General Chat

My first ever visit to a record office and I was very nervous. Went in and a kind man asked me what I was interested in. I told him that my great great grandfather had been town crier in Lewes in the 1800s and he said 'Oh, you mean the one with the famous photograph?' and produced a book with his picture! I was too excited to find much else but I am a definite Records Office convert.

Well done for visiting the record office and with such success. I need to visit a local rocord office too, but for some reason feel rather nervous about it.

The staff were very helpful and showed me what to do so that I soon relaxed and enjoyed my experience.

That sort of help makes you want to go back time and again Pammy........and finding a relative so special that you have a photograph too.......what luck.....

Good luck with the rest of your research.....

btw......did you inherit your ancestor's loud voice.....lol....

sally

Everybody who works in record offices is generally very pleasant and helpful.Mosy have a particular area of interest of their own and are usually only too happy to help you with it.

I would say to beware of pompous old duffers.Every record office has it's quota of them.They usually think they are the world's leading expert on everything.THEY ARE NOT!

Knowing the history of your cottage or your village duck pond is not being a learned historian.I doubt Eric Hobsbawm knows the history of his village green.

Avoid these people like the plague.Do not be intimidated by them or by the volunteers who have a definite imagined pecking order.There are no senior volunteers so don't let them intimidate you either.

Nobody goes into a record office for the first time knowing how it works or what it contains.I have been using West Sussex for thirty years now and one day I hope to begin to understand their indexes.

Just get in there and enjoy yourself.Who knows what you might find!

Well, Sally, as an ex-teacher I have to say that I have been known to use a loud voice!!
Sharron - Luckily I didn't meet any 'know-it-alls' but I can imagine them lurking behind the filing cabinets!

We have been to the Lewes Record Office several times, and found the staff very helpful.
Liz

IM GOING TO LEWES OFFICE SOON
I HAVE BEEN TO KEW A FEW TIMES
SURREY HISTORY..AND OXFORD
RECORDS.
MY PROBLEM IS THE
THE WEIGHT OF THE BOOKS

Dear Pammy51

I am glad you had such a good experience at the records office.

Helpful and kind staff make all the difference.

I sent an e-mail to a record office, asking for details of the street
where my great-grandparents x2 lived.

I got a full reply the next day and directions to sites
where I could find maps etc.

Best wishes to all researchers visting record offices.
xx