Day 36 - I Dug A Hole

Today I was going to catch up on a few things but went for a quick walk around the Cathedral, Castle and Museum. Really good Museum for a smallish town. Not much to report but enjoy the pics.

Day 35 - Carlisle

Today I got the train from Birmingham to Carlisle. The Birmingham station was full of blue and white Birmingham fans who were on the way to the final of the Carlisle Cup at Wembley v Arsenal. Looks like they won so I can only imagine the scenes on the way home this evening. They had special Football fans trains - I'm sure half of Birmingham had left to go down there by the queues waiting to get on the trains.

The trip was quite lovely, especially through the Lakes District which looked amazingly beautiful. Got off in Carlisle and headed to The Townhouse Bed and Breakfast which is very comfortable and has decent internet so all is good.

Day 34 - Leicester, Market Harborough and Tur Langton

I think I set myself a bit more than was truly manageable today in trying to cram in three cities in one day. Well one village, one town and a city. I headed out from Birmingham to Leicester then got a train to Market Harborough and then a bus to Tur Langton. The bus driver asked me where I'd like to get off there and I didn't really know but knew it was only one or two streets big.

It is a charming little village surrounded by lovely green fields - each house had a cottage name. It's part of the Langton's - Church Langton, East Langton, West Langton, Thorpe Langton and Shangton - colloquially known as the Langos. I looked for evidence of Evans' in the graveyard of the church but no luck. I did, however, find that Harry Potter was buried here! I thought I might have lunch in the pub but the owner seemed to be yelling down the phone to the chef who hadn't turned up so I figured maybe it wasn't a good idea so caught the same bus driver on his return route.


The bus went into downtown Market Harborough so I had a wander around and a quick look in the museum which had some interesting exhibitions that were quite interactive for the kiddies. The town itself wasn't all that exciting - lots of shops and quite busy and a few older buildings.

Back on the train the Leicester with a bunch of Leicester City fans heading in for today's game. A police presence at the station was mainly focused on some rather drunken fans. Without much of a plan I headed for the Tourist Centre and got a map - stopped for a coffee and checked out the Guildhall, Cathedral and various other churches - checking through the graveyards in case I found an Evans.

In retrospect I should have come on a day when the Records Office was open but I will contact them through email and get them to research the information.

Day 33 - Fanny Findings

Today I grabbed a train to Lichfieldwhich is, apparently, a hidden gem in heart of Britain's most creative county. Boasting such sons as Erasmus Darwin (Charlie's grandad) and Samuel Johnson and an 800 year old cathedral there were certainly some interesting touristic highlights. So why Lichfield - it is the birthplace of one Fanny Swetnam who is one of FB's grandmothers.
Another dummy gets it in the Guildhall.
I had a quick walk around the market, dropped into the Guildhall, visited the Heritage Centre and then walked up to the Cathedral - which I must say looked more exciting on the outside than in but has a great history with sieges during the English Civil War.

I was going to check out Erasmus's place but it seemed to be closed so I decided to have a cup of tea and take stock. On the way back I saw a sign for Records Centre and thought hey hey - sounds like a plan. Wandered down to the Staffordshire Records Office and luckily bagged myself one of the only 4 fichies.

Now I knew Fanny was born there but not exactly which church she would have been baptised at - there were four choices so it took me a little while to find her. First I found her two sisters Elanor and Elizabeth and finally I found Fanny. All three were baptised at St Chad's.

From these records I can tell you her father is Thomas and mother Charlotte. Thomas' profession is tailor. I thought maybe that he might be listed in the Trades directories for the town but unfortunately not so perhaps he was working for someone. I checked the 1841 census records and the family lived in Shaw Lane.

So I headed off again to visit Shaw Lane and St Chads. Shaw Lane is just off Beacon Street and is very close to the Cathedral Close. Didn't have an exact address of where exactly it was but it seemed to be a small street with at least one side recently developed.

From there I haded off to St Chads and the kindly Rev Robert Bull gave me a guided tour and history lesson about the origins of the church. St Chad is the dude for peace and reconciliation - and this was actually his church and pre-dates the Cathedral. St Chad was originally buried there but his remains moved to the Cathedral at a later date.

I did grab a picture of the font which had been moved since 1844 when our Fanny went for a dunking and checked out the graveyard in case I came across any more Swetnams. No luck I'm afraid.

Busy day but happy with the findings I made.

Day 32 - Small finds in the Library

This morning I was unceremoniously awoken by an idiot in my room's alarm - I don't think having an alarm is an issue but when you put it on sleep so it goes off every 5 minutes for the next hour - ISSUE.

So I was awake and though I might as well get on with it. As I walked through the Bullring I ran into a shooting for something obviously Bollywoodesque which was quite interesting to watch. But no time for distractions - there was searchin' to do!

