England and Wales

Before 1700

 

History 412

 

Fall 2006

 

 

Instructor

Alan E. Mann, AG®

 


Table of Contents

 

COURSE INTRODUCTION............................................................................................ 1

Course Outline:....................................................................................................... 1

Grading:.................................................................................................................. 3

Exams..................................................................................................................... 4

BYU Policies.......................................................................................................... 5

FINDING RECORDS...................................................................................................... 7

Introduction and Finding Records Assignment..................................................... 10

LOCAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY................................................................................. 13

Local and Social History Assignment................................................................... 15

OCCUPATIONAL RECORDS AND PROTESTATION AND OATH ROLLS............. 16

Occupational Records and Protestation and Oath Rolls Assignment .................. 18

SCHOOL RECORDS..................................................................................................... 20

School Records Assignment................................................................................. 22

HERALDRY AND HERALDIC VISITATIONS........................................................... 47

Heraldry and Heraldic Visitations Assignment..................................................... 54

OTHER NOBILITY RECORDS.................................................................................... 30

          Other Nobility Records Assignment..................................................................... 33

TAX RECORDS............................................................................................................ 24

Tax Records Assignment...................................................................................... 27

CRIMINAL COURT RECORDS: Quarter Sessions, Assize & Star Chamber............... 35

Criminal Court Records Assignment.................................................................... 44

LAND & PROPERTY RECORDS:  Inquisitions Post Mortem, Feet of Fines, Domesday…56

Land and Property Records Assignment.............................................................. 59

LAND AND PROPERTY COURT RECORDS:
Chancery, Exchequer & Court of Wards and Liveries.......................................... 62

Land & Property Court Records Assignment. . . . ............................................... 67

MANORIAL COURT RECORDS................................................................................. 69

Manorial Court Records Assignment.................................................................... 72

RECORDS PAPER INFORMATION SHEET............................................................... 73

 


 

Course Outline

 

Objective:

To gain a working knowledge of several genealogical sources that begin before 1700 by working with the records, learning new terms, compiling a useful records paper, using the records to research a family of interest and writing a summary of that research.

 

Texts:

Class Syllabus.  The syllabus material will be available on the internet at www.alanmann.com/class. You will be responsible to make sure you have access to the information for each class period by either printing out the appropriate file before class or having access to the file on a laptop computer or PDA.  Assignments will need to be printed and turned in or emailed to the teacher by the beginning of the next class period.

 

Ancestral Trails by Mark Herber 2nd Edition. Recommended but not required to purchase. You need access to the text to complete the reading assignments.

Research Outline: England.

NA Research Guides.  See National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

          in the “Getting Started” section.

Other texts as recommended throughout the course.

 

Course Outline:

Each class period will begin with a lecture and discussion on the topic assigned for that class.  Source assignments and study time will follow.  The last part of the time is reserved for class discussion and questions.  The reading assignments below should be completed before class so that you will be prepared for the discussion and the assignments.

 

Week 1     05 Sep            Course Introduction

                                   Finding records (begin)

 

Week 2     12 Sep    Finding Records (continued)

                                  Herber pgs 180-208 &  NA Research Guide “Medieval and Early Modern Sources...”

                             Local and Social History

                                  Herber 308-316 &  NA Research Guide “English Local History...”          

           

Week 3     19 Sep  Occupational records & Protestation and Oath Rolls

                                      Herber pgs 528-530 & 2 NA Research Guides “Catholic Recusants” & “Oath Rolls and....”

                                      Herber pgs 489-513; 518-527 &  NA Research Guide “Apprenticeship Records...”    

 

Week 4     26 Sept         School Records

                                                Herber pgs 372-383

 

Week 5     03 Oct         Heraldry and Heraldic Visitations

                                                Herber pgs 203, 615-630

 

Week 6     10 Oct           Other Nobility Records

                                      Review for Midterm

 

Week 7     17 Oct          Midterm Exam

 

Week 8     24 Oct          Tax Records

                                      Herber pgs 530-541 &  2 NA Research Guides “Hearth Tax...” & “Taxation Records...”

 

Week 9     31 Oct           Criminal Court Records

                                      Quarter Session Records

                                                Herber 595-603

                                      Assize Court Records

                                                Herber pgs 584-595 &  3 NA Research Guides “Assizes...”

                                      Star Chamber Court Records

                                                Herber pgs 563-564 &  NA Research Guide “Court of Star Chamber”

 

Week 10    7 Nov Land and Property

                                      Inquisitions Post Mortem

                                      Herber pgs 645-647 &  NA Research Guide “Inquisitions Post Mortem...”

