Stephen Hawke reviews a number of histories of the seven counties of south west England, including an excellent book by Philip Payton on Cornwall. Stephen also covers the Victoria County Histories – a project, still running, that was initiated in the late 1890s in honour of Queen Victoria, and tasked with compiling histories for every parish and county in England. All books discussed are available in (or through) the GSV library, and Stephen provides a few tips for using the catalogue.

Denise discusses the history of her ancestors the Lascelles family who were involved in the English Civil War and the slave trade.

Stephen discusses William Bradbrooke's book 'The Parish Register' which was published in 1910. William, as the compiler, describes a number of interesting aspects of social customs as illustrated through parish registers

Penny Mercer describes her research into her family of Surgeons and Apothecaries living in Cornwall during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Cherilyn Tillman provides a brief history of tuberculosis and talks about the impact of the disease on her family in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Tuberculosis handout (pdf)

In the second of his talks on migration Stephen Hawke examines the conditions emigrants experienced prior to and during the voyage. He looks at the resources available to assist with researching the subject.

Jill Watson discusses the history of clock and watchmaking in England through the eyes of seven generations of her ancestors.

Cathy Carman uses the diary of Devon vicar to describe the scenes in a Devon village during the cholera outbreak of 1832.

In this presentation Stephen Hawke explores the major cholera outbreak in the 1830s in south-west England and also the later outbreaks of the pandemic in the UK in the 19th century.

This presentation explores the life of watermen in London over the period from 1600 to the end of the 19th Century. Robyn Ansell also explores her Round family who were involved in this occupation.

Handout