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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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A Wiltshire Christmas Past

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Dec 18, 2009

Tagged in: ‘Wassail’ Harvey , www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/folk_play_search.ph , with Christmas carols , Wiltshire Community History , Wiltshire , We Wish You a Merry Christmas , wassailing , wassail bowl , villagers , verses , Thomas Ernle , The Britford First Carol , Tha Girt Big Figgetty Pooden , stories , spiced ale , songs , skating , seasonal decorations , school , Sarum Missal , sang , Salisbury Cathedral , rural Wiltshire , Rector , Rector , punch , poems , poems , plays , performed , New Year , mumming , mummers’plays , Monkton Park Community Primary School , minor gentry , Medieval , Limpley Stoke , late night parties , John Chandler , John Britton , John Aubrey , History Centre , heathenish custom , games , Francis Kilvert , folk tradition , Folk Arts , fertility ceremony , Felicity Gilmour , farm labourer , Everley , Evening Prayer , Edward Slow , dialect , dancing , crops , Cricklade , clergy , church , Christmas masses , Christmas Festivities , Christmas Eve , Christmas Day , Christmas , Chris Wildridge , celebrations , butcher’s meat , Britford , boy bishop , Boar’s Head , animals , Alfred Williams , Ales , A.G. Street , A. Lemoine , A Wiltshire Christmas , .Civil War

We have just been entertained by the children of our local school, Monkton Park Community Primary School, with Christmas carols and songs for History Centre staff and users. They ended with We Wish You a Merry Christmas and we would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year. That set me thinking about earlier Christmas times in our county.


            Adverts in Wiltshire Newpapers, 1909
Adverts in Wiltshire Newpapers, 1909

For glimpses of Christmases past in Wiltshire you need to look in the writings of Francis Kilvert, Alfred Williams and A.G. Street. In Kilvert you will find the entertainments and activities of the clergy and minor gentry – dancing and games, late night parties, skating, and seasonal decorations in the church. Williams presents us with a view of the farm labourer’s Christmas while Street provides a mixture of famers’ and farm workers’ celebrations. To find out more please 'read more'...




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