The nights are drawing in, the weather is getting cooler (well, at least in here in the UK). What better time to be thinking about taking an online course and working on your family history or local history project.

We have some great courses coming up to help you:

17th Century Sources (382)
Nonconformity – Its Records and History 1600 – 1950 (280)
Your Military Ancestors (224)
Manorial Records for Family and Local Historians (401)
Advanced One-Name Studies (902)
In Sickness and in Death – researching the ill-health and death of your ancestors (240)
Victorian and Edwardian Education and Childhood 1820 to 1920 (251)
Mapping Strategies for Family Historians (343)

* COURSE OF THE MONTH *

Victorian and Edwardian Education and Childhood 1820 to 1920 (251)

Tutor: Linda Newey
Start date: 7th November 2022
Course length: 4 weeks

School records can be a great way to find out more about the community in which your ancestors lived. Some of the records you might find for educational establishments are: School Board minutes, log books, accounts, punishment books, admission registers, lists of pupils, photographs, timetables and staff appointments.

Here are some examples of the riches you can find in school log books, taken from the log books for the Infant School, Girls School and Boys School in Sawston, Cambridgeshire:

07 Apr 1887 “Sidney Barker went home on Wednesday morning because he was afraid to pass the master’s dog, thereby losing his attendance.”

27 Jul 1888 “… Holiday given on account of the annual pea picking.”

07 Apr 1891 “The Infant School work could be done much better if the lessons were relieved by a (?) hour or 20 minutes recreation, both morning & afternoon, in a playground. Parents naturally object to 3 hours brain work, without any interval for young children. …”

06 Sep 1893 “Sent Alfred Chapman, Hubert Osborne and Harry Holden home at 2 o’clock to be washed. The parents of the two former boys sent impertinent messages and refused to send the children back again.”

05 Sep 1904 “… Edward Patterson and Cyril Cowling have been successful in gaining County Council Scholarships (Minor) and will proceed to the County School.”

Our course, Victorian and Edwardian Childhood and Education 1820s to 1920s, builds upon education records to consider childhood as a whole. The course explores childhood and education throughout the Victorian and Edwardian eras in England and Wales. It starts by considering the definition of childhood and the various social status influences on the childhood experience, such as wealth, gender and the differences between urban and rural living. You will learn about the influence of philanthropic and charitable organisations, that brought about social change by Acts of Parliament, laws and legislation, all of which ultimately led to improvements in the childhood experience and the provision of education for all. 
By the end of this course, you will know how to locate a wide range of records related not only to education, but many other organisations associated with childhood, and be able to apply this to your own family history research.

17th Century Sources (382)

Tutor: Stuart Raymond  
Start date: 26th October 2022
Course length: 4 weeks

For genealogists the 17th century presents new challenges. These are not discouraging – if anything, challenges add interest and enthusiasm to research. Historically it is a fascinating period, and genealogically some familiar records continue to be used so the research is not with entirely new material.

This course will provide students with a broad understanding of the problems encountered when researching in 17th century records. They will be able to locate indexes and finding aids, document copies and transcripts, and original records. In addition, they will appreciate the research value and practical application of the information found. The course gives significant emphasis to local and regional differences within records as well as to historical context.

Nonconformity – Its Records and History 1600 – 1950 (280)

Tutor: Alec Tritton
Start date: 27th October 2022
Course length: 4 weeks
* FULLY BOOKED but booking now for April 2023 *

Your Military Ancestors (224)

Tutor: Simon Fowler 
Start date: 31dt October 2022
Course length: 4 weeks
* FULLY BOOKED but booking now for June 2023 *

Manorial Records for Family and Local Historians (401)

Tutor: Caroline Adams
Start date: 31st October 2022
Course length: 5 weeks
* Under NEW Instruction *

The manorial system was a framework for people’s lives in England and Wales for hundreds of years, enduring well into the 19th century in some areas, and not finally abolished until the 20th century. Manorial records can be used to locate people within a community and to set them in their social and economic context. This course examines the place of the manor in the legal and social system, the records created by the manor, and changes that occurred through the centuries.

You will read court rolls, look at court books and learn about property transactions, surveys, maps, accounts and even people’s wills that may not be recorded elsewhere. You will be taught to search for and locate manorial records with confidence and understand how to use them to solve genealogical problems.

Lesson Headings:
* History and development of the manorial system
* People and their roles
* Records of the Manor Courts
* Farming the estate – Surveys, Maps and Rentals
* Demise of the manorial system

Advanced One-Name Studies (902)

Tutor: Julie Goucher
Start date: 1st November 2022
Course length: 6 weeks (5 lessons)

This course is the third of three courses regarding One-Name Studies and builds on the initial learning from the Introduction to One-Name Studies (901) course and the Practicalities of a One-Name Study (903) course. Take one-name study skills to new levels. Whatever drew you into the investigation of a surname you are now deeply immersed in gathering and analysing data. You have mastered the practical aspects of managing your project and are eager to turn your discoveries into something of lasting value.

Lesson Headings:
* The One-Name Study theory and practice
* Interdisciplinary studies – Acquiring the right skill set
* Surname case studies – Learning from others
* Synthesis – More than family history
* Spread the Word – Get Published

In Sickness and in Death – researching the ill-health and death of your ancestors (240)

Tutor: Janet Few
Start date: 7th November 2022
Course length: 5 weeks
* BOOKING FAST *

One thing that all but our most recent ancestors have in common is that they are dead. The health problems and deaths of our ancestors are an integral part of our family’s history. This five week course will help you to set your ancestors’ lives in context by looking at the illnesses, disabilities and diseases that brought about their deaths or had an effect on their well-being. We shall discover a variety of records that might provide information about ill-health or causes of death for specific ancestors, or about prevalent threats to health in the past. The causes, symptoms and treatment of various illnesses will be investigated and significant medical developments of the last 400 years will be explored.

This is a very popular course so book soon to avoid disappointment.

Mapping Strategies for Family Historians (343)

Tutor: Sophie Kay
Start date: 7th November 2022
Course length: 4 weeks
* FULLY BOOKED for November 2022 and February 2023 *
Keep an eye on the website for new dates or email us to be added to the waiting list.

That’s all for this month, happy studying!