Hi Michael Thank you so much for the software link - it is excellent!! I downloaded it today and have spent a happy hour downloading all the Jenkins living in Staffordshire in 1901. I then used the excel sort to sort on age within page number to better group the families. I then noticed something very strange - so many of the families have no male head of house, there are male children and 40+ males but almost all men 20 to 40 are missing. I wonder if they were all off at the Boer War? Thank you also for the info re freemining certificates - its virtually a set of instructions for me to go and find out about Shadrach Jenkins. The snippet you put at the botton re a gale awarded to John jnr and Thomas Jenkins was intrigueing - maybe this Thomas is Shadrach's father? I found a website once that listed mining deaths - it listed a Meshach Jenkins (Shadrach's younger brother) died aged 18 (ie in about 1855) - I can't for the life of me find it again!! I know Thomas dies before 1851 as Maria his wife is stated as a widow. Thanks for the web site on mines - I had already found this via a google general search for info (you get some gems if you put the right words in!) - and I have read through each mine description looking for references to Jenkins, Davis and Preest (Priest) - Thomas's wife Maria may have been a Preest. I am getting an image of a beautiful part of the country, of a hard working life held together by strong community spirit and proud tradition. Its a very pleasant image. The generosity and patience of everyone on this list is also a treasure I value very much. I can't get to visit FoD just yet (the recent death of my father is keeping us all close to home) but next spring I am looking forward to bringing my mother down to see where her grandmother and greatgran came from. Janet Howell Staffordshire Michael G wrote: > Hello Janet, > > I made a quick reply yesterday with information on a piece of software > to help with 1901 Census searches. Now a little more. > I mentioned Freeminers Certificate. Perhaps not the correct > terminology so some help. As you know the records from the Deputy > Gavellers Office have been deposited at the Record Office and what I > have is copy of my grandfather's application for registration. It > bears his signature and that of a witness who was Edward Gwilliam. > Attached to the application is a letter from Edward Gwilliam > confirming that my grandfather worked for a tear and a day at > Hillersland Gale. > Back in the year 2000 Liz Jack did some research and posted this to > the List: >

Janet In West Dean 1851 there is in Section V 14 BALDWIN Frances Widow/er 51 Woolaston Caroline 17 West Dean John 12 Coal Miner West Dean FREEMAN Samuel Lodger 23 Coal Miner West Dean JENKINS Lodger 2- Coal Miner Newland Could this be Shadrach ?_ the census handwriting is described as poor so you might need to see a scan of the census book... A few doors away - a William Davis ( Kemply ?) and daughter Sarah 13 DAVIS William 75 Wood Collier Kemple/Remple? Mary 63 Newent Sarah 24 Dressmaker West Dean Caroline Grand daughter 7 West Dean a little later there are :- 47 JENKINS Maria Widow/er 55 West Dean Mesach ? 12 Coal Miner West Dean Alice 11 West Dean regards S All e'mail scanned by McAfee virusscan

http://www.cmhrc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/deaths.htm Is probably the most comprehensive list of mining deaths ... There is also an initiative to "capture" and preserve a database of all mining deaths in the Forest, at one time part of this work was online - that is where I 'm sure your information about Meshach's death was .. http://www.lhi.org.uk/projects_directory/projects_by_region/south_west/gloucestershire/forest_of_dean_local_history_society/index.html Sample at http://www.users.waitrose.com/~iapope/fatalitiesopen.html Regards S All e'mail scanned by McAfee virusscan