History Talks
Each year I give a small number of talks to local history and other societies, and when I introduce a new topic I currently post the pictures, plus an expanded supporting text, on this site. Please contact me if you would like me to give a talk to your society.
The Terriers in West Herts in World War One
This gives information on the troops in the West Herts area during the first year of the war, with an emphasis on the Territorial Force (later the Territorial Army). The talk is based on the book The London Gunners come to Town - and some of the unused research material. The talk was given on 18th October 2005 and some minor changes and linkages may still need to be made.
A Short History of Bernards Heath
My great grandfather, Jacob Reynolds, farmed Heath Farm, Bernards Heath, St Albans, and I collected a significant amount of material (most still unpublished) on Bernards Heath. The information here was first given as a talk, and then issued in booklet form. The booklet is now out of print but is available online. Three other talks cover specific aspect of my Bernards Heath research. These are:
Poaching and Petty Thieving in St Albans, particularly the problems the local farmers had with visitations from the urban poor in St Albans.
The Road Through Harpenden which starts as Harpenden Road, St Albans, crossing Bernards Heath.
St Albans Brickmakers with information on the brickmakers of Bernards Heath. In addition to the talk a series of biographies on selected brickmakers is being (slowly) added.
This is not a talk, but the text of a booklet produced for an exhibition in 1997 and now out of print.
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In addition I have given other talks based on sections of The London Gunners come to Town and on the use of old newspapers in local and family history research, but these have not yet been posted on this site.
Special Features
The following represent special collections of pages which you might have difficulty in finding if you didn't know they existed.
Dating Early View Picture Post Cards of Hertfordshire (in preparation)
The First World War in Hertfordshire (needs modification to be integrated with the "Terriers" talk)
A Military Christmas in Hertfordshire
My Hertfordshire Ancestors (in progress)
The Inns & Public Houses of St Albans in the 19th Century
Hemel Hempstead 1797 Directory
Research Documents
Over the last 20 years I have produced many draft documents and research notes and where appropriate these are being edited into a tidier format and made available usually as Word documents.
The following files have so far been issued:
Who's Who for the
Marshalswick Murder
Hertfordshire Hangings
1820-1880
An Aylesbury Reformist
The
Tring Zeppelin
The following files by other people are also available
Grove School, Watford, 1925-1929
Page updated February 2008