May 19, 2006

Royal Household, 1660-1837

New at British History Online: Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Court Officers, 1660-1837. This book "provides career details of every remunerated officer and servant of the English royal household. It covers the bedchamber and the public rooms; the medical, artistic and religious establishments; the household below stairs and the stables. Officers are also indexed by name." Also Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857, volume 11, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Manchester, Ripon, and Sodor and Man Dioceses. "Charts the chronology and careers of the bishops and higher clergy of the dioceses of Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Manchester, Ripon, and Sodor and Man." Also the Victoria History of the County of Worcester, volume 4. "This volume covers the city of Worcester, as well as parishes in the hundreds of Pershore and Doddingtree, in the south and west of the county. These include the towns of Pershore, Great Malvern and Hanley Castle."

Unusual baby names

The New York Times reported on May 18th that Nevaeh -- Heaven spelled backwards -- is now the 70th-most-popular name for newborn girls in the United States, ahead of Sara, Vanessa, and Amanda. Yuck.

May 18, 2006

The Gentleman's Magazine at Google Book Search

The Gentleman's Magazine is a useful source for research on well-to-do families. A growing number of volumes are available on Google Book Search. Here are the ones I've found so far: Jul-Dec 1834 Jan-Jun 1842 Jan-Jun 1843 Jan-Jun 1844 Jan-Jun 1850 Jul-Dec 1851 Jan-Jun 1853 Jul-Dec 1856 Jul-Dec 1883 Jan-Jun 1893 Are there others?

New search facility at National Archives

The new National Archives Global Search went live on May 17th. This news release explains more. The results include entries at A2A. I'm not sure yet whether one can exclude these (for example, if one has already searched them separately).

New at Family History Online

Another 1.2 million records were added to Family History Online on May 13th. They include

  • Pigot's 1835 Trade Directory for Herefordshire
  • Cambridgeshire Burials supplementing the National Burial Index
  • 1891 Census for Somerset
  • 1841 Census for City of Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire
  • 1851 Census index for Oldham, Lancashire (unfilmed)
and updates to several existing databases.