I headed to the Central Library and walked up to the 6th floor and got my assigned film reader - the oldest one I'd seen so far and I had to stand up at times to read some of the information. Given that there were several different church centres in Birmingham I had quite a list to check out.

Thankfully though I did find some information - John Small's baptism Records and his parents John Small and Rebecca Ashford's marriage record.


The church where John was baptised was thankfully on my way back to the hostel so I dropped in to have a look and was given the royal tour. The spot is actually where Birmingham grew up around as it was first built by the French De Bermingham family in the 1200's. The church is called St Martin's - he being remembered for services to the poor. Today the church carries on this work helping local community with homelessness, drug and alcohol problems. When I was there I saw several homeless men catching a few moments of peace on the pews.

Rebecca and John were married at another St Peter's Church in Harborne which is a little distance out of the central city - I'll try and get to it but the next couple of days I'm doing some day trips to other cities so might not get the chance

Day 31 - Birmingham

Not having had Internet for a day today I mainly had to catch up on paperwork.

I did manage to have a bit of wander around Birmingham though - taking in the Museum and a quick walk along the canal.

Dropped in quickly to the Library to see if they had Parish Records on hand - and they do so will get in there tomorrow.

I went to see Holloway Head where John Small was originally from - a fairly non-descript road now.

Day 30 - Trouble at Mill

This morning I woke up and decided to go for a walk to the Library to see what exciting news they could tell me about Shipston-On-Stour. They provided me with their heritage walk leaflet so I decided to take this while I waited for the internet to be fixed.

The Small Merino

Shipston-On-Stour is an attractive market town with some buildings that date back unto the 16th Century nestled in the River Stour valley. In the 8th Century the town was called Scepwaeisctune or Sheep Wash Town and the sheep and horse are most definitely represented throughout the town.

Most interesting was the The Black Horse Inn which dates back to the 1500s.

A reasonably interesting walk but with roughly 2000 residents currently it's hardly a big town so both heritage walks were undertaken quite quickly.

On return to t'Mill there was still no internet so I quickly decided to cut my loses and forgo the planned Trivia night with Jared that night and head off to Birmingham.

Day 29 - Shipston on Stour

Today I uprooted camp and hopped on a train to Stratford-Upon-Avon. Famously the home of Shakespeare I only briefly walked through the town past the Shakespeare pub, the Shakespeare Guest House, The Shakespeare Theatre, The Shakespeare Pie Place and Shakespeare Charity Shop (I get the feeling they are milking the association) to the bus for Shipston-On-Stour.

Shipston was the home of the Carter's and hence my visit. Due to the lack of cheap accommodation in the town I had booked myself into a boutique Hotel and Restaurant The Mill. From the outside it looked like a lovely place nestled by a stream. The receptionist was a bit flustered and finally found my booking and took me up to the 'Lilac Room' which was indeed several shades of purple. A claw footed bath (but no little takeaways) and tea and coffee making facilities (but not biscuits) and a big double bed. Internet - I asked. She flustered about and came back with the password which I tried but seemed not to work. The owner was out so she would have to check.

Well I was to meet up with my ex work colleague Jared who, as it happens, works in a town nearby. So I left it with her and went to meet Jared. Jolly good to catch up with him and we hopped through three of the town pubs and chatted and then Jared bought me some Chinese which I took back to my room (thanks Jerry!). Internet? I asked as I got back - Oh well the thing is the guy came to fix it at 5.20 and he left at 5.30 and so its not fixed. Not happy Jan.

Well one night off I suppose so I took a bath and watched some TV and caught up on some paper work that I didn't need the 'net for.

Day 28 - Another piece of the Puzzle

This morning I filled up on the full English breakfast and then headed out to catch some of the re-enactments at the Guildhall. There were several groups for different ages - mainly centred around various wars but they seemed to be having fun and were only too happy to explain all their bits of kit.

I headed down to the History Centre to continue looking for information on what had happened to John Carter. I tried a different newspaper the Worcester Herald to see if I could find more information. And lo I did!

It appears that on the day of his scheduled execution John Carter was granted respite due to the fact that he didn't understand what was going on at the trial being somewhat deaf and by the sounds of the report his son, William had deceived him. So a different story perhaps than the one where he gallantly took the fall for his son!

I tried to find some more information about what had happened to John but without any prison records from that time it was a bit like trying to find a needle in a very bit haystack checking death records from the Bishop's records.

Took a bit of walk in the Cathedral before heading back to Osbourne House Bed and Breakfast to catch up on paperwork.

