I feel rather privileged to be the first person to use our new blog, where people from across The National Archives will post about their work. There’s a wide range of activity that we’re involved in, and I hope this blog will really convey this to everyone we work with. From the incredible variety of our collections, to the challenges of collecting digital records; from the rigour and attention to detail in the legislation we publish to the painstaking work of our collection care department, this is the place to get more of a flavour of what we do.
We’ll be posting three to five times a week, and we’ll all reply to comments as quickly as possible, so welcome to the blog, and we hope you find what we do as interesting as we do. By the way, because it’s important that we manage Freedom of Information requests properly, we ask that these are made using our existing online contact form and not via blog comments.
Thank you for all the important work you all do at the Archives.
I look forward to reading with interest all future blogs.
Good luck
Thank you for making access to you easier. I love your official site but am really looking forward to following your blog. Looks great!
Congratulations on the blog launch. I look forward to hearing all the news from Kew in Sydney, Downunder.
Looking forward to reading your new blog!
Congratulations ! I do look forward much better contact and a chance of more interactive activity with others supporting the National Archives. Its made my day’
Well done on some creative thinking in instigating the Blog. I wish you every success and look forward to reading all your news.
I’m always pleased when your newsletter arrives in my Canadian e-mail box. Got to keep up with those ancestors! Looking forward to future posts.
With so many records and resources on hand, the blog shall make the National Archive much more personal. It will be interesting to hear what people within the organization find and enjoy.
Fantastic idea! A large number of us will probably be following you from over here on the other side of the pond (Canada), as many of us have our roots in the UK. My biggest use of the UKNA is for military records as both my grandfathers served in the British Army as Officers (enrolled in CEF but served in BEF). Keep up the great work and please do keep those of us in the colonies in mind as you write your blogs.
Thank you for all the really positive comments. We will certainly work to keep everyone’s interest, and Jenni’s post today starts us off nicely!
Congratulations. The National Archives has been for all these years the main source of information for my research. Accurate, well organized, friendly. I feel at home! jab
I live in New York State in the U.S. My grandmother Mary Ann Snelling was born in Cookham in 1863. She was widowed in 1896. Shortly after that she entered the Marylebone Workhouse. Over the next few years she left and reentered the workhouse numerous times. My father John was born at the Workhouse infirmary in April of 1899. Mary Ann left the workhouse for the last time in May of 1907. Despite a 12 year search I’ve been unable to find her beyond that date.I’m about ready to give up. In desperation, is their any one out there in the blog world who has information on what happened to Mary Ann after May 1907. I need to know when and where she died and where her remains are buried.
Was SNELLING your grandmother’s maiden name or that of her first husband?
findmypast.com has two possible marriages in the London area.
SNELLING, Mary Ann, Lewisham, London, 1907, Jan-Feb-Mar
SNELLING, Mary Ann, Wandsworth, London, 1909, Apr-May-Jun
Also, there are 4 records for deaths under the name Mary A SNELLING in the Greater London Region with ages corresponding to Birth in 1863 +/- 2 years. These are in 1934, 1940 + two in 1953.
I wonder if any of that may help.
Walter, a useful chance for me to say the one other thing I missed. We won’t be able to reply to any personal family history questions on the blog – though we love the stories. Anyone else out there who wishes to help is welcome!
A welcome addition to the National Archives
I di remember how forbidding it was when I first arrived at the National Archives
These sort of initiatives give a more human face to the National Archives
Was SNELLING your grandmother’s maiden name or that of her first husband?
findmypast.com has two possible marriages in the London area.
SNELLING, Mary Ann, Lewisham, London, 1907, Jan-Feb-Mar
SNELLING, Mary Ann, Wandsworth, London, 1909, Apr-May-Jun
Also, there are 4 records for deaths under the name Mary A SNELLING in the Greater London Region with ages corresponding to Birth in 1863 +/- 2 years. These are in 1934, 1940 + two in 1953.
I wonder if any of that may help.
Would be most grateful for assistance on the possibility of old photo’s from Cruft’s mid 1890’s. My Gt Grandparents shown in the Cruft’s catalogue web site at that time are shown as Mr & Mrs J.H.Balshaw. They had a few firsts as well as runners up for Black and Tan Terriers. We have an old personal photo of Martha with two of the dogs but we would like to see what John Hall looked like as we have never seen him. If there is a chance a photo of him can be found we would be grateful for any guidance offered.
