Over the last couple of weeks I have been busier that ever with emails flying in all directions and I have been spending more time than I should on local and family history - except, of course, that I enjoy it and it helps keep me mentally active. In the
January progress report I mentioned I had started to sort out my large collection of post cards to help plan future picture updates and the main activity in the last two weeks has been to launch the new church page and the first associated indexes. This will help me to ensure that all suitable views (and in some cases interior pictures) of parish churches are accessible at an appropriate high resolution. Despite this I have also found time for even more posts on my other blog
Trapped by the Box.
So here are some of the short items which didn't justify an individual blog post:
Mikki and I have both added to the
page containing details of the
From Rags to Riches story but there is still a problem in identifying Rose Louisa Eley. It is possible she is Rosina Sarah Lewis Ely and if she was a prostitute may have deliberately claimed to be younger than she was, and given an incorrect father's name and place of birth. If anyone can find any evidence that clarifies the situation it would be helpful.
Meg has commented on a picture of
young soldiers, undoubtedly in connection with the First World War, who had been photographed at the Australian Studios, Watford. She says: These soldiers are dressed in the typical AIF uniforms of WW1 - they would have a bandana supporting a belt which held their ammunition when at war. I have no idea who they are. Unfortunately we still not know who they are.
I will be attending a
Herts at War meeting at County Hall, Hertford, at the end of the month, and will be posting details of how visitors to this site can help. Other First World War activities relate to pictures of the soldiers who ended up in
Napsbury and the school site
Hemel at War school site which currently concentrates on the Second World War but which is planning to include more material on the previous conflict.
The February issue of
The Sword, the parish magazine of
St Michael's and All Angel's Church, Watford, includes an article on the history of the church in the early years of the 20th century, illustrated by
post card images from this web site.
Many shops sold post cards with their name and address on "as publishers." In many cases they will have been approached by a post card printer and selected the design from a pattern book.
Kate commented that the post cards of the
Dunmow Flitch Factory have the same frame as cards sold by
Harradance of Ware. Presumably they were printed by the same printer and have a similar date, possibly around 1908.
Geraldine tells me that the Markyate Local History Society as a new URL
http://www.markyatehistory.org.uk/
Following a request from John I am in the process of adding new material to the
"Cycling" page.
