Genealogy Chat

It seems that I am not the only one who consistently fails to get useful results on Procat searches on the National Archives site. If anyone has advice, please post it on this thread. I need your help!!!

What are you looking for, Louise?

Oh Brenda! Where do I start? I have spent hours on this site in recent weeks. First, I thought I might find some records relating to my rellie John Buckle. He was MP for Eccles and served in the Ramsey MacDonald government 1920s/30s. Also are any prison records at the NA? Someone advised that there were but I've searched and searched and got nothing. I also want to look up some merchant navy records but I think that I have just about worked this out but it took quite a few goes! Honestly, this site makes me feel really thick! I just don't get how they have filed stuff. Louise

This might start you off on your Buckle ancestor: Parliamentary Proceedings Printed Journals of the House of Commons from 1547 and Journals of the House of Lords from 1513 are available from The National Archives Library. The former closely follow the manuscript originals after 1642, the latter are less reliable. The manuscript originals are held by the Parliamentary Archives. Printed reports of House of Commons parliamentary debates by Hansard are in ZHC 2 from 1803-1986 and those after 1986 (Commons and Lords) are seen on microfiche in the Microfilm Reading Room. Hansard Reports for the House of Lords for 1803-1908 are in ZHC 2 and for June 1955-1986 are in ZHL 2 (The National Archives does not hold copies for 1909-June 1955). The National Archives Library holds J H Barrow's The Mirror of Parliament which reports proceedings in Parliament for 1828-1841 and is fuller than Hansard for the period 1828-1833. 9. Lists of Members Lists of members of Parliament from 1213-1874, including the Parliaments of Scotland (1357-1707) and of Ireland (1559-1800), based on writs for election and returns of members in C 219 , were published as Parliamentary Papers in 1878 and are available on open access, supplemented by amendments and additions in a chronological list to 1601 and alphabetical list for 1660-1689. Returns for 1880-1929 were published in subsequent Parliamentary Papers. The History of Parliament includes full biographies of members for the years it covers. Writs summoning peers to Parliament are enrolled on the Close Rolls in C 54 until 1541 and thereafter appear in the Parliament Pawns in C 218 - both are printed in Dugdale's Summons to Parliament (1685) which covers the period 1264-1685 and is available from The National Archives Library. The National Archives Library also has an incomplete set of the annual Dod's Parliamentary Companion, which describes members of both Houses, from 1850 and M Stenton's Who's Who of British Members of Parliament 1832-1945, 3 vols (Harvester, 1976) which is largely based on Dod.

Don't feel thick Louise I can never find anything on there either LOL.

Thanks Brenda. I'll check those out. How on earth did you get to be such a whizz on this? And cheers Patricia - it definitely soothes my ego knowing I am not alone in my inability to find anything useful! Louise

There is also a leaflet: Tracing 19th Century Criminals in the National Archives They don't say so, but this looks like hard work to me. I've an ancestor in Millbank Prison in 1871 and I've been trying to avoid looking for the records on her. It doesn't read as if much is indexed.

If you go to Getting Started and choose Index to Research Guides from the drop down menus, you get the complete list. Then plug in a key word to narrow down your search: I used Government and Prisoners and then chose the most likely guides from the short list. Understanding the guides is, of course, a different matter.....!