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Changing of the Guard

30/5/2015

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Introduction

This weeks blog comes from Jim Herbert of Berwick Time Lines. Jim describes himself thus:

"I love the history of Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland and the Borders, Historian, designer, actor, technician and siege engineer!" 

He can often be found walking the medieval Walls imparting his knowledge to visitors to the town, or digging around in the Archives to get to the bottom of his latest find.  In this article Jim looks at the importance of paleography and how it has proved invaluable in his research, in this case the history of the "Main Guard".  The fruits of nearly two years hard labour is about to be realised with the publication of his new book revealing the 'true' history of Berwick Town Hall.  He admits this would not have been possible without his ability to read and understand old texts.  Jim's passion may be the history of old buildings but the same principle applies equally to family history.
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Blog

“One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.”
So said the 3rd century BC Indian philosopher, Chanakya.  I wouldn’t know about the wealth but he was bang on about the knowledge thing. 

Any recording of information depends on two things for the idea to work.  Obviously there has to be a way of recording the information.  This used to be by oral tradition but over the centuries, writing has taken over.  Stories were often told in picture form, allegedly at an exchange rate of one picture for every thousand words!
The less obvious part of the process is the reading of the information.  It’s a bit like having the most amazing text on an old 3½” floppy disk but only having a CD drive on your computer, or possessing the funniest film ever made on VHS tape but being limited to a DVD player.  It doesn’t matter how brilliant the piece of writing or film is.  The would be reader or viewer is limited by the modern technology.  The information stored on the old technology cannot be read and so may be lost unless someone is able to convert the old format to a more contemporary one using a VHS to DVD or MPEG4 (or whatever the latest tech is) converter.
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Alphabet in Secretary Hand
Paleography is a bit like this.  Many documents written before the 19th century are not easily read.  The language tends to be long-winded by comparison to today’s English.  Why use one word when ten will do?  The spelling is variable.  Words are contracted (but not in the same way even within the same sentence).  As you delve back into older documents, you find these problems get worse; the phonetic basis of spelling becomes more pronounced and words that have long ago fallen out of use are employed.
But the researcher’s biggest problem is the letterforms.  Most people are familiar with the “long s”, often looking like a lower case “f” in printed works.  Because it’s decline is relatively recent, we can get our heads around a word that looks like “poſseſsion” relatively easily.  Incidentally, there is a remaining use for it:  the oblique slash stroke in the symbol for shillings “-/-”, is a corruption of the long s.
But how about a Scottish name like Menȝies or Dalȝiel?  Here, the middle-English yogh is used.  The names should be pronounced “Ming-eez” and “Die-yel”, but because the yogh looked a bit like the “tailed z”(ƺ), printers tended to use a “z” which led to the less correct pronunciations, “Men-zies” and “Dal-zeel”
One example of very old letter form still in use is the thorn (þ), pronounced “th”.  This will be more familiar as the form it corrupted into which looks indistinguishable from a “y”.  Hence “Ye Olde Tea Shoppe” should be pronounced “the”, not “yee”.  Oddly, we now favour “you” instead of “thou”.  
More commonly in old texts, the thorn may be used in abbreviations (another favourite trick of ye scribes of olde to confuse the 21st century mind). Thus:
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But it is worth getting your head around these things because once you do, a wealth of knowledge is opened up to you.  I remember one of the first things I wanted to research was a ditch to the north of Berwick-upon-Tweed, called Spade’s Mire.  The one piece of archaeological research references a couple of 17th century entries in the Berwick Guild of Freemen minute books. 
Naively, I went along to the record office and asked to see the book in question.  Like some ceremony, the foam wedges were placed on the table to support the ancient tome and I was given a magnifying glass, the better to study the text.  The volume was produced and opened to the relevant date.  And I was confronted by a load of faded script that may as well have been written in ancient Martian for all the good it did me!  Luckily, the lovely archivist at Berwick Record Office, Linda Bankier, read out the relevant passages as I frantically tried to keep up with her dictation.
Recently, as part of the Flodden 500 project, Linda was offering crash courses in paleography and transcription for volunteers to transcribe documents pertinent to this famous battle.  Over the course of six sessions, Linda took a band of volunteers back in time, exploring the changes in the written word until I too was able to decipher the hieroglyphs that had once stumped me.  

And what a world is opened up!
Many people reading this will be interested in their family history.  My passion is for old buildings and it is only because I spent the time learning the rudiments of paleography that I had the confidence to tackle the research into two well-known buildings in Berwick:  the Main Guard and the Town Hall. 
Something I have realised over time is that you should never believe what you are told. Not necessarily.  The trouble with the “official” versions of events and buildings, such as those written by Nikolaus Pevsner or English Heritage, is that, usually through lack of time and local knowledge, these academics will read an established history of the subject and regurgitate it.  Subsequently, everybody copies what they’ve written because “these are the people that will know about these things”.  But if that original source is wrong or is misinterpreted, then everybody else subsequently, unwittingly, trots out the same mistake.
And so the problem begins: where to find new information?  Like some TV pathologist able to spot clues and read the signs, so a researcher of any history must be able to read the story that may be there, in clear sight, yet a mystery to the untrained eye.  While I would never suggest that the official record should be dismissed out of hand--everyone’s opinion is valid--sometimes the only course of action is to go back to any original documents that may have been written about your chosen topic.
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Main Guard in it's Current Position in Palace Street
By way of example, The Main Guard is a small 18th century guardhouse in Palace Street in Berwick.  The official version of events is that it was originally on Marygate, the main street in Berwick, dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt on the Palace Street site in 1815.  Below the building’s portico is a plaque with the legend:

“This eighteenth century guardhouse was removed from Marygate in 1815 and rebuilt here.”  What could be clearer?
In Dr Fuller’s History of Berwick (1799), there is an illustration of Marygate showing the Main Guard in Marygate.  Fuller describes the building thus:
“It is most incommodiously placed in the High Street, 100 yards distant from the Scotch Gate, the spot where it should have stood.  It measures 65 feet in length.  It consists of a room for the officer of the guard, a large apartment in the middle of the house for the soldiers, with benches for them to lye upon it. There is likewise a large fire place in it. Besides it has an apartment called the black-hole.”
That sounds like the Main Guard we know and love, so this confirms the information on the plaque.

Or does it?  There’s only one problem.  The architectural design of our Main Guard is totally different to that shown in Fuller.  Details like the portico with square pillars and arches (in Fuller) as opposed to Tuscan pillars on ours.  The window design and other details are all different too.
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Main Guard (on the left) in circa 1799 - As depicted by Alexander Carse
This might be attributed to inaccuracy by the artist, Alexander Carse.  However, all the other details of this illustration and of others in the book are accurate and he was a respected Edinburgh artist.  So that leads to only two other possibilities; that the building was altered between 1799 and 1815 or that its a completely different building.

I decided to investigate and hidden in the Guild books in Berwick Record Office are a couple of references that explain what happened.  In September 1813, the Guild wrote to the Board of Ordnance:
”… in consequence of a Wish expressed to the Barracks Department by the Inhabitants of Berwick that the Guard House in the high Street should be removed to a less inconvenient Situation the Board had consented the Guard House being provided the New Scite of the Building is upon an open Space near the Saluting Battery; but that the Board cannot permit the present Guard House being pulled down until the Mayor and Corporation in their Official Capacities shall engage to build the new one of the same dimensions, of the same Elevation, and equally servicable in every respect, upon the spot pointed out.”
In July 1814, the Guild agreed to the site in Palace Street being used for the purpose.  Work on the new building must have progressed quickly as by March 1815, the Guild was discussing paving the site of the “Old Main Guard”

So there we have it; our Main Guard was a completely new building – not the old one recycled.  It was built to the same layout and dimensions of the old one, hence why it matches Fuller’s description.  Who knows when the plaque was added – possibly not until 100 years later.  It’s probable that something had been lost in translation as the Chinese Whispers of history are repeated through the years, the original message being the location of the Main Guard had moved – not the building itself.
Now comparatively, early 19th century text is not that hard to read, but this mystery might never have been resolved had I not spent one morning looking at the Guild books, something I would not have contemplated had I not taken the time to learn a bit of paleography.

