|
|
British Newspaper Archive
|
|
|
British Newspaper Archive |
|
||||||||
The British Library Newspapers are being digitised and about 10% of the projected total is now available online. Searching is free and a payment is required if you want to see the full article. This is going to prove to be a major source of family history and below I give first impressions of my first session - simply using the search facilities. I will later add information on my experience of viewing the actual pages.
|
First Impressions - December 2011 The British Newspaper Archive is now online - or rather just over 3,100,000 pages of old newspapers have been digitised with about 37.000,000 still to go.
The following records the subject of my first tests of the Search routines - without buying any actual pages |
||
|
Test 1 The first thing I did was to check to see the current coverage by papers in or bordering on Hertfordshire.
Bucks Herald (1836-1891) Hertford Mercury & Reformer (1836-1867) Herts Guardian, Agricultural Journal, and General Advertiser (1852-1867) Luton Times and Advertiser (1856-1876)
Test 2 I knew that the Murder of Edward Anstee at Marshalswick Farm, Sandridge, in August 1880 was widely reported so I checked to see which papers had mentioned it. The list on the right identifies the papers where I found a reference - and the * indicates those which also mentioned the surname Reynolds - as my Great Grandfather Jacob Reynolds gave evidence in the subsequent trial. The first of many entries mentioning Jacob was:
Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper Sunday 5 September 1880 THE MURDER NEAR ST ALBANS ... Mr. Jacob Reynolds, at Dernardes-heath farm, on the morning of June 5. The prisoners were also charged with breaking into Mr Wollotts fari at Sadell, and tlle blacksmlith's shop of Mr. Page, at St. Alballs; the prisoner, T homras Wheeler is further ...
In general the quality of the digitisation was pretty good but I have highlighted the words that were wrong in this - which was a typical not very good news item.
In many cases the story was a virtually identical syndicated text.
Test 3 I then carried out two searches, one for "Jacob Reynolds" and the other for news items which contained both "Reynolds" and "Sandridge". The following are some of the more interesting items found.
Morning Post Thursday 13 Feb 1862 POLICE INTELLIGENCE ... Mr Jacob Reynolds, of 1 Adelaide-place, London-bridge, agent and manager to Messrs Finch and Co, artificial manure manufacturers. From the evidence of Mr. Reynolds it appeared that the prisoner was in his employment as clerk, and on the 10th December ...
Herts Guardian, Agricultural Journal and General Advertiser Saturday 12 November 1864 ... r. J. Reynolds, of Hammonds, Sandr.dge Ito Ellen, eldest daughter of Mr. D. Smith, Water-end, ' Sandridge. DEATHS. On the 24th ult., at Christ's Hospital, Hertford, : Charles Henry, eldest son of the late Henry Grant J Foote, Esq., H.B.Ms Consul at L ... Hertford Mercury & Reformer Saturday 20 April 1867 LOCAL MAGISTRATES COURTS ... Mr Jacob Reynolds and Mr John Henry Smith were appointed overseers for the parish of Sandridge, ROADS AND ROAD SURVEYORS. Mr. E. George , one of the late surveyors for St Peters parish, objected to the clerk's fee of 9s 6d for passing their acc...
Luton Times and Advertiser Saturday 17 September 1870 ST ALBANS ... ty of Jacob Reynolds, at Sandridge, on the 8th inst. The prisoners at first elected to be tried at that court and pleaded not guilty, but on reconsidering the matter expressed a desire to be sent to the Quarter Sessions, They were accordingly committ...
Essex Newsman Saturday 15 January BRAINTREE LOCAL BOARD ... se of Jacob Reynolds, of St. Peter, noar St. Alban's, Mr. Salter, with whom was Mr. Forrest Fulton and Mr. Savage, said this was a charge in connection with an indictment which was framed against Thomas Wheeler, who was tried at the recent, assize at ...
Luton Times and Advertiser ... , Mr. Reynolds, Sandridge; Mr. Edwards; Redbourne. Mr. J. Willis, Mr. J. Cox, Sandridge ; Mr. Welch. Streatley ; Mr. D. Smith, Mr. R. Sibley Mr. Chennels, Mr. Callon, Mr. Merton, Mr. Green, Mr. Buckmaster, Mr. Beaumont, Mr. Arnold, Mr. Brown, Tring M ... |
Newspapers mentioning the Murder of Edward Anstee Aberdeen Journal Alnwick Mercury Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Blackburn Standard Bristol Mercury * Bucks Herald Bury and Norwich Post * Chelmsford Chronicle Derby Mercury Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald Dundee Courier * Essex Newsman Essex Standard * Exeter and Plymouth Gazette Daily Telegraph * Exeter Flying Post Freeman's Journal Glasgow Herald Hampshire Advertiser Huddersfield Chronicle * Hull Packet Illustrated Police News Ipswich Journal Leicester Chronicle Leeds Times Liverpool Mercury Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper * London Daily News London Standard * Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser * Manchester Evening News Manchester Times Morning Post * Newcastle Courant Northampton Mercury * North Devon Journal Northern Echo Nottinghamshire Guardian * Nottingham Evening Post Northern Echo Oxford Journal Pall Mall Gazette Portsmouth Evening News Reading Mercury Reynolds's Newspaper * Sheffield Daily Telegraph * Sheffield Independent * Staffordshire Sentinel * Tamworth Herald Western Gazette * Western Times * Worcestershire Chronicle Wrexham Advertiser * York Herald * Yorkshire Gazette * |
|
|
Test 4 "Lawes Patent Manure" Seard of Adverts for first sales in different parts of the country.
Norwich Chronicle Saturday 11 May 1844 LAWES' Patent Manure Offers the best Security for Turnips fromthe Fly* by bringing them to the Hoe, MANY DAYS earlier than the usual time. IT produces a Crop excel ent, both in quantity and quality. It has the ipprovalofmany ofonr best practic .. Bury and Norwich Post 1847 Essex Standard 1848 Hull Packet 1849 Exeter Flying Post 1850 Royal Cornwall Gazette 1850 Western Times 1850 Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 1850 York Herald 1852 Yorkshire Gazette 1852 Hertford Mercury and Reformer 1853 Nottinghamshire Guardian 1853 Newcastle Courant 1854 Lincolnshire Chronicle 1854 North Devon Journal 1854 Hereford Times 1854 Hampshire Advertiser 1859 Carlisle Journal 1860 Fife Herald 1860 |
||
|
A quickie Test My Great Great Grandfather Dolphin Smith moved from Wiltshire to Sandridge, in Hertfordshire, in 1842. This news item suggests a reason.
Perry’s Bankrupt Gazette |
||
|
I have carried out extensive research with Victorian newspapers before, as bound paper volumes, as microfilm, and some digitised images. Digitising old papers is difficult as the print is often small and often hard to read so I was delighted with the quality of most excerpts I saw. I found the search interface easy to use - and easily found some important references to family events. For those who are interested in find out more about what their ancestors did this is going to be a most valuable tool - especially when an even wider range of newspapers are included. |
| December 2010 | Page Created | |
