Phew! That's one big old transcription project finished. Fascinating. Time to put my feet up with a well-deserved cuppa 😃

Busy on a big transcription project for overseas clients. This copy letter is a good example of a Victorian using 200+ words to put his point across, where 40 would have sufficed 🙄😄. I bet the reader gave up half way through!

Although based in Devon, I can undertake many aspects of family history for you in areas all over England and Wales. Check out my website www.dwresearchservices.co.uk or email me at dwresearchservices@gmail.com.

Some excellent house history discoveries were made last week among the many valuation records at The Box (Plymouth Archives). Unfortunately one of the associated maps hasn't survived which really would have proved one theory #preserveourarchives

I love the little details that can be spotted when out walking. It is on the back of Court Farm in central Plymstock. The Ordnance Survey maps confirm this addition to the property. The 'B' no doubt is reference to the Duke of Bedford who owned much of Plymstock until 1911.

Monday building quiz. What and where is this in Plymouth? I know, but do you? 😃

@devonhist.bsky.social
Dawlish and the Exe Estuary in the 1920s. The next event in the Festival of Devon in the 1920s programme is a day of talks and exhibitions about Dawlish, Starcross and the west side of the Exe Estuary. See the link below for details www.dawlishhistory.org.uk/programme.html

@devonhist.bsky.social Come and join us on the 2nd April for this fabulous online talk. Non-members welcome for a small fee. Please book via the link www.devonhistorysociety.org.uk/event/torre-...

Just approaching the Cottonian Research Room in The Box on this beautiful sunny day ☀️☀️. A nice variety to look at for customers today - a drawing to photograph, Plymouth school records to look through, and some South Hams house history.

I'm a bit of a time traveller today at the Devon Heritage Centre. Research spanning the 14th to the 20th centuries. Should be interesting 😀

It was great to help out a new client in Bristol by transcribing (and deciphering) a heavily abbreviated 19th deed within a Land Registry file - not knowing what the covenants were was holding up the sale/purchase. Due to the urgency of the commission, I re-jigged my workload to get it done asap. 😀

You may not know this, but approximately 100 years worth of parish register images for Plymouth & West Devon are not yet available online through Find My Past, but are in The Box, Plymouth Archives. Need something checked? Email me at dwresearchservices@gmail.com for a quote.

It's a beautiful day in Devon - sunshine at last!

What a great start to the year. A group of really interesting wills to transcribe, and commissioned to help a local organisation to apply for funding to catalogue and care for their internationally important archive. 🌞🌞

Another succesful research trip to The Box research room today for a client.
A pity that I nearly got overcharged in the shop for a half-day photography licence. Just as well I'm a regular visitor and knew what the fee should be 😉

Made it! As you can see, I got through the flooded and snowy plains and arrived safely for a research trip. Public transport by GWR and TFL excellent. Can't wait to get stuck in to a variety of interesting documents about the Plymouth area 😃

Very best wishes for the festive season to all my followers. Thank you for your continued support and have a very happy New Year!

We've had some fun with a client's family history this week. One brick wall down. It took some doing, but we got there. It put a smile on our faces. Documents don't always survive - destruction or damage through flood, fire, insects, or war. But sometimes we get lucky with some lateral thinking.

Lots of transcribing fun this week crossing the centuries - 1595 (will), 1860 (Papal Army letters) and 1893 (diary).

All fascinating!

If you need a historic document transcribed, contact me for a quote.

Just slipped over from Twitter/X. Looking forward to talking Turnchapel heritage today with their history group leader. A Chancery record that I transcribed turned up some fascinating Civil War details.