Links

You can follow Jim and keep up to date with his latest discoveries at:

www.berwicktimelines.com
berwicktimelines.tumblr.com
Twitter @berwicktimeline
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/berwicktimelines

For those of you interested in learning more about paleography there are numerous courses available for all levels from beginner through to advanced.  If you fancy a bit of fun there is a good introduction to the subject on the National Archives website, and when you think you have mastered the basics you can always pit your wits against the "ducking stool"! at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/palaeography/tutorial/ 
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***Breaking News*** ~ New Exclusively Transcribed Record Collection Released From Forces War Records

29/5/2015

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I couldn't wait to share this news!  For anyone tracing their military ancestors these records are a fantastic new resource.

New Exclusively Transcribed Record Collection Released From "Forces War Records"

"This month, in commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of VE Day and the end of the war in Europe, Forces War Records will be releasing a brand new collection of daily reports from the Second World War. 

We are really excited about this collection, as it includes detail not available in previously released Second World War data sets. It will give Forces War Records’ users information about what happened to your Army ancestors at very specific times during the war. Almost any military records will give the name, rank and service number of the subject, but officer records traditionally miss off the latter piece of information. In these records however, service numbers are also given for officers. In addition,  information on deaths, wounds and prisoners of war is given, along with specific duty locations. Importantly, the collection also gives corrections for previously released lists where soldiers have, for example, been incorrectly recorded as killed or missing but later found to be alive and well.
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The British Army suffered over two hundred thousand deaths during the course of the Second World War, over one hundred and eighty thousand men made Prisoners of War, and nearly the same number again wounded. For these reasons this collection is extensive and a very important resource for anyone researching their military ancestors from that war, as there is so little information on that conflict available to the general public right now. 

Over 90,000 records have already been uploaded to the website thanks in no small part to our brilliant data entry team. We estimate a further 400,000 records across 102 separate files, are yet to be digitised and uploaded so we have a long way to go yet. This does mean that if you don't find your Army ancestor right away he may be one of the records we haven't got to yet.

Further information on the list can be found on the Forces War Records website under the Collections List tab: https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/collections/134/wwii-daily-reports-missing-dead-wounded-pows/ 

The 90,000 records already uploaded are accessible from the main search form and will be included in any relevant list of results".
Why not subscribe today and see if your ancestor is among the 90,000 casualty records already available online!
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/subscription-rates 
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"Better Felt than Telt": Exploring the origins of the Hawick Common Riding.

23/5/2015

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Introduction

There is never a bad time to pay a visit to the Scottish Borders, but from now until its culmination at the end of the first full week in August, if you are looking to immerse yourself in true Border's history and culture, this has to be the best!  I am talking of course about the Civic Week festivals celebrated each year in towns throughout our region which are accompanied by the traditional "Common Ridings".    

This week Alastair Redpath of the Community Group "Project Hawick" explains a little about the history that forms the basis of these traditions, and introduces the "Borderer"to whom the bond of kinship and family far outweighed that of nationality, and gave us the words blackmail and bereaved!

More information on all the Border Festivals for 2015 can be found here:-
http://returntotheridings.co.uk/events/

Blog

Hawick Common Riding is the first and most ancient of the Border festivals, being celebrated each year in early June. A mixture of horse riding, pageantry, charity and a fair consumption of alcohol, Hawick’s premier tourist attraction might at first glance appear peculiar to anyone not initiated in its traditions. This is however a gross over-simplification of what the Common Riding achieves and what it means to so many people. In this article Project Hawick aims to explore the origins and traditions of the Common Riding and offer some insight into what it means to be a Teri (a native of Hawick, Scotland). Please note that this is by no means a definitive history, but one that cherry picks interesting tidbits of information to provide one flavour of interpretation.
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Hawick Common Riding 1907

At the ‘hedge’ of the known World.

The various events and traditions that are associated with the Common Riding have been added to and evolved over time, to create a unique ceremony. Looking into the history and lineage, there is no single point of origin, but several.
Hawick itself is a town of great natural beauty set within the Border region of Scotland. Nestled among rolling hills sculpted by the last great Ice Age, it sits at the confluence of the River Teviot and Slitrig Water. The undulating terrain has over time given up its secrets, revealing a cluster of ancient hill forts and scattered Roman connections. The Romans created an advance post at Trimontium, near Melrose, and a signal station on nearby Ruberslaw, but never ventured beyond a temporary camp at Eastcote, two miles east of the town. It is widely held that the current settlement was founded in the 12th century, when the Anglo-Norman Lovel family was granted lands by King David I. Their primary residence came to be at Castle Cary in Somerset, but they established a ‘motte and bailey’ castle in Hawick - a fortification with a palisaded wooden keep on a raised earthwork, surrounded by an enclosed courtyard, protective ditch and a small settlement of houses and farm buildings. Indeed a popular theory as to the origin of the name ‘Hawick,’ is that it derives from the Old English words ‘haga’ – hedged and ‘wic’ - dwelling. The Chronicle of Melrose later details the dedication of the Church of the Holy Mary in 1214, from which St. Mary’s Kirk can claim an 800 year lineage today.
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Hawick Town Hall courtesy of Undiscovered Scotland.
The medieval village was often overshadowed by its near neighbours, great Border Abbey towns like Melrose, until a royal charter created Hawick a Burgh of Barony in 1511. This allowed the settlement to grow and hold weekly markets. The Town Charter of 1537, afforded by Sir James Douglas (7th Baron of Hawick), noted that the settlement had grown in size, comprising 110 houses, a manor house, church and mill. These rights were confirmed in another royal charter of 1540 (by the infant Mary, Queen of Scots), with the Burgh’s municipal privileges surviving relatively intact until the eighteenth century.
Bringing this into sharper focus, the lawlessness of the reiving age necessitated that the town’s boundaries were ridden by young Burgesses on horseback. They would inspect their Burgh's common land to check that neighbouring landowners had not encroached its boundary. The people needed this 'commonty' to graze livestock and grow harvests to survive and prosper, so any unlawful houses, walls or crops were destroyed. Hawick’s Common at one time stretched to some 1549 acres, past Ca’ Knowe to Troutlawford. Local incorporated tradesmen, including the weavers, tailors, hammermen, skinners, fleshers, shoemakers and bakers, all took part in the Common Riding according to written evidence. Though many of Hawick’s trades were eventually disbanded, Selkirk Common Riding retains this link – each having their own colour to preserve tradition. Riding the Marches flourished in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Stirling, Dundee, Inverness and Arbroath between the 16th and 18th centuries too, but they endured in the Borders long after they ceased to be essential.
A period of great unrest followed in the time of the Stewart Kings in Scotland and the Tudor Dynasty in England. Situated in the heart of the debatable lands, Hawick often paid a heavy price during the time of the Border ‘reivers’ (from the Old Scots ‘to steal’), being razed to the ground on more than one occasion. To the average citizen, the medieval village must have felt like the edge of the known World, often described as Scotland’s own Wild West. The ranks of the notorious Border reivers consisted of both Scottish and English families, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their victims' nationality, paying heed only to their own skewed codes of honour and family allegiances. Numerous stone fortifications were built to protect the surrounding land and its people, including Drumlanrig’s Tower – the vaulted portion of which is the town’s oldest building.
A great division of the Common took place in 1777, the Duke of Buccleuch laying claim to over 456 acres (over a third) of the town’s land. An offshoot of this was that Hawick’s remaining Common was legally mapped out and secured for the first time. Indeed the Hawick Common was still fiercely protected by pistol until 1784. Though it was no longer deemed necessary to ride the boundaries, Hawick is forever indebted to the individuals who chose to continue the tradition. The insecurity of life during Hawick’s formation endowed the local community with an independent identity, loyalty, and rivalry, and asserted its inhabitants with a fierce civic pride. 
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1514 Monument, known locally as "Ken the Horse" Picture courtesy of Borders Journeys
 But why Ken?  Find out here..  http://www.kenthehorse.co.uk/why-ken/

