Returning to the Archives: It's been a while

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 Returning to the Archives: It's Been a While 



So today I returned to the Northamptonshire Records Office at Wootton Hall Park. It's been a while (so long in fact that I had to be issued a new card and there now seems to be a school building where the Police station once stood!!) 

My quest, to search the card indexes for women. Obviously, not just any old women, but my boot manufacturing WAGS (technically that should be WADS - wives and daughters - but let's not get pedantic over my own little amusement). 

I had taken a list of the ladies I am looking for, which is forever increasing, hoping that there would be some appear in the name card indexes. Unfortunately only two, Louisa Manfield nee Bostock and Lady Manfield showed up. This means I'm going to take a different approach on how to find these women. 

From the index cards, I have made a list of potential areas and documents to look at.  Currently these are split into six categories; People, Societies, Charities, Buildings, Poor Law and Churches/Religion.  This visit provided around 150 potential documents to consider from the first five categories. Obviously, this will be massively expanded when I delve further, particularly as the current list doesn't include anything to do with churches and religion. 

I'm hoping to fit in a few more visits before Christmas to start considering some of the documents to at least put into practice some of the methods I'm currently discussing in my working paper. 

It is nice to finally be able to return and hopefully there will be less barriers soon. 


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