Derbyshire - are there really any active serious researchers?

[Jack Richards]

Hi Friends

I check 'new postings' at least once daily and note a lack of Derbyshire postings, (excluding Brett), whereas I note a general interest in many other counties and other topics.

Likewise for the county of Nottinghamshire.

Hence my question in the subject heading: "Derbyshire - are there really any active serious researchers?"

Should any reader of this thread be interested, please may I invite you to have a glimpse of my web site - it is a glimpse at my serious study (of 23+ years) covering a village in north east Derbyshire and a part of my family history covering Derbys., Notts. and Staffs. Yes, in the days where you actually viewed original documents and travelled hundreds of miles for the priviledge!

If you do decide to view my web site, a recent "first" for me is in volume X relating to Stainsby village - whereby on one image - placing the mouse over a face reveals a larger face etc. - a lot of work to create this feature. Any comments welcome!

Shortly, I will be uploading my research into the name HASLAM in the tiny hamlet of Stony Houghton, Derbys. / Notts.

Meanwhile, please may I request my fellow Derbys. / Notts. be forthcoming with their contibutions.

Regards

Jack

[Patrisia]

Oh Jack, I am 'seriously' slaving away at my One Place Study of Smalley, DBY!
I haven't uploaded anything to my website recently, as I have had to have a break from my nearest LDS library while they were closed over the summer; but there are more PRs coming up soon, plus more bits of history.
In the meantime, I have not been idle! I have been tidying and pruning 'live' ones from my Smalley CARRINGTONs and other families, in preparation for uploading to the site.

So yes, there are serious DBY researchers!

I should say I have visited your site and not too long ago. I liked it then but the new Stainsby feature is really impressive, I have a long way to go, to match that!

[Neil Wilson]

Jack
Like you, I check the new posts daily.
I think most of the Derbyshire researchers are either too busy researching or post on Derbysgen. Personally, I am busy with Mike Spencer's Yesterday Journeys to do any research for myself. I just wish that I could produce a site like yours even for my home town site of Clay Cross.
All I can say, keep up the good work, we are out here if anyone need help.
Regards
Neil

Like you, I check the new posts daily.
I think most of the Derbyshire researchers are either too busy researching or post on Derbysgen. Personally, I am busy with Mike Spencer's Yesterday Journeys to do any research for myself. I just wish that I could produce a site like yours even for my home town site of Clay Cross.
All I can say, keep up the good work, we are out here if anyone need help.
Regards
Neil

[BeeE586]

Oh Jack, those were the days when, as you say, you travelled the country and looked at actual documents. There is no feeling like it when you see and handle something previously seen and handled 400 years ago by one of your forbears, bearing his actual signature or more often his mark.

I was once an active researcher - my search began in 1975 - and it is only in the last eighteen months or so that I have resorted to the net due to advancing age and infirmity. It's different, but not the same thrill. Trouble is, very little that appears here is of any value to my research although the new site Yesterday's Journeys is promising and I am grateful to Neil and Mike for it.

There was much to interest me on the Wirksworth site and I look forward to seeing yours. About 85% of my lines are DBY or NTT and even though I have posted on BG Forums, my most promising contacts have come from either Curious Fox or Genes Reunited.

Eileen -- |wave|

[June]

As Mrs Beeton was wont to say "First catch your goose" <grin>
What is a 'serious' researcher?
Are we 'non-serious researchers' to be condemned because we don't have the ability to go scuffling through graveyards or the money to buy certificate after certificate.....?
Are we somehow judged to be wanting, because we need to depend on the Internet and the 'kindness of strangers'?
I buy CDs from Rod Neep which are a great help....and I live in Australia, so Derbyshire is just a bit far to travel.
I post to the group when I have something to say or something to add.

Maybe this post belongs to the Grumpy Old Men forum....

June

[Christine]

Sometimes I'm active and sometimes I'm serious. I'm hoping that when I reach retirement I'll have the time and inclination to be both at once.

Regards, Christine

[Patrisia]

For what it's worth, I assumed that Jack simply meant that there is not quite so much activity on the DBY forum, as there is on others; though bearing in mind that there a considerable number of DBY places sub forums, that get a steady trickle of postings.
I reckon it's possible to be serious and not obviously very active, and very active and not obviously serious! :)
Yes, of course it is easy to spend loads of time being 'serious' if you are housebound and retired, especially in this weather!
Surely the pleasure of this addictive past time is that you can spend as little or as much time as you wish on your searching and posting.
I don't post very much on the DBY forum as I spend a great deal of my time researching my little patch of Derbyshire; though I do try to answer DBY queries when I can.
So June, and everyone else, of course you are not to be found wanting.
To finish, like Jack and Neil, I am out here too, for anyone who cares to ask - as long as I am awake and able!

[BeeE586]

Patrisia has stated my thoughts also - that Jack was referring only to the smaller number of postings for Derbyshire compared with some other counties, and not to any lack of interest or committment amongst researchers. Wherever you live and whatever you do - retired and housebound or not - it is not always possible to devote time and thought to Family History, and as she so rightly says, you do what you can when you can according to your other committments. The following are the names of some the families I am researching in Derbyshire, mostly in the north east of the county around Chesterfield and in the Scarsdale area, and all before 1750, some well before.