1514 and the Battle of Hornshole

Hawick’s cultural epoch can arguably be traced back to 1514, when the settlement's young men or ‘Callants’ were called to arms to defeat a marauding band of English invaders. After the Battle of Flodden the previous year, around a third of the Scottish army had been killed (upwards of 10,000 men), making the Borders extremely vulnerable to attack by English forces. Almost all able bodied men from Hawick, aged from sixteen to sixty, had been killed in action. Prior to the Battle of Hornshole, there was another instance of local heroism. In November 1513, a large raiding party led by Lord Dacre was apprehended on the Fodderlee Burn near Bonchester. Though there were said to be 4000 horsemen and 400 bowmen set on reiving cattle and supplies, a hardy band of locals chased and harried Lord Dacre’s men through the valley.
History rarely records such losses, but Dacre was to return to the area on a speculative raid in May 1514. The raiding party had recently laid waste to towers, villages and houses across the West and Middle Marches, including Caerlanrig, Alemoor Tower and Ashkirk. Warning beacons would have been lit across region to forewarn of further attacks and Lord Dacre would have been keen to return home in one piece. Recent research has shown that the party did not intend to attack Hawick directly, but rather camp at Trows (near Hornshole), as it was on a well-worn route to the south, via Midshiels ford and Cavers.
Prior to their arrival, the Hawick Magistrates called a meeting of the town’s inhabitants and proposed that the enemy be resisted at any cost and the town defended to the last – “aye defend your rights and common” still reflects this sentiment today. Around two hundred of Hawick’s youth were armed with swords, dirks, pikes, bows and arrows and set off for Trows. In the early hours of the next morning the English camp was caught by surprise and a massacre ensued. The Callants returned to the town with a captured pennant raised on high, belonging to the Priory of Hexham and comprising the colours of today’s Hawick Common Riding - gold on royal blue.
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Unveiling of new Statue in 2014 - Picture courtesy of ITV Borders
It is important to note that modern commemorations of this event do not celebrate an act of brutal violence, nor do they revel in spilt English blood. Rather they celebrate the act of youthful bravery against the threat of almost certain death and the destruction of a community. With each passing year, Hawick’s new Cornet embodies these values. Last year, as part of the 500th anniversary of the event, a stunning £80,000 bronze artwork was unveiled at Tower Knowe. It depicts five figures, including a young Callant raising the captured Abbot of Hexham's banner, following the Battle of Hornshole. Quincentenary Cornet Ross Gibson unveiled the new statue before a large crowd on Common Riding Thursday, after a grand re-enactment of the battle which involved over 1,500 local school children.

The Big Eight

Most people associate the beginning of the Common Riding with the Picking Night in May. However, a Cornet is selected around the end of January on the advice of the previous two Cornets. There are few rules to be followed, but it is imperative that they were born in Hawick or registered in the district by parents that live locally. He must be considered someone that can dutifully carry out the role to the satisfaction of townspeople, an excellent horseman and be unmarried (to reflect the young Callants that returned from the Battle of Hornshole).
The Cornet Elect (as they are known until Picking Night) then selects an Acting Senior Magistrate, which is usually a mature friend of good local standing. This person also represents the Magistrates and Burgesses of Hawick, a role which has been purely ceremonial since the old system of local government was disbanded in the 1970s. Before there was a Provost, the Senior Magistrate was the highest elected official in the town and they often participated in the Riding of the Marches. Prior to the Picking Night, the Acting Senior Magistrate and the two previous Cornets (known as the Right and Left Hand Man, harking back to old battle formations) must visit over 80 local landowners to arrange that year’s ride-outs, routes and obstacles.
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Singing the Song 1914
A Cornet’s Lass, often misunderstood as a female placeholder, is chosen by the Cornet. She performs a great deal of important duties, ceremonies and visits throughout her year. An Acting Mother is also appointed to provide additional support and guidance. They attend the Ex-Cornet's Lasses and Ex-Acting Mothers Association Dinner where they are each presented with their Association badges. The Acting Mother position became officially recognised in 2003.  In 2008 a Bright Eyed Daughters organisation was formed, responding to the need to revitalise and enhance the knowledge of both schoolchildren and the townsfolk of Hawick about the customs and traditions of Hawick Common Riding.
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2015 Cornet - Gregor J D Hepburn
The official election of the Cornet takes place on the first Wednesday of May, originally to coincide with meeting of the auld Town Council. A large gathering usually waits at the Cornet’s house, including Ex-Cornets, Lasses, friends, family and supporters. A letter is sent from the Honorary Provost to the Cornet, inviting him to take on the role. It is directly hand delivered by Halberdiers to the accompaniment of the Drums & Fifes band. This ancient band is composed of fifes (small, high-pitched flutes) and wooden rope tension snare and bass drums.  The band plays a significant role at many of the ceremonies associated with the Common Riding. 
Often referred to as the 'Cornet's band', they do not play officially outside of Common Riding season. The first recorded Hawick fifer is at the 1797 Common Riding, although individual Drummers were employed much earlier than that. The band itself (with at least two drummers and two fifers) can be traced back to at least 1823.
The Cornet is then revealed to the waiting crowd and walks the route of the town’s old ports, usually with a crowd of local children. Before entering the Town Hall for a ‘Congratulatory Smoker’, he sings a song or two and throws money and small photos of himself to the crowd (known as a strive, or a scramble).

The Cornet, his Right and Left Hand Man, Cornet’s Lass and two previous Lasses, Acting Mother and Acting Father are collectively known as the Big Eight.