                                      Feet of Fines

                                                Herber pgs 657-658

                                      Domesday

                                      Herber pg 672-673 &  NA Research Guide “Domesday Book”

 

Week 11    14 Nov  Land and Property Court Records

                             Chancery Court Records

                                      Herber pgs 545-557, 795-798 & 4 NA Research Guides “Chancery...” & “Early Chan...”

                             Court of Requests

                                      Herber pg 560-563 &  NA Research Guide “Court of Requests...”

 

Week 12   21 Nov Land and Property Court Records (continued)

                             Exchequer Court Records

                                      Herber pgs 557-560 &  NA Research Guide “Equity Proceedings...”

                             Court of Wards and Liveries

                                      Herber pg 565 &  NA Research Guide “Court of Wards and Liveries...”

 

Week 13   28 Nov   NO CLASS-THANKSGIVING week

 

Week 14    05 Dec  Manorial Court Records

                                      Herber pgs 631-645

                                      NA Research Guides “Manor and Other Local....” & “Manorial Records....”          

 

Week 15    12 Dec   Review for Final---All assignments must be turned in.

 

Week 16    19 Dec          Final

 

Grading:

Grading is based on your performance in the following areas:

          5%              Class attendance and participation in discussion (150 points)

          5%              3 Weekly reading summary presentation (3 @ 50 points)

          5%              Glossary (150 points)

          18%            11 Weekly source assignments (11 @ 50 points each)

          22%            Records papers (11 @ 60 points)

          15%            Research logs and Research report (450 points)

          15%            Midterm test (450 points)

          15%            Final exam (450 points)

 

Class attendance and participation.  It is expected that you will attend class every week.  You should come to class having already read the weekly reading assignment and be prepared to participate in class discussion about the reading assignment.  Also, you should come with the appropriate syllabus material either printed out or available on your laptop or PDA.  If you need to be absent from class, please inform the teacher ahead of time so that arrangements can be made for you to make up the required assignments.

Weekly reading summary presentation.  You will be required three times to give a 20 minute presentation summarizing one of the weekly reading assignments to begin our class discussion.  Everyone will be required to read the assignment, but you will highlight the important points for discussion.

Glossary.  Keep a glossary of terms that are unfamiliar to you or that you think might be used unconventionally in the pre-1700 context. This would include both terms and definitions. The glossary should contain at least 1 term from each class period, and ideally more. At least 40 terms should be defined during the semester. Please arrange the glossary alphabetically and turn in electronically or on paper.

Weekly source assignments.  Each week you will complete an assignment during class time to help you learn about the source we will be studying.  There will also be required readings in additional texts with each assignment, which must be completed.  This assignment should be completed and either emailed to the instructor or turned in at the beginning of the next class period.

Records paper.  For every record that we discuss during the semester you will include a description of the record, the time period it covers, what it contains, what indexes are available for it, where and how to find the record, how to use the record, and why the source is important for family history research.  The last page of the syllabus contains a template which you can use to compile this information for each record type.  It is best to compile this information each week.

Research logs and research report.  Please choose a family or a surname that you will use throughout the semester.  You will look for this family or surname in all the records we discuss this semester.  Keep a research log of the records you search and the results, whether positive or negative.  Then write a well documented research report as if you were reporting what you had done to a client.  The report should include an annotated bibliography of the records you used in your research.

 

Exams

A midterm exam and a final exam will be given during class time. Before each test, there will be a review.  Tests are based on the lecture information, reading assignments, information found in instructor-recommended books/articles, and items found in the source assignments.  Tests are given in the same structure as an Accreditation Exam including: document recognition, document, fill in the blank, essay and research problems.  The final exam will be given the last class period; no exceptions.

 

Additional Texts to be Familiar With

 

Bevan, Amanda, ed.  Tracing Your Ancestors in the Public Record Office.  5th rev. ed. Kew, Richmond, Surrey: Public Record Office, 1999.  (FHL British Ref 942 A5p no. 19)

Fitzhugh, Terrick V.H.  The Dictionary of Genealogy.  3rd ed.  Dorset, England: Alphabooks, 1991.  (FHL British Ref 942 D26f 1991)

McLaughlin, Eve.  Simple Latin for Family Historians.  3rd ed.  Birmingham: The Federation of Family History Societies, 1988.  (FHL British book 471.1 M273)

Raymond, Stuart A., comp.  The Family Historian’s Pocket Dictionary.  Bury, Lancashire: The Federation of Family History Societies Publications Ltd., 2003.  (FHL British Ref 942 D26r)

Richardson, John.  The Local Historian’s Encyclopedia.  2nd ed.  New Barnet, Hertford, England: Historical Publications, Ltd., 1986.  (FHL British Ref 942 H2rjo)

 

Note: Each week we will discuss other texts to become familiar with.  Many of these texts are included in the document recognition portion of the Accreditation test.  It is helpful to copy at least one page and the title page from these texts for the purpose of study and taking the Accreditation test.  Our Midterm and Final will include a Document Recognition section as well.


