Message from the Resident Genealogist

I take a short holiday ...

Over the last few days I have been very busy, and have been feeling over-tired. I had planned to complete an update of the site for this weekend but have decided that it would be best to spend the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend relaxing effectively skipping one weekend update.

The next post, which will include the April statistics will be targeted for the 1st June with the following one for the weekend of 11th June.

I apologise to any of you who have emailed in the last week who have not had replies and hope to deal with all messages received by today by the end of May.

Your Questions Answered

Some quick queries about Places

Heather is visiting England and asked about the location of Snook's Grave at Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead. I referred her to some pictures on Geograph - which show the grave and its location on a map. I also sent her the Google satellite view, where the grave can just be identified as a white dot in a green field.

    Kathy has an old wedding photograph taken in the Hoddesdon area but cannot identify the church. I have suggested that she gets a copy of the Marriage certificate and this will say where the ceremony took place.

    As a result of comments from Michael I have clarified the references to Barnet after 1965, which is the year it moved out of Hertfordshire.

Snook's Grave

The King's Head and Bell & Crown, Hertford

Michelle wrote looking for pictures of these two Hertford pubs. I was able to find old pictures of the Kings Head in St Andrews Street - but not of the Bell & Crown in Cowbridge. Can you help with a picture of this pub as it was? I have also added information on the publicans.

Hertford

Hertfordshire Books

New Hertfordshire Books

Diane has drawn my attention to a change of the URL for the page giving details of books available for purchase at HALS. They sell over 100 different titles - many of which I have not yet seen. If you have a copy of one of the books on their list why not write a review for this web site - to help other visitors to this web site. (If you are the author or publisher why not send me a review copy instead ...)

Why not review a book?

Places

 The London Orphan Asylum, Watford

I have recently acquired three more postcards of this major institution and also recorded thumb sized images of six more, which I was outbid. I now know of nine different views of the "London Orphan School & Royal British Orphan School" produced by The Commercial & General Photographic & Reproduction Co, presumably shortly after the merger with the Royal British Orphan School in 1921. Do you know of any other photographs in this set?

Watford

Message from the Resident Genealogist

This is a No-advertising Web Site

I recently received a message from a commercial advertising firm offering a fee if I would accept adverts. My reply to the enquirer was as follows:

One of the reasons for the success of this web site is that it is a non-commercial educational site which is not corrupted by the needs to pander to the needs of commercial advertising. (Just see what has happened to Rootsweb - which provided unbiased advice before it was "taken over" by Ancestry. Now the Rootsweb advice pages are censored to ensure that no-one recommends services which might be considered competitors to Ancestry.)

I am sure you will be able to find other sites which are prepared to accept your 40 pieces of silver. After all, with the world's resources running out and the climate warming you will find many people who are more interested in making a fast buck today, and have no interest in leaving a better world for future generations. My site is a site for genealogists, and genealogists are not only interested in the past, they would also like there to be future generations who can look back at their 21st century ancestors with pride.

Your Questions Answered

Colney Butts, Watford

Earlier question related to Farraline House, Watford, 19th/20th century and I was able to tell Catherine of the possible origins of the name for the area, Colney Butts

Watford

Hipathite, Rickmansworth area, 19th century

Annie is just starting out on researching her ancestors and at first sight the name Hipathite is distinctive enough - except that it can easily be misspelt. The name (with this spelling) seems to have appeared in the West Hyde area of Rickmansworth early in the 19th century. To help her get going I have not only indicated the web sites where she can find information - but also highlighted the various spellings actually used. also

Rickmansworth

Old News

Temperance at the Trinity Chapel, St Albans

George Farr Arnold celebrated 32 years as a total abstainer, and 170 working men were entertained at tea. The photocopy of the article from the Herts Advertiser was kindly supplied by Jon.

St Albans

Your Questions Answered

GREEN, St Albans, early 19th century

Maureen reports that it has proved impossible to get birth details of Levi Green, who at the age of 12 was transported to Australia. I review the evidence I suggest he had a brother Enoch, and that they were probably orphans, and that Levi got caught up with criminals (compare with the story of Oliver Twist) and was caught stealing leeches from the local fishmonger. Anthony has added that Levi Green was one of the Parkhurst boys who where apprenticed to Western Australia.

St Albans

90 Culver Road, St Albans, circa 1900

One of the advantages of this web site is that it allows people with similar interests to contact each other and exchange information. I have therefore emailed Mike to say that Jenny may have some useful contact information.

W. B. MOSS, Hitchin, from 1861

Caroline is a descendant of W. B. Moss, and has written to say that the family genealogy has been documented and there is information about the Moss shops in both Hertfordshire and Yorkshire. She mentions a former web site (now no longer directly available) but hopefully it may be possible to trace it via Way Back. There has also been discussions about the firm on a Leeds web site.

Hitchin