People of Leeds #10: Godfrey Wood, Confectioner

A recent blog post by librarian Helen Skilbeck looked at Godfrey Wood’s Victorian Catering Ledger which shows the events his catering business provided food and services for.  This follow-up post, also by Helen, looks in more detail at Godfrey Wood himself. This article is #10 in our People of Leeds series – short biographies of…

The Glory of Goad Maps

In the blog this week, Librarian Helen Skilbeck looks at some beautiful but underused maps in our collection – Goad maps. This piece forms part of our series of articles exploring resources relevant to family history research.  In the Local and Family History Library there are hundreds of maps – maps of Leeds, maps of…

A Victorian Catering Ledger

This week, Librarian Helen Skilbeck takes a look at an unusual piece of Leeds’ history: Godfrey Wood’s Victorian Catering Ledger. Unassuming to look at but containing a goldmine of information, Wood’s Catering Ledger details events and banquets he catered for in the Victorian era, covering the period 1840s – 1870s.  As well as detailing the…

Crime and Punishment on Ancestry

As part of a series examining family history resources for beginners, librarian Helen Skilbeck takes an in-depth look at one of the most useful resources for continuing your family history research: records of crime and punishment.  As well as the most popular collections of birth, marriage and death records, Ancestry hosts some fascinating databases covering…

VE Day Resources

Friday 8 May sees the 75th-anniversary of the ending of the Second World War in Europe, known as VE Day. Previously we have told you a little bit about how Leeds celebrated this momentous day on our Leeds Celebrations for VE Day blog so today we wanted to tell you about some free online resources…

Census Records on Ancestry

As part of a series examining family history resources for beginners, librarian Helen Skilbeck looks in more depth at UK census records 1841-1911, which can be accessed through the Ancestry website. You can find more information in our research guide. What is the census? One of the most valuable resources for family historians, historic census…

Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes – A Beginner’s Guide

As part of a series examining family history resources for beginners, librarian Helen Skilbeck takes an in-depth look at one of the most useful resources for beginning your family history research: birth, marriage and death index records. You can find more information in our research guide.  One of the main resources you will use when…

Top Tips for Family Trees

Starting your family tree can be a daunting prospect but before you leap into action using Ancestry, here are some things you can do with your family to get your research off to a good start.  Dig out as many documents as possible especially birth, marriage and death certificates. Each paper certificate will cost upwards…