In 1634, Reading was a medium sized town well positioned for trade with good water and road transport links. Woollen cloth production employed nearly one third of the town in the early 17th century and some people made a lot of money. There was a decline in this trade over the century with depressions in the 1620s and 1630s. The town population was growing rapidly from the late 16th century, and the housing was crowded. There were tensions between generations of the ruling elite in Reading as the same families had been in charge for many years and new members of the local elite wished to gain political power. The Borough of Reading in 1634 was tense and subject to internal and external pressures.   Edward Bonevant claimed William and Edith Walls had made him ill by witchcraft.  This grave accusation was made in a troubled town at a time when witchcraft was believed to be real and causing harm by witchcraft was…

The Museum is open to the public on the first and third Sundays in the month from 2.00pm to 4.30pm. It is open at other times by arrangement for group bookings (please phone 0118 9549371). See below for specific archival enquiries.

For many family historians the issues with parish registers during the English Civil War and Interregnum are a brick wall. Catherine Sampson explores these issues in the parishes in and around Reading, and also highlights a few of the many opportunities within this period.

James and Charles Butler both responded in early 1915 to the call to arms and volunteered for army service. Jim was 17 and Charlie was 15. They were amongst some 2½ million men who joined the British army voluntarily between August 1914 and December 1915. This is their story

The Reading Central Library’s illustration collection is one source of photographs that the Berkshire Family Historian uses to illustrate its articles. In case you hadn’t realised that such a thing existed, or that it is easily viewable online, and that you can have your very own copies too, here is a little bit more about it.