“Safe oot, safe in”

Amid dozens of pre-arranged concerts, ‘smokers’, visits to residential homes and schools, the first organised ride-out takes place on the Saturday after Picking Night. These continue every Saturday and Tuesday until Common Riding week in early June. Tuesday ride-outs were first introduced to allow traditional shopkeepers to ‘rally roond’ their Cornet, whilst mill workers would attend on the Saturday. Depending on the number of weeks in the year, locations for the ride-outs vary. Since the inception of the modern ride-out in 1891 (to Lilliesleaf), a cavalcade of mounted supporters traditionally follow the Principals to Bonchester Bridge, Roberton, Mosspaul (twice) and Denholm. Other locations have included Cogsmill, Philhope Bridge, Priesthaugh, Bogliebarns, Cavers, Harden House, Hermitage, Newmill, Skelfhill, Southfield, Teindside, Teviotdale Lodge, Teviothead, West Buccleuch and Wolfelee.
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The "Snuffing" 1910
Each ride-out starts with a muster in Allars Crescent, leaving from Backdamgate. The Right-Hand Man acts as front marshal and the Left-Hand Man as back marshal, to keep order in the cavalcade and provide assurance to younger supporters. There are usually lots of cars packed with picnics which go to meet the riders at the appointed location, and a big sing-song reception. On returning to the town, the cavalcade is usually greeted by streets lined with supporters, who wish the cavalcade “safe oot, safe in” on each ride-out. Principals dismount at the Backdamgate and carry children on their shoulders round to the steps of the Tower where there is a strive and more song singing.
Mosspaul is a special ride-out for many Teries during the Common Riding. After helping to revive the fortunes of the former coaching inn in the late 19th century, the local landowner invited the Cornet to ride over the hills to Mosspaul where he would be welcomed fondly. As a result, on Tuesday 28th May 1901, Cornet Sutherland, his Right and Left hand men, Acting Father JED Murray (widely considered to be the ‘father’ of the modern Common Riding) and other mounted supporters, set out to become the first modern day Mosstroopers. The tradition survives to this day and is organised by the Ancient Order of the Mosstroopers.
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Chase 1910
On the Thursday prior to Common Riding week a Chase is held, which commemorates the galloping Callants that returned from Hornshole with the captured flag. Before the development of housing in the West End, it was held from the foot of the Loan to Haggis Ha' Brae. After two spectator deaths in 1868 and 1876, it was moved to the Nipknowes. In the 19th century, there also used to be another Chase from the Cross Wynd to the Wellogate. Riders gallop at full speed up the Nipknowes to the cheers of well-wishers along the road side. From there they head to the Hut - Hawick's ceremonial seat of celebration and camaraderie - at St. Leonard's Farm. Tickets for the Friday Hut (available in limited numbers to non-riders) are always highly sought after. The building itself was constructed in 1924, following a wet Common Riding the previous year, and extended in 1964. The Hut is renowned for passionate and rousing speeches, Common Riding songs and the ready imbibing of alcoholic drinks! The farmer at St. Leonard’s traditionally provides the unique potion of ‘curds and cream’ to the riders as a repast. During the Thursday Night Hut the Acting Senior Magistrate officially becomes the Acting Father.

Common Riding Week

Common Riding week proper begins on Kirking Sunday, when the Cornet and his party march from the Town Hall to a local kirk of his choice. It is during this ceremony that the official Cornet’s tie is worn for the first time. A cracking display of these ties can be seen in the JED Murray suite at the Border Club, North Bridge Street.  In the afternoon, the Principals make their way to the Lest We Forget monument at Hornshole, where a wreath is lain in remembrance of the Battle of Hornshole. This duty is carried out with great humility by the Cornet’s Lass. Built in 1901 on a small piece of land near Hornshole (gifted by Captain Palmer-Douglas of Cavers), this monument was paid for with money left over from subscriptions to the 'Return to Hawick' painting. It was replaced at a cost of £3000 in time for the recent Quincentenary celebrations. Today the surrounding floral displays are tended to by Hawick's Bright Eyed Daughters. To end Kirking Sunday, St. Leonard’s race course at the Mair is inspected before that week’s races.
There are further Chases on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning, giving riders the chance to hone their equestrian skills. On the Wednesday night an Exiles Dinner is held for Teries that live out with a certain distance of Hawick.

Common Riding Thursday

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Common Riding 1935
The Thursday morning begins at 6am and is thought to be when the Riding of the Marches traditionally took place. Another fervent Chase and visit to the Hut follows and the riders complete a lap of the race course before returning to the town. The Cornet carries the ‘unbussed’ flag for the first time here. This is displayed for all to see from the Town Hall’s balcony. Aside from a few of the ceremonies mentioned previously (such as the Picking Night), all events up until 6pm on the Thursday are considered unofficial treasured aspects of the Common Riding. The clock at St. Mary’s strikes 6pm and the Drums & Fifes march around the oldest areas of the Burgh. At the Town Hall, the flag is later ‘bussed’ by the Cornet’s Lass who ties ribbons to it. This tradition harks back to decorating weapons and armour for luck prior to heading into battle.

The Honorary Provost takes great pride in charging the Cornet to “ride the meiths and marches of the Commonty of Hawick according to ancient custom”. The main speech at this ceremony is given by the Chief Guest, usually a Teri who has excelled in their chosen field. A proclamation is read out from the balcony of the Town Hall, where upon the Cornet himself ‘busses’ the 1514 Memorial. This ceremony is usually one of the best attended. He then leads a walk around the town, which includes the once separate village of Wilton 

Common Riding Friday

The penultimate day of the Common Riding begins at 6am with the rousing sound of the Drums & Fifes and the bells of St. Mary’s Kirk. After this a peculiar event is held at the modern day Heart of Hawick: the Snuffing.  This unique tradition takes place at the site of the Auld Brig, an ancient spanning of the Slitrig that was demolished in 1851. Snuff is dispensed to the waiting crowd in an old horn mull, harkening back to an old social custom of passing round the snuff box during convenient halts in Common Riding proceedings. Various ceremonies continue throughout the day, with a Cornet’s Breakfast (at a local hostelry) and a Provost’s Breakfast (in the Lesser Town Hall). Mounted supporters of the Cornet then gather at the Backdamgate and have oak leaves pinned to their outfits, the significance of which has been lost to time. The ‘Auld Song’ is sung from the steps of Drumlanrig’s Tower with great gusto, this being the oldest remaining building in the town and the oldest lyrical connection to the Riding of the Marches. 
Following an event filled morning; the Acting Father gets to take hold of the flag after a Chase up the Nipknowes and a final visit to the Hut. More ‘curds and cream’ are served up to riders along with Hawick’s own tipple of Rum and Milk. It is reputed that rum and milk was originally given as a medicinal drink to one of the members of the Drums & Fifes who was feeling a little ‘under the weather’ one Common Riding morning. This caught on with the rest of the band and soon spread to the Common Riding supporters. Today this unique beverage attracts significant sales for Guyana’s Skipper Rum!
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Off to Ride The Common
Getting down to more serious business, the cavalcade heads off to ride the ‘Commonty of Hawick’, with a sod of soil ceremonially cut at Ca’ Knowe, the furthest extremity of the modern town boundaries. It is here that the town’s Burgess Roll is read out - once an important task to take stock of those that regularly attended the Common Riding, but now a ceremonial duty in its own right. The cavalcade then heads to St. Leonard’s race course for a day of ‘flapping’ (as horse racing is known locally), picnics, socialising and a great reaffirmation of community spirit. The race course opened officially in 1854, and has been used exclusively for the Common Riding races since 1855. It is one of the highest courses in Britain. 

