Surfing the Internet

The wealth of family history information available on the Internet is truly amazing, it just takes time and patience to look for it! Mike Walton in St Andrews has sent me a number of items he spotted:

• Notice of the sale of a publication by Sir John Blencowe:

  An essay for lowering the gold and raising the silver coin. London: printed for Timothy Goodwin, 1696. 31, [1] p. 4^o.

  First edition of this contribution to the currency debate by the lawyer John Blencowe (1642-1726), estimated price £1250 [!]

• NORTHERN HISTORY, Volume 39, Number 2, September 2002 Breeze, A.C. The Celtic names of Blencow and Blenkinsopp [notes and documents]
• Iter Boreale: A full and extensively annotated translation of Dr Eedes Latin poem describing his journey when he and Anthony Blencowe accompanied Dr Toby Mathew to his installation as Dean at Durham Cathedral. The journey was described at some length in the Blencowe book, but there’s a good deal of additional detail and interesting historical comment. One example:

  ‘Thence we came to Nottingham, badly laid out and built on a cliff. Here you could see homes hewn out of the living rock, you could also see evil fumes rising up as if from the Inferno. I do not imagine Avernus emits a more horrible stench. ... pressing onward to Mansfield. There is nothing notable there, unless it is worthy of note that more than six hundred carrier horses inned there one night (so-called because they do naught but carry baggage).

• Renaissance Latin Drama in England John Blencowe (1609-<48): Mercurius Sive Literarum Lucta Acted 1629-1638

  [I can’t trace which Blencowe this one is! JWB]

• Items from the Northampton 1838-1846. Mostly Blencowes who were wronged or wrong-doing:

  1840 Commitments to the county gaol Frederick Smith, charged with stealing two asses, the property of Thomas Blencow, of West Haddon

  Blencowe, John of Brackley St Peters. Assizes - county prisoners John Blencowe, charged with having, at the parish of Brackley St Peters, feloniously stolen three night caps, three pairs of stockings, and sundry other articles, the property of his master, William King Malins. Transported for 14 years.

  Mr R. Blencowe of Aynho died on the 16th inst. aged 92, father of Mr. Blencowe, baker of Banbury.

  [This snippet of information allowed me to identify ‘R. Blencowe as Richard B. baptised 15 Aug 1748 in Culworth and the ‘baker of Banbury’ as William, grandson of John Blencowe (1687-1757) of Brackley and Temperance Painter. This links William’s descendants in Banbury, and later in Kidderminster, directly back to the Blencowes of Marston St Lawrence and to Adam de Blencow.]

  1842 Blencow, John to the house of correction for six weeks, for refusing to perform a contract entered into for manufacturing a quantity of leather into boots.

  1843 Northamptonshire summer assizes Joseph Moran, charged with stealing a pair of trowsers, the property of James Blencowe, of Kings Sutton - no bill

  Commitments to the county gaol and house of correction William Timms, charged with stealing a cotton handkerchief and a pair of spectacles, the property of Joseph Blencowe of Middleton Cheney. Three months hard labour.

  Hannah Balderson, for assaulting Sarah Blencowe, on the 20th August, at Spratton ... convicted in the penalty of 6d. and costs 8s. 6d.

  1845 At Northamptonshire quarter sessions John Kiteley stood charged with stealing a smock frock, the property of John Blencowe of Middleton Cheney. No bill

  1846 At Northampton county sessions William Blencowe of Marston St. Lawrence was convicted of having stolen twenty ounces of butter, the property of William Tompkins. One month's hard labour

  Brackley petty sessions William Blincoe, and George Padbury, youths of Brackley, were brought up and reprimanded for misconduct in Brackley churchyard during divine service

• Proceedings at the Old Bailey:

  1720. John Blincoe , of St. Botolph-without-Aldgate, was indicted for feloniously stealing a Black Mare value £5 the Goods of Vincent Miller , on the 20th of October last. He was a second time indicted by the Name of John Blincoe, of St. Mildred Poultry, for feloniously stealing a Black Mare value £10 the Goods of Thomas Reeve, on the 14th of December last; but it not appearing that he was ever possest of either of the Mares in London, but at Chinkford in the County of Essex, the Jury acquitted him of both Indictments.

  1728. John Mayow , of St. Dunstan's Stepney, was indicted for stealing a Bay Mare, value £5 on the 31st of July last, the Property of George Isgig .

  The Prosecutor depos'd. That he lost his Mare out of an open Field near Islington, and by the Honestly of Mr. Blinco he found her again with the Prisoner in Custody.

  William Blinco depos'd, That he sold the Mare to the Prosecutor, who afterwards saying he had lost her, this Deponent saw the Prisoner on her Back near Welch Fair, and apprehended him on Suspicion of his having stole her; but neither the Prosecutor nor Mr. Blinco appeared very rigid in the Prosecution of the Prisoner, and he having a very good Character from several People of Reputation, the Jury acquitted him.

  1738. Joseph Hodson , was indicted for privately stealing from the Person of John Pye, June 23, a Promissory Note, No H. 229. and subscribed Daniel Race , on Behalf of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, bearing Date June 2, value £500 by which Note the said Daniel Race, on Behalf of the said Governor and Company, did promise to pay to Nat. Bracey and Company, the Sum of £500 the Property of John Pye, the said Sum of £500 being then unpay'd and unsatisfy'd unto the said John Pye.

  Five hundred pounds was a huge sum of money and the verbatim account of the proceedings runs to many pages.