Interested to see query re Crufts. My father bred Old English Mastiffs in Harrogate,Yorks,in the 1920s and I know won several prizes at Crufts including a beautiful silver rosebowl which sadly I no longer have as father decided to sell it!
His name was Charles Gudgeon and his kennel name was Pinetrees.
What a wonderful idea! I would give my eye teeth to be let loose in your building as I’m sure there will be many documents relating to my ancestors hiding away somewhere. Unfortunately I live in Australia so am unable to visit you ): Am interested in anything you have to say and applaud the wonderful work you do.
I’m so interested to read the blogs and hope to pick up some useful information. For instance, any information on the Marriott family of ironmongers of Old Broad Street in the 18th century??
Many thanks for advice.
What a great find! I don’t usually want to spend much time even
reading blogs but as I research family history through many
archives, it will be so fascinating to read your blogs of the inner
sanctum of the NA. Keep it up.
I’d like to say also ‘Don’t forget those of us who live elsewhere than the U.K.
I live in France, but do come to the U.K. from time to time. Nevertheless, my main source of information is via the Internet.
Sincerely, Rachel Bowen
hi Rachel happy Christmas
What a great idea! Looking forward to following all the news!
Really glad to see TNA with a new look : )
Congrats on the new blog from an archival colleague at the U.S. National Archives. I’ll definitely be following your posts!
Most personal to the Marriott family would be the three wills of Marriott ironmongers from London, dated 1718, 1744, and 1748 which you can find on TNA’s Documents Online service.
You may also find this law suit in the Court of Chancery interesting:
Short title: Marriott v Wimpress.
Document type: bill and three answers.
Plaintiffs: Samuel Marriott citizen and ironmonger of London, executor of Samuel Lavarick citizen and joiner of London deceased.
Defendants: Peter Hesketh, Samuel Hesketh, Elizabeth Wimpress widow, Elizabeth Wimpress spinster, Joseph Marriott, Charles Stevens, Anne Ellis, Thomas Watson, William Hutchinson and Thomas Wells.
1728.
It’s probably more about money owed to Lavarick, but it does put two Marriotts in their social context. The reference is C 11/78/8.
Have a look at the wills on TNA’s Documents Online – I found three Marriott ironmongers in London from 1718, 1744 and 1748. Also go to TNA’s catalogue and use the phrase Marriott AND ironmonger as a keyword search – you’ll find details of a court case they were involved in from 1728. (Are these court case details new, by the way? They do seem to crop up a lot now.)
Whoops – sorry, not used to this. But what a great idea.
I am working on a database of metalworkers in London in the 18th century: I have, by the way, in case it is of interest to Yvonne Wagstaff (14th Feb), a few references to Marriott ironmongers, beginnig with a Richard Marriott, ironmonger, at ‘The Dripping Pan’, in St. James’s Market [Sun Insurance Policies 1726].
I have been greatly assisted by the digitization of primary sources [Old Bailey etc. etc.]. Can anyone tell me the best place to get updates of ongoing and projected digitization projects – in particular of sources at the National Archives?
CGP Gudgeon of Harrogate bred a litter dd 02/09/1927 out of Pinetrees Nanette sired by a double Crufts winner , ie the red fawn ch Prince owned by Mrs Evans of St Heliers Jersey . The litter contained a/o Pinetrees Diane & Pinetrees Bernardo , the latter later on exported to Mrs Joanna Chapman – United States .
On page 587 of Joan Hahn’ breed book ‘Grandeur & Good Nature’ there’s a group photograph taken at Keighley Show presenting seven Mastiffs & owners , a/o Mr CGP Gudgeon & the Pinetrees Diane & Bernardo .
Mr Gudgeon’ brood Nanette was transferred to Miss Liddell of Felixstowe and she bred dd Sept 1930 a large litter from her sired by the home stud Adonis . The littermates were registered as – out of ‘Benton’ Nanette sired by Benton Adonis .
Nanette’ pedigree shows up the some of the very best specimens of their time , a/o ch Ashenhurst Cedric & ch King Baldur , so it isn’t that surprising Nanette’ dam Hardingham Lady Lydia was grandam to the world-famous ch Hellingly Ajax and also to Crufts ’32 winner ch Michael of Cinque Ports owned by Mrs Frances Samuelson of Lympne .
Well done guys, it’s truly a pleasure to see a treasured national resource staying updated with the trends… #evolution
I’m a designer from http://www.allanmcavoy.co.uk and i love the redesign of this blog!
I have a Sun Fire insurance plaque, number 425573, is there any archive I can access that will give me details of the policy holder or property location?