Day 27 - Worcester

Today I got the train to Worcester and headed out to the Guildhall where I believe the Worcester Assizes took place and hence where John and William Carter would have been tried. The lovely gent there gave me a tour of cells where they keep their very naughtiest dummies.

I then headed to the History Centre to begin looking for more information on the death of John Carter.

I found one newspaper article about the trial which states that John was to be hanged but am yet to find notice of his hanging. Still looking...

Day 26 - Don't call the Church Panda Police

Just a quick one to let you know I'm in Bristol - internet access is sucky and having to use all my online time trying to get through the pile of work that I have. Will hopefully be able to update more on the weekend from Worcester.

Day 25 - Some days are better than others

Today is not one of those days. Booked into a hostel in Bristol for 3 days - the router near my room is busted. So I have to use the bar where there are lots of people and no power points to plug in so I have maybe an hour before battery goes dead.
But I no complain...

Day 24 - Say hello to Hawkie for me

This morning I was rather unceremoniously awoken by the cleaning lady wishing to clean my room at 8.30am. SERIOUSLY? Now I know country folk wake up a bit early but SERIOUSLY. So I got up tried to have a shower but realised it was fucked Sheree so in not the best of moods packed up and headed back to Oxford.

Thankfully the folk at the Central Backpackers were a lot nicer and mellowed my mood somewhat. I headed out to check out Oxford which is very picturesque but expensive. Anything that you would want to visit will cost you at least 6 squids so I mainly just wandered around - trying to find the pub where Bob Hawke still has the record of the quickest beer drinking of a yard glass.

Visited this place where bits of Harry Potter was filmed.

Heading back to the hostel I noticed the Oxford Castle and figured maybe this was something worth paying to see. And I was extremely glad that I did for as it turns out it was the Oxford Jail since the 1700s.

The guided tour was very good and it was interesting to see that the jail cells had been transformed in part into expensive hotel suites. At the time he would have been here it was one of the best jails in the country - being one of the first to move to single cell occupancy after John Howard's (not little Johnny mother) recommended changes to prison reform at the time.

It only ended being a jail in 1996 at that time was one of the worst in the country - not because of the inmates but because of the antiquity of its design and the fact that the cells that had been designed for one occupant now housed three.

Well worth the 8 squids to visit.

Day 23 - Hedging my bets

This morning after grabbing a ham and cheese croissant from the patisserie I wandered around to the Church to see if I could take a look inside. In the graveyard I noticed a stone for James Hedges and then it dawned on me as to why I had come to Abingdon! It was the birthplace of one Stephen Hedges and it was between here and Oxford where he had been involved in a spot of lead stealing - the crime which led (pardon the pun) to his transportation to Australia. You can read the full story here.

Sunday service had just finished so I wandered in to check it out and it was quite an interesting church - a friendly fellow showed me around and explained some of its more interesting points. There were paintings from the 1300s which are some of the oldest examples in England still surviving in their original position. As well the church because of its proximity to the river was expanded in a square fashion rather than your traditional long remodelling.

Day 22 - Abingdon

Perhaps the travel weary is starting to hit but today I got to Abingdon and had no idea why I had included it in the schedule.

The day started off at Waterloo where I awoke early and headed off to find White Hart St in Lambeth where Isaac Thomas and his lovely lady wife Ms Isabella Juggins formerly lived at number 11. Looking at the map the area was quite familiar - not surprising as I had been living in Lambeth for a year but there was something about the particular crossroads that twigged some distant memory.

When I got to the area I realised that the pub marked as The White Hart just around the corner from the street was the one that Diom and I met at the first time he asked me out. Now called Tommyfields.

Heading down the street it was sorry to see that the actual house at Number 11 had been knocked down for a vast expanse of council houses. But 1 and 3 still looked like original Victorian Terraces so I supposed it was the same style of house back in the day when Isaac and Isabella lived there.

I trekked back to the hostel grabbed my bags and made the journey to Abingdon. Bus to Oxford and then another short bus ride to Abingdon. Arriving at the B&B I was met by ... well no one. No answer. So I waited out the front for the owners to return. After about half an hour I figured I might check out the patisserie across the road while I waited and what a wise choice it was - with a walnut and stilton quiche in hand the wait seemed less annoying.

Eventually the owner returned from Specsavers to let me in - the house was old and well done up with extremely squeaky staircases. I dropped off the bags and then headed out to see what Abingdon could offer me and hopefully twig my memory as to why I had come here in the first place.

There's a lovely river and lots of fit young lads rowing up and down it as it seems this and rugby are the sports of the area. Some wonderful old ruins as well of a Norman Abbey.

None the wiser as to why I came I headed back to the room and settled in to their on again off again Internet to try and have a convo with the parents.

