Stephen discusses various funeral and burial practices that have been in place in England over time. His presentation refers to the publication 'Old Parish Life' which is in the GSV library (942 LOV).
Stephen outlines a method of reconstructing the homes our ancestors lived in during the 17th & 18th centuries. He used books, held in the GSV Library, that show how to use wills and inventories to build a picture of the homes.
Penny Mercer describes the experiences of her ancestor Arthur Mercer who served with the AIF in WW1. Patsy Daly talks about her ancestor John Learmonth who was stationed in the camps on Salisbury Plain during WW2.
Martin Lock and Peter Collins provide an early history to Salisbury Plain together with a history of the Defence Forces training areas. Details of the Fovant Badges carved into the hills are discussed. Gayle Nicholas outlines the WW1 experiences of her ancestor Alfred Price who trained in the area.
Stephen Hawke reviews a number of histories of the seven counties of south west England, including an excellent book by Philip Payton on Cornwall. Stephen also covers the Victoria County Histories – a project, still running, that was initiated in the late 1890s in honour of Queen Victoria, and tasked with compiling histories for every parish and county in England. All books discussed are available in (or through) the GSV library, and Stephen provides a few tips for using the catalogue.
Stephen discusses William Bradbrooke's book 'The Parish Register' which was published in 1910. William, as the compiler, describes a number of interesting aspects of social customs as illustrated through parish registers
This webcast examines the records of the Poll Taxes conducted in England during the 14th century. These records are a good resource for tracing your early ancestors.
David talks about the results of his research into four generations of the Cox Family who, in the 18th century, moved steadily west from Dorset into Devon.
Penny Mercer describes her research into her family of Surgeons and Apothecaries living in Cornwall during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Cathy Carman uses the diary of Devon vicar to describe the scenes in a Devon village during the cholera outbreak of 1832.