BYU Policies

 

Academic Honesty

The first injunction of the BYU Honor Code is the call to “be honest”.  Students come to the university not only to improve their minds, gain knowledge, and develop skills that will assist them in their life’s work, but also to build character.  President David O. McKay taught that “character is the highest aim of education” (The Aims of a BYU Education, p. 6).

It is the purpose of the BYU Academic Honesty Policy to assist in fulfilling that aim.  BYU students should seek to be totally honest in their dealings with others.  They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work.  They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct.  Incidents of academic misconduct are to be reported to the administration of the center, which will deal with the matter according to the statement on “Procedures for Handling Incidents of Academic Dishonesty or Other Academic Misconduct” as written in the current undergraduate catalog.

 

Dress and Grooming Standards

The dress and grooming of both men and women should always be modest, neat, and clean, consistent with the dignity adherent to representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and any of its institutions of higher learning.

Modesty and cleanliness are important values that reflect personal dignity and integrity, through which students, staff, and faculty of BYU represent the principles and standards of the Church.  Members of the BYU community commit themselves to observe the following standards, which reflect the direction of the BYU Board of Trustees and the Church publication For the Strength of Youth.  The BYU Dress and Grooming Standards are as follows:

Men

A clean and well-cared-for appearance should be maintained.  Clothing is inappropriate when it is sleeveless, revealing, or form fitting.  Shorts must be knee-length or longer.  Hairstyles should be clean and neat, avoiding extreme styles or colors, and trimmed above the collar, leaving the ear uncovered.  Sideburns should not extend below the earlobe or onto the cheek.  If worn, mustaches should be neatly trimmed and may not extend beyond or below the corners of the mouth.  Men are expected to be clean-shaven; beards are not acceptable.  Earrings and other body piercing are not acceptable.  Shoes should be worn in all public campus areas.

Women

A clean and well-cared-for appearance should be maintained.  Clothing is inappropriate when it is sleeveless, strapless, backless, or revealing; has slits above the knee; or is form fitting.  Dresses, skirts, and shorts must be knee-length or longer.  Hairstyles should be clean and neat, avoiding extremes in styles and colors.  Excessive ear piercing (more than one per ear) and all other body piercing are not acceptable.  Shoes must be worn in all public campus areas.

While attending the BYU Salt Lake Center, you are expected to adhere to the university Dress and Grooming Standards.

 

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere which reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities.  If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete courses successfully, please contact the Services for University Accessibility Center (801-422-2767) and the director of the BYU Salt Lake Center (801-273-3418).  Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities.  Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the University Accessibility Center or the Instructional Support Office at the center.  If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures.  You should contact the Equal Employment Office at 801-422-5895, D-282 ASB.

 

Statement of Nondiscrimination

BYU Continuing Education programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, physical and mental handicap, or ethnic or national origin, but all registrants must meet the ideals and standards of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 

Preventing Sexual Harassment

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds.  The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education.  Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student-to-student sexual harassment.  BYU’s policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees of the university but to students as well.  If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please talk to your professor or contact the Equal Employment Office at 801-422-5895, the Honor Code Office at 801-422-2847, or the BYU Salt Lake Center director at 801-273-3418.

 

Classroom Disruption

Disruptive behavior including repeated tardiness, cell phone interruption or use, and/or other disruptions (students who dominate class discussion or lecture with excessive comments/questions, talking during class discussion and lectures, reading newspapers, eating in class, etc.) will lower your grade.


FINDING RECORDS

HISTORY 412–FALL SEMESTER 2006

 

There are two skills that are required for an effective researcher.  First, because it is impossible to know about every record and remember how to use it, it is important to be able to research information about records and how to effectively use, understand and analyze them. Next, a researcher must know how to locate the records and gain access to them. 

 

The most effective family historians are those who dig into the sources that others are not aware of or ignore, because it is often in these more obscure sources that you may find the vital piece of information needed to solve a complex problem or add meat to the bare bones of dates and places.  There are hundreds of libraries and archives and thousands of websites which are potential sources of information for the family historian.  There are many tools to utilize in the search for information and records.  During this lesson we will learn about a few of the major tools for the family historians.

 

FINDING AIDS

 

Family History Library Catalog (FHLC)

         Country, County and Parish are the locations used in the catalog.

