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 --

[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 --

[BeeE586]

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

Eileen --

[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 --

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