When the streets of Bathside were established, the names chosen were all (excepting Stour Road) people of a certain stature, politicians and royalty. Some are more obvious than others, and fall into three distinct categories, so let's look at those. The first category is simple enough - relatives of Queen Victoria, who was on the … Continue reading The Names of Bathside
On This Day: September 28
1550: Len Weaver, in his Harwich Papers, tells us: "On September 28th 1550, John Chapman and William Olyfe were chosen Churchwardens and served for fourteen eventful years". 1625: Gossip travels - a letter from Thomas, Earl of Suffolk, explains "I hope and pray that these great blusterings in our country about Harwich may come to … Continue reading On This Day: September 28
The ‘Black Hole’ of Information
One annoyance with Harwich research that I have alluded to in the past, is a gap in information between the Post Office Directory for Essex from 1855, and the Census of 1861 (the next PO Directory being from 1862). To my knowledge, there are no other similar directories that plug this gap, and if there … Continue reading The ‘Black Hole’ of Information
Of Princes and Swans
The recently-opened Harwich Museum is in full swing, and the section I find myself drawn to the most is the little study area, or reading room, which not only has all sorts of Harwich-related books, guides, and photographs, but also a selection of Standard newspapers by year, which are a real treasure trove for all … Continue reading Of Princes and Swans
Accuracy Checks
We all know the phrase associated with the word "assume", and assumptions are always the bane of any historian or genealogical researcher, but sometimes those assumptions seem so logical that you don't even realise you're making them, so it is important to double-check even the most water-tight links and connections. Take John Holderness, victualler of … Continue reading Accuracy Checks
On This Day: September 12
1721: The excellent Essex & Suffolk Surnames site holds a marriage licence record from this date for John Batten of Harwich and Susanna Whitaker of Kelvedon; records show they married at Colchester St James on the same day. 1808: The National Archives holds a plan taken from a letter on this date, for a "circular … Continue reading On This Day: September 12
Commercial Dovercourt in the Early 19th Century
Heading into the 1800s, it is fair to say that Harwich had eclipsed its older Borough cousin at Dovercourt, with the Packet service, among other nautucal activities, making it a useful hub in the corner of North Essex. As county directories started to become more common, Harwich started to feature, with details of coaches from … Continue reading Commercial Dovercourt in the Early 19th Century
Example Will: Robert Kelde, Mariner of Harwich
While I have transcribed wills on this blog before, I have tended to modernise the language to make them more readable, so this time here is an example of a short will transcribed as accurately as possible - that of Robert Kelde, mariner of Harwich (PROB 11/133/318), proved 17 March 1619 (at the time of … Continue reading Example Will: Robert Kelde, Mariner of Harwich
HPFC: 1953 Amateur Cup Quarter Final
While Harwich & Parkeston's run to the final of the 1952-3 FA Amateur Cup, and subsequent trip to Wembley, is rightly talked about as a proud moment for the club, and the town, their exploits in the earlier rounds are rarely discussed. This post looks at the most impressive victory in their cup campaign, over … Continue reading HPFC: 1953 Amateur Cup Quarter Final
Several Uncommon Functions of the British Newspaper Archive
With the BNA announcing that "millions of pages will be made free to view" through them now and in the near future, it seems as good a time as any to consider some uses for the Archive that may not be immediately obvious, that could be useful tools for searching, or just a bit of … Continue reading Several Uncommon Functions of the British Newspaper Archive
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