England
First Ragged School Portsmouth
In all history there are unsung heros and one of these must surely be John Pounds. Born in Portsmouth Hampshire, in 1766, John Pounds was crippled after a fall in the dockyards where he was an apprenticed shipwright. He became a shoemaker and was known as the crippled cobbler. There were many destitute children living…
Read MorePrison Hulks littered British Waterways…
Prison Hulks were moored off British Coast , prisoners held in dreadful conditions often whilst awaiting deportation to USA or Australia…
Read MoreWorkhouse Schools
More than 50% of those in Workhouses were children of the poor and often orphans. The Workhouse system was far from perfect but Workhouse schools at least offered some hope for a better educated and informed future. One of the turning points from Old Poor Law and bad ways to social reform and the fight for better rights for the unfortunate in society?
Read MoreWarwickshire Tithe Maps 1838 – 1853
Tithe maps are a great underused resource, containing surname data. They are also good fun because you can relate past land use to todays. These are the tithe maps that have so far been transcribed for the county of Warwickshire
Read MoreWarwickshire Family History
Warwickshire UK, is probably best known around the world for it’s most famous son William Shakespeare. It is a fascinating county, largely rural to the south, the North became more industrial as the Industrial Revolution unrolled. It’s industrial heart contains a mixture of mining, clay and cement working, textiles and engineering. It is crossed by…
Read MoreHow did the Jamestown colony survive?
How did the Jamestown Colonists survive? They went in search of finding their fortunes, full of hope and ambition. The reality was much harsher and more difficult than they could have imagined. Find out here how they survive their rials and tribulations.
Read MoreCaptain John Smith C17th Capitalist?
The name of Captain John Smith, is, in the minds of many British people intrinsically linked to ‘Pocahontas’ , his native American saviour. Beyond this connection though, his writings on the settlement of Virginia are quite vigorous and erudite and he could be judged as having a very positive influence on how the New England…
Read MoreExpansion of England in C17th
England in the 17th century, it’s trade and expansion, how and why did England achieve such an expansion in it’s markets? What was happening that enabled England to dominate trade?
Read MoreTension between East India Company & British Government 1784
Tension East India Company and British Government The East India Company Act of 1784 The British presence in India was a result of the trading opportunities grasped by the East India Company way back at the start of the C17th. The company monopolised trade, had it’s own armies and ruled and regulated itself. The 18th century saw…
Read MoreVirginia Company founds first permanent English Settlement in James Town
1st permanent english settlement in America where was it and when, were your family involved?
Read More