London Gazette - October 27 to October 30, 1707 (Part 1)

Several years ago, I purchased a battered copy of a 1707 London Gazette.  It’s been kept in an archival sheet ever since. 

Online newspapers have been of great help to me with my own genealogy, so I’m sharing this in hopes that someone will find it of help with their own research.  I am attempting to transcribe it, as it is very difficult to read in some parts.  I’ve started with the local news on page 2.

The first article is regarding a burglary.  Unfortunately, it does not name the victim.  However, it does mention an attorney, Thomas Woodford.

On Monday Night, the 27th of this Instant October, some Persons broke into a Cellar of a House at Peckam in Surrey, and stole thence Two Silver Salvers, One large Pair of Candlesticks, One lesser Pair of Candlesticks, One Pair of Snuffers and Snuff Dish, Seven Spoons, One Pair of Buckles, Two Salts, Eighteen Knives, Maple-Hafts,  12 Forks, Maple-Hafts, a black Cloth Coat, a light Cloth Coat, a black Campagne Peruke, One Huckaback Table Cloth &c.  If any Person discovers the Offenders to Mr. Tho. Woodford, Attorney, in Threadneedle street, he shall receive a Reward of Ten Guinea’s.

The second article is about horse racing and does not contain any surnames, but is still interesting nevertheless.

U’on Epson Downs in Surrey, on the first Tuesday in December next, a Plate of 20 l. in Money will be run for, by any Horses that never won above 50 l.  The Horses to be at New Stables, or some other Contributor’s Stables 14 Days before; and 7 Days before, paying 3 Guinea’s, or paying of 5 Guinea’s, at any time; the Weight 10 Stone; not less than 3 to start.  The Day following a Plate of 5 l. by Galloways not exceeding 12 Hands 3 Inches;  the highest Weight 8 Stone; Weight for Inches allowed to all under that Size;  Stakes 20 s. to be paid 3 Days before, or 27 s. at any time; to be entered at the New Stables.

Next, there are a series of bankruptcy notices.  I’ve transcribed the first two so far.  The first is for Thomas Mathews of Newbery.  The second is regarding John Coppin of Norwich.

A Commission of Bankrupt being awarded against Thomas Mathews, late of Newbery in the County of Berks, Distiller; and he being declared a Bankrupt, is required to surrender himself to the Commissioners, who will sit on the 11th of November next, and the 5th of December next, at 3 after Noon, at the Globe Tavern in Newbery aforesaid.  On the first Sitting all Creditors are to prove their Debts, pay their Contribution Money, and chuse Assignees.  And all Persons that have any Money, Goods, or Effects of his, are not to pay or deliver the same but by Order of the Commissioners.

A Commission of Bankrupt being awarded against John Coppin, of the City of Norwich,  Worsted-Weaver; The Commissioners intend to meet at the Fleece Tavern in Norwich on Friday the 14th of November next, at 4 in the Afternoon; where the Creditors are desired to come prepared to prove their Debts, and pay their Contribution, or they will be excluded from any Dividend by the said Commission. 

It gets more difficult to read from here!  I will be posting some more in the near future.

~Kathy

Planting Your Family Tree

Hello again! 

I mentioned last time that our photo restoration started from a shared love of genealogy.  Kathy and I, the owners of River Bend Photo Restoration, have spent many long nights tracing both of our family lines.  It’s an exciting and frustrating endeavor.  To have any hope of keeping your facts straight and your notes clear, you need a good family tree program.  We use Family Tree Maker from Ancestry.com.  (That is a non-compensated endorsement!)  Even for a technology novice, it is easy to use.  All you have to do is start typing names into the field and it builds the tree for you.  It also calculates each ancestor’s relation to you.  I don’t think it would have been possible for us to compile our research without it.  

One of the best things about genealogy is that you are bound to learn more about your family than you ever hoped to know.  For instance, my maternal grandmother was adopted.  I was able to finally discover the name of her birth mother, which had been unknown for nearly 90 years. 

On my father’s side, my great, great, great, great grandfather fought in the American Revolutionary War.  Researching his life uncovered something amazing.  In his later life, he had sought to get benefits he had been entitled to as a veteran.  This meant providing meticulous details about his time in the war, including his duties, commanding officers, and various locations where he served.  I found that he had defended Philadelphia, and had also been sent to Valley Forge.  It then made even more sense why his son was named after George Washington!  Suddenly, this man was not just a name and a date.  He was a man with a rich life.  These finds make it all worthwhile.  

If you’re interested in Family Tree Maker, follow this link:
http://www.ancestry.com/cs/apps/p-5194 

~Chris

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to our very first blog entry!  We’re Chris and Kathy, the owners of River Bend Photo Restoration.  Check in with us every few days for news and thoughts on topics ranging from photo restoration to genealogy to just about everything else.  

We have a lot of family photos.  Our basement is full of albums which are full of old photographs.  If there's one thing our relatives loved, it was taking pictures.  A few of them are formal, posed studio photographs, but most of them are candid shots of family and friends.  Those are my favorites.  They capture everyday life, uninhibited.  Family you never met, who may have died nearly a century ago, are seen as they were day to day.  Putting a face with a name is one thing, but seeing your great-great-grandfather plowing a field or working on his tractor takes you to another place and time.  

Our love of genealogy led to our love of old photos, and our old photos made us love genealogy even more.  A couple of years ago I decided that our vast collection of family photos needed to be preserved.  Some of them were over 120 years old!  Although most of them had been very well cared for, some of them were showing signs of neglect (or perhaps too much love!).  So I set about digitally scanning every single photograph I had.  Little did I know at the time, but that meant scanning over TWELVE THOUSAND photographs.  I told you my family liked to take pictures.  It ended up taking 14 months, but eventually every single one of them was digitized and preserved.  

Seeing the photos on the computer screen showed details I never could have seen with the naked eye.  But along with that, the damage and imperfections in the photos were also made clearer.  I set out to meticulously restore them, and was shocked by what a difference it made.  Photos that were over a century old suddenly looked like they could have been taken recently.  Suddenly, the photos jumped off the screen.  They weren't just faded images, they were people.  They had life again.  Many of these photos are unique.  Some may be the only photos ever taken of these people.  Cleaning and repairing them, bringing their images back to life, was an uplifting experience.  It honored people who might otherwise have been lost to time and forgotten.  That is what makes this so satisfying.  I want to be able to help others preserve the memories of their loved ones. 

~Chris