Records of those, all men, who served in the Home Guard, or Dad’s Army”, are rare.
This collection, new to MyHeritage, contains 83,093 records of people who served in the Home Guard in the county of Durham between the years 1940 and 1945. Forms typically include the individual’s name, date and place of birth, and the battalion in which they served.
The records may be freely accessed through TNA at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C12483430
Roots Ireland is offering a 25% discount on 12-month subscriptions from 2 September to 17 September 2022. That’s US$198 rather than the regular US$264.
Before making a subscription commitment, check out the areas covered. A friend was disappointed to find there was nothing much for his Cork area of interest.
You may have more luck with Armagh. Roots Ireland recently added 26,210 historic records from the county dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries to its online database. Find a detailed list of the records added in this IrishCentral article.
Here are some new UK & Ireland collections coming to Ancestry soon.
Web: Wrexham, Wales, Cemetery Burial Register Indexes, 1876-2012
Web means it’s already available online, in this case at https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/service/wrexham-cemetery-burial-records-search-facility and will soon be conveniently available directly from Ancestry.
UK and Commonwealth, Law Examination Records, 1836-1947
UK, Women’s Land Army Index Cards, 1939-1945
These are from The UK National Archives, MAF 421 from a single microfilm reel.
UK, British Air Force Lists, 1919-1945
Digitized from publications, the collection is presently available at Findmypast.
The additions this week are for Sheffield, Yorkshire, and not your usual BMB records.
Yorkshire, Sheffield Crime Courts and Convicts 1769-1931
206,060 transcripts with basic information from:
Cases prosecuted for desertion, neglect of their children, c1904-1908
General gaol delivery, Yorkshire 1841
Orders for bankruptcy hearing
Police charge book 1838-1865
Prosecutions of felons 1837
Quarter Sessions prison calendar 1880-1931
Sheffield, Magistrates Court Register 1882-1917
Sheffield Police Ticket of Leave register, 1864-1874
Sheffield Police, Conduct and Commendation Book, 1831-1893
Sheffield Quarter Sessions prison calendar
Sheffield Watch Committee minutes 1891-1896
York Castle prison calendar 1769
Yorkshire Assizes prison calendar 1841-1842
General Gaol Delivery, Yorkshire 1841.
Yorkshire, Sheffield Social and Institutional Records 1558-1939
47,989 entries, transcripts from a real mixed bag of sources
Bradfield Lent Book, 1558
Apprentices, 1676-1833
Settlement certificates, 1700-1810
Removal orders, 1701-1844
Sheffield Highways assessment, 1711
List of papist estates, 1715
Whiston indentures, 1728-1738
Slaughterhouse agreement, 1750-1780
List of paupers, 1751-1808
Sketchley’s Sheffield Directory, 1774
List of Tontine Inn subscribers, 1785
Gales & Martin’s Directory of Sheffield, 1787
List of subscribers to new Coffee House, 1795
Corn loan guarantors, 1795
Sheffield in 1797
J. Robinson’s Directory of Sheffield, 1797
Ecclesall Bierlow Workhouse, register of inmates, 1812-1915
Petition of the Catholic inhabitants of Sheffield, 1815
Society for bettering the conditions of the Poor in Sheffield, appeal for funds, 1818
Bradfield Workhouse admissions and discharges, 1818-1849
Sheffield & Rotherham banks resolution, 1825
List of Members of Bradfield Game Association, 1838
List of able poor, 1843
Ecclesall National School exam schedule, 1844-1890
Sheffield, Nether Chapel Membership list, 1845
Deakin Institution annual report, 1863
Sheffield flood, list of dead and missing, 1864
Deakin Institution list of governors, 1867
Sheffield & Rotherham Red Book & Almanac, 1870-1885
Cemetery Rd Congregational Church subscriber, 1873
Dungworth School, Sheffield, exam schedule, 1876-1895
List of pupil teachers, 1877-1881
Register of canal boats, 1878-1924
Vickers Ltd training record, 1911-1930
Sheffield Sunday School, Band of Hope programme, 1912
Upton Colliery signing-in book, 1936-1939
Yorkshire, Sheffield, Asylum & Hospital Admissions & Subscriptions 1748-1937
19,103 entries, transcripts mainly from the South Yorkshire asylum admission register, and also:
General Infirmary, list of subscribers
House of Help for Friendless Women and Girls, case book 1888-1906
Subscribers to annuities
Subscribers to Sheffield infirmary
There may be additional information in the original records available from www.sheffield.gov.uk/archives or by email to
archives@sheffield.
While I’m not seeing a lot of comment on the new LAC website my impression is that the awareness is high and the experience is on the positive side.
Moving to new does mean bookmarks, and the directions on where to find things in publications no longer work as they did. It’s particularly annoying for someone who, having just completed an article, now has to edit it.
If the site structure stays as it is, and you don’t need to see again the four items highlighted with pictures on the main page, consider bookmarking https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/Pages/collection.aspx or https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/research-help/Pages/research-help.aspx/ — it would be helpful if the “Search the Collections” search box were at the top of that page too.
I wrote to LAC asking about maps, newspapers, and directories. A prompt reply from Andrea Eidinger, Team Lead – Web, LAC Communications and Marketing Branch, informed
“We are currently working on creating new guides for the maps, newspapers, and directories. In the meantime, we have a new page with information on our microfilm newspaper holdings (Newspapers (canada.ca)), the old directories page remains accessible (Canadian Directories Collection – Library and Archives Canada (bac-lac.gc.ca)), and a new guide for maps will be coming soon.”
