LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter February 2012

Research and Advice Sessions at

Haslingden Library every Monday 5.30 – 8.30 pm

Note: the doors to Haslingden Library close at 7.30 pm.

and at Rawtenstall Library every Tuesday 1.30 – 3.30 pm

We may be able to do simple look-ups for distant members. When contacting us with an enquiry, please include your membership number.

The LFHHS Resource Centre.

The Society’s Resource and Research Centre at 2 Straits, Oswaldtwistle, BB5 3LU is open every Thursday from 1.00pm – 5.00pm and 1st Saturday of each month 1.00pm

Coming Events

February 18th 2012
Federation of Local History Societies.

The Federation has just announced a day of lectures 'in celebration of Dr GH Tupling (1883-1962) in St Peter’s RC Cathedral's Social Centre, Balmoral Rd, Lancaster LA1 3BT
note: Dr. Tuppling wrote..
The economic history of Rossendale published by the Chetham Society NS volume 86 1927. This is one of the most important histories of our Borough.

Because our society is a member, it means that individual members can attend on payment of the fee, which is £16 with buffet lunch, or £9 without lunch; in St Peter’s RC Cathedral's Social Centre, Balmoral Rd, Lancaster LA1 3BT

9.30--10am Assemble & coffee;
10--11am Dr Chris Lewis : Tupling's world- local history in Lancashire & beyond 1883-1962
11.15-12.15 Dr Alan Crosby: Markets & fairs in Lancashire 12th to 18th century
1.45-2.45pm Margaret Lynch: The Lancashire Plea Roll of 1292
3.15-4.15pm Dr Paul Booth: Earl Thomas of Lancaster & Lancashire's unknown civil war.

Payments before 13th Feb to: Diana Winterbotham 9 Riverside Drive, Stoneclough, Radcliffe, M26 1HU (0161 707885)

February 24th - 26th 2012
Who Do You Think You Are Live 2012

Olympia National Hall, Hammersmith Road’ London. W14 4BUX Exhibits, Workshops and Expert Advice. http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com/

Sunday 4th March

Merseyside and Cheshire Family History Fair at Hulme Hall, 23 Bolton Rd., Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside, CH62 5DH 10.00 am -5.00 pm

Saturday 28th April

The Family History Day, Pudsey, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS28 5TA
10.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.

LancashireBMDUpdates

A message from Tony Foster the Society President.

We need to thank all our volunteers for their hard work that involved them in transcribing and checking the BMD indexes. This is an excellent example of how our Society is collaborating with the following registration districts: Blackburn Blackpool Bury Lancashire (Lancashire County Council) Rochdale
During the past year the website had 2,064,131 visits which averages 5,655 per day The work is total funded by our Society.
If any one wishes to assist in this transcription work, there are still important gaps in the coverage for Rossendale. e.g. Newchurch St. Nicholas after 1845. and Bacup St. John after 1855.
Volunteers should contact Tony Foster at ga.foster@btopenworld.com for more details.

Rossendale News, Notes and Queries

Our last meeting was advertised as a Research Session but actual fact Terry Walsh came with a selection of books from the Federation of Family History Societies and also we had two visitors from the Latter-day Saints. Martin Bissett and Peter Travilcock had agreed to tell us about some of the transcription work undertaken by the LDS. Firstly they showed us four short films illustrating different family stories.

Secondly it was suggested that members might like to become in their transcription programme. Anyone interested should visit their website: https://familysearch.org/volunteer/indexing

This month we have a light hearted article by Beryl Venables.

What a name to give a Baby!

A journal from another Family History Society had a quotation purportedly from an acquaintance of the parents of Isambard Kingdom Brunel who commented, "What a name to give a baby?" This phrase has often crossed my mind when looking at family history documents.

Two who may be related to me are Handy and Nimble Graham. I wondered if they were nicknames although listed as such on the `1881 census. But no, they are registered by those names.

I have found it very interesting to have family in Essex as well as Lancashire, as there have been few occasions when I have found surnames used as Christian names in the south, although it has occurred in my husbands Welsh family. I have a Grand Uncle, Rothwell Houghton Mawdsley b 1885 in Bacup: both Christian names were former maiden names in the family.

Naming that I do find rather strange is the use of a surnames as first name that repeats the surname – Holt Holt and Rothwell Rothwell.

I have wondered how the use of such Christian names such as Bold, Squire, Doctor or Major came to be used.

Having noticed some of these names I decided I had to keep a list.

So far, I have Tempest Waddington b Whalley – Bold Robinson from Cheshire – Delecta Farrar in Australia – a lovely mix of Horatio Napoleon ….. Temperence Holt in Buckinghamshire and Parasatys Roberts b1879 Haslingden District. My Grandfather was Samuel Jackson but could I be related to Samuel Strongbow Jackson also from Bacup.

My presumption is that some of these names were learned from books that were used in schools – unless you know different.

It is a good thing that I don’t have the same name as Miss Dearden born in Rochdale in 1741 – Silence. Not appropriate!

By the way, I do have one of these names in my Essex family. I am related to Augustus Caesar Hoy – though he was known as Caesar.

So far, my favourite 'what a name to give a baby' is Dionysius Duckworth. Apologies if he was your Grandpa. berylvenables@talktalk.net

Stephanie Bridge 1935 - 1912

We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Stephanie on the 10th January . She had been a regular member of the Rossendale Branch for many years.

Coincidently on the previous day, the Rossendale Free Press had published an article headed “Stephanie celebrates a lifetime of dance”

We were told that she was celebrating more than 60 years as a dancer. She had taught, ballet tap and aerobics and helped more than 7,000 dancers pass there examinations. She had also trained two teachers and two freestyle dancers at the Stephanie Bridge School of Dance now the oldest dance School in the Valley. Stephanie was an honorary member of the British Ballet School Organisation and was recently made a lifetime member of the International Dance Teachers Association.

However, it was for her interest in Family History that she was known to us. Her maiden name was Dean but it was with her husband’s Bridge family that she had been most successful, having traced the Bridges back as far as the 1500s.

Stephanie Dean married Frank Bridge at Longholme Chapel in 1957 and it was at Longholme Chapel, just above our meeting area that her funeral service took place on the 20th January 2012.

We offer our sincere condolences to Frank and her extensive family. We will miss her.