At 4pm the Cornet and his mounted supporters make their way to Myreslawgreen, whilst the Big Four make their way to the Coble Pool. Here the Cornet dips the flag in the river Teviot three times to mark the former boundary between Hawick and Wilton. The Friday evening draws to a close with song singing at Mill Path and the Common Riding Dinner and Ball at the Town Hall.
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Handing Back Ceremony 2014

Common Riding Saturday

Heading from the Town Hall in the wee hours, the Big Four climb the town’s Moat to sing ‘Teribus’ and after a few precious hours sleep muster at Drumlanrig’s Tower for another solemn ceremony. A wreath is lain at the Glorious Dead memorial at Wilton Lodge Park in commemoration of Hawick’s war dead. Respects are also paid by the gathering crowd before making their way to the Mair for another day of flapping, picnics (weather permitting) and socialising. When the races are finished, the Cornet leads the cavalcade back to the town for the Handing Back ceremony. 
The Big Four march the flag to the Community Council Chamber in the Town Hall and the Cornet returns it “unsullied and unstained”. What follows is traditionally an emotional moment for all involved, as the Cornet displays the flag on the balcony. It is placed in a holder and kissed by the Cornet, Right Hand Man, Left Hand Man and Acting Father, whose terms of office have now come to an end. ‘Invocation’ is played by the Saxhorn Band and the gathered crowd gives off a great cheer for a job well done, so ending another Hawick Common Riding. In recent years the Principals have made their way along to Tower Knowe for a final rendition of the ‘Bull Reel’ dance and even a pillow fight!
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Common Riding Saturday

“Better Felt than Telt”

The Hawick Common Riding is often misinterpreted as a misogynistic and archaic tradition. This interpretation does little to acknowledge the great effort of hundreds of volunteers, thousands of children and tens of thousands of adults that aim to produce a memorable experience for all involved. In recent years especially there have been wonderful charitable events tied into the more tried and tested traditions, including a fundraiser for the Scottish Ambulance Service at the Northhouse ride-out this month. Great strides have been taken to modernise the Common Riding, whilst taking great care to appreciate its roots, thus ensuring it can be enjoyed by people for many more years to come. But what use is telling you this? As we say in Hawick, it’s “better felt than telt”…

Sources:

·         Reflections O’ Hawick (2015), Ed. Ian W. Landles, Alan G. Brydon
·         Hawick Through Time (2014), Alastair M. Redpath
·         Hawick From Old Photographs (2015), Alastair M. Redpath
·         A Hawick Word Book (2002 edition), Prof. Douglas Scott
·         http://www.hawickcallantsclub.co.uk/
·         http://www.brighteyeddaughters.co.uk/
·         http://projecthawick.forumatic.com/

Links

Keep up to date with everything that is happening Hawick, and show Alastair and "Project Hawick" your support at:-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectHawick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/projecthawick
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/projecthawick
Project Hawick Forum: http://projecthawick.forumatic.com/

For those of you with ancestors from the area, why not combine your visit with a spot of family history research in the archives at Hawick Heritage Hub!
http://www.heartofhawick.co.uk/info/1/about_us/12/heritage_hub

Well that is you "telt"!~ so if you would like to experience the Border Festivals first hand and need some further assistance please contact either Alastair or myself, we are here to help you get the most from your visit to our unique Border region.
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Tracing Your Ancestors in Belgium ~ Histoires de Familles

16/5/2015

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Introduction

This week we are off to Europe as Marie Cappart of "Histoires de Familles" explains how to get started tracing those elusive ancestors in Belgium.

Marie is an Anglo Belgian family historian based in Brussels.  Her specialist areas of research are centred around Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and North France as well as the UK and USA.  Being multi-lingual she is a very handy person to know!

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You’re staring at a certificate. The dancing letters are written in an unsure hand: “Belgium”.

Now, where do you go? where to search next? Don't worry! We're here to help! This article will guide you through all the major sources in Belgium and hopefully put you on the right track. 


First, you have to know that Belgium is a very young country, created in 1830 in the aftermath of the battle of Waterloo so not even 200 hundred years old and as a consequence it was ruled before that by various countries such as France, The Netherlands, The Austrian Netherlands and The Spanish Netherlands. You'll have to take that into consideration when undertaking your research.
Another thing to take into account is the use of languages.  There are three official languages in Belgium: French, Dutch and German. German was added as an official language after some territory was given to Belgium by Germany as a compensation for what happened during the 1st world war.  Records can either be in French (often in the south of the country and Brussels, but not always), in Dutch (often in the north of the country and Brussels). During the French period, all records (but then again, there might be exceptions) would be in French even if the location and people concerned would speak another language. 

Complicated? It may seem so but the more you'll browse through records, the more it will become a habit to come across a record in one language and then perhaps the next in another; For more recent records, Google translate might do the trick but forums and other researchers may help you understand the content of the records.  Yes, Belgium is one complex country, with it's different governments, regions, communities and boroughs but it is also a captivating and interesting land!
There are different levels of archive keeping in Belgium. It's important to know them beforehand so that you don't lose a lot of time and money!

The State is responsible for the keeping of institutional archives including BMD's.  The main repository in Brussels-City only holds records from state institutions (and even then, not all of them) and the majority of ancient archives.   All other archives, ancient and old will be in one of the 18 repositories all over the country so you have to know where you want to head to before pushing one of the reading rooms doors.
The main repositories for genealogy are in Anderlecht where you can consult microfilms (civil reg., and parishes) for Brussels (whole region), French-speaking Brabant, the provinces of Liege, Namur and Hainaut and even more complete collections are to be found in the repositories of Liege, Namur and Mons or Tournai for Hainaut.  So for instance, if you're looking for a birth record in Namur, it would be preferable to head for Namur State Archive unless you'd like to look at a whole range of different records.

The same is true with Flanders. If you want to check a wedding record in Leuven, university town but presume that your ancestors also visited other places in Flanders, you'd be wise to go to Beveren where Leuven records can be seen along with other Vlaamse-Brabant, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen and Limburg archives instead of just going to Leuven (except if your search is Leuven specific or you require an archive record that's only stored there).
More and more records are available online (see below) but unfortunately they aren't all there yet, so a visit to the archives must be done when necessary.
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On the State Archives website, there are two ways to search:-

Via “archives” (general keyword research) where you can pick up a region, define a town or village (take good note of the fact that the boundaries changed in 1977 with the merging of smaller villages) and directly view the records (bmd's and a complete parishes set) or 

Via “persons” (linked to an ever growing database fed by hard working volunteers) where you can just ask if your “Anne Marie Maes” (equivalent of John Smith) is there. 

The database is far from complete but it's a good tool to indicate a list of names, linked to places. This research can be mixed with other online research such as the LDS website but the results will never be as close as Belgium and the State Archives website.
The most local level, “communes” or “gemeente” in Dutch keeps its local archives and organises its treasures out of good will so you'll have “communal” archives kept in a museum, documentation centres and other places where they are kept often in a very untidy state, much to the despair of the States Archivists whose role is to gather those archives and centralise them after analysis. If you find a record at the State Archives coming from a “commune”/”gemeente”, there could well be other archives linked to that file.   Always check at various levels if there could be something of interest to you.

Civil Registrations

Civil registration was established in Belgium with the French ruling of 1792.

First you have to know where your ancestor is from, or even have some rough idea of the regions for the aforesaid reasons. Unknown places can be very common in British records (a lot of census records mention “Belgium” without any further explanation) but they won't be much help, unless the surname was quite rare and from one region only. 

The biggest difference that will strike you, if you’re used to research in the UK, or most specifically in England is that you’ll find much more information in Belgian certificates than in British. For birth records, you’ll find the full names (including mother's maiden name) and ages of both parents as well as occupations and address, and sometimes information about the grandparents if they recorded the birth.  Don't assume that the father is not the same because the occupation doesn't match or because the mother first names sound incomplete. It may be a change of career and the mother may have a familiar name to go by, different from her official first name.   
Marriage records are the longest, they can sometimes be two pages long and people from abroad are always struck by how lengthy the information can be.

Death records will be shorter and will tell you of the full name, age, place of birth of the deceased as well as information on the information but, unlike in the UK, you will not find the cause of death.  However, if the informant is a policeman or an official and the deceased a bit too young to die, it can be a good idea to look into the police records of the place the person died.