Let us know what you think.
An article in the London Free Press reports an honour for George Beardshaw, born on Sept. 14, 1923, as “the last living orphan to come to Canada as part of the Home Children program, through which more than 100,000 youth were sent to Canada from the U.K. between the late 1860s and 1948.”
Beardshaw fought in France as part of the landing on Juno Beach and, toward the end of the war, was captured and held war prisoner for 18 days.
A new museum in Orillia, to be called the George Beardshaw Gallery, is being established to commemorate the history of the Home Children.
He arrived in Canada through the Barnardo organization in what must have been one of if not the last home child group to arrive before the war.
Is he the last living?
It’s difficult to know as some of the young immigrants hid their origins in later life.
Based on age their may be survivors from the more than 200 Fairbridge child immigrants who arrived in Canada post-war. Some don’t consider them as home children as the Fairbridge organization kept them in a farm school in Duncan, BC, rather than arranging placements as with those pre-war.
The British Newspaper Archive now has a total of 56,359,584 pages online (a huge increase from 54,783,049 last month).
This month 243 papers had pages added (104 in the previous month). There were 34 (16) new titles. Dates range from 1811 to 1999.
The 32 newspapers with more than 10,000 pages added are:
Here it is, https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/Pages/Home.aspx, the top part, in advance of the date LAC thought it would become available. The images make for eye appeal.
You can use the search box at the top or click on Collection if you’re searching for information. Shouldn’t that be Collections?
On that page under Most requested, find Census search, First World War Personnel Records, Ask us a question, and Image credits. Go down another level, under “Help with your research,” to find the page I was expecting to not be as far into the site.
It’s early days yet. LAC will undoubtedly make adjustments as they get feedback directly and from usage patterns.
Choose from free online events in the next five days. All times are ET except as noted. Those in red are Canadian, bolded if local to Ottawa or recommended. Assume registration in advance is required; check so you’re not disappointed.
Tuesday 30 August 2:30 pm: Discover Your Irish Family History in Beyond 2022’s Virtual Record Treasury. by Elizabeth Hodges for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6972108
Thursday 1 September 6:30 pm: Ethnicity Results Deep Dive by Steven Frank for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7013013
Thursday 1 September 6:30 pm: Researching Your Metis Ancestors, by Christne Woodcock for OGS/Ontario Ancestors.
https://ogs.on.ca/zoom-meetings/christine-woodcock-researching-metis-ancestors/
Friday 2 September 10:15 am (sic): 10 Best Self-Publishing Tips for Family Historians by Lisa Alzo for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/10-best-self-publishing-tips-for-family-historians/
Friday 2 September 11:30 am (sic): Changing Places, Changing Borders: Overcoming geographic challenges, by Dave Obee for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/changing-places-changing-borders-overcoming-geographic-challenges/
Friday 2 September 12:45 pm (sic): Tracing migrating ancestors: Who, what, where, when, why and how, by Myko Clelland for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/tracing-migrating-ancestors-who-what-where-when-why-and-how/
Digitized files for these WW2 servicemen recently became available online.
| NAME | DATE OF BIRTH | PLACE OF BIRTH |
| WILSON KENNETH READING | 07 Feb 1924 | MONTREAL CANADA |
| GODDARD HERBERT CHARLES | 01 Jul 1911 | TORONTO CANADA |
| BAILEY WILLIAM JOHN | 25 Jun 1906 | BRIAR CREST CANADA |
| PRENTER SAMUEL | 23 Jun 1912 | ST JOSEPHS ISLAND CANADA |
| HOPES WILLIAM ERNEST | 18 Sep 1914 | SHELLBOURNE CANADA |
| UTLEY LAURENCE GEORGE | 20 Apr 1910 | TORONTO CANADA |
| O’LEARY LEWIS ALEXANDER | 28 Sep 1915 | VANCOUVER CANADA |
| OWEN ARTHUR | 12 Jul 1897 | TORONTO CANADA |
The same source shows recently available WW2 service files for 1,195 men born in England, 43 from Wales, 352 from Scotland, 107 from Ireland.
They are among 23,123 newly scanned records by the National Archives of Australia in the last month, the majority for men who served with Australian forces during the war.
BTW, if you don’t find them in other records recall that information given on military enlistment is often problematic. Claiming an overseas birth could be a useful subtefuge to hide an inconvenient truth.
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/NewlyScannedList.aspx
Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.
Records of Britain’s Colonial Office, the government department responsible for Britain’s colonies at various points throughout the 18th to 20th centuries, is the topic of the most recent On The Record podcast from The National Archives. https://pod.link/1460242815/episode/e33774157e1ec15474d531cadf9d9f45
Multiculturalism @50 and the Promise of a Just Society
The latest publication from The Metropolis Institute (Association for Canadian Studies) Canadian Issues series free online.
Commutometer
Select your home on the commutometer interactive map to see how far you can travel in 5 minute intervals.
YouTube: how a team of scientists worked to inoculate a million users against misinformation
Thanks to this week’s contributors: Anonymous, Craig Milne, Dorothy Kew, Glenn Wright, Jane MacNamara, Kim, Linda Stufflebean, Teresa, and Unknown.
