Simmonds Family, Lydbrook, c1880 (Parish Records)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Sunday, June 29, 2014, 13:45 (3800 days ago) @ huw100

Good morning Huw,
I'm pleased you found our combined efforts helpfull, a big thanks to YOU for your kind words. From my viewpoint I don't have great knowledge particularly, I was just applying the basics using some free websites that I thought you could also find useful, altho my regular usage of them does help of course as they can be tricky to use at first. I've only been doing FH work for about five years now, and I'm so pleased to have found this great FoD site, easily one of the very best online resources in the UK, we're so lucky !
This prior thread may help you further wrt the various online FH resources that I've tried to introduce to you (sorry if I've overdone my explanations, but your post indicated you needed a little help in the right direction).
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=35197

To be honest it's the other forum members who have the real skills for digging out the hard-to-find things using lateral thinking; "out of the box" I think they call it these days in some parts, whereas I should probably be locked-away in one !

Another great free website that I use a lot is Genuki, great for getting a Victorian perspective of places and sometimes their inhabitants. I thought I knew the geography of our area fairly well, but so often I come across new places and I turn to Genuki. One of these was Hentland, Herefordshire, mentioned on one of MPG's Census returns above. I didn't recognise the name, but I now realise I've played cricket there in the past !. I think it's another rural village/hamlet that's almost disappeared off the modern maps as people's work habits and hence addresses have changed.
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HEF/Hentland/Gaz1868.html

Sometimes the Genuki site will also include Census data, photos, maps etc, the site covers the whole UK, always worth a look in my opinion.

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By coincidence here my father was born in Lydbrook, his father and forefathers were colliers there, although during the time of the 1861 Census they were living and working in Aberdare; small world eh !...
A real interest of mine is industrial history, I think I saw a mention of Lydbrook tinplaters in this thread, we've discussed that subject, both in Lydbrook and into Wales, plus of course coal and iron working have all been discussed in depth. eg prior threads re tinworking
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=42302
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=entry&id=38179
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=38178

Back to your researches, in truth it's me who is truly in awe of you !
My family have hardly any old photos never mind original documents, I'm really pleased for you that you still have your family's original letters and certificates, a great treasure.

All the very best with your researches, thanks for posting,
Jeff