Genealogy Chat

Yesterday I spent a few hours in the LMA. I asked for a box of documents and books called 'Munro Family' which I had found existed on A2A website. I spent a jolly time reading all about my ancestors who ran Bethlem Hospital or Bedlam as it was called. They also had some private lunatic asylums. This explained a lot. All my life I have lived in Bedlam and looked after lunatics. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

lol Jennifer! My lot were the patients not the important people! Merry

I've been amazed at what you can find if you look for it! That box contained hand written notes from 1874 by Cecil Munro who tried to write down his family history as best he could. I strongly recommend anyone else who is stuck on family history to check places like the LMA for these kind of treasures from the past.

Oh that must have been so exciting for you. Did you copy lots of stuff?

Luck person to have such useful ancestors! Mine would be, (as they were all basically ab labs) ''I ploughed the field from dawn till dusk....'' Ditto ditto ditto Jess x

Hi there! It was exciting but also a bit overwhelming. There was masses of stuff on tiny scraps of paper and sometimes he wrote both ways across the paper so that it is almost impossible to read. I know they did this to save paper in 1847 but it is not very helpful in 2005. I asked for copies of some hand written letters where the Munro's are thinking about challenging the entail but I didn't manage to work out why they thought they had a chance of over turning it. Dear Old Cecil had saved all the court papers - beautifully printed and bound - but I defy anyone to make sense of eighteenth century legalise. I will have to go back again with a lot more time in hand. Copies of original documents in the LMA cost £3 each so you have to be very selective. I was told that you can take a digital camera in and shoot your own but I am not sure how sucessful that would be?

Hubby has photographed old documents with his digital camera in the Record Offices, with great success (but you do nead a reasonable quality camera and with a min of 3mega-pixel, but pref. more). Tips - check whether you can use a tripod or flash at the LMA. If not (and a tripod can sometimes get in the way if the subject matter is too big) then there is a gadget you can get from a camera specialist, a sort of chest support that hangs round your neck and helps to keep the camera steady - sorry I can't remember what it's called! (longer exposure time for no flash causes camera shake) and also ensures you have the camera directly over the subject - ie if the document is on a table then your camera must be pointing straight down - the tendency is to accidentally have the top of the camera a little higher than the bottom. The perspective must not be distorted (REALLY, REALLY important!) Use highest resolution possible. Don't be afraid to ask to use a table with the best lighting in the room. Not full sun, but as bright as possible.... Take more than one shot of each document. Hubby says if you need to photograph close to the subject you may have to use the macro setting (whatever that means - he is dictating!!) There may be a variable setting on your camera for ''white balance''. Consider what the light in the room is (fluorescent, natural, incandescent etc) and set accordingly, Best of luck - think of all those £3 you will save! Merry

Right! Next time I am going to go equipped. Thanks for all the info Merry. I have printed it off and willcarry it with me - £3 hurts when you want a lot of pages.

Gosh, Merry This sounds like Tip of the Week! Please start a new thread with this info in it. Techo-phobes like me with my Kodak Instamatic really need useful hints like this!

what is the LMA ???

Valerie - London Metropolitan Archives (google it! - they have loads of fantastic records.....) Brenda - I've done as you suggested! Merry

Thanks Merry sure will