General History

Schools and Education

• http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/legislation.htm Education acts – history & politicians

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_England History of State Education

Museums and Galleries

• http://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/main.php3 Museum of The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment - Salisbury

• http://www.beamish.org.uk/ Open air museum,at Beamish, Couty Durham, reflecting Northern life in 1800’s and early 1900’s

• http://www.edencamp.co.uk/ Eden Camp, Malton, North Yorkshire - Theme museum, centred on the history of WW2

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/sense_of_place/saltaire.shtml Saltaire, Bradford – factory and village, built by millowner & philanthropist Sir Titus Salt.

• http://www.saltsmill.org.uk/ Village includes Salts Mill – houses the David Hockney exhibition

Work and Trade Assosciations / Unions

• http://www.historyshelf.org/shelf/friend/06.php Friendly Societies - a brief overview, with links to some specifiic societies

• http://www.unionancestors.co.uk/index.htm Trade Union Ancestors

Political Parties and Movements

The Suffragettes

• http://www.cjbooks.demon.co.uk/suffrage.htm

• http://www.romanbritain.freeserve.co.uk/SUFFRAGETTES.HTM

• http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Whunger.htm

• http://www.johndclare.net/Women1_SuffragetteActions_Rosen.htm

Hospitals, Asylums and Sanitoriums

• http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/MAB/MAB.shtml Establishment of hospitals, asylums, hospital ships, smallpox & TB

• http://www.institutions.org.uk/asylums/england/english_asylums.htm Asylum information

• http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/search.asp TNA's Hospital Database search facility

• http://www.coram.org.uk/heritage.htm CORAM Foundling Hospital Association

The Industrial Revolution

• http://www.leeds.gov.uk/armleymills/ Leeds industrial museum, which includes a history of industrialisation

• http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/ A useful site for the cotton spinning and weaving industry

• http://www.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/home.stm Industrial History

American History

• http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/femvets2.html Women in the American civil war, with links to other related sites

• http://www.teacheroz.com/wwi.htm America in World War One

Irish Political and Social History

This section has been moved to its own page due to its size. Click here to view it.

Civilian Transport

• http://www.georgianindex.net/horse_and_carriage/carriage_door.html Carriages and Coaching

• http://www.hometown.aol.co.uk/BritHorseTrams/index.html Horse trams

• http://www.lvta.co.uk/history.htm Horse cabs and Hackney carriages

• http://www.flying-bike.demon.co.uk/helistuff/heli.html Helicopters

• http://www.ba-gb.com/index.php?ps=8 Bicycles

Architecture and Old Buildings

• http://www.letchworthgardencity.net/heritage/index-3.htm Letchworth, the first Garden City

• http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/about_chocolate/history_cadbury/social_pioneers/bournville_village.htm Bourneville village (founded by the Cadburys)

• http://www.portsunlightvillage.com/page.asp?pageid=history Port Sunlight (founded by William Lever)

• http://www.jrf.org.uk/housingandcare/newearswick/ New Earswick (built by Joseph Rowntree)

• http://koti.welho.com/rhurmal1/linnat2004/castles.html#A British Castles, Stately Homes and Houses

• http://www.victorianstation.com/architecturemenu.htm Victorian Architecture, mostly American

• http://www.building-history.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ Researching historic buildings in the British Isles

The Law and Social Legislation

• http://www.oldbaileyonline.org This has the transcripts of Old Bailey trials from 1674-1834. You can search by name or place, (the name search includes defendants, witnesses and jurors). Also has old maps and other info about London history.

• http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/forewords/A138.pdf although written as an introduction to the Apprenticeship Register for Dawlish, Devon, this provides a good description of the Parish Apprenticeship system in England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

• http://www.schools.bedfordshire.gov.uk/gaol/ccourts.htm A brief description of the 19th Century Criminal Justice System

• http://www.met.police.uk/history/index.htm History of the Metropolitan Police

Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment has been moved to its own page due to size considerations

The British Monarchy

• http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/genealogy/GEDCOM.html Royal and Noble Genealogical Data on the Web

• http://tribalpages.com/familytree.html Tribal pages uses the British royal family for its family tree tutorial. If you think you have royal connections it might be worth browsing.

Emigration and Immigration

Highland Clearances

For those interested in the Highland Clearances there is loads of info here - I only looked at 6 of them and have already found a missing person.

If you google "Metagama" you will get some ship passenger lists from 1920's. This is a small example - 404 names on this list mostly from Scotland. Departed Glasgow, Scotland on Friday, June 22, 1923 Departed Belfast, Ireland on Saturday, June 23, 1923

Trans-Atlantic Sailing to Quebec and Montreal, Canada, July 5, 1923 THIS was a C.P.R. liner, come to Lewis to take on those whom Manny Shinwell later described in Parliament as "the best of Scottish manhood". The Metagama sailed on Saturday the 21st of April, 1923. From all over Lewis, they crowded into Stornoway on the Friday. Cromwell Street echoed with the banter and excited anticipation of those about to leave, mingling with the sadness of those who had come to say goodbye. (This is From West Side historical Society on Google - out of the 300 who sailed that day only 20 were NOT young men, the average age was 22.) It decimated the Island Communities and to this day they have not recovered.

