Archive for March, 2011

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Soldiers’ records catalogued to help family historians

March 30th, 2011

The Battle of Waterloo 1815

The Friends of the National Archives have completed cataloguing more than 20,000 soldiers’ records held at the Kilmainham Hospital in Dublin from 1783-1822. The files can now be found in The National Archives Catalogue and could provide the key for many people trying to discover their family history.

Kilmainham Hospital administered some pensions until 1822, when Chelsea Hospital took over the administration of out-pensioners from both establishments. The task of cataloguing the pensioners’ discharge documents (certificates of service) in series WO 119 took a team of 14 volunteers over three years. These records are now being digitised by findmypast.co.uk, in association with The National Archives. The equivalent records from Chelsea Hospital (series WO 97) have already been digitised by findmypast.co.uk and have been catalogued up to 1854.

Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at findmypast.co.uk, said: ‘British Army service records are a wonderful family history resource, providing a level of detail that is hard to find elsewhere. Not only do these records tell us where and when our military ancestors served, but also where they were born, how tall they were, any injuries they obtained, along with comments about their conduct.’

The completion of the project by The Friends of The National Archives will make these records more accessible for family historians before they are put online later this year.

 

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New book tells the story of North Staffordshire’s mining heritge

March 30th, 2011

Stoke-on-Trent’s Lord Mayor councillor Denver Tolley will present city library staff with a new two volume book exploring the history of mining in North Staffordshire when they visit the Mayor’s Parlour at Stoke town hall next week.

Entitled the North Staffordshire Coalfields, the book has been produced by the North Staffs Mining History Group.

Speaking about North Staffordshire’s mining heritage the Lord Mayor said: “This area of the country has a proud history of mining and this project is a testament to all the years of hard work put in by the people of North Staffordshire. The depth and wealth of knowledge contained in the book shows just how much history we have below our city’s surface.”

Copies of the book will be available in libraries across the city and at the city centre archives.

 

 

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Four UK heritage sites share £10 million

March 28th, 2011

Kettle’s Yard

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced that Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, Cardigan Castle in Ceredigion, Wales, Charleston Farmhouse in Lewes and No 1 Royal Crescent in Bath will receive £10 million between them.

Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of the HLF, said: “This is a pivotal time for the Heritage Lottery Fund as we are currently asking people how we should spend our money in the future. These projects funded today demonstrate the huge breadth of our investment and our commitment to championing all sorts of heritage.

“We are, however, living in tough times and there is considerable competition for our grants so value for money and offering a wide range of benefits, such as providing local people with training and volunteering opportunities and saving heritage at risk continue to be crucial.”

Kettle’s Yard was also one of 11 organisations awarded money by the Clore Duffield Foundation earlier this month to develop a creative learning space for children and young people.

Initial support and more than £1 million in development funding has also been awarded to a number of projects to enable them to progress plans and apply for a full HLF grant. The projects are:

  • unveiling a secret garden at the Swiss Garden, Bedfordshire
  • repairing St Nicholas Chapel, King’s Lynn
  • restoring Southwell Palace, Nottingham
  • conservation of music and dance archive collections by the English Folk Dance and Song Society
  • improvements to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
  • restoring Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery, Powys
  • repairing Merthyr Tydfil Old Town Hall, Mid-Glamorgan

Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

 

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Introducing the Heritage Alliance

March 28th, 2011

The Heritage Alliance is the largest alliance of heritage interests in England, uniting more than 80 non-government heritage organisations and acting as a powerful, effective and independent advocate for the national asset that is our heritage. The Alliance leads the campaign to demonstrate that heritage is a powerful force in the 21st century, bringing multiple benefits – social, economic, educational and environmental – to individuals and communities throughout the country. It champions the value of the contribution made by its members – who are non-government heritage bodies and their volunteers – to the community.

The demand for independent leadership in the heritage sector has never been greater, yet growing expectations from members and external stakeholders far exceed the alliance’s limited resources. As a registered charity it relies on grants, donations, subscriptions and project funding for support. The alliance receives some of its core funding from English Heritage, but more money needed to ensure that it achieves its objectives. Support from the heritage community in North Staffordshire is needed to enable the alliance to continue punching above its weight on behalf of the heritage sector.

More details about the alliance and its work can be obtained by emailing mail@theheritagealliance.org.uk

It may be too late to save Ceramica but groups fighting to save other heritage assets in the Potteries should contact the Heritage Alliance to see if it can help them in their struggle against a destructive bureaucracy.

 

 

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Freedom of the Borough given to local Magistrates

March 27th, 2011

An 18th century Magistrates’ Court

Local Magistrates have been given the Freedom of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme as part of celebrations to mark the 650th anniversary of  the appointment of Justices of the Peace to maintain law and order.

North Staffordshire Local Justice Area Bench was awarded the special honour by the full council for continuing to deliver justice on behalf of local residents.

It is the highest award the council can make and is given to a small number of groups and people for providing outstanding services to the borough.

Magistrates, also known as Justices of the Peace (JPs), have held courts in Newcastle to punish lawbreakers, resolve disputes and keep order since 1361.

They now deal with 95 per cent of criminal cases and have sat at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates’ Court at Ryecroft since 1980, after moving from the Water Street courthouse.

John Horton, chairman of the North Staffordshire Local Justice Area Bench, said: “I’m delighted that the service we provide has been recognised by the borough council.

“The institute of magistracy has been in place since the reign of Edward III and it’s because it’s flexible and able to evolve with society that it has lasted so long.”

 

 

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