This is the first of a series of articles where an occupational term found in the census will be highlighted. From the definition of the word itself, which can usually be found in the Oxford English Dictionary, through to fascinating information about day to day issues and working practices we can discover a great deal of useful information revealing the working life of our ancestors.

We will begin with ‘Lighterman’ which first appears on the English census of 1861; 37 men giving it as their occupation. The term is in fact, much older as a quick search, using the freely available resources found in the eInformation library, can reveal. All of the resources in this article include live links and can be accessed through the Library website.  

Using the Oxford English Dictionary we discover the word was first recorded in 1558 when the spelling is given as ‘lyghterman’. This occupational title is used to describe the men who worked aboard flat-bottomed barges, called ‘lighter’s’ used on the rivers and in ports for the un-loading of cargo from any ships not able to dock at a wharf because of their size or depth of water available.  The term appropriately describes the task the boats undertook to make the larger ships ‘lighter’ as the cargo was removed.

Many Lightermen commonly worked on the Thames and in the pages of the Illustrated London News (15th December 1900 p.885) there is a report of a strike by the Thames Lightermen over pay and working conditions. The unloading of cargo necessitated working long hours and was regulated more by the tides and type of cargo rather than by fixed working hours. Many other stories of the men and their work can be found in the Times Digital Archive, where a search using the term ‘Lightermen’ returns over 2,000 matches in articles of many types.

By 1700 the ‘Lightermen’ had officially joined with yet another water based occupation, that of ‘Watermen’, to form The Company of Watermen and Lightermen, still in existence today. The main difference between the roles is that Watermen carried passengers whereas Lightermen carried cargo. All Lightermen began their training as apprentices and when they qualified were expected to hold an official licence enabling them to work. 

Worthing Reference Library holds a copy of a small booklet, titled ‘My Ancestors were Watermen’ by James Legon. This title gives information on the history of the profession and on the various sources available for family historians. 

Illustration is from Thornbury, Walter. Old and New London c1870s. Vol. 2 p48

Using Zinio, our online magazines, and reading through BBC History Magazine we found an article discussing a trial, which had taken place in Lambeth in 1892, of a fishmonger named Frederick Hampton, and his wife Emily. The couple were accused of stealing umbrellas, or rather having a trained dog that ran behind their cart as they travelled, snatching silk umbrellas from the hands of unsuspecting owners. Other newspapers reporting the same trial gave the couple's address as 45 London Road, Croydon.

Although the Hamptons themselves were on trial it seems the dog was not to be left out of the proceedings. According to the magazine article it ‘stood in the corridor of the court, howling for the entire duration of the trial.’ (BBC History Magazine 1.10.16 p16)

Finding more information about this couple should have been fairly straightforward. Names, rough date and even an address were all provided within the reports. Unfortunately after scouring through census and street directories in both Ancestry and findmypast nothing was found. The only Frederick Hampton with an Emily for a wife in 1891 was a Steam Engine Fitter. The only fishmongers named Hampton were Charles from Whitechapel in 1881 and George from Camberwell in 1901, neither having a wife named Emily.  The address appeared in directories but no-one named Hampton was recorded during the period.

Only questions remain. Did they give a false address, and/or name and occupation or are they hidden in documentation yet to be discovered? What we do know is that according to the Criminal Registers found on Ancestry for November 1892 Frederick Hampton was acquitted. Who initially trained the dog and what happened to it we will probably never know.

Good news for anyone researching Oxfordshire ancestors - Ancestry’s latest collection of parish registers includes baptism, marriage and burial records from across the county from 1538 - early 1900s.

There are also new medical and military collections:

· UK and Ireland Medical Directories 1845-1942 - includes details of addresses, qualifications, places of training and work

· UK Dentist Registers 1879-1942 - records all dentists entitled to practice recording name, dental practice address, date of registration and qualifications

· UK and Ireland Nursing Registers 1898-1968 - details of names and registration numbers, sometimes includes more information such as home address, date of qualification and other personal details

· UK Midwives Roll 1904-1959 - records include details of name, address and date of enrolment

· UK British Army Lists 1882-1962 - not all years between these dates are included although WW1 and WW2 are covered

· UK Merchant Seamen Deaths 1939-1953 - names of over 50,000 merchant seamen who lost their lives during and just after WW2

The British Army Worldwide Index 1851 covers regiments serving around the world - each entry gives name, service number, rank, regiment and where he was serving at the time. This collection adds to the 1841, 1861 and 1871 indexes already on the website.

