Genealogy Chat

Could anyone please look up a 1738 document for me at Kew, and either transcribe the relevant details or photograph it for me? I live in New Zealand so it is a bit hard for me to get there.....

Thanks in advance

Peter

sending you contact info for a researcher I recommend, in case nobody who sees your post is able to lend a hand

Thanks, I am trying to avoid a paid researcher if I can - just need someone who is going anyway and has time..

Peter

What is the reference for the document?

Doc is C11/1256/17 Williams v Williams dated 1738
Plaintiffs John Williams gent of Tenby Pembs (son and heir of Griffith Williams esq late of Tenby who was brother and heir of John Williams esq late of tenby who was son and heir of Thomas Williams esq late of Gumfreston, Pembs.
Defendants: Richard Howell snr, Richard Howell jnr, Buckler Williams, Ardin Bardin and his wife Martha, Francis Evans and Alice Evans his wife, William Hopkins and Henry Llewelling.


I know who all the people are, just trying to sort out the relationship between the plaintiff and the defendants and I think this is going to join two big trees for me. I assume it is a property dispute.

I also need C11/1359/26 dated 1740 Again Williams v Williams
Plaintiff John Williams gent, Defendants Howell Williams, Richard Williams snr and others.

Still trying to work out why I ever started researching Williams in South Wales!

Peter

If you are in luck the records will include a Family Pedigree chart. These can be quite large - and therefore expensive to copy should you want to see it.
Some years ago I visited the NA and located a FP for a Chancery case within my family. At that time I could not find any other record relating to the case, so I paid the NA to copy it in two halves (too wide for their machine) and provide me with a cd. From that I arranged with a company (mentioned on various GR threads) to stitch the two images together and print a chart approximately 6' x 2'.
My print is stored in it's cardboard tube. But at least one other relative has had theirs framed and hung on a wall.

Thank you, now I need to know what's in it more than ever!!!!!

Peter, might be a good idea to nudge this thread up regularly - it will soon disappear from the first page, so might not be seen by somebody who could help. To nudge it up, just type something in the reply box and submit it.

Could you ask Kew for a quote to copy and send it?
If Inky1 had his record saved to disc, that might be an alternative option.

Getting a quote is a good suggestion. Especially as the references are known - meaning that no 'research' is involved.

What is not known without actually handling the records is their size. Both physical size (certainly not A4!!!) and quantity of pages.

nudging in the hope that someone is going to Kew

doesn't look like it!!

it is the worst time of year, of course

Unless living close to Kew, a visit would take up much of a day.

My visit for the Family Pedigree chart was in 2009. I have only been there on one other occasion and that was in 2007. I suspect that only a few of the GR folk who are prepared to help others have ever been there. Especially those who, like you, are not in the UK. And of those that have been there, I suspect that visits are not on a regular basis.

You have not commented on DET's suggestion about getting a quote?

Have you contacted them?

https://apps.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordcopying/

Don't forget that there are time issues with this as well - you can't just pop in and get it all done in 5 minutes.

You order the document, you wait, if it is available you study the document, then you either wait for the staff to copy it for you or take it to a special area to do it yourself.

Whenever I go to Kew I have a long list of things to find, otherwise it is not worth the expense - I'm not sure I would have the time to do a big job for someone else.

(I'm not going any time soon)

nameslessone, that's my thoughts as well.

No regular board user is known to pop-in to Kew. Those who have mentioned it refer to a day out.

Unless people live on the door-step, the cost and time of travel (avoiding rush hour if possible) precludes volunteers for a 'big' job.
England may be a small country, but the cost of public transport is high & roads are crowded. It takes time to get anywhere within London. Unless you are fortunate enough to live on a direct route, to get to A you have to go via B and possible C. Our relatives visiting from NZ were really surprised how large London was, and they were English emmigrants!

Do ask what the cost for copying it would be, then decide. There would be no commitment from you at the enquiry stage + they could probably do a better job than we could.

You are all quite right.

The time taken to travel quite small distances in the UK is forgotten by those of us who emigrated, and is not understood by those who have never lived in the UK


We think nothing of driving 30 or 50 km to visit a friend, do some shopping, or whatever here ............... it takes less than 30 minutes, on good wide roads. Using the bus is problematic!

I can remember that a shopping trip to Manchester needed almost a full day when travelling by bus.......... and that was only about 10 miles on a direct route, no transfers needed! We certainly never popped up to London "for the day".

Thanks - I have asked for a quote. From my own experience in NZ archives, once the document is found I would estimate about 30 minutes to precis what I need from it. I think I have found someone outside this site to do it for me.

Hope the person you've contacted will mange the precis relatively easily - It took me ages to work out what was written in a 1803 Will and that was only one page.

I'm actually a regular visitor to Kew. Can't imagine anyone would look at a Chancery document for free for you and I think half an hour is optimistic - I assume you've never looked at a Chancery document?

Thanks for advice, I have now ordered scans from Archives (at a cost of
GBP 106.50)