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Local History and the art of serendipity

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Jul 9, 2010

Tagged in: Yorkshire , Wiltshire Weather Proverbs , Wiltshire shepherd , Wiltshire Libraries , Wiltshire Independent , Wiltshire Council , Wiltshire Archaeological Society , William Camden , Westmorland , weather , Wales , verdict , Titchborne Claimant , Times Digital Archive , The Preston Guardian , The Lancaster Gazette and General Advertiser for L , Terry Bracher , Swindon Libraries , Swindon Borough Council , subscribe , stories , Sir Roger Titchborne , Shrewsbury , Shoulder of Mutton , serendipity , search terms , Rev. C. H. Smith , researchers , relieving-officer , records , Public House , prison , poor man , Poor Law , online , observations , Nineteenth Century Newspapers Online , newspapers , Malmesbury Union Workhouse , local history , libraries , landlord , keywords , jury , John Matthews , John Aubrey , Jacksons Oxford Journal , information , Inclemency of the Weather , http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisureandculture/libr , http://www.swindon.gov.uk/leisuresport/libraries/2 , History Centre , heir , family fortune , eureka moment , distraction , Devizes prison , Death , court case concerning , Coroner’s , computers , clergyman , browsing , Bromham , Brinkworth , astrological , articles , Arthur Orton , art , antiquarian , 1873

Like many researchers, when I am browsing newspapers and other records I am often distracted by other interesting stories or snippets of information. When searching for articles online, there is less distraction as you are already narrowing your search terms to produce that eureka moment. But what online research does provide for, something that should be in every Local Historian’s toolkit, is what I call the art of serendipity, or more bluntly putting in a couple of keywords and see what happens, with surprising results! (You see, we have all done it).
The Titchbourne Claimant 
The Titchborne Claimant

In the spirit of research on behalf of our faithful blog readers I thought I would search two online resources to which both Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council subscribe on your behalf. These are the Times Digital Archive and Nineteenth Century Newspapers Online. These are available 24/7 to Wiltshire Libraries and Swindon Libraries members respectively, through the following links: http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisureandculture/librarieshome/libraryonlineresources.htm. To find out which other Wiltshire stories were discovered, please 'read more'... 

 

http://www.swindon.gov.uk/leisuresport/libraries/24hourlibrary.htm



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Worth a 1,000 Words? Can You Identify Our Pictures?

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Apr 23, 2010

Tagged in: white horse , wedding photographs are not that common although m , WEA song , village feasts , Urchfont , unlocated photo , Uffington Station , Uffington , town , Swindon newspapers , Swindon and North Wiltshire Workers Education Asso , street scene , stereoscopic photographs , stalls , staff , Reuben George , rail , Public House , places , Picture , photographs , people , P43213 , P42181 , P40967 , P32082 , P31952 , P31311 , outing , Nag’s Head , mystery , morris dancing and tea , microfilm , location unless you know differently , King Alfred , identify , I said it in the meadow , hotels , History Centre , historic value , Great Bedwyn , gingerbread , fairings , Devizes , cricket matches , circus , church , catalogued , Bishop of Bristol , Bishop Browne , bells , belfry , American journalist , all night vigil , a picture is worth a thousand words , 1889

An American journalist once said that a picture is worth a thousand words; very true but only if you know what the picture is showing you. Here at the History Centre we have tens of thousands of photographs, most we can identify but a few are a mystery. Some are really good photographs but their historic value would be much greater if we could identify the places and people.

Image No. P32082

 Image No. P32082
                 To take a look at the other images, please 'read more'...


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The Disappearing Public House

Posted by: Blog Administrator on May 19, 2009

To most of us the pub has been a permanent feature of our landscape - many of us have navigated by using them as points of reference. They are a part of community history and often the pub, or its name on a variety of buildings has been in the town or village for a couple of centuries or more. The George Inn at Lacock (pictured below) has a 16th century core and there was a George Inn here in 1361.

The George Inn at Lacock The George Inn at Lacock

A chequerboard can be found on the Methuen Arms at Corsham. This sign has ancient origins, being used by the Romans, but here it might have shown either that draughts or backgammon was played or that the innkeeper also acted as a money changer. This inn was known as the Red Lion when it was set up in the 17th century it survived an early order for its suppression by magistrates.

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