Boot; Binney; Guest; Atkin; Green; Gray; Rodgers; Had(t)field; Siddall(var); Herndale; Hawkins; Johnson; Newton; Coupe(var); Butcher; Cheetham; Thornley, and some I can't remember off hand.

Any matches anywhere ?

Eileen -- |wave|

[BeeE586]

Forgot Rencorne - Chesterfield c1700
Anna Rencorne married Godfrey Hatfield - in my direct line, and never found another Rencorne anywhere at any time.

Eileen -- |help|

[Neil Wilson]

Forgot Rencorne - Chesterfield c1700
Anna Rencorne married Godfrey Hatfield - in my direct line, and never found another Rencorne anywhere at any time.

Eileen -- |help|
Hi Eileen
I bet you been down this road, but, have you thought of looking under different spellings for RENCORNE? The RN could have been transcribed as a M in lower case. I bet it could even get down to RANSOM(E) after a few years:)
All the best
Neil

[BeeE586]

Yes Neil - I have been down every road I could think of and been through the Chesterfield registers more than once looking for possible variations. I have entered variations in IGI and other searches for all counties, been through Rod's CD of Phillimore marriages, studied the DRS book of Chesterfield wills, searched the 'ring' of parishes around Chesterfield - and come up with nothing. I suspect that she is one lady i shall never find.

Eileen -- |cheers|

[Jack Richards]

Hi Eileen

I have spent some time looking through my research and I cannot find any reference to your query. I have looked around the Scarcliffe, Palterton and Sutton Scarsdale areas.

I know you will have researched in depth, hence it is difficult to make suggestions.

You are specific about the name HATFIELD as opposed to HADFIELD. Had there been a bit of doubt about the latter name, I would have suggested that you had a look at some lengthy detailed in depth research by a man named HADFIELD, who died about 3 or 4 years ago. His research centered on the PEAK FOREST village in Derbyshire but covered areas around there. He has hundreds of HADFIELD names and likewise pages of research. Not sure where his work has been deposited but he lived in the Nuthall, Nottinghaam area in later years.

I have noted your query names and will put them on my work sheets for the future.

Regards

Jack

[Jack Richards]

Eileen

I omitted that I referrred to the late Roger Hadfield (known affectionately to a few as) "Sir Roger". If you decide to investigate, he will have been well known to Deryshire F.H.S. and will have submitted articles. A copy of his work may be at Nottingham University.

Refence your name RENCORNE, a suggestion was for variant spellings, which you will have considered.

On a very similar theme, the person writing the name may not have been familiar with the area and the strong dialects around Chesterfield and districts. He or she may have transcribed the name incorrectly.

I wonder if it would be helpful, if we knew from which document(s) you obtained the name?

Regards

Jack

[Wirral]

Hi Eileen
Have you considered Rensall, Renshall & Redferne as possible candidates? There are a number of marriages with these names at Chesterfield around the time of your Rencorne marriage in 1702.
Have you been able to view the actual church entry? I notice on the IGI that the names in the 1702 marriage entry are both in their latin form. Is there an entry for the banns of the marriage? That might possibly have a different spelling.
I do not know if there are any other transcriptions of Chesterfield records, but the Chesterfield records are not included in the Phillimore's list.

[BeeE586]

To Wirrall and Jack - I got the marriage from the actual Chesterfield Register in the days when I was able to visit Matlock RO. By far the greatest part of my research done over many years has been from 'original' sources or films or fiche of same. I know of the RENSHAW/RENSHALL name - they married into my families although none in my direct line, and they appear in a number of parishes in the area. Regarding HATFIELD/HADFIELD - both variations appear in the family line, one child may be baptized with a 'T', the next two with 'D' depending on the whim of the scribe, and so on. At one point in this Chesterfield register the name SIDDALL becomes SIDDON for a year or two.

Regarding the Latin; usually it is only the Forename that is Latinized, Gulielmus, Johannis, Radulphus, etc, - have you come across a Latinized Surname ever ?

Regarding "Sir Roger" - I believe I corresponded with him in the past, as I have with a number of other researchers but no one has a line on Anna Rencorne. I belonged to DBY FHS for many years and am still a member of NTT.

Thank you both for your suggestions. It is a while since I did any work on this and you have got me going again.

Eileen |cheers|

[cherylnn]

I have many family names in Derbyshire, I visited there last August to research, but didn't have enough time. I too am related to the Haslam family. Mary Ann Haslam married Matthew Shaw, a 2nd marriage for both, with a combined bunch of 17 children. They emigrated to the USA, where Matthew Wiggins Shaw died in 1876 in Wellsville, Utah. I would really appreciate seeing your research. Mary Ann had previously been married to James Lindley. She was born in Unsworth in 1828. I have had little luck in finding Matthew Shaw's family. He was born in Pendleton, Lancashire in 1820 and was married to Elizabeth Ainsworth before marrying Mary Ann. Any help would be very much appreciated.

[sandiep]

another great site for Tivey family of Derbyshire is Jan Tiveys tiveyfamily.com many other names also.

sandie