A Day at the Archives

So today I woke up at 7am on my holiday time all so I could get a lift to the record office with my dad instead of battling the lovely bus network up here. Unfortunately it meant that I was outside the record office at 8.30am. It doesn't open until 9, luckily for me I had a list of graves to go and find and a map of part of the graveyard thanks to the publication of St Deninol's Monumental Inscriptions (available from Clwyd FHS).

The graveyard was lovely in the crisp morning and I took a couple of pictures:

I liked the way the ivy fell over the stone.

The sun just coming up over the graveyard.

St. Deninol's Church

After freezing going around the grave yard I managed to find most of the stones I was looking for but a couple had either fallen or been moved and I was unable to locate them.

When I got into the office and could feel my finger again I set about going through my ready printed, date ordered, split by parish and baptism / marriage / burial list out so I could get the microfilms out. Originally in my list I had 129 look up's to do.

14 of my list I was unable to check because the records didn't cover the years I needed or the area's were not covered.

I was unable to find records for 27 on the list. This has left me with 88 records to process in the coming weeks that I knew about before I got there. As it was, I ended up photographing a lot more than that as I was collecting DARLINGTON, WRIGHT and DUCKWORTH records. I ended up taking 165 photos!!

By photographing the microfilm images it saves me money (especially on marriage certificates) and also provides a decent source that can be passed down or on to any other relatives that are interested. It is going to take me a while to process them all and to find out how everyone fits in to my history but it will keep me busy and it's all a part of the journey.

I have been able to document the baptism, marriage, burial and grave stone of my Great Great Great Grandmother; Grace Mildon WYATT.

She was born on the 12 March 1851 to Thomas Mildon WYATT and Mary CHALINOR and baptised at St. Deninol's, Hawarden on the 30 March 1851

Baptism Record - Photo of Microfilm

Grace lived in Hawarden, on the 1861 Census the families address is given as 11 Stone Row. By 1871 she was working as an "Under House Maid" at Gwych Castle in Denbighshire. In 1881 the family had moved to 4 Stony Row and Grace had moved back with mum and dad, she was now working as a Domestic Housemaid.

On the 19 June 1883 she married James DARLINGTON, a local Blacksmith at St. Deninol's Church, Hawarden.

Marriage Certificate - Photo of Microfilm 

They lived in The Terrace, Hawarden in 1891 and moved to Stone Row, Hawarden in 1901 where she remained until her death. She was alive when the 1911 Census was taken and this shows that they have had 2 children and both of them were alive in 1911. Their children were Walter DARLINGTON and James Mildon DARLINGTON.

Grace died on the 11 April 1911 and was buried on the 14 April 1911 as shown in the burial register:

Burial Register - Photo of Microfilm

She was buried in the grave yard at St. Deninol's. Her stone is still standing and the inscription reads:

Grave Stone of Grace Mildon DARLINGTON
(nee WYATT) & James DARLINGTON

                                      

                                      IN LOVING MEMORY

                                       OF GRACE MILDON

                                     THE BELOVED WIFE OF 

                                      JAMES DARLINGTON

                                  WHO DIED APRIL 11 1911

                                            AGED 60 YEARS

                                    THY PURPOSE LORD WE CANNOT 

                                        SEE, BUT ALL IS WELL THAT'S DONE

                                                                                              BY THEE

                                      

                                      ALSO OF THE ABOVE

                                      JAMES DARLINGTON

                                    WHO DIED NOV. 9 1921

                                            AGED 68 YEARS

                                   WHAT I DO THOU KNOWEST NOT

                                                 NOW BUT THOU SHALT KNOW

                                                                                         HEREAFTER

My day finished at 3pm, having only taken a 10 minute break; enough time to fit a sarnie in my mouth and have a cup of hot chocolate to warm my hands before I was back in the archives. As usual the staff at Flintshire Record Office were extremely helpful so thank you to them.

My day may have finished at the record office but I've got an awful lot more work to do.