I am new to this "service" but from the e-mail traffic I have seen I am impressed by the responses made to a query. So, I wonder if you can help me. Michael Waterland married Catherine Bolton at Brayton in 1760. Catherine (nee Shillitoe?) was a widow of Gabriel Bolton and was born c1723. My problem is that I can not trace Michael W's birth (date or place) and wonder if anybody in your area could help, please. I live in Sussex and don't often get the opportunity of visiting God's county. Roy Waterland

G'day Andy, Thanks for your comments. Initially I believed that Vill applied to Almondbury but because of the proximity and a perceived faster growth in Hudds, I considered that Richard may have moved there. Whilst Almondbury was indeed a large Parish I didn't consider that the "town" was that big, considering the proximity of other villages within the parish and the Wooldale/Cartworth/Holmfirth complex in Kirkburton. I did not realise that Hudds was so small in the C18. My query regarding Yate was intended as a means of excluding others leaving Yateholm as the obvious choice. My reason being that I am working on the early CROSLANDs of Holme and therefore would like to lock Richard in as one of my early forbears. Thanks again, Bill Andy Micklethwaite wrote: > At 09:30 08/02/2010, Bill wrote: > >> The first is that in the Registers for ca 1600, there are entries >> like........ John CROSLAND of Vill ......George CROSLAND of Vill. Where >> was "Vill", it indicates to me that it is "Town" which could mean >> Huddersfield. Or would Almondbury be called a "Vill". >> > > Up to around 1800 Almondbury was bigger than it's neighbouring village, Huddersfield, so it won't refer to Huddersfield - references to Huddersfield as "Town" are comparatively very recent. As far as I know Vill or Villa refers to Almondbury village. Don't forget Almondbury parish was huge (see the Genuki site http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Almondbury/index.html) and stretched into the Holme valley and beyond. > > >> The second is a reference in the same Registers to a Richard CROSLAND of >> Yate buried in 1614/15. Does anyone have any idea where Yate [gate] >> was, other than Yateholme near Holme. >> > > Why not Yateholme? It was in Almondbury parish - see above. > > Hope this helps, Andy > >

There are many marriages at Bradford parish church during the 1850s witnessed by the same William HOLMES, including some of my BOTTOMLEYs. From the 1851 census, it would seem he was the Parish Clerk. Until I found this out, I had been thinking he was a relative of Martha HOLMES who had married John BOTTOMLEY in Halifax. Now I realise there's no connection. Are the names of Parish Clerks recorded anywhere? In particular, was a John THOMAS Parish Clerk at Halifax parish church in 1844? Howard Geddes

Hi Andy, I am well familiar with Steve Whitwam's site. I even managed to visit him a couple of years ago when I was in UK he has a lovely dog and lives on the edge of good walking areas in Golcar (I got my doggy fix for a short while as I missed mine). He had visited my father several years earlier and he has helped enormously. When I first started family history using mainly my computer I likened it to doing a jigsaw with only a handful of pieces given at any one time. Today that handful has grown enormously but we still are not given the whole set of pieces or even the picture. I keep reading items from people who are able to look at the original records and I am envious but thanks to the growing army of people interested we are getting there very well. I need to purchase some more booklets from HDFHS but keep putting it off. With the ready availability of census data I get overwhelmed with information and I don't really have to struggle with the pre 1837 ancestors but can simply move on to look at the other lines who have census data I haven't yet noted. Then the war records are becoming available and these are magic pieces of information. I found the absolute proof I needed that I did in fact have the correct woman who was my mother's natural mother from her husband's war records even though he had died long before mum was born and clearly wasn't the father. The records included address, names etc well into 1920 and I found the same address in 1919 which was on my mum's birth certificate. I also discovered the children of the marriage so I had 5 children including mum and dates of birth of the 3 legitimate ones and addresses. It was a real treasure trove. I also discovered that my husband's grandfather (he lived with these grandparents during WW2) had been wounded and received a small pension, something we hadn't known. Another grandfather was discharged unfit for duty because he had a heart issue (sounded like a thyroid problem). If you are lucky enough to discover one of these it takes you well beyond the 1911 census. Well thanks to those who have taken the trouble to transcribe church and Parish records, it is much appreciated. There is reward in helping others by sharing what one knows. Steve Whitwam is great at doing this. He even pointed me to the Cemetery quite a few of my WOOD ancestors are buried in and my dad drove me up to Pole Moor Cemetery and started telling me of family gatherings he remembered going to here. Dad just had his 90th birthday and he and mum moved to Lindley a few years ago to downsize and Mum (who died a couple of years ago - my reason for visiting) had chosen a church she liked (Methodist I think) which I discovered was the same place my grandparents were buried in their churchyard. Dad's SCHOFIELD relatives all came from Lindley. Because of the rules governing Parishes, I married in St. Stephens in Lindley even though we lived in Quarmby and Longwood church was closer. They moved to Salendine Nook and were still in the Parish of St. Stephens so my sisters also married there. I think if we could have the benefit of a time machine I would find I followed in the footsteps of ancestors often without realising it. I'm currently trying to complete my husband's LOCKWOOD and ELLAM details and it is the ELLAM ones which have tempted me and some others to go further back than the 1837. This family has proved extremely interesting, with inquests and a ghost story so far and some real insight into the living conditions in lower Huddersfield and greater understanding why so many children died. I think it was a bit healthier in Meltham where the LOCKWOOD families seem to have raised their children (a bit short on getting married were some of them our direct ancestor had 4 with no father mentioned) I am trying to record all the facts I can find and photos into a publisher format so that I might encourage my descendents to read and learn and also so that my research won't be lost. I'm even starting to prod my husband's memory and occasionally get him interested (he was the one who started me off doing this but like our children seldom shows much interest.) Jean in S. Australia. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Micklethwaite" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 1:13 AM Subject: Re: [WRY] Almondbury Queries > The IGI has partial coverage in many respects. Hugh Wallis' site > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/ > says which parishes have coverage - but it's not quite complete - I've > found a couple of batches which aren't mentioned there. > > Which reminds me - you MUST check out Steve's site > http://www.whitwam.co.uk > if you have Colne Valley connections if you haven't already. Well worth > it. >

