Articles

Newbury’s Cunning Woman: Was She Newbury’s Last Witch? Judith Thomas puts a spotlight on a Newbury character

Explore John Willis Sr’s journey from Wantage, to Colonial Maryland, 50-acre land patent, family legacy & court roles in the 17th/18th C

St Michael’s Church in Inkpen, Berkshire, a Grade II* listed thirteenth century building with flint walls and Bath stone dressings, stands at the North Wessex Downs. Rich in history, it preserves memorials to the influential Butler family, whose contributions over 150 years, with renovations and ecclesiastical roles, have shaped the parish’s religious and community life.

“It is a shame I should suffer more than the rest, as others are as guilty as I am.” – John Abell, 13 July 1837

Much has been written about the Bullock, Malthouse and Montague families over the last two centuries, providing some excellent resources, but the potential relationship between these families during the early to mid sixteenth century remains very muddled.

In May, the Berkshire Family History Society and the scouts gave me a long-awaited pleasure. Having heard stories of the chalk mines in Emmer Green, I had given up hope of ever visiting; but the wait was wort

Roy Starkey highlights one of Berkshire’s notable families, the Russells of Swallowfield Park – the home of Sir Arthur Russell

David Cliffe reminds us about an early census survivor related to the Little End of Caversham and the fire of 1907

RAF life in WW2 – Victor Barton relives his WW2 RAF experiences

The Broad Silk Hand Loom Weavers of Spitalfields – Alan Winter writes of their struggles against the decline of their trade 1828-1860

Leigh Dworkin, Chairman Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain (JGSGB) and Berks FHS Windsor Branch Chairman, continues his adventures in Poland

Can Anyone Have a Coat of Arms?
Hilary Waller answers the question –
in theory, yes they can but what are they and why might you want one?

Memories of going to Reading School 1945 to 1951: Lindsay Knott shares her father, Peter Barrie Knott’s, memories of life in Reading

Councillor Jones – A tale of long service: John Harman details a career in service to the village of Binfield

A Wartime Childhood: Lindsay Knott shares memories of her father, Peter Barrie Knott’s, life in Reading

George Barnard Smith (1885-1962): Michael Hill recounts his grandad’s life – carter, war veteran, and pugilist

Robert Claude Utley (1896-1911) – Eric Saxton tells a tale of a life cut short in a tragic incident – a drowning, while on a Scouting trip

Binfield Parish Council – The Early Days. John Harman takes a look at the early days of local government following the Reform Act of 1832 & 1894 Local Government Act

Polish Ancestral Tourism – Wolf Hunting in Womja (Lomza) part 2. Leigh Dworkin continues with his trip in search of his ancestors

Cheers from England to Australia. Jennifer Bolton details her convict heritage

Polish Ancestral Tourism – Wolf Hunting in Womja (Lomza) – Part 1. Leigh Dworkin takes us on a trip in search of his ancestors

Eric Saxton tells the story of a Soldier, Pioneer, and Arctic Explorer from East Ilsley

Fred Waite continues the story of a much-travelled ancestor – William Watkins Waite and his travelling family

Fred Waite continues the story of a much-travelled ancestor – William Watkins Waite and his travelling family

Fred Waite continues the story of a much-travelled ancestor – William Watkins Waite and his travelling family

Catherine Sampson takes a look at some local men’s experiences in the Far East. VJ Day has always been something of a poor relation to VE Day, yet many Berkshire villages had men who were in the Far East, Purley included. Several villagers, including subsequent incomers, would laterbriefly recall their ordeal in the camps, including one of Purley’s rectors.

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrim Fathers’ voyage to the New World we take a look at Berkshire’s connection.

Elizabeth Lloyd delves into her heritage, “sparked by the stories my Grandma told me of the forest of masts she could see over the roofs when she grew up in Rotherhithe in the 1890s.”

