Free access to 19th C British Newspaper Collection

maggie · Post by **maggie** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 1:00 am

Hi All
there's no need to thank me it's the lady on the belfast forum who deserves the credit for posting a workable link that i just passed on and Chris for alerting me to it in the first place .
i have been down loading like crazy today i even got my dad out of bed just now giving him the web site details as there's heaps of stuff about the area i come from in NI and he's going to pass t on to the newly formed historical society in the sleepy village.
how many days is there left in March? probably no where near enough for me

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 1:09 am

Hi Maggie,

You're still the hero of the hour - don't knock it...!!! lol

Like you, I have been finding a tonne of stuff on my lot in Northern Ireland, through the Belfast Newsletter, some of it funny, some of it unfortunate and one story that was just downright sectarian and for which I could find no empathy. But I am not here to judge their stories, just to record them, and this is turning out to be the best resource since the Scotsman Archive went online!

By the way, I had the most amazing response on the Belfast Forum earlier to a request for anyone who remembers the Blitz in Greencastle, as I have just discovered my grandparents were bombed out of their home by the Luftwaffe - I had a post from a 78 year old gent who remembers my grandparents at that time and who gave me his own experience of the raid. Amazing forum, it's as good as this one!

Chris

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:21 am

Many thanks to Chris and Maggie for the information, it resulted in my most productive family history day ever.

Scottish – nil so far (Edinburgh and impoverished)
Irish – nil so far (usual reasons)
Welsh – literally massive (but at least half in Welsh)
English – 3 items for GGG Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester (a pseudonym to protect his youth), my only convict, was sentenced to transportation for life in 1824, at the age of 14 and height of 4ft 8in, for burning down a Ropery. After being held without a warrant for nearly a whole day without food or any outside contact and under questioning, he started to cry and confessed. At the time there was an industrial dispute at the Ropery where he worked and I thought maybe he was some sort of Industrial Martyr. This latest evidence however alleges that on several occasions he had set fire to bundles of Hemp at the incinerated premises. Now I’m beginning to think that maybe it was all just an early version of Smoking a Joint.

Anyhow I’m back to searching to tie up some loose ends and anything else that comes to mind.

Thanks again,
Alan

Post by **SarahND** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:17 am

Hi Carol,
Was just downloading a page with the death of one of my relations in 1845 and saw that your William Clerihew (at least I assume he's yours– aren't they all?

), late grain merchant, died just a few lines down... Funny, I never noticed Clerihews until you started to post–– now I see them everywhere

Sarah

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:46 am

They're everywhere! They're everywhere!

When you start seeing them in your sleep, you know you're in this too deep!

Now I have to go find the William you found and see which one he is. Did find a death notice for my grandmother's younger brother yesterday. Interesting that when her twin sister died a few years later she didn't rate a death notice.

Carol

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:29 pm

Sarah,

Thanks for the details in your pm. The Clerihew listing never did come up under Clerihew. I finally put in your relative's name and found it. I guess it's amazing that the search feature is as successful as it is considering how small the print in these newspapers was. How did anyone ever read them without a magnifying glass!

My big problem is staying on task. I love those classified ads! Everything from whale bone stays (No seams!) to lost dogs. Or more heart wrenching, the ad for applications for girls to the Orphans Assylum in St. Nicholas--must be of good character and from married parents who were residents for three years, ages 4 to 8 years accepted! How could you be of "bad" character when you were only 4 years old?

Carol

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:36 pm

You shoud meet my son Carol - he's 3, and a wee critter!

Chris

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:27 pm

Is this a good time to take up the discussion on the relative merits of the theories of learned behavior vs. inherited behavior?

Haven't been able to plug William Clerihew into my charts anywhere! Wish those Clerihews would start behaving!

Carol

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:59 pm

I had a quick look to see if I could find a Clerihew connection to Oyne for you yesterday, but no luck. In some ways, maybe having a mystery William Clerighew isn't a bad thing - you don't want to solve all your riddles in one night. do you?!

Chris

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:27 pm

Well, I would like to find out who my 4x great grandparents were, but looking for a name like Clerihew is a whole lot more fun than trying to sort out the Milnes and Gordons on the other side of my grandfather's family. Clerihew and its 30 plus varitations jump right out front when you're reading something. I would never have known about William if Sarah hadn't noticed the name Clerihew when she was looking for her own family!

Carol