet at home or
at work. They also have the option of accessing information in local
libraries.
The only way to finance a project of this size is to
seek commercial partnership. A detailed invitation to negotiate has been
issued to a short list of bidders and their submissions are now being
considered. The PRO has consulted with Family History Societies, one of
the major points made repeatedly, was the need for records off site. They
are keen to receive the views of anyone with an interest in historic
censuses.
Rossendale Ancestry.
1. Mrs Joyce Lee of Accrington is looking for
information on James Ormerod Heyworth bapt. 6 January 1829 son of Lawrence
Heyworth.
2. Mrs Alison Fitzgerald, 27 Clivedene Street, Matua,
Tauranga 3001, NZ is seeking information on Hannah Booth. She married
James Thornton at Towneley Chapel 8th July 1834. On the 1851 & 1861 census
returns at Preston her place of birth is given as "Hareholme Forest of
Rossendale." In 1851 a Thomas Booth, clerk, aged 27 of Constable (Lee) was
living at the same address . E-mail abfitz@bopis.co.nz
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