To look for an online DR, you have two major choices and the best is to combine them. You can either go to the State Archives Website (http://www.arch.be) or to the LDS website. On both sites, you'll have to first select the location (Province for www.arch.be , Country and then Province for www.familysearch.org)
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In general, you’ll be able to find a decennial index (sometimes with the paternal links which can ease up the work) which will give you the reference number of the record and the page. Those indexes are to be found on microfilms, whether online or in a State Archive Reading room. They don't exist for all periods and all places but if they do, they'll help you organize your research (and find, for example, siblings)
More recent records are more difficult to obtain than in the UK. There's a 100-yrs privacy law but next of kin can usually, according to the law, ask for a contemporary record at the “commune”

If you wish to find a contemporary cousin, then you'll have to ask for authorization at the Tribunal of 1st Instance (In Dutch : Eerste Rechtbank) to cover wider research. The law is changing fast and law-makers are now more or less aware of the needs of the genealogists and do try to balance it with the need for privacy.  On a day-to-day basis, it may sometimes be easier, sometimes trickier to gain access. My rule for this procedure is “knock on every door, there might be one opening at some point”.

Parish Records

Before statutory registration, it was the church who was registering births, marriages and deaths. Information given would pretty much depend on what the priest would write and based on what he understood, implying a lot of surnames variations. The records were mainly kept by the Catholic Church.  There were some Protestants but they were a minority that often fled to protestant countries such as England or The Netherlands. 
The older the record, the shorter the record!  Parish records are rather short, giving immediate information only.  Name of the child, name of the parents and the godparents (often grandparents or family members) in the case of a baptism, names of husband, wife  and witnesses

in the case of a church wedding. Both parents will be mentioned towards the end of the 18th C, but even if they can be mentioned in some cases they are not, churches records having no general rules!

Publication of the Banns would be mentioned in the wedding record as well as sometimes the place of origin of the bride if different from the parish she marries in; The witnesses will be mentioned and could be members of the family or just friends or acquaintances if the couple is living far away from family or the marriage has met with disapproval.
You could also be in for a change of language. The older you get Latin will crop up and sometimes you’ll encounter ancient Dutch.

It can also be very useful to broaden the research to other places in the area and to use variations of names searched as there could have been “misspelling”.  The handwriting will depend on the priest but when you get to the 17th century you'll notice a big change in the style and a palaeographic handbook might come handy.

When you have gone through the civil and parish records that you want, you might find interesting to browse through other kind of records that can give you great insight your ancestors lives.

Other Sources

Now, civil registrations and parish records aren't the only sources one can use when researching our family history in Belgium. There are many others sources which can prove very useful especially if combined with other information. Those main alternative sources are population registers, military records, war and press records. Here are the basic things to know about them:-


Population Registers

Perhaps you want to find out more about your ancestors in Belgium, where they lived, what they did for a living etc.   The kind of information you'd find in censuses in England

I, like many others, use the population registers as substitute for censuses. There are censuses but they aren't really used as a genealogical tool and because of politic-linguistical reasons (too difficult to explain here) aren't easily accessible. Population Registers are kept at the place of residence. Access can be more or less easily gained depending on the period and the goodwill of the “commune”/”gemeente”.
Military Records
Military records of soldiers are kept at the Documentation Centre of the Army Museum at the Cinquantenaire in the heart of the European Institutions Quarters. There you'll find service records, information on medals etc.  An 'Officers' database is in progress and available online but for privates and other soldiers, you can only rely on the paper indexes (not indexed from L to N). Once you have the record reference, you can submit a viewing request and the record will be brought to the assigned desk in about 30 minutes.
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For military records of soldiers born after 1890, the records are still with the army and kept at a military base. To gain access, you must apply in writing and be very patient as the waiting time can be several months. Once you have a contact, you can go onsite by appointment or assign someone to go for you.  
Be aware, the military base is not easily accessible by public transport and an ID will be requested at the entrance.
Belgium was neutral from its independence in 1830 until WW1. This neutrality was broken by the  entry of the United Kingdom to the conflict when they subsequently  went to Belgium’s aid when it was invaded in August 1914.  The State Archives in Brussels hold various interesting archives concerning WWI in the “Archives de Guerre” series. For WWII, it might be better to contact the CEGESOMA, Study centre for Wars and Societies which  boasts an impressive set of archives and will most probably answer your questions.
Here you will also find PoW files and information about the deportation camps. Talking about deportation camps, the fort of Breendonck which was used during the second world war to deport Jews, gypsies and political prisoners to Germany is a “must see”.
Wills
Wills can be a very interesting source of information as they give an insight into the social and economic lives of our ancestors but to consult a will, you'll have to know the name of the solicitor as well as the place and, roughly, the date the will was “officialised”.  Apart from in very recent times, there's no central index such as PCC so the only solution will be to check solicitor by solicitor in a certain time frame to look out for wills - without of course any guarantee of finding something relevant to your family history.  This is easy to do in a small village with only one solicitor, more difficult in big towns such as Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent.  Solicitor’s archives will be kept at the State Archives repository of the region where they worked (Brussels-→Anderlecht, St Niklaas-→Beveren…) so be sure of the location you're looking for as there could be some places bearing very similar names. 

An easier route will be to locate a wedding agreement between bride and bridegroom. This kind of information will be given in the wedding record with the name of the solicitor and date/place of contract.
Press
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The newspapers and press archives are kept by the Royal Library. Most of them are on microfilms but the main titles have been digitalized very recently and you can make an appointment with the Royal Library to book time on one of the computers. Newspapers are also coming online at belgica.press

The Royal Library of Belgium is also a great tool as it holds all publications in Belgium and many books covering other locations, famous families, companies etc. Do not miss the cafeteria on the roof, it's a sight you don't want to miss and a nice break from a good work session.
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Aliens, Foreigners & Nationality
Starting in 1850, every foreigner had to be registered with the local police at the location of their residence, even if the stay in Belgium was short. Now, it doesn't mean that all files have been kept as some of them have been destroyed but there could be “the” file you are looking for and it often gives a lot of information on family members, addresses, occupations sometimes even political or religious.  Sometimes a picture could be included so the possibility for emotional moments for the lucky ones! The records are kept at the general State Archive Repository, Ruysbroek street in Brussels and it's best to make contact with staff first if you want to check for a record.
House History
If you want to find out more about the history of a house, the best thing is to contact, or even better go to, the “commune” where the house is located and asks for the archives of the “cadastre”

Once you are familiar with the use and customs of Belgian archives, it will become much easier to work through it, I promise you!   If it still remains unclear, I'll be more than happy to help you.
Conclusion
Of course, this article could be full of lots more information as family history possibilities are endless. It's never over and we surely don't want it to be, don't we?, but with this overview of the major places to visit and records to search, I hope you'll be able to kick-start your research.

I wish you a pleasant time looking for those long searched-for Belgian ancestors and am available should you have any other questions or are in need of more help! 

Marie

Links

Marie Cappart http://www.histoires-de-familles.org
Twitter https://twitter.com/histfamilles

Resources
http://www.arch.be
http://www.arch.be/index.php?l=en&m=about-the-institution&r=our-reading-rooms
http://www.kbr.be (Royal Library)
http://www.cegesoma.be
http://www.warvictims.fgov.be

Two Family History Societies
http://wwww.familiekunde.be (Dutch-speaking part)
http://www.geniwal.eu (French-Speaking part)



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Victory in Europe ~ Forces War Records

9/5/2015

1 Comment

 

Introduction

This week #AncestryHour brings you a fabulous guest feature from "Forces War Records" to commemorate the 70th anniversary of VE Day.