Andy you might be able to help me understand things a bit. St. Peters Parish Church in Huddersfield seems to be linked to Slaithwaite and some records appear in both. I am under the impression that marriages had to take place in the Church of England - do you know when this stopped. When did Almondbury Parish Church do marriages and did Kirkheaton also have marriages. What I am thinking is do we need 3 Parish church records to actually cover the area and at what period of time. I noticed that my Golcar family who were mainly non-conformists married in Huddersfield, sometimes had children baptised in Slaithwaite. Baptisms are all over the place because Marsden and Linthwaite have some too. The more booklets get transcribed the easier it is for people like me who rely on the internet or a booklet to research further back than 1837. I had people assuming that William Elam married Nanny Sykes and I am wondering where such a marriage is actually listed. I have a marriage in St. Peters to a Nanny but it is to Nanny Brook. The IGI on line doesn't cover all Parish records. Jean in S. Australia. (born and bred in Huddersfield) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Micklethwaite" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 9:23 PM Subject: Re: [WRY] Almondbury Queries > At 09:30 08/02/2010, Bill wrote: >>The first is that in the Registers for ca 1600, there are entries >>like........ John CROSLAND of Vill ......George CROSLAND of Vill. Where >>was "Vill", it indicates to me that it is "Town" which could mean >>Huddersfield. Or would Almondbury be called a "Vill". > > Up to around 1800 Almondbury was bigger than it's neighbouring village, > Huddersfield, so it won't refer to Huddersfield - references to > Huddersfield as "Town" are comparatively very recent. As far as I know > Vill or Villa refers to Almondbury village. Don't forget Almondbury parish > was huge (see the Genuki site > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Almondbury/index.html) and > stretched into the Holme valley and beyond. > >>The second is a reference in the same Registers to a Richard CROSLAND of >>Yate buried in 1614/15. Does anyone have any idea where Yate [gate] >>was, other than Yateholme near Holme. > > Why not Yateholme? It was in Almondbury parish - see above. > > Hope this helps, Andy > > > > > Some useful websites - > FREECEN - http://www.freecen.org.uk/ > FREEBMD - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ > Want to know where a place in Yorkshire is - Try Genuki > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

G'day Folks, I have two queries which may require special knowledge of Almondbury. The first is that in the Registers for ca 1600, there are entries like........ John CROSLAND of Vill ......George CROSLAND of Vill. Where was "Vill", it indicates to me that it is "Town" which could mean Huddersfield. Or would Almondbury be called a "Vill". The second is a reference in the same Registers to a Richard CROSLAND of Yate buried in 1614/15. Does anyone have any idea where Yate [gate] was, other than Yateholme near Holme. Hoping someone can help, Bill Melbourne, Oz

What a great idea :-) Especially for those of us who live too far away to attend in person. Heather richardellis wrote: > Hi Joan > > As a country member I have only attended one meeting in the last 10 years! > Long way from Woking in Surrey... > > Sorry I can't be there - is there any chance of someone doing a longer write-up on this talk for us email members - with any attachments. Could be a regular feature!? > > May be asking too much - but a thought - needn't be brilliant summary, but just to get the flavour. > > <Snip> > > Richard Ellis No 322 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Joan Smith > Sent: 08 February 2010 4:26 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [WRY] Barnsley Family History Society > > On Tuesday the 16th February, there is a meeting of the above Society at > which we hope to welcome Don Booker, former editor of the Barnsley > Chronicle. > > <snip> > > Why not come along and join us. > > Joan Smith, Speakers' Organiser, BFHS > >

