An English Genealogist's JournalMy name is Richard Heaton, I became interested in family history back in the 1970's, when it was a totally uncool subject of interest for a kid at primary school. Back then only books remotely connected in my local library were books on Heraldry and so, after saving my pocket money for what seemed an age, I managed to purchase a copy, for around £2, of Genealogy for Beginners by Arthur J. Willis, discovering that it was possible to trace families from all walks of life, and in so doing gain a huge respect for their achievements.For over ten years I've researched the rare Berkshire / Wiltshire surname of Spanswick (Spanwick) while continuing to progress other line. But is was a chance purchase at a bookstall which led me to develop my love of historic British and Irish regional newspapers - which in turn led me to makes extracts and then in time make several hundred largely Georgian and early Victorian newspapers available on the web.My favourite three newspapers :The Police Gazette (no not the American newspaper of the same title) is a remarkable resource for family and social historians - by the 1870's it was published 3 times a week, and contains hundreds of Deserters, Criminals, Vagabonds, and Victims, often with descriptions. I only a few examples and a few weeks ago I finished transcribing my "last" copy, dating from 1872 - now available to search and view on my website..Burniston's Northern Luminary Printed at Knaresborough in Yorkshire, its a refreshing change, an unstamped newspaper (avoiding paying tax) focused on local issues, and probably published by a distant Burniston relative (one of my ancestors being Stephen Burniston of Knaresbro')Finally The Windsor and Eton Express. An absolute gem of a regional newspaper, which circulated widely in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, and Middlesex. While its bias towards reform sets it apart from many other newspapers of the day - it is the outstanding way in which it captures local stories and characters which marks its as unique among the thousands of papers I've read. It was also used as a source for a recent episode of the BBC's WDYTYA, which looked at the life of James Thomas Bedborough - Mason to Mayor of Windsor, a gentleman who helped and probably worked with another of my ancestors James Southwood, Surveyor, Builder, and Architect of Windsor. So absorbing did I find the content , that this was the first newspaper I started to abstract and eventually put on the net.And this weekend ? Well, with the weather looking rather on the damp side, I'll try to finish transcribing a copy of the Shrewsbury Chronicle from 1800, allowing everyone to share in another small part of Georgian local history.Best RegardsRichard H
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