My ancestors were ag labs in Bedfordshire, but they migrated not to the Yorkshire and Lancashire mills, but to the coal mines and iron foundries of Derbyshire. This was in the early 1850's. Could this have been the same sort of organised migration as discussed on the list? Christina Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Its not exactly in your area of Derbyshire, but there are two Black Country lists for coal miners, etc., and migration to, and from the north, and west of England. http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/ENG/ENG-BLACKCOUNTRY-DIASPORA.html http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/ENG/ENG-BLACK-COUNTRY.html Sharon Christina Hobson <andcris@thunderroad12332.freeserve.co.uk> wrote: My ancestors were ag labs in Bedfordshire, but they migrated not to the Yorkshire and Lancashire mills, but to the coal mines and iron foundries of Derbyshire. This was in the early 1850's. Could this have been the same sort of organised migration as discussed on the list? Christina Chesterfield, Derbyshire --------------------------------- Find your next car at Yahoo! Canada Autos

In message <008b01c62055$a5b0e360$d34b86d9@Home>, Christina Hobson <andcris@thunderroad12332.freeserve.co.uk> writes >My ancestors were ag labs in Bedfordshire, but they migrated not to the >Yorkshire and Lancashire mills, but to the coal mines and iron foundries of >Derbyshire. This was in the early 1850's. Could this have been the same sort of >organised migration as discussed on the list? It was not Poor Law organised in quite the same way, but was a noticeable movement - the link was digging, since early mines were fairly shallow affairs, and if a man knew how to dig a drain trench or a pit for potatoes, he could easily adapted to digging just slightly deeper for coal or iron. Gradually, the pits got deeper and the men had to go below ground, but the work was still pick and shovel stugg, digging out chunks of the seam. -- Eve McLaughlin Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society

Sorry - basic question, new to the list - is an index of the 1841 Bedfordshire census available anywhere? I have ancestors who were in Suffolk until 1837 and turned up in London in 1849, but no trace inbetween! In 1841 they are not in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire etc., unless they're hideously mistranscribed. Bedfordshire seems like a logical step, so I wondered... There seem to be a good few people in Bedfordhsire with Suffolk origins in 1851 - just under 300 - so it seems like a possibility. The name is RUNACUS (possible RUNACRES / RUNICLES, usual variations) in case that rings a bell with anyone. Thanks Rachel