Wokingham Blacks

[jericho]

Hi Sotonian


Will check out the local library to see if they have a copy of the book this week. Thanks for your help.


jericho

[Sotonian]

I recently posted a blog on the Wokingham Blacks. The address is http://wokinghamblacks.blogspot.com/

[behindthefrogs]

There is an article on the Blacks in the March 2008 edition of the "Berkshire Family Historian" which is the Berks FHS magazine.  It is called "Heathens, felons and Granny's memories".

David

[jericho]

Hi David

Any idea where I can get a copy of the Berkshire Family Historian article and if it's available in Australia



jericho

[Sotonian]

Hello Jericho. The Berkshire Family History Society article is based on my blog http://wokinghamblacks.blogspot.com/.

If anyone has read Whigs and Hunters I would welcome their comments as I enjoyed it and thought it gave a good overall and sympathetic portrayal of the Wokingham Blacks and their behaviour. I don't think the Whigs and their cronies came out of it too well.

I met Jill Chambers who wrote the books about the Machine Breakers at the Bracknell FH Fair in January and she was telling me that any of the Machine Breakers who blackened their faces were treated more harshly than others. It would seem that the Black Act was still having an impact over a hundred years later!

[Nixter]

Hi Jericho

I am a Shorter currently with no apparent link to Berkshire / Wokingham. However there was an oral tradition that there was some "untoward" behaviour in the family!! I am actually heartened to read the corrected version of events.

Cutting to the chase - I have been contacted by someone in the USA with identical DNA. But a different name. Their family tree runs to the mid 18th century with the arrival of a man with a made up name..... There appear to have been 3 "Shorters" linked with the "Blacks" and some are recorded as being transported to North America.

It is an incredible long shot and highly unlikely. However, I have in my tree through various means arrived at circa 1550 in Robertsbridge / Salehurst / Bodiam / Hastings - does this ring any bells??

[jericho]

Hi Nixter,


Welcome to Rootschat, I am not aware of any of my Shorter family being transported to America, not to say that it didn't happen, just that at this stage most of my Shorter family that I know about remained in England, with the exception of one family who came to Australia.  So far I am only back to about 1630 with this side of the family and none of the names that you mention have come up in my research yet. If in the future I find a connection I will be in touch. Thanks for the information, some more avenues to follow up on.


jericho

[Mike Churcher]

I noticed you are looking for Rance family. On the following website there are two Rances killed in the Great War: http://www.wokinghamremembers.com/?page_id=4865 There is also a story of a descendant of the Rance family: http://www.wokinghamremembers.com/?p=5066

There is a road named Rances Lane, named after the landlord of a pub which sat on the original land.

Hope this is of interest

Mike Churcher

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[jericho]

Hi Mike,


Thanks for the link to the sites they are most interesting, however at this stage I can see no connection to my Whitechapel, Rance's to the Rance family from Wokingham,  but will check the site for other families that I am researching that come from Wokingham.



jericho