Fred Waite tells the story of a much-travelled ancestor – William Watkins Waite and his travelling family

Dennis Grover follows his paternal great-grandather Fred Grover’s journey to Australia

Richard Croker explains why he joined Berkshire Family History Society

Jewish genealogy is even more exciting than general genealogy, because it forces you to understand history, geography, new languages, new alphabets as well as social history. There were no Jews in this country between 1290 and 1657 so an ancestor of yours must have come to the UK from some other “old country” be it in Eastern Europe, Germany, Holland or elsewhere.

When perusing about 160 postcards that had been in the possession of my paternal grandmother and her mother, from the beginnings of the 20th century, I realised that they held secrets and clues that other family history sources do not hold

In 1914 Britain had a maritime empire. Goods, people, materials and ideas moved by sea. Nearly 2/3 of the food and drink consumed in Britain came from abroad. This global maritime supply network – that fed and fuelled civilian and military populations – was key to the First World War.

In October 1894 four nuns from The Congregation of Sisters, which had been founded by Mother Marie Madeleine Postel in Normandy, made a difficult journey to Berkshire. After landing at Southampton they took the train to Farnborough. The hard-working Sisters, facing some local discrimination, created their school in an old outfitters shop in about ten days; it was dedicated to St Joseph.

Early in 2014, I set about the task of identifying all the men on the Roll of Honour in St John the Baptist’s Church, Caversham, my church. I aimed to complete this by 11th November 2018 – but I have failed. There are 56 names on this Roll of Honour

The recently published survey of the Burghfield St Mary Memorial Inscriptions (BRK0287) contains lists of the 55 men who were killed in the two world wars. This article describes the techniques used to try and identify the people behind the names not listed, and also records the 31 other people, with connections to Burghfield, who died in these conflicts.

I began writing up my family history about twenty years ago. I wanted to turn my research into a story which included something of what life might have been like for my ancestors. One driver for this was an eager audience within my family who, I suspected, would be quickly bored by a list of dates and places.

David Moseley tells us what can happen when you search the internet. Family history can sometimes throw up some interesting stories and coincidences. One evening in 2017 I came across a notice in the London Gazette which surprised and intrigued me.

Paul Bryant unveils his confusing lineage: In the September 2018 edition of the Berkshire Family Historian there was an interesting article on the Civil War and its protagonists. Of course, there were many other side events taking place that are of more interest to the family historian.

SHOCKING SUICIDE – A man named Robert Ghost, lodging at a cottage in Brook-street, committed suicide on Tuesday afternoon by cutting this throat. He was a pensioner, and latterly had been in a low desponding way, but it was not anticipated that he would lay violent hands upon himself. He partook of a hearty dinner on the day in question and was left alone in the house about half-past two o’clock

This phrase was often used to shame men who didn’t fight in the Great War, but what of the women and children in those times? I have already researched the exploits of my Berkshire male ancestors in the Great War (BFH vol. 39 December 2015) but when I was recently handed a certificate given to a young girl in 1916, this set me thinking about what children did to help the war effort in those times.

Debt has at least as long a history as the concept of money: long before personal banking became the norm, every community has had a few individuals who lent out money to their friends, family and associates.

Katie Amos follows up on an episode from the 2018 series of Who Do You Think You Are?

What then happened to Charlie? Charlie had concluded his letter of 22 October 1915 by informing his parents from Plymouth that “we are going at 12 o’clock this morning”. We learn later that his Unit had been posted to Egypt. He sent to his young brother Jack a Christmas card showing camels and a desert […]

What new archives are now available at the BRO? What’s going on at the BRO? World War One Exhibition

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

I came to the article ‘Ancient Oak?’ by David Wooldridge and saw that it was about HMS Foudroyant. I thought “I remember seeing Foudroyant moored in Portsmouth Harbour when sailing there in the 1970s and 80s. It was a dismasted warship of Nelson’s era used as a training ship.”

Wills are a valuable resource for family history researchers and are particularly important once the research progresses back into the parish registers and we no longer have the censuses to provide confirmation of family groupings. Berkshire Probate Index: an index to the probate documents of the Archdeaconry of Berkshire 1480 to 1857

Following September 2008’s opening of the Broadmoor archives to the public, Mark Stevens of the Berkshire Records Office describes some of the challenges facing conservators