New Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday
This week’s Findmypast Friday marks the release of over 203,000 new records covering three English counties; Hampshire, Devon and Leicestershire. The new additions include electoral roll transcripts from mid-19th century Portsmouth, an in index of rate payers following a plague epidemic that hit Plymouth in 1627 and transcripts of baptisms and burial from six Leicestershire parishes.
Hampshire, Portsmouth electoral rolls 1835-1873
The Hampshire, Portsmouth electoral rolls 1835-1873 contain over 198,000 transcripts covering six parishes of Portsmouth: All Saints, St George, St John, St Mary, St Paul and St Thomas. Electoral rolls were registered annually, which means that you may find multiple entries for your ancestor. The Portsmouth electoral roll wasn’t published in 1836 and 1837, and those from 1866, 1870 and 1871 have not survived. The electoral registers are from six parishes of Portsmouth: All Saints, St George, St John, St Mary, St Paul and St Thomas.
The registers include the names of those who were eligible to vote in local and parliamentary elections. By using the keyword field you can search for your home address and discover who lived in your house before you. Or you can search a street name and discover the neighbours who lived alongside your ancestor.
Plymouth Plague Rate 1627-1629
Plymouth Plague Rate 1627-1629 is an index of over 600 residents of the city of Plymouth who were taxed to fund the relief of an outbreak of Bubonic Plague. The Bubonic Plague, also known as ‘The Black Death’, first appeared in Europe in 1347 and is estimated to have killed between 25 and 60% of the continents population. The fatal disease was carried by rodents and inflicted terrible symptoms including sores, swelling of the lymph glands, respiratory problems, fever and the vomiting of blood. There have been numerous outbreaks throughout history such as the one that hit the port city of Plymouth in 1627. The disease was most active in Venners ward and local authorities were unable to combat and control the spread.
The index covers three of the city’s wards: Looe Street, Venners and Vintry, and list the names of those who were taxed in order to fund the cities relief. Each record contains a transcript of the original document that lists a resident’s name, the date they were taxed, the ward they lived in and any additional notes. Additional notes may reveal whether your ancestor was widow, gentleman, not in town at the time, poor, if they refused to pay, fled the area or succumbed to the disease.
Leicestershire Baptisms contains over 2,000 transcripts of original parish baptism registers. The records cover four parishes; Breedon on the Hill, Long Whatton, Sileby and Walton on the Wolds, and span from 1683 up to 1769.
Transcripts will list your ancestor’s name, the date of their baptism date and parish in which they were baptised. These baptisms are a great way to uncover previously undiscovered branches of your family tree and many records will also list you ancestors relation (whether they were someone’s father, mother, sister, son etc.) as well as the names of their parents.
The Leicestershire Burial records contain over 3,000 transcripts covering seven Leicestershire parishes; Breedon on the Hill, Cossington, Long Whatton, Prestwold, Quorndon, Walton on the Wolds and Wymeswold. The records span the years between 1752 and 1835 and will reveal where and when your ancestor was buried.
A number of records will also include your ancestor’s relation, the full names of their parents and, in the case of female ancestors, the name of their husband.