The transcript of the two iconic speeches by Churchill and His Majesty King George VI serve as a reminder that although hostilities in Europe were finally at an end, the conflict continued in other parts of the world.  On the 15th August 1945, a two day public holiday was declared to celebrate the allied victory over Japan, but it would not be until the signing of the surrender document on 2nd September 1945 that World War Two was officially brought to an end.

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Victory in Europe day, May 8th 1945, was a time of great celebration for Britain; as Churchill walked to a Service of Thanksgiving at St Margaret’s, Westminster, he was engulfed by an ecstatic, cheering crowd, all wanting to shake his hand and pour out their relief and gratitude. Even the two princesses, both teenagers at the time, got in on the act according to the Reader’s Digest’s ‘The World at Arms’. For once in a way their father the King allowed them to venture out mingle with the crowds, and wrote later in his diary, ‘Poor darlings, they have never had any fun yet.’
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King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princesses & Winston Churchill greet crowds outside Buckingham Palace Balcony for VE Day. - Forces War Records Archives
However, there were those who found it hard to get into the swing of things. Many young men and women would not be coming home, among them the 383,786 military dead from Britain, not to mention over 67,000 citizens on the Home Front – and that was without accounting for the Commonwealth casualties. The war with Japan raged on, and perhaps Churchill’s rather subdued announcement of the German surrender reflected his knowledge of what lay ahead for the unfortunate Japanese people if they didn’t lay down their arms soon.
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168,169,206 Batteries 60th London HAA, Reg 21st Army Group, 24 AA gun 21 round Victory Salute 3pm 5th May 1945. Forces War Records Archives
Nellie Last, whose diary is quoted in Juliet Gardiner’s ‘The 1940s House’, found it hard to move her thoughts beyond the tragedies of the present, but said to herself on hearing the announcement of a national holiday to celebrate the war’s end, “Well dash it, we must celebrate somehow – I’ll open this tin of pears.” This she duly did. 
Many felt similarly shaky about the future, but as lights all over London blazed forth on the evening of VE Day, having been dark for almost 6 long years, not to mention bonfires and fireworks, floodlights and searchlights, the children’s eyes shone with excitement. Surely few people could have resisted cracking a smile at that glorious sight!
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British 7th Armoured Division, 'Desert Rats' complete journey El Alamein to Berlin Victory Parade. Forces War Records Archive.
Below is the text of the broadcast in which, at 3pm British Double Summer Time on May 8, 1945, Mr. Winston Churchill announced the end of the fighting in Europe. Later the same day, H.M. the King broadcast his own message of thanksgiving, which is also reproduced. Both appear in our Historic Documents archive as part of ‘The Second Great War, Volume 8’, edited by Sir John Hammerton. 

Mr. Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announces the end of the war in Europe: 

Yesterday morning at 2.41 a.m. at headquarters, General Jodl, the representative of the German High Command, and Grand Admiral Dönitz, the designated head of the German State, signed the act of unconditional surrender of all German land, sea, and air forces in Europe to the Allied Expeditionary Force, and simultaneously to the Soviet High Command.  

General Bedell Smith, Chief of Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and General Franҫois Sevez signed the document on behalf of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and General Susloparov signed on behalf of the Russian High Command.  

Today this agreement will be ratified and confirmed at Berlin, where Air Chief Marshal Tedder, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and General de Lattre de Tassigny will sign on behalf of General Eisenhower. Marshal Zhukov will sign on behalf of the Soviet High Command. The German representative will be Field-Marshal Keitel, Chief of the High Command, and the Commanders-in-Chief of the German Army, Navy, and Air Forces.  

Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight tonight (Tuesday, May 8), but in the interests of saving lives the “Cease Fire” began yesterday to be sounded all along the front, and our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today.  

The Germans are still in places resisting the Russian troops, but should they continue to do so after midnight they will, of course, deprive themselves of the protection of the laws of war, and will be attacked from all quarters by the Allied troops. It is not surprising that on such long fronts and in the existing disorder of the enemy the commands of the German High Command should not in every case be obeyed immediately. This does not, in our opinion, with the best military advice at our disposal, constitute any reason for withholding from the nation the facts communicated to us by General Eisenhower of the unconditional surrender already signed at Rheims, nor should it prevent us from celebrating today and tomorrow (Wednesday) as Victory in Europe days.  

Today, perhaps we shall think mostly of ourselves. Tomorrow, we shall pay a particular tribute to our Russian comrades, whose prowess in the field has been one of the grand contributions to the general victory.  

The German war is therefore at an end. After years of intense preparation, Germany hurled herself on Poland at the beginning of September 1939; and, in pursuance of our guarantee to Poland and in agreement with the French Republic, Great Britain, and the British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations, declared war upon this foul aggression. After gallant France had been struck down we, from this island and from our united Empire, maintained the struggle single-handedly for a whole year until we were joined by the military might of Soviet Russia and later by the overwhelming power and resources of the United States of America.  

Finally almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us. Our gratitude to our splendid Allies goes forth from all our hearts in this island and throughout the British Empire. 

We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Japan, with all her treachery and greed, remains unsubdued. The injury she has inflicted on Great Britain, the United States, and other countries, and her detestable cruelties, call for justice and retribution. We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom! God save the King!
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Churchill gives victory speech. Forces War Records Archives

Message from H.M. the King to his peoples broadcast on May 8th, 1945: 

Today we give thanks to Almighty God for a great deliverance.

Speaking from our Empire’s oldest capital city, war-battered but never for one moment daunted or dismayed – speaking from London, I ask you to join with me in that act of thanksgiving.

Germany, the enemy who drove all Europe into war, has finally been overcome. In the Far East we have yet to deal with the Japanese, a determined and cruel foe. To this we shall turn with the utmost resolve and with all our resources. But at this hour, when the dreadful shadow of war has passed from our hearts and homes in these islands, we may at last make one pause for thanksgiving and then turn our thoughts to the tasks all over the world which peace in Europe brings with it.

Let us remember those who will not come back, their constancy and courage in battle, their sacrifice and endurance in the face of a merciless enemy; let us remember the men in all the Services and the women in all the Services who have laid down their lives. We have come to the end of our tribulation, and they are not with us at the moment of rejoicing.

Then let us salute in proud gratitude the great host of the living who have brought us to victory. I cannot praise them to the measure of each one’s service, for in a total war the efforts of all rise to the same noble height and all are devoted to the common purpose. Armed or unarmed, men and women, you have fought, striven and endured to your utmost. No one knows that better than I do; and as your King I thank with a full heart those who bore arms so valiantly on land and sea, or in the air; and all civilians who, shouldering their many burdens, have carried them unflinchingly without complaint.

With those memories in our minds, let us think what it was that has upheld us through nearly six years of suffering and peril. The knowledge that everything was at stake: our freedom, our independence, our very existence as a people; but the knowledge also that in defending ourselves we were defending the liberties of the whole world; that our cause was the cause not of this nation only, not of this Empire and Commonwealth only, but of every land where freedom is cherished and law and liberty go hand in hand. In the darkest hours we knew that the enslaved and isolated peoples of Europe looked to us; their hopes were our hopes; their confidence confirmed our faith. We knew that, if we failed, the last remaining barrier against a world-wide tyranny would have fallen in ruins. But we did not fall. We kept our faith with ourselves and with one another; we kept faith and unity with our great allies. That faith and unity have carried us to victory through dangers which at times seemed overwhelming. 

