One day.... in a Record Office

[Phoenix]

One bite at the cherry.

I plan to be at Norfolk Record Office, looking at C17th stuff.

I have
Copeman (Sharrington)
Alborough (Sharrington) and
Wacey (Bagthorpe/Bircham)

NROCAT does actual searches. No wild cards, no fuzzy.
I have found EIGHT spellings of Wacey, including what is transcribed as Waser. Do I check Wafer as well?!!

Can someone suggest how I stop panicking so that I find the records I want?

This has to be wills and possibly original documents, but I won't have time for the manorial records my soul craves.

[kiterunner]

Have you tried with a V instead of a W at the start, Phoenix? My OH's Norfolk Vincents are sometimes down as Winson.

[Phoenix]

*sobs faintly*

As a child I was fascinated by Sir Cloudsley Shovel because his name could be spelled so many different ways. He had, of course, connections with Norfolk.

[Olde Crone]

*OC gazes deeply into her crystal ball*

I see a dishevelled figure which looks like Phoenix. She has just made a massive breakthrough on her family by discovering an unknown, uncatalogued box of original documents dating from 1232 forwards. It is seven and a half minutes to closing time.

OC

[ElizabethHerts]

*OC gazes deeply into her crystal ball*

I see a dishevelled figure which looks like Phoenix. She has just made a massive breakthrough on her family by discovering an unknown, uncatalogued box of original documents dating from 1232 forwards. It is seven and a half minutes to closing time.

OC

OOh, you tease, OC! :d

[Phoenix]

Oh dear, my reputation precedes me!

And because I am slightly more considerate of archivists than I once was, I do try to pack up a couple of minutes before closing time.

I get to spend so little time with real records that I try to plan the day with military precision. Wish I could plan the rest of my life like that!

[Olde Crone]

Not just you, Phoenix. I cannot count the number of times I've discovered something thrilling just before the archive closed...and in the knowledge that I could not possibly get back to the archive for at least six months.

OC

[Nell]

We've all done that Phoenix - I have, and at the Norfolk RO!!!

[Oakum Picker]

Try putting the parish name in the search box. There may be a lot of pages to search but all the surname variations are easy to spot.

[Phoenix]

I've done that, Glen!

The problem with Norfolk is that the parishes are so miniscule that if you sneeze, someone catches cold three parishes away.

And then they suddenly up sticks and travel across the county, with no consideration for their descendants!

[Merry]

*OC gazes deeply into her crystal ball*

I see a dishevelled figure which looks like Phoenix. She has just made a massive breakthrough on her family by discovering an unknown, uncatalogued box of original documents dating from 1232 forwards. It is seven and a half minutes to closing time.

OC

Does she have a large holdall, OC?

[Olde Crone]

HAAAA, Merry!

OC

[JBee]

I know its a nightmare researching in a records office as everything takes so much longer than expected.

One one occasion I only had one day and I ended up with the dodgy machine which was awful. Then if you wanted a copy you had to load it up onto another machine to print off - making sure you knew where the record was on the reel and yes you've guessed it - someone was already on it

[Phoenix]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152185558717810&set=pb.734307809.-2207520000.1413706719.&type=3&theater

I know that if it isn't catalogued, they wouldn't miss it :D

[Olde Crone]

You could get yourself accidentally locked in for the weekend? But promise to leave the H fiche in the drawer when you've finished with it, every record office I ever go to has had the H fiches stolen. Take a different letter if you must, but leave the Hs alone and oblige, thankyou.

OC

[Kit]

*OC gazes deeply into her crystal ball*

I see a dishevelled figure which looks like Phoenix. She has just made a massive breakthrough on her family by discovering an unknown, uncatalogued box of original documents dating from 1232 forwards. It is seven and a half minutes to closing time.

OC

First thing you must do then Phoenix is wind the clocks back to avoid OC's predictions.

[Phoenix]

Okay, so I started dishevelled and ordered the original documents. Extremely dirty (both me and the records) by close of play! Catalogue description baffling, but they are my people!

I also have enough photocopied wills to keep me transcribing all winter.

Oh, and I found the obligatory Holden. (Trusts OC isn't actually interested in miscellaneous Norfolk Holdens in the 1600s)

[Olde Crone]

Erm.....I am not aware that any Holdens went to Norfolk?

Glad you had a productive day getting down and dirty in the RO!

OC

[ElizabethHerts]

Holdens are EVERYWHERE, OC! I have spied them near and far.

I can only surmise that they bred like rabbits. :D:o


Phoenix, I'm so pleased you had a fruitful day's research.

[Phoenix]

Thank you both. I so want another day!

It takes all day to suss the system, and great discipline not to duff up the couple at the photocopier.

How I would love to spend a week there.

I wasn't in the least organised, as usual, having forgotten that I needed the MF refrence for the wills. At least I managed to look at everything I wanted to, and managed to leave before I was shooed out.

[Lindsay]

Sounds like a very satisfactory day, with the bonus that you'll have plenty to keep you going back at home!

[JBee]

Glad you had success on your trip. Yes I know about people using the photocopier just when you need it - very inconsiderate if you ask me lol!!!!

[Phoenix]

I was actually extremely impressed by (and jealous of!) them. A young couple, really organised, working through and then just taking a batch of copies when they had decided what they needed. It would be so nice sometimes to have a co-worker!