Category Archives: Snapshots from the Archive

Norfolk Lunatic Asylum/St Andrew’s Hospital

Posted on June 7, 2018 by

Case notes for the Norfolk Lunatic Asylum show that the admission of a significant number of female patients in 1845-1870, was due to women’s mental health after childbirth. The notes suggest that their physical condition was frail and the physical … Continue reading →

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A Tale of Two Spectres: Will the Real Syderstone Ghost Please Stand Up

Posted on April 13, 2018 by

Search online for the Syderstone Ghost (Syderstone is a village near Fakenham in Norfolk) and you will find one strong connection. Look a little closer and you will come across a less well-known contender. Fortunately, Norfolk Record Office has you … Continue reading →

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‘It was a dreadful sight to see!’ Descriptions of the Crimean War

Posted on March 7, 2018 by

‘It was a dreadful sight to see! Both to my left and right men were cut away from me. I thought it would be my turn every minute but, thank God I have escaped as yet.’ These words were written … Continue reading →

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‘I suppose you think that I am shot’: Problems writing home from the Crimean War.

Posted on February 21, 2018 by

‘I suppose that you think that I am shot since you have not heard from me for so long but thank God I am not yet but I have had some near escapes.’ These are the words of Private Thomas … Continue reading →

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A military wedding at Great Yarmouth and a mutiny

Posted on January 31, 2018 by

For couples where the groom was serving in the military, time could be of the essence to marry before his regiment moved on, or ship sailed again and many military occupations are represented in marriage licence bonds.  This is particularly … Continue reading →

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The Mackenzie family of Scotland and a Norfolk romance

Posted on January 17, 2018 by

The unusual survival of some letters, found with the marriage licence bond for Henry Bathurst and Frances Mackenzie, 14 July 1807, give us a rare insight into a mother in Scotland eagerly awaiting news of her daughter’s marriage in the … Continue reading →

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Tales of the Great and the Not So Good

Posted on January 2, 2018 by

Marriage licences were often favoured by families of high social class since they allowed the couple privacy, ability to choose their parish of marriage and were faster to arrange than banns.  The marriage licence could also be a status symbol … Continue reading →

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Did your ancestors marry by licence?

Posted on December 21, 2017 by

If you are researching your family tree and have come across an entry in a parish register which notes that your ancestors married by licence, then marriage licence bonds can be a valuable resource.  Although they do not include marriages … Continue reading →

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