Day 20 and 21 - The National Archives

Thursday I headed out to go to the Archives from Diom's place in Croydon. On the way to the station I received a call from one of the staff from my old school Lambeth College who as it happens lives out that way. So I headed over to Aman's for a cup of tea and a quick catch up on all things Egyptian.
Now running a bit late I got my skates on and motored towards Kew Gardens via Clapham Junction and Richmond in search of the National Archives. Thankfully it was well signposted from the station as it must be the main attraction in the area.

As I walked in I noticed a sign for a talk that began in 10 minutes on researching Crimes and Criminal Records in the 1700s and 1800s - what a stroke of luck! I lockered up my contraband and placed my pencil, notes and camera in my see through bag. I headed up the 'talks' room and took my place amongst the assembled throng of retirees and researchers. The talk told me alot of things I already knew but helped clarify what I might find in the Archives and what I would need to track down at County Records Offices. Also enlightened me to the prospect of chasing up records such as Gaol transfer books. Question time made me realise that I now know a bit on the subject of transported convicts as my eyes rolled several times at some of the other's questions.

Talk over I headed for the desk with the big sign that said NEW TO KEW - the chap there didn't know much but said go and ask the red desk. I went to the red desk - the pointed me in the direction of the red books. I found in the red books the document numbers I needed and then headed for a terminal to order them. It was then I realised I needed A READERS TICKET.

SOOOO it was up to the second floor to see the very bored young man who handed out the tickets - I had to fill in the form which required proof of my identity as well as proof of my residential address. Being of 'no fixed abode' this was somewhat of a problem - I explained my dilemma to the nice young man and he thankfully agreed to allow my now out of date driver's licence as proof that at some stage I did indeed have an abode.

The only thing that stood in my way now was the quiz on how to handle documents - which took another half an hour to complete. Finally it was mine! But as 'last orders' was fast approaching I realised I would have to wait until tomorrow to begin exploring the Assizes Records.

The next day I moved my bags from Diom's to Waterloo to the Walrus. Then back out to Kew. Knowing what I wanted and having my readers ticket in hand I plastic bagged up and raced up to level 1 to place my order. Wait time 40 minutes. Well enough time for a cup of tea and an egg sandwich - seemed like a fitting meal in such a place. I listened to the surrounding tables eagerly discussing their finds and sharing the sausage rolls they'd brought from home along with a plate of chips from the caf'.

I reckoned 40 mins must have been up by then so I headed up to 'The Reading Room' to find my assigned table - and what a beauty it was. All set up with a terrific stand for my camera which I duly screwed in and then sat swivelling in my chair waiting for my documents. There are corresponding clear lockers where your documents are delivered so I kept getting up to go and see if a delivery had been made. Nope - nope - getting bored I took a picture of myself sleeping while I waited.

It really was very quiet in there - people studiously reading documents, typing them up busily being busy. I went and sat by the lockers waiting listening to the young staff on the other side give reviews of the latest sci fi trailers they had just seen. Finally one of my allowed 3 arrived. Christmas - I hurried it back to the desk, arranged my foam cushions and delicately turned page after page until I found the date of the Carter trials - of which I did not know the date but thankfully found it was the Lent 1795 Worcester Assizes. There were many more documents available for this so I photographed what I needed and waited for the next document.

Did you know that Julian is only 23? I was surprised also along with many of the facts I found out sitting behind the perspex wall waiting. I watched box after box come up the conveyor belt from the depths of the archives. But eventually more came and I had some of the details on Elizabeth Wilmott and John Gosling trial as well.

Next I recived the summation of the Assizes with included the below:


It would appear that both John and William's sentence was requested to be changed to transportation. Their trial took place in the Lent 1795 Assizes which is almost 2 years before William sailed to Australia on the Barwell. If indeed both sentences were changed to transportation then perhaps instead of being hung as previously thought John may have died in prison? This will require further research of gaol records and see if we can find the death records for John as well.

My next lots came into the second floor room - big items and maps. Oooo what could they be? So I headed upstairs to the document collection room and the stressed out loner working behind the counter - surely some of the stand around lot downstairs might be dispatched upstairs to assist?

Anyway here I had rolled up bits of paper. Rolled up for god knows how many years and the tough paper of the time made it difficult to unroll. I was worried that I would rip something. A kindly security guard brought me over a sand black pudding to assist with hold the beasites down as my two tiny sandbags weren't doing the trick. Realising these would be impossible to photograph I've ordered copies to be made and emailed to me of the pages that mention William and John Carter and Elizabeth Wilmott. Last orders were called and in my rush to make it to the copying room I hastily unscrewed my camera and as I removed it from the frame the batteries flew out around the desk with a loud clank. I could feel the shhhhhhhhhhhhhh from the quiet ones around. Time to go - but I will be back archives!