Hi Joan As a country member I have only attended one meeting in the last 10 years! Long way from Woking in Surrey... Sorry I can't be there - is there any chance of someone doing a longer write-up on this talk for us email members - with any attachments. Could be a regular feature!? May be asking too much - but a thought - needn't be brilliant summary, but just to get the flavour. I have previously consulted the Barnsley Chronicle microfilm copy at the Barnsley library archives - is there any chance to them being converted into optically read documents for the internet? Good stuff for the family history researcher....I found a coroner's report on my great mother's accidental death in the above microfilm, and separately a great uncle's death in 1st July Somme battle with the Barnsley pals. Best wishes Richard Ellis No 322 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Joan Smith Sent: 08 February 2010 4:26 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [WRY] Barnsley Family History Society On Tuesday the 16th February, there is a meeting of the above Society at which we hope to welcome Don Booker, former editor of the Barnsley Chronicle. Don will be giving a talk entitled "A Barnsley Lad", based on his published memoirs, which should be very entertaining. The meeting will be open to members and non-members alike, entrance free, and will be held at our usual venue, the Buckley Methodist Church Hall, Union Court, Union Street, off Sheffield Road, Barnsley, commencing at 7.30 pm (doors open at 7 pm). Free parking is available, with access for wheelchair users. Refreshments will be available at the end of the talk. Why not come along and join us. Joan Smith, Speakers' Organiser, BFHS Some useful websites - FREECEN - http://www.freecen.org.uk/ FREEBMD - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ Want to know where a place in Yorkshire is - Try Genuki http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Ellen - you might like to check out this website about wedding traditions and superstitions http://www.weddingchaos.co.uk/wedding-tradition-wedding-superstition-1.asp Heather Josie Morson wrote: > Hi Ellen, > > Being given a horseshoe for luck certainly became traditional, I was given > one in 1962 at my wedding, but it was not a metal shoe, it was one made from > silver faced card. My four sisters also were given their "Horseshoe's" when > they married. > > Josie > >

Hello Bill and List The index to the transcript of Almondbury PRs 1598-1652 lists 'Yates, Yetam, Yateholm' together, indicating that these are variant spellings of the same place. As Andy said, Almondbury was a huge parish, so to prevent people having to walk too many miles to church, there were in the parish five 'Chapels of Ease' (not to be confused with later non-conformist chapels), at Holmfirth, Meltham, Honley, Marsden and Slaithwaite, which served the population for all purposes until Hardwicke's Marriage Act in 1754, when marriages had to take place only in the main parish church, though burials and christenings continued at the chapels of ease. Holmfirth is complicated by the fact that part of Holmfirth lies in Kirkburton parish, and Marsden lies partly in Huddersfield parish.The chapel at Slaithwaite includes many entries for people living in Linthwaite, but I think the township of Slaithwaite itself was in Huddersfield Parish, which may explain why the registers for Slaithwaite chapel do not seem to include any people living in Slaithwaite! Please ask further questions if that lot isn't clear- (and I can see why it wouldn't be!) After the Church Building Act of 1818 (the 'Million Act), larger parishes like Almondbury gradually began to be divided into smaller parishes, each with their own church. The quotation Andy was talking about refers to John Wesley's visit to Huddersfield in 1757, when he said 'I never saw a wilder people in England'. regards, Lesley

Hi Ellen, Being given a horseshoe for luck certainly became traditional, I was given one in 1962 at my wedding, but it was not a metal shoe, it was one made from silver faced card. My four sisters also were given their "Horseshoe's" when they married. Josie

On Tuesday the 16th February, there is a meeting of the above Society at which we hope to welcome Don Booker, former editor of the Barnsley Chronicle. Don will be giving a talk entitled "A Barnsley Lad", based on his published memoirs, which should be very entertaining. The meeting will be open to members and non-members alike, entrance free, and will be held at our usual venue, the Buckley Methodist Church Hall, Union Court, Union Street, off Sheffield Road, Barnsley, commencing at 7.30 pm (doors open at 7 pm). Free parking is available, with access for wheelchair users. Refreshments will be available at the end of the talk. Why not come along and join us. Joan Smith, Speakers' Organiser, BFHS

