Online Research - Free Access to Ancestry.Com and More

Did you know that there are several online subscripitions accessible free from home and library computers, through the Norfolk Online Reference Library? The full list of subscripions available can be seen on http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/Leisure_and_culture/Libraries/Norfolk_Online_Reference_Library/Quick_reference_and_news/NCC038355

For local and family history the highlight is free access to Ancestry.com through computers in Watton or other Norfolk Libraries. It is a genealogy research tool, which gives instant access to a wide range of resources for genealogical and historical research. With more than 7 billion names in over 4,000 databases, ALE includes records from the U.S, Europe, Canada, Australia and the UK and Ireland. It includes UK Census Records from 1841-1901, Military Records, Court, Land, and Probate Records, UK Civil Registration Index (1837 – Present), Directories, Passenger lists, and lots more!

There are several other subscriptions you can also search from your home computer, buy typing in the number next to the barcode on library card, such as:
19th Century British Library Newspapers – contains full runs of 48 mainly regional, but some national newspapers…e.g. Birmingham Daily Post, Ipswich Journal, Manchester Times, Liverpool Mercury. Covers England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Access the database from home by typing in your library card number when asked.

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - An illustrated collection of 56,000 specially written biographies of the men and women who shaped all aspects of Britain's past, from the fourth century BC to the year 2004. The dictionary does not include any living people. Follow this link to access this database from home by typing in your library card number when asked. Please enter NOR before the number when prompted (with no spaces)

• Times Digital Archive (1785-1985) - The complete digital edition of The Times (London). Use keyword searching and hit-term highlighting to retrieve full facsimile images of either a specific article or a complete page. Access the database from home by typing in your borrower number when asked.
• Who’s Who – directory of UK and worldwide noteworthy ad influential people from all walks of life. Plus “Who was Who”, dating back to 1898. Follow this link to access the database from home. When prompted, please type NOR before your library card number (with no spaces)

• Oxford Reference Online – fast access to information on every subject …from Art to Zoology using over 175 different reference works in one database. Follow this link to access this database from home.
Please enter NOR before your number when prompted (with no spaces)

Digitising the Griston Parish Records

On 22^nd Oct.  members of the Griston Community Archive Group, and Capturing Our Wayland Heritage project, spent the day at the Norfolk Record Office making a digital photographic record of the Parish Registers. The Griston Parochial Church Council gave their approved for the copying of the documents. On the day assistance on photographic recording techniques was available from the COWH project’s heritage officer. The team of five photographed the seven registers dating back to 1654, as part of a joint agreement with Record Office to make them more accessible to the public.  The Record Office waved the normal photographic fee in return for having a copy of the digital record being made by the group.  The digitised registers will be made  available as PDF files on CD at a reasonable cost to raise money for the Griston Church Fund.

There are plans to have recording days on the Thompson and Merton Parish Records, once permission is granted, and the conservators have checked the documents to make sure they are in a good enough condition to be photographed. If there are any other parish groups in the project area that would like assistance in arranging and coping their records please get in touch with the project officer Sue White.

Video from top of Caston church tower on 5th September 2009

Click on the picture to run the video.
The view from the top of Caston church on 5th September 2009. The tower was open to raise funds for the church. It was a spur of the moments video so the quality is not to good. I had to walk over the struts that support the weather vain so it is also rather jumpy. It would be good to go up again and do a better job.

To discover more about the history of the church follow this link http://www.watton.info/OurHeritage/TheChurchesofWayland/Caston/tabid/117/Default.aspx From this link you can also listen to a audio guide and download the files to your computer to use on your MP3 player to take with you on a visit to the church.

Photographs of Liberator Graveyard - RAF Watton

Liberator Graveyard, originally uploaded by Tedder13.

For those of you that may have not seen the resent photographs added to the 'Capturing Our Wayland Heritage' photo pool on flickr it is well worth looking at those of RAF Watton taken by S/Sgt Les Corey. They include two wonderful images of a Liberator Graveyard. Visit the site to see more of them and read about the collection by clicking on the link below http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedder13/sets/72157622049225423/.

Babes in the Woods

We have Bron Tyler to thank for the chance to read this wonderful little booklet written by the Rev. Charles Kent in about 1913. The Rev. Kent looks into the possibly true origins of the tale and includes notes on the history of Thompson church.
You can view the whole book, do a word search of it and download a free copy from HERE in Google Docs once there click on the file button (top left) and a drop down menu will give the option to download.

New Photographic Society Covering the Wayland Area

Capturing Our Wayland Heritage project is pleased to see the founding of a new photographic society in the form of the 'Watton & District Photographic Society'. They have a very well designed website which shows all the future workshops and events that they have planned, as well as a wonderful gallery of members work. The first meeting is on 8th September, visit their website for more information at http://www.wdpsbreckland.org The project is looking forward to working with them in the coming months to capture our Wayland heritage.

The Wayland Show - The Missing Years

This year it was the 136th Wayland Show. By searching in Google books I found a copy of the Farmer's Magazine of 1857 which gives an account of the first show of the newly constituted 'Wayland Agricultural Association'. If this was the first show we have 21 missing years, the two world wars may account for some of these, but what about the others, does anyone want to do some research to find more about the history of the show?