Links

• http://www.ulsterancestry.com/ Ulster ancestry has a lot of information on its free pages, both passenger lists and some lists of emigrants...

• http://www.abdn.ac.uk/emigration/ A Scottish emigration database

Inns and Public Houses

• http://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/ Norfolk Public Houses

• http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hitch/gendocs/pubs.html Pubs in Victorian London

• http://www.1881pubs.com/ Pubs in 1881

• http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/towns/worcester/worcestershire/ Worcester pubs

• http://www.bristolslostpubs.com Pubs lost in Bristol

• http://londonpublichouse.com/ London & Essex Pubs History & Trade Directory

• http://www.hillfields.org.uk/History/Pubs/Index.htm Pubs in Hillfields, Coventry

• http://www.midlandspubs.co.uk Midlands pubs

• http://www.hunimex.com/warwick/pubs/index.html Warwickshire pubs

• http://www.sfowler.force9.co.uk/page_27.htm Tracing ancestors who worked in pubs

• http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/Dir/StaffsPubs1818.html Staffordshire pubs

• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dutillieul/ZOtherPapers/Index/PubsInnsBeer.html Index to Pubs Inns and Beer Houses

• http://www.edinburgh247.com/edinburgh-pub-guide.asp A modern guide but handy list of Edinburgh pubs

• http://www.ensignewart.demon.co.uk/ensign/html/history_of_the_pub.html The story of the Ensign Ewart pub

• http://www.oldnotts.co.uk/sutton/pubs/others.htm Notts Pubs

• http://www.pubhistory.freeserve.co.uk/ The Pub History Society

• http://www.easywell.co.uk/pubs/ Gloucestershire Pubs and Breweries

Religion and the Clergy

• http://theclergydatabase.org.uk/ The Clergy of the Church of England Database

• http://www.catholic-history.org.uk/cfhs/index.htm Catholic family history

• http://rylibweb.man.ac.uk/data1/dg/methodist/methguid.html Methodists Archive and Research Centre

• http://www.methodist.org.uk/static/factsheets/fs_primitiveandwesleyan.htm The Methodist Church – factsheets (Wesleyans and primitive Methodists)

• http://www.answers.com/topic/primitive-methodism Primitive Methodism

• http://www.crockford.org.uk/ Crockford’s Clerical Directory: a directory of the clergy of the Church of England, the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church,

• http://www.kinderlibrary.ac.nz John Kinder Theological Library

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Society_of_Friends Religious Society of Friends - Wikipedia

• http://members.lycos.co.uk/JennySteel/quakers.html Famous Quakers

• http://www.rootsweb.com/~engqfhs/ Quaker Family History Society

• http://www.hull.ac.uk/oldlib/archives/quaker/bihrlink.htm Yorkshire Quaker Heritage Project

• http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/spcoll/quaker/quakint1.htm Quaker Archives Database, West & North Yorkshire

• http://www.special-coll.bham.ac.uk/ The archives for the Church Missionary Society are kept at Birmingham University Library in their Special Collections. The catalogue can be searched online here

• http://www.jgsgb.org.uk The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain

• http://eagle.cch.kcl.ac.uk:8080/cce/index.html Another database of Clergy of the Church of England

• http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/librariesandarchives/familyhistory/index.html Anglican Sources for Tracing your Family History

• http://www.catholic-history.org.uk

• http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk

• http://www.scmo.org.uk/bishops_conference/diocese/today

• http://home.att.net/~Local_Catholic

• http://www.newadvent.org/cathen

• http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~hadland/rec.html

• http://www.churches-online.org.uk/salfordarchives

• http://www.stphilipsbooks.co.uk/crs.htm

• http://www.catholic-library.org.uk

• http://www.nli.ie/pdfs/famil2.pdf.