The City of London Gunmaker’s Company Freedoms and Admissions 1656-1936 contains records that allows you to find out if your ancestor was a member of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers.

You can access findmypast and Ancestry free on any library computer if you are a library member.   They can be found using the A-Z listing on the eInformation page. It is also possible to view Ancestry on personal devices and lap-tops in the library.

Family History Workshops for 2017 announced

If you’re new to family history or want to find out more about the sources available and how best to use them, you may be interested in the Record Office ‘coffee time’ workshops. They start at 10am on the first Wednesday of the month and cover a wide range of sources. 

The programme for 2017 is as follows:

11 January: Introduction to family history sources at the Record Office

1 February: How to read old handwriting

1 March: Beginners guide to Ancestry.co.uk and Findmypast

5 April: Researching the history of your house

3 May: Tracing your army ancestors

7 June: Beginners guide to manorial records

5 July: Parish records (not just the registers)

6 September: Beginners guide to Ancestry.co.uk and findmypast

4 October: How to read old handwriting

1 November: Crime and punishment

If you’d like to come along, please call 01243 753602 to book and pay (advance booking essential). Tickets cost £7.50, which includes refreshments. Visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/ro and view the ‘What’s on at the Record Office’ page for more details.

*** Discount for West Sussex Archives Society (WSAS) members from 1 January 2017 ***

Please tell us that you are a WSAS member when you book to benefit from £1 off the price of your ticket.

On the shelves of Worthing Reference Library sit 3 volumes of a work with the gruesome title ‘The Hangman’s Record’. This multi-volume work, by author Steve Fielding, covers the years 1868 to 1964. 

1868 was the first year when the spectacle of a hanging was removed from public display and all executions were carried out behind prison walls. It was on August 13th 1964 that the very last British hanging, of two convicted murderers, was carried out simultaneously at 8.00 a.m. Peter Allen was hung in Liverpool at Walton Prison whilst Gwynne Owen was executed in Manchester at Strangeways Prison. Both men being executed for the murder of John West.

On 9 November 1965, the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act suspended the death penalty for murder in the United Kingdom for a period of five years.  On 16 December 1969, the House of Commons confirmed the 1965 Act and capital punishment for murder was permanently abolished.  The three index volumes give invaluable information for family historians if you find a grisly event in your family tree. 

Information Librarians provide a free 30 minute research service and are able to undertake further research on your family history through our paid research service. Our current charges are £15 per half hour and limits would be agreed with you before proceeding. Please email or phone us on 01903 704824 for more information.

We will be continuing with our programmes of Drop-ins and Coffee Mornings in 2017 but we are changing the names, to make the purpose of each clearer!

Family History drop-ins : these aimed at the absolute beginner and are designed to get you started using Ancestry and findmypast. They are free to attend and we will be offering one or two every month in libraries across the county from the largest to the smallest. You do not have to book to attend a drop-in.

Family History Workshops (formerly Coffee Mornings): these are aimed at those who have done some family history research and want the chance to improve their search skills. Also based around the use of both Ancestry and findmypast some workshops will concentrate on a particular aspect of Family History, for example searching military records.

We will provide refreshments at all workshops and there will be a charge of £5.00. Workshops are usually held in the larger libraries and we will be offering one or two each month. You must book for these sessions.

Family History Day : an exciting date for your new 2017 diary! We will be holding a Family History day at Worthing Library on Saturday 13 May. Come along for talks and events suitable for the whole family. The day will be hosted by the Library service with help from the Sussex Family History Group.

More details in the next edition of this newsletter!

All of our events are listed on the What’s On in Libraries page.