The following British databases were added at The Original Record this week:
1824
London Bankrupt Diary
English bankrupts could be dealt with in the provinces (Country) or London (Town). Town proceedings covered not only London but many provincial cases. The weekly Law Advertiser printed this London Bankrupt Diary, detailing the progress of Town cases as they went through the various stages of hearings towards the surrender, realisation and distribution of the bankrupt’s assets.
1834-1835
Summary Conviction Returns
Justices of the Peace throughout England and Wales had the power of summary conviction for certain minor offences, principally vagrancy, poaching, petty theft, bastardy and assault. The magistrates’ clerks for each district were required by Parliament to make a return of the names, offences, terms of imprisonment, and whether a written record was made of the proceedings, for the period from Michaelmas (29 September) 1834 to Michaelmas 1835. The return vary in completeness from magistrate to magistrate – the fullest returns also give the offender’s address, the amount of fine or length of imprisonment, and/or the names of the justices.
1855-1902
Unclaimed Naval Prize Money
Various prize moneys were awarded to officers and men who served on board her Majesty’s ships. For one reason or another a substantial number of these prizes, from as little as a shilling or two to as much as many pounds, remained undistributed by 1902, when this comprehensive list of the unclaimed moneys was printed: it lists unclaimed shares of prize money, slave and pirate bounties, salvage awards, parliamentary grants, gratuities and other moneys distributed by the Admiralty 1855 to 1902, but which omits moneys for service on the China Station during the war of 1856 to 1880, and special gratuities for service in Egypt (1882), Soudan (1884) and Soudan and Nile Expedition (1884-1885), for which there are separate indexes. In each case the sailor’s name is given first (surname, then christian name or initials); rank or rating; ship in which serving at time of capture or award; and the amount due.
1857
Dorset Poll Book
The poll book of the county of Dorset for the general election of 3 April 1857 lists all the actual voters: the first column gives the man’s number on the electoral register; then the voter’s name in full (surname first); residence; qualification (C. for Copyhold, F. for Freehold, L. for Leasehold, O. for Occupier), and then 1s for the votes cast (Se for Henry Ker Seymer, F for Mr Floyer, St for Henry G Sturt, P for William H Berkley Portman).
1860
British Patent Abstracts
Abstracts of British patents for new inventions applied for and granted from 1 January to 31 December 1860: giving date, name and address, and short description of the invention. It is then stated whether ‘Letters patent sealed’ or ‘Provisional protection only’.
1877
Class Lists of Trainee Schoolmasters and Schoolmistresses
The Education Department set examinations for candidates for admission into training colleges, and to become teachers. Class lists for the various categories of candidate were printed for the examinations at Christmas 1877. Firstly, there are class lists of examinations of trainee teachers at the various training colleges in Britain. The names are given for the second year first, arranged by division in the examination (in order of merit for the first and second divisions), and then for the students of the first year, arranged similarly. Full names are given (with initials for middle names). The letter (D.) indicates that the candidate had obtained a certificate of competency as a teacher of drawing. There were training colleges for masters at Bangor, Battersea, Carnarvon, Chelsea, Cheltenham, Chester, Culham, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Hammersmith, Homerton, Peterborough, Saltley, Westminster, Winchester and York; and for mistresses at Aberdeen, Bishop’s Stortford, Brighton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Chichester, Darlington, Derby, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Home & Colonial, Homerton, Lincoln, Liverpool, Norwich, Oxford, Ripon, Salisbury, Southlands, Stockwell, Swansea, Tottenham, Truro, Wandsworth, Warrington and Whitelands. Secondly, there are class lists of pupil teachers in elementary schools who passed the certificate examination at Christmas 1878. The candidates’ names are listed alphabetically by surname within each division, with school in which engaged (N. for National School, Ch. Church of England, B. British School, W. Wesleyan, R. Roman Catholic, P. Parochial, Bd. Board School, Indl. Industrial School – and in Scotland, C. of S. or G. A. for schools connected with the General Assembly of the Established Church of Scotland, F. C. Free Church of Scotland, Epis. Episcopal Church of Scotland, R. Roman Catholic, Sessl. Sessional School, P. Parochial).
1904
Institute of Bankers
The Journal of the Institute of Bankers for 1904 includes a list of Fellows (from which this scan is taken: an asterisk indicates a Life Fellow), of Associates (an asterisk indicates a Life Associate, and a dagger a holder of the certificate of the institute), and of Ordinary Members; there are also results of the institute’s final examinations held from 11 to 13 April, in which the successful candidates are listed alphabetically by surname and full christian name(s), with the name and address of their bank (not their personal addresses). These final examinations entitled the successful candidates to the Certificate of the Institute of Bankers; those who obtained distinctions are so indicated in the lists (an asterisk for Commercial Law, dagger for Arithmetic and Algebra, double dagger for Practical Banking, double s for Commercial Geography and History, and double vertical line for Political Economy). There was also an examination taken after the Gilbart Lectures, with succ
essful candidates being awarded money prizes, or certificates of distinction, or honour, or merit, and similar lists of these awards were also printed in the journal.
The Original Record now has 8.7 million entries directly available online. Although there are fees to see the original documents themselves, searches are free and unlimited. All of the records are hand-indexed (no OCR).
Researchers may purchase sets of scans, or buy open access to the surname(s) of your choice, including variants.
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