• http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/LatinNotes.html

• http://www.pro.gov.uk/leaflets/Riindex.asp

• http://www.swinhope.myby.co.uk/NRO/RCatholic.html

• http://www.hmc.gov.uk/nra/nra2.htm

• http://www.catholic-heritage.net/archives.htm

• http://www.scan.org.uk/aboutus/indexonline.htm

• http://www.sierratel.com/colinf/genuki/CAV/RC.htm

• http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/northowram

• http://www.cartes.freeuk.com/history/catholic.htm

• http://www.otherdays.com

• http://www.stbedes.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/br

Maps and Photography

• http://www.motco.com/MAP/ -Historic maps of London – most have indexes of place names

• http://www.motco.com/print/ Historic prints of London and other parts of Britain

• http://www.motco.com/panoramas/ Panoramic views of London and the Thames

• http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/oldmap/index.asp Lancashire County Council - Environment Directorate: Old Maps

• http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ Historical map archive searchable by place name, address or coordinate (OS Grid Reference)

• http://www.nls.uk/maps/early/index.html Maps of Scotland 1560-1928

• http://www.nls.uk/pont/index.html Ponts Maps of Scotland

• http://www.nls.uk/maps/military/index.html Military Maps of Scotland (18th century)

• http://www.nls.uk/maps/townplans/index.html Ordnance Survey town plans 1847-1895

• http://www.countyviews.com/

• http://www.countyviews.com/beds/church.htm Bedfordshire Church Photographs

• http://www.countyviews.com/beds/index.htm Bedfordshire Town and Village Photographs

• http://www.countyviews.com/bucks/church.htm Buckinghamshire Church Photographs

• http://www.countyviews.com/bucks/index.htm Buckinghamshire Town and Village Photographs

• http://www.countyviews.com/oxford/index.htm Oxfordshire Photos (very few at the moment)

The Landed Gentry

• http://www.sledmerehouse.com/intro.html Sledmere House and Gardens website

• http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/news/0601sykes.html Biographies of family members; papers of Sykes family held at Brynmor-Jones library, University of Hull

• http://www.yorkshire-racing.co.uk/sledmere.htm The Sledmere stud

• http://www.eastriding.gov.uk/leisure/tourism/pdf/leaflets/sykes_trail.pdf Churches restored by Sir Tatton Sykes

• http://www.yorkshirehistory.com/wagon/index1.htm Sir Mark Sykes & the Wagoners Reserve (with link to attestation details of individual men)

• http://www.r-alston.co.uk/country_house_database.htm A database of country houses in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and some of the surrounding islands, with brief histories.

Bargemen/Boatmen/Watermen/Lightermen

• http://www.blisworth.org.uk/images/index.html

• http://www.canals.com/resource.htm

• http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/collection/family-history.htm

• http://www.hnboc.org.uk/ Narrowboat

• http://www.bargeman.co.uk/ Bargemen

• http://www.silsden.net/useful/Leeds_andLiverpool_canal_timeline.htm Leeds and Liverpool Canal

• http://www.virtualwaterways.co.uk/Home.html

• http://www.canaljunction.com/craft/index.htm Boats and Barges

• http://www.canaljunction.com/canal/boat_people.htm Canal People

• http://www.geocities.com/thameswatermen/index.htm The Thames Watermen - 1555 to 1700

• http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/ConNarrative.142/chapterId/2955/Thames-Watermen.html History of London Watermen

Jewish history

• http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/UK/londweb.htm Jewish history in London

Stonemasons

The January 2007 issue of Your Family Tree has an article about stonemasons.

Covers many different aspects including some historical background.

The earlier you go back, the more likely your stonemason would have been a very skilled craftsman, with an apprenticeship of 15 years to learn all the different aspects of construction. However, in later times (17-1800s onwards), this term covered all sorts of trades other than the skilled carving we think of today... such as quarrying, fashioning door lintels, paving stones and all sorts of other things related to building & construction (think farm buildings & houses as well as bridges & viaducts etc). These folk probably start off as builders labourers, and most of the people who change their occupation between censuses probably fall into this category.

The article does not give any sources for apprenticeship records; where they still exist these would presumably be included in the records offices.

Master masons did have their own "marks". Earlier ones are often symbols, later ones can be initials. You can sometimes see these on gravestones (low down and possibly buried by now). I am told there is no centralised record of these.

Master masons may have belonged to a Guild, and here the Worshipful Company of Masons may be able to help, but you have to access the records in person. (Southgate, London N14) www.masonslivery.co.uk

It is also suggested you may find relevant records in old Trade Associations (which are now our modern trade unions of course) and sources for these include the Working Class Movement Library in Salford, and the Modern Records Centre at Warwick University.

Salford (holds 1865-1918 yearly audits of members etc.) http://www.wcml.org.uk/holdings/operative_stonemasons_annual_audit_contents.htm

Warwick has an extensive collection of Trade Union records http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/ the relevant unions: Friendly Society of Operative Sonemasons of England, Ireland & Wales (1833-1919)

Operative Society of Masons, Quarrymen and Allied Trades of England and Wales (1919-1921)

this became the Amalgamated Union of Building Workers in 1921 & further evolved into the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians in 1971.

You will have to visit in person to look at any relevant records.

The following websites mentioned in the article may also be of interest

• http://www.finestoneminiatures.com/dictionary.htm A Stonemasons Dictionary

• http://www.scan.org.uk/researchrtools/james_smith_diary.htm Diary of a stonemason