So let us resolve to bring to the tasks which lie ahead the same high confidence in our mission. Much hard work awaits us, both in the restoration of our own country after the ravages of war and in helping to restore peace and sanity to a shattered world…

There is great comfort in the thought that the years of darkness and danger in which the children of our country have grown up are over and, please God, for ever. We shall have failed, and the blood of our dearest will have flowed in vain if the victory which they died to win does not lead to a lasting peace, founded on justice and established in good will. To that, then, let us turn our thoughts on this day of just triumph and proud sorrow and then take up our work again, resolved as people to do nothing unworthy of those who have died for us and to make the world such a world as they would have desired, for their children and for ours…
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Churchill salutes crowds, Whitehall 8th May 1945. Forces War Records Archives

Links

There are lots of ways to follow Forces War Records!
Their fabulous blog can be found at:- https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/blog
Follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/forceswarrecords and
Twitter at https://twitter.com/F_W_Records

Better still why not take advantage of one of the TWO membership discounts on offer from Forces War records to mark this historic anniversary:-
40% discount on a one month subscription ~  use Code FB40 or for
70% discount on an annual membership package enter Code VE70 at registration
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/register/
A great opportunity to research your military ancestors!

Live Q&A session on Twitter @AncestryHour with Forces War Records expert Tom Bennington.  20th May 12.30-1.30 pm BST

If you have a question for Tom, or a photograph of a military ancestor that you would like to know more about, please send them to us via email - email link
Read more about the live Q&A Session here:-
http://ancestryhour.forumchitchat.com/post/need-help-with-military-ancestors-in-photographs-live-qa-20th-may-12-30-with-forces-7392311
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African-American Genealogy: 80 Top Resources for Finding Your African Ancestors

2/5/2015

1 Comment

 

Introduction

For anyone tracing their ancestors in America, Crestleaf has to feature highly in places to start!

With over 90 Million family records in the United States alone, Crestleaf.com is a leading provider of free genealogy information and free online collaboration tool for families to document their family history - create family trees, digitally preserve family photos, documents and oral traditions. Users can gather family photos, important documents, family artifacts and store them in Crestleaf's digital archive for all family members to access and share. Family members can create a timeline of key family moments, historical events, and upload historical photos to bring a family's story to life.


This week's blog from Crestleaf is a veritable "linkathon" for those research their African American roots!  

Blog

A Collection of African-American Genealogy Resources
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If you’ve hit a brick wall in your African-American genealogy research, you’re definitely not alone! You’ll likely find it more difficult to find certain records than with other types of genealogy research if you have African and slave roots since record keeping for African Americans prior to the Civil War just wasn’t thought of.

But don’t get to frustrated just yet. There are plenty of great African-American genealogy resources available on and offline, so we compiled a list of 80 African-American ancestry links to help you fill in some genealogy research holes and add missing stories to your family tree.

From African-American surnames, to Freedmen’s Bureau records collections and helpful blogs, you’re likely to find a long lost family member by utilizing our list below.

Resources for Discovering your African-American Ancestors

African-American Census, Death & Marriage Records
  • Access Genealogy: Black Genealogy Records
  • AfriGeneas: African-American Census Schedules Online 
  • Free African Americans
  • Lowcountry Africana
  • United States Census Bureau
  • Online Searchable Death Indexes & Records
  • Death Pentalty USA – Database of United States Executions
  • 1870 Federal Census Black and Mulatto Households – Perry County, Alabama
  • Register of Slaves Brought into Alabama – After January 16, 1832 in Perry County
  • Census Links
Freedmen’s Bureau Records Collections
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Photo credit: Gallery Hip
  • National Archives Freedmen’s Bureau Records
  • The Freedmen’s Bureau Online
  • Freedmen & Southern Society Project
  • Early Black Marriages of Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • Freedmen’s Bureau Records at the Africana Archives
  • Freedmen’s Bureau Reports – Hernando County, Florida
  • Arkansas Freedmen of the Frontier
  • The Valley of the Shadow Freedmen’s Bureau Records
  • Mapping the Freedmen’s Bureau – An interactive map that assists researchers in determining if there was a Bureau office near their ancestral home.
African-American Military Service Records
  • U.S. National Park Service Soldiers & Sailors Database: The Civil War
  • FamilySearch – African-American Military Records
  • African-American Military History
  • African-American Women and the Military
  • African-American Military Records – The USGenWeb Project
Immigration & Slave Trade Voyage Information
  • The African-American Migration Experience
  • Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database
  • Voyage to Discovery – Untold Stories of African-Americans and the Sea
African-American Surname Search & Slave Names
  • African-American Surname Matches
  • Unknown No Longer – Database of Virginia Slave Names
  • AfriGeneas Surname Search
  • Caribbean Surname Index
African-American Newspapers, Magazines & Online Collections
  • American Memory Collection – From the Library of Congress
  • Online Historical Newspapers – The Ancestor Hunt
  • BlackRefer: African-American Newspaper Listings
Library Resources, Centers & Archives for African-American Genealogy Research
  • National Archives African-American Heritage Resources
  • Researching Southern Claims Commission Records – St. Louis County Library 
  • Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center: African-American Gateway
  • Documenting the American South
  • The USF Africana Heritage Project
  • The Amistad Research Center
  • Connecticut State Library: African-American Genealogy Resources
  • University of North Carolina Greensboro Digital Library on American Slavery
  • Enoch-Pratt Free Library: African-American Genealogy
  • National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
  • Brooklyn Public Library – Black Genealogy Research
African-American Cemeteries, Monuments & Tombstones
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Photo credit: ghosttowns.com
  • African-American Cemeteries Online – Cemeteries and black churches
  • Resting Places of United States Colored Troops
  • Find A Grave: African-American Historic Cemetery
  • The African-American Historic Cemeteries of Portsmouth, Virginia
Genealogical Societies, Groups & Organizations
  • The Center for African-American Genealogy Research
  • African-American Genealogical Society of Northern California
  • The African-American Genealogy Group of the Miami Valley (Ohio)
  • Black Belt African American Genealogical & Historical Society
  • African American Genealogy Interest Group – Facebook group
  • Oberlin African-American Genealogy & History Group
  • African American Genealogical Society of Cleveland, Ohio
  • African-American Genealogy Group of Philadelphia
  • International Society of Sons and Daughters of Slave Ancestry
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Photo credit: Isthmus.com
  • African Ancestry: DNA Testing Kits – Trace your DNA. Find your roots.
  • Behind the Veil: Documenting African-American Life in the Jim Crow South – 410 recorded oral history interviews chronicling African-American life during the age of legal segregation in the American South, 1890s – 1950s.
  • Our Georgia Roots – Honoring our ancestors of Wilkes and Warren Counties
  • Our Alabama Roots – Honoring our ancestors of Barbour, Henry and Houston Counties
  • Taneya’s Genealogy Blog
  • Roots Revealed
  • Who is Nicka Smith?
  • Terrence Garnett’s Family Research
  • Finding Eliza
  • Notes to Myself
  • Between the Gate Posts
  • Our Black Ancestry
  • Black Loyalist
  • Finding African Americans on the 1870 Census
  • Christine’s Genealogy Website
  • African Roots Podcast
  • Reclaiming Kin
  • The Black Past: Remembered & Reclaimed
  • The African-Native American Genealogy Page
  • The African-American Migration Experience
  • Slaves and the Courts, 1740 – 1860
  • American Slave Narratives
  • African-American Coal Miner Information Page
Do you know of other African-American ancestry research resources missing from our list? Let us know in the comments!


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