         The Imperial Gazetteer by John Marius Wilson (Gazetteers Section: REF 942 E5i) is the standard for the catalog. 

         The catalog uses standard subject headings.  We will discuss which subject headings to use when discussing each source.

         When in doubt use “Keyword Search”.

 

Smith’s Inventory of Genealogical Sources: England ( Ref 942 D23s)

         Includes items at the Family History Libray, but many are not listed in the catalog.

         Arranged by subject and time period.

         Gives the call number for the Family History Library or tells you what archive or library has the record.

 

GENUKI

One of the largest portals to British information on the Internet is the web site called Genealogy of the United Kingdom and Ireland (GenUKI).  The URL is www.genuki.org.uk .  It is described as a virtual reference library of genealogical information.  GenUKI has several features, some of which are:

       Instruction

         For first time users.

         Getting started in genealogy.

         Researching UK and Irish genealogy from abroad.

         Frequently asked questions.

       General and county information

         Listed first by subjects.

         Brief history.

         Maps.

         Links to record offices, libraries, society sites.

         Links to appropriate catalogs.

         Surname lists.

         Look-up services.

       Books to purchase

         Society of Genealogists.

         Federations of Family History Societies.

         County societies.

 

Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet

The URL is http://www.cyndislist.com/  It is a list of categorized and cross-referenced links to genealogy sites.  For British links, look under England, Ireland & Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and United Kingdom & Ireland Index.

 

If you want to be updated concerning the new items being added to Cyndi’s List, go to

http://www.cyndislist.com/whatsnew.htm .

 

UK National Archives Website

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk  The National Archives Website is an excellent resource to begin your research.  There are many resources available on this website including:

Research Guides–Found in the “Getting Started” section.  Very useful to learn about the records we will discuss this semester.  Many are required reading.

Catalogue (formerly PROCAT)–Found in the “Search our collections” section.  This is the online catalogue to the National Archives.  You can search by keyword which can be a name, place, subject, record type, etc.  You will learn to use this catalogue to find the records we discuss during the course.

“Search our collections” section contains many other helpful databases, such as:  Equity Pleadings database, E179 database, PCC wills database, etc.

“Search Other Archives” section contains several links of importance: National Register of Archives, ARCHON, Manorial Documents Register and Access to Archives (A2A).

 

National Library of Wales

         This repository contains many records involving Wales and England.

         Their website www.llgc.org.uk has access to catalogs and many other databases.

 

County Record Office and Other Library Catalogues online

The links for these catalogues can be found in many of the above mentioned websites such as ARCHON and GENUKI.

 

National Inventory of Documentary Sources (NIDS)

“It is an extraordinary research aid that will make the researcher's task immeasurably more effective. The cost of travel and per diem maintenance is such that the opportunity to locate with great precision the contents of priceless archives will repay the investment many times over.”   Dr Lamar M. Hill, History Department, University of California, Irvine

Although the Internet has increased access to record office and library collection holdings, NIDS is still a very valuable source for the genealogist.  It indexes and reproduces the various aids found in over 120 different repositories in the UK.  It is found on many microfiche with an index available on microfiche or CD (FHL fiche 6341118 and FHL CD no. 10) Check both indexes because they contain different data.  The indexes give a NIDS fiche#/code#.  By using the register book titled Register to Genealogical Library microfiche numbers for National Inventory of Documentary Sources in the United Kingdom (FHL British Reg 942 A3cn) this number can be converted to a FHL fiche number.  The number conversion is also available online at http://www.rootsweb.com/~bifhsusa/nids/nidsnum.html

Periodical Source Index (PERSI)

PERSI is an index to articles appearing in periodicals.  It includes several periodicals that deal with English and Welsh research.  PERSI is available on www.ancestry.com

 

Gibson guides, Inventories, Indexes and Finding Aids for CROs in FHLC

The Family History Library has many inventories of archives, indexes to holdings of archives and bibliographies.  Search the FHLC on the country or county level and look for the topics beginning with “Archives and Libraries–.....”

Jeremy Gibson is the author of many bibliographies of various types of sources which we will learn about during this course.  You will find his guides by doing an author search in the FHLC

 

Search Engines

Search Engines on the Internet are very helpful.  They can help you find websites with information you are in need of.  Read about how to use them and what they contain when available.  There are some key things to know about searching, for example the use of  “ ” to designate an exact phrase to search for.  Most search engines have a tips section to explain some to the tricks you can use to get better search results.

Learnings about search engines

www.google.com

www.ask.com

www.live.com

www.yahoo.com

www.altavista.com

www.clusty.com

www.kartoo.com

www.vivisimo.com

www.metacrawler.com

www.dogpile.com