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In our series of blogs marking the publication of the 1921 census, Tom shares his story. There had always been questions over his great grandfather’s upbringing. What unfolded was a sad story but would have been familiar to many families of that period. Sidney Guise had a unique surname in Nuneaton, where he grew up...

The second set of journals written by Ladies Charlotte and Mary Hill begin in the Autumn of 1815. They follow a tour of France where their brother ‘Atty’ is serving as Aide de Camp to the Duke of Wellington. Jointly written they continue to record the sisters’ daily routine, weekly lessons and vibrant social life....

The remarkable journals of two sisters offer a glimpse into Regency life and throw light on their place in the Sandys story. Ladies Charlotte and Mary Hill were the daughters of Mary Sandys, heiress of Ombersley Court in Worcestershire, and her husband Arthur Hill. Born in 1794 and 1796, the sisters were the third and...

A new exhibition on level 2 of The Hive reflects on the events of 80 years ago. Victory in Europe Day (8th May 1945) was when the Allies celebrated the end of the war in Europe after nearly 6 long years of conflict. The images of jubilant crowds waving flags, dancing in the streets with...

WAAS work in partnership with the Forestry Commission to enhance the historic environment evidence-base for woodland creation proposals in Worcestershire The government is committed to increasing tree and woodland cover in the UK from 14.5% (in 2023) to 16.5% (by 2050). Diverse, resilient woodland habitats play an important role in tackling climate change through carbon...

What historic and modern Coroner’s records do we hold? Worcestershire Archives, as parent body and approved Place of Deposit on behalf of WCC holds historic and modern Coroners’ records from the 19th – 21st century. These include records known as ‘Coroners’ Cravings’ which record Inquests in the late 19th century, through to Coroner’s Daily Record,...

This is the third blog in the series on how members of staff have used the recently released 1921 census to further their own research. This is Julia’s story. We all have our family mysteries; those stories you half remember from childhood, but didn’t ask questions about at the time, and now it’s too late....

Welcome back to our dig diary! In this instalment we will be looking at some of the burials found on site, including a cemetery located on the eastern side of the site. Content Warning: This blog post discusses archaeological burials, including human remains and funerary practices. If you prefer not to see the images of...

Since 1194 Coroners have existed to investigate unnatural, sudden or suspicious deaths, and of deaths in prisons. The function of Coroners, their status and relationship to the state has changed over time and this has affected the type and survivability of records which exist today. For instance, you are more likely to find a newspaper...

We continue our series on how members of staff have used the recently released 1921 census to further their own research. Anthony hoped to learn of the fate of his great-grandfather’s brothers after the First World War having discovered his great grandfather George Henry Roach using the 1939 Register. Using the 1921 Census, I hoped...