Thank you Josie & Heather for enlightening me on this great tradition Ellen

At 13:36 08/02/2010, Jean wrote: >Andy you might be able to help me understand things a bit. St. Peters >Parish Church in Huddersfield seems to be linked to Slaithwaite and some >records appear in both. Until sometime after 1832, Slaithwaite was a chapelry within Huddersfield St Peters - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/Misc/CBW/WRY/Slaithwaite.html I think records of events in the chapelry should appear at St Peter's records too - but I doubt they always did. > I am under the impression that marriages had to >take place in the Church of England - do you know when this stopped. This was required from Hardwicke's Act of 1754 (from memory) to 1837 when civil registration started. >When >did Almondbury Parish Church do marriages It's an old parish and records commence 1557 http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/Misc/CBW/WRY/Almondbury.html > and did Kirkheaton also have >marriages. Yes - see Genuki! > What I am thinking is do we need 3 Parish church records to >actually cover the area and at what period of time. At least - don't forget Kirkburton covered another large area to the south of Huddersfield. And if you're into Kirkheaton, then there's overlap with Mirfield. Not to mention places further East and South!! >I noticed that my Golcar family who were mainly non-conformists married in >Huddersfield, sometimes had children baptised in Slaithwaite. Because of the aforementioned Act, marriages of non-conformists had to be Anglican. NC records can be difficult to find, and Huddersfield had a lot of them! I think Wesley had some harsh words to describe them - I'm sure someone will find the quote! >The IGI on line doesn't cover all Parish records. The IGI has partial coverage in many respects. Hugh Wallis' site http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/ says which parishes have coverage - but it's not quite complete - I've found a couple of batches which aren't mentioned there. An IGI batch is also not complete - I reckon about 90% coverage only. In other words, there are records which appear in the PR which do not appear in the IGI. Also bear in mind (as Steve W's recent email to me showed) that the IGI only has part of the entry and the missing part can provide vital clues - the classic is when it says "widow", or in my recent case "father not known"! Which reminds me - you MUST check out Steve's site http://www.whitwam.co.uk if you have Colne Valley connections if you haven't already. Well worth it. Ellen wrote: >Jean & Andy - am following your communications as you are right in the middle of my brick walls. My Father's neighbourhood and problem is I do not know which Parish to pin point. Slaithwaite, Linthwaite, Almondbury & downtown Huddersfield all play a part. Need all the help I can get so please keep your info online so I may follow it. Ellen - check out the Genuki sites mentioned above and look at neighbouring places. Along with the help of Google Maps, that should help you work out which parish is which. Hope this helps - and I hope I haven't got too much wrong! Best Wishes, Andy.

At 09:30 08/02/2010, Bill wrote: >The first is that in the Registers for ca 1600, there are entries >like........ John CROSLAND of Vill ......George CROSLAND of Vill. Where >was "Vill", it indicates to me that it is "Town" which could mean >Huddersfield. Or would Almondbury be called a "Vill". Up to around 1800 Almondbury was bigger than it's neighbouring village, Huddersfield, so it won't refer to Huddersfield - references to Huddersfield as "Town" are comparatively very recent. As far as I know Vill or Villa refers to Almondbury village. Don't forget Almondbury parish was huge (see the Genuki site http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Almondbury/index.html) and stretched into the Holme valley and beyond. >The second is a reference in the same Registers to a Richard CROSLAND of >Yate buried in 1614/15. Does anyone have any idea where Yate [gate] >was, other than Yateholme near Holme. Why not Yateholme? It was in Almondbury parish - see above. Hope this helps, Andy

Thank you Andy. Ellen

Jean & Andy - am following your communications as you are right in the middle of my brick walls. My Father's neighbourhood and problem is I do not know which Parish to pin point. Slaithwaite, Linthwaite, Almondbury & downtown Huddersfield all play a part. Need all the help I can get so please keep your info online so I may follow it. Ellen

Have a pic of my Uncle's wedding and noticed the Bride and her Attendants have horseshoes hanging from their left wrists. Was this traditional? Ellen

Steve - that's a brilliant bit of detective work - combining the detail from the PR with the detailed census info. Just shows (yet again) that even in the post civil registration period, looking at the PRs can provide vital clues. Great work - many thanks, Andy. At 10:31 07/02/2010, you wrote: >Here's the marriage for Martha from Almondbury PC > >2 8 1852 Lee Thomas 25 B WEAVER Almondbury LEE JONATHAN SADDLER >2 8 1852 Armitage Martha Matilda 19 S Almondbury - - - > >Appears she was illigitimate ? > >Regards > >Steve Whitwam >Golcar, Huddersfield >http://www.whitwam.co.uk >Web site for those tracing their ancestors from the Colne Valley and Huddersfield > >

Here's the marriage for Martha from Almondbury PC 2 8 1852 Lee Thomas 25 B WEAVER Almondbury LEE JONATHAN SADDLER 2 8 1852 Armitage Martha Matilda 19 S Almondbury - - - Appears she was illigitimate ? Regards Steve Whitwam Golcar, Huddersfield http://www.whitwam.co.uk Web site for those tracing their ancestors from the Colne Valley and Huddersfield