Old Newspaper websites etc, some hints (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Wednesday, March 02, 2016, 23:06 (3181 days ago) @ ChrisW

As Chris says the best online resource for old Newspapers is the BNA site, it can be searched for free to gain a degree of limited info, but a subscription is needed to gain the full details. That said, by just signing-up with a username new users get a few free downloads with no strings attached. This includes being able to download images of the actual newspaper pages themselves, not just the error-prone OCR transcriptions. For our area the Gloster Citizen and Journal is on their database, but don't forget to look-up adjoining Monmouthshire and Herefordshire too (be aware this county doesn't come under the BNA's "South West" filter - always best to filter down the results).

As well as it's own website, the BNA can be accessed via it's sister company GenesReunited, and also FindMyPast. I'm unsure if this is still true, but when I used the FMP route a year or two ago, it didn't offer access to ALL the BNA records, certainly not their most recent ones c1950s. If you're as tight-fisted as I am, the following links also include my method of using the BNA site; ie search it for free and at leisure & record probable hits, signup for the various websites newsletters, and when the regular special offers appear then use this to "blitz" the website and so gain maximum access in the shortest so least costly time.

None of these sites offer access to the Dean Forest Mercury, but it's archives can be searched for free from the microfiche at Cinderford library.
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=34751

Much more info and hints on searching old Newspapers in these prior threads;
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/fodmembers/index.php?mode=thread&id=45677
which itself references http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=36879

There is also the excellent Welsh Newspapers site, which is entirely free to access and download, it often contains FoD stories so is always worth a look. Searching "Rhodes Cinderford" gives several references to the Baptist Church, some very detailed; also a Cinderford rugby player "clever left centre" Wm Rhodes c1906, clearly one of their best players, and a different Wm Rhodes c1874, see below. When searching the Welsh papers site it's often worth using the term "Dean Forest", which those papers often used instead of some of the lesser-known village placenames.
see http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=40632

"FOREST OF DEAN. CONVICTIONS UNDER THE ADULTERATION ACT, RAID UPON GROCERS.
At the Newnham petty sessions, yesterday, twenty-three of the district grocers were summoned by Superintendent Ohipp, under the second section of the Adulteration of Food Act, chap. 74, for selling certain mustard, which had been adulterated. The parties were Charles Lewis and John Bennett, Buardean; Samuel Harcombe and 0, Parnell, Littledean; Alfred Payne, Elton; Alfred Westbrook, Littledean; Wm. Simmonds, Geo. Wait, Ambrose Drew, Frederick Trotter and Wm Rhodes, of Cinderford Woodside; H.G. Gardiner, Abenhall: Oliver Preece and John Roberts, Mitcheldean; Eli Constance and Henry Hall, Longhope; Philip Jordan, Drybrook; Wm Headon and Charles Bailey, Newnham; Thos Cribber, Samuel Ford, and Geo. Morse. The Chairmau said the bench were dispoded to deal leniently with the several cases, and insomuch as they were the first summonses which had come before them under the Act, they proposed, in cases which were admitted, to adopt a nominal penalty of 4d and costs, as adopted at Coleford in similar cases. Mr Lewis, one of the defendants, complained to the Justices, and said it was a great hardship upon the grocers that the police had not previously gone round to the grocers and made them acquainted with what they intended to do. In the case of Ambrose Drew and Wm Trotter, these defendants were fined 5s and costs, and the summons of Eli Constance adjourned."

Cardiff Western Mail of 18th August 1874

http://newspapers.library.wales/view/4342754/4342760/58/wm.%20rhodes%20forest