The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.48 No.1 | June 2021

Local Group Programmes

forenames which were anglicised on arriving in this country. The need to establish the same person in each country can be fraught with difficulties. The adoption of the Gregorian calendar at different times is one. Some dates are recorded as Saints’ days. Placenames have changed. The UK census was only meant to record countries of origin, but some enumerators recorded the place name with their best spelling. This can be compounded by transcribers. The 1911 Census is helpful in that it records the original forms completed by the householder. Origins are sometimes recorded on gravestones. Immigration records were required to be kept from the first 1793 Aliens Act and the subsequent Alien and Naturalisation Acts regularly passed up until 1914. Home Office Arrivals records from 1709 – 1960 are mostly on Ancestry. Some records are closed for a hundred years but an application under the freedom of Before 1901 the change of name required an Act of Parliament or a Licence. Thereafter a Deed of Poll could be used. Immigration records can be found at TNA and the government official publication the London Gazette (www.thegazette.co.uk). Another useful source are foreign newspapers, and these are kept at the British Library. Some countries of origin made emigration difficult as it was seen as a loss of tax. Many European countries have emigration records. But many left illegally because the person was in trouble or in debt and gave false names. Single women found travel difficult and so had to leave for legal reasons. Many gave the intended destination as USA but would often could not afford travel further than the UK and so stayed. Ancestry has some European emigration records. FMP doesn’t have as many records on Immigration as Ancestry but may have complimentary ones. (February) Victorian Crime, Police and Criminals The February Zoom meeting was attended by more than 30 members to hear Antony Marr talk. Antony, a former policeman, registrar and a tutor in genealogy presented a well-informed and interesting talk. Antony started with a history of law making. Laws were set by monarchy through common and statute law. The main changes to criminal law and order came about as the result of our ancestors moving into towns, the crowded conditions not being conducive to good behaviour. Robert Peel was a huge influence in law making and reduced the number of crimes punishable by death to five. Most punishments were largely physical in nature and prisons were reserved for holding the accused until the courts met. Minor legal issues were dealt with at Petty Sessions. Their records are kept at County Record Offices and include crimes of vandalism and poaching but also assigning responsibility for the maintenance of illegitimate children. Quarter sessions date from the 14th Century and were named because they met four times a year and dealt with more serious crimes than the Petty sessions. They also considered licences, tolls and local authority matters. Even law-abiding ancestors may be found in these records which are starting to appear online. Assizes, which dealt with serious crimes, also date from 14th century with courts which information can be made. Family history is considered a valid reason. The Metropolitan Police have Alien registration cards from 1876 -1990.

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