  Mr Pye told how his pocket had been picked. Sampson Solomon, a Jewish money dealer, told how Hodson had tried to sell him the Note at about half price; he had kept the negotiation open and reported to Aaron Polock who arrested Hodson and found him in possession of the Note and of what appeared to be lock-picking tools.

  Various witnesses attested that Hodson had been an habitual pickpocket since childhood; other witnesses, including one William Blincoe, told that so far as they knew Hodson was an honest man. The jury thought otherwise and brought in a ‘guilty’ verdict; Hodson was sentenced to death.

  1745. William Carter, of Finchley, was indicted for stealing an horizontal sun-dial, value 30s. the goods of Charles Hedges.

  Mark Sanders, gardener to 'Squire Hedges, told that the sundial had been taken from its pedestal in the garden.

  John Gregory, a metal founder told that he had bought the brass from the accused for scrap metal, paying him 9s. 1d.

  Carter claimed he had bought the sundial in Highgate from a man ‘who looked like a gardener’.

  A William Blincoe [the same William?], keeper of a public house, the White Swan, in Islington, told that he had known the about three years and took him to be an honest man. Other witnesses also attested to Carter’s good character, but he was found guilty and sentenced to transportation.

Some more useful information came from Julie Stuart-Thompson who is researching her Blincko ancestors. She found that the Public Records Office <www.documentsonline.pro.gov.uk> has lists of persons awarded Campaign Medals. The lists are available free of charge but a printout of the details costs £3 per page. Each page carries the image of six cards, like the one shown awbove, from the chosen list. This is rather expensive if you are just collecting all the information available on a family name but could be most useful if you are searching for details on a named ancestor. Here’s the list she sent me, all records cover the period 1914-1920; if you spot a familiar name you can order up the details:

Blencow, Walter Charles, Gunner #374260
Royal Garrison Artillery & Sussex Regiment

Blencowe, Walter M, Corporal #39127
Royal Fusiliers
Blencowe, William, Gunner #37201
14th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery
Blencowe, William, Gunner #154339
Royal Garrison Artillery
Blencowe, William, Private #1635
Cheshire Regiment
Blencowe, William, Serjeant #28173
South Staffordshire Regiment
Blencowe, William, Private #4822
Northamptonshire Regiment
Blencowe, William, Private #30676
Northamptonshire Regiment
Blencowe, William, Private #DM2/168409
Army Service Corps
Blencowe, William C, Private #2671
Staffordshire Yeomanry
Blencowe, William E W, Serjeant #4352
1st Wiltshire Regiment

[there were another 88 Blencowe records but Julie & I ran out of steam!]

Blinco, A, Company Serjeant Major #604180
Prince of Wales Company Labour Corps
Blinco, Alfred, Warrant Officer (2) #1350
Middlesex Regiment
Blinco, Arthur, Private #242871
The Queen’s Regiment
Blinco, Arthur A, Bandsman #12682
Royal Field Artillery
Blinco, Arthur L, Private #3/8128
10th Battallion Seaforth Highlanders
Blinco, Charles, Private #8131
2nd Suffolk Regiment
Blinco, Edward, Sapper #524232
Royal Engineers
Blinco, Edwin, Private #15492
Oxon & Bucks Light Infantry
Blinco, Edward F, Gunner #33
Royal Field Artillery
Blinco, Ernest H, Driver #T4/072404
Army Service Corps
Blinco, Frederick, Private #22213
3rd East Kent Regiment
Blinco, George B, Pioneer #179587
Royal Engineers
Blinco, George E, Private #R/17118
King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Blinco. Harry A, Serjeant #S/16832
Gordon Highlanders
Blinco, James,.Gunner #110816
Royal Garrison Artillery
Blinco, James D, Private #7232
Bedfordshire Regiment
Blinco, John T, Private #2108
Notts & Derbyshire Regiment
Blinco, Moses H, Private #9662
Oxon & Bucks Light Infantry
Blinco, Randolph J, Sapper #239320
Royal Engineers
Blinco, Robert, Private #9400
Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Blinco, Thomas A, Private #2739
1/5th Border Regiment
Blinco, Thomas A, Private #715
1/5th Border Regiment
Blinco, Thomas J, Private #R/11899
King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Blinco, V.G. Private #5820466
Suffolk Regiment
Blinco, William, Sapper #257284,
Royal Engineers
Blinco, William, Gunner #120843
Royal Garrison Artillery
Blinco, William, Serjeant #682931
Royal Field Artillery
Blinco, William J, Private #MS/3873,
3rd Cavalry Army Service Corps

Blincko, David W, Private #50606
Middlesex Regiment
Blincko, Frederick W, Driver #T4/160170
Army Service Corps
Blincko, Henry, Private #GS-10387
17th Lancers
Blincko, Walter Thomas, Private #3863
13th London Regiment

Blinko, Albert S, Private #4536
Cheshire Regiment
Blinko, Edwin, Gunner #40477
Royal Field Artillery
Blinko, Frank G, Private #9401
2nd Worcestershire Regiment
Blinko, George H, Private #16934
8th Oxon & Bucks Light Infantry
Blinko, George G, Private #S4/133409
Army Service Corps
Blinko, Harry E F, Private #1677
1/9th London Regiment
Blinco, Henry, Private #4661
London Regiment
Blinko, Horace, Private #3947
Middlesex Regiment
Blinko, Joseph, Private #242781
Lancashire Fusiliers
Blinko, William J, Gunner #177526
Royal Garrison Artillery