Sources
Census records 1841 through to 1911
Stored images of all Piddington census pages for these dates. For 1851, 1861 and 1871 I have imported all of the data into structured spreadsheets, making it relatively easy to analyse by age, gender, place of birth and occupations where given. Incorrect transcription of names and different spellings need to be handled carefully. It is possible to use Ancestry search facilities to try and identify those recorded in censuses born or living outside the village. Not always successful and can be time consuming. Parish records: Baptisms, Marriages, Burials I have saved images of many chunks of the parish records with some notable chunks missing. It is possible to use Ancestry search facilities to try and identify those recorded in censuses born or living outside the village. Not always successful and can be time consuming. St Nicholas Churchyard inscriptions and burial records There are other ways of accessing this information. I have found the best to be the very comprehensive record of 1,322 deaths burials and sometimes deaths, compiled by Judy Decker and consolidated in June 2004. The records often provide very useful pointers by recording relationships with other family members and sometimes age at death and year of birth. Judy has family history connections the Piddington, specifically the Reynolds family. She remains in touch with activities in Piddington via the village wesite. Available online through, the not very cheery sounding, Interment.net Deeds and Indentures A very complete set for the Wheelwrights. As well as providing a lot of information abot the Parrot family and their successors, it provides an evolving picture of finance and investment in a substantial enterprise within the village. The indentures trace the ownership of the property way back. It is a danger to assume ownership equals residency. You often have to be prepared to differentiate between the residence and parcels of land that may surround it. Many of the big names in the village owned the property at one time or another. I would be very pleased to be allowed a short time to view similar records, for older properties that were here in the 19th century or earlier. They could provide vital clues that help build a fuller picture of the village as a whole. A number of people are now bracing themselves for visiting attics within the Parish. Probate records I have a few references from other sources. Also possible to use Ancestry to search online. Trade Directories Extracts from 15 different trade directories 1847 through to 1911. A useful resource that, merged with census information, provides a simple measure of changes in the commercial activities in the village. They have also provided me with clues to search for burial dates and an indication when farms and trades changed hands. Their accuracy should not be viewed in isolation. Compilers of at least two of the directories appear not to have bothered visiting the village. They have clearly cribbed their competitor’s early published works and have therefor not picked up the changes that have occurred in the intervening years. I have extracted details and categorised by different trades and integrated with census extracts for most commercial activities in the village from 1841 to 1911. A very thorough approach, the benfits of which should be evident when I release a suggested history of pubs in the village. Bicester Advertiser archives I have read many in the Oxfordshire Record Office, and those of particular interest I have made a note of . I need to bring together scribbled notes on odd pieces of paper with others in different notebooks. I need to find time to organise them into date sequence and store electronically. The British Newspaper Archive I started to subscribe to the online resource halfway through this project. This has proved to be invaluable, with access to many local newspapers and a reasonable search capability. The Bullingdon Hundred A history of the County of Oxford: Volume 5: Bullingdon hundred, published 1957. Now available via British History Online. For Piddington and every other parish in the hundred. This brings together a detailed description of historical references from the earliest dates to the first half of the 20th century. A sound academic approach. The starting point for anyone interested in local history. Piddington Postscript Written by Colin Matson in 1952 and published as a book in 1959. Colin was the grandson of Robert Matson, Vicar of Piddington for a short time in the 1860’s. Robert Matson had a close relationship with Thomas Brown, his neighbour at Manor Farm. The relationship between the two families blossoms, and I guess you can say, multiplies, though several generations. He writes about his visits to Piddington and provides a key to understanding how thing were ordered here, in the 19th Century. A treasure trove. Many online resources Those worthy of special mention are British History Online and Bicester Local History Society and Oxford History Diary References
Discussions with many Piddington villagers, some of whom are sadly no longer with us |