David and Doreen Mason gave an insight into the County Asylum from its beginnings in the early 1840's to its expansion in the 1850's. The need for care and understanding of the mentally disabled had been known for several years.

The patients were divided into three groups -- Dangerous, Quiet and Private (patients from the upper classes). The first group needed secure accommodation, whilst the others could be kept in hospital type wards.

Each County was held responsible for its own disabled. Cheshire built their Asylum at Upton near Chester. The building was of three stories, Basement, ground floor and an upper floor. When first opened the floors held 40 patients including 30 from the County and 10 paying patients.

The original buildings proved to be too small and additional extensions were built and the private patients were not allowed treatment at Chester and were returned to their families. The building survived as an asylum well into the twentieth century and is still being used today, but for other purposes.

Much research has gone into the subject and access has been granted to Dave and Doreen, to papers which are normally closed for 100 years. A tribute to the work and standing of our speakers.

Mrs Pam Minshull chose the Old Poor Law as her subject. She outlined the history from the Acts of 1597 and 1601, when efforts were made to tackle the problem of the poor in England. Poor Law Unions were set up in each parish. This was further consolidated by the Settlement Act of 1661. Unpaid Overseers of the Poor from owners and occupiers of land and property and spent this money on helping the deserving poor and getting work for those able to do so.

Later Acts authorised the Workhouse system, where people were provided with work. Life in the Workhouse was in most cases harder than the outside and people could only get relief from the parish of their birth. The Act of Removal allowed people to be moved back to the parish of birth. The system remained much the same until 1834 when the whole system changed to make the Workhouse and outside relief shameful. Many paupers struggled on rather than take such relief as was available.

Mrs Minshull gave many examples of local cases and the large number of questions asked at the end of the meeting was very pleasing.

Miss Katie Goodrum gave a talk on the work of Cheshire Archives. The Archives hold the records of the diocese as well as the Parish Records for most of the parishes within the diocese. The Public Authorities also deposit their records, as do the Civil Parishes.

Acts of Parliament and Private Acts relating to Canals and Railways. The development of roads, turnpikes and other matters relating to Road Transport. Crime and criminal acts are covered in the Quarter Sessions Records. Criminals are better covered than those who kept to the straight and narrow.

A very good selection of the various maps of the County, together with the Census Returns for 1841 - 1891 help in tracing ancestors.

The preservation of documents plays a large part in the work of the Cheshire Record Office and advice is readily available to the public. Miss Goodrum outlined the plans for the future and well chosen slides illustrated her talk.

Alan Clarke the Superintendent Registrar, together with Registrar Mrs Elizabeth Vass gave an introduction to the forthcoming changes in the Registration Service. Several of the changes will make life difficult for the future family historian. The changes include the transfer of records relating to persons born over 100 years ago, which will be classed as historic documents, to be placed in the County Records Offices. Records of persons born less than 100 years ago, will be linked, so that details of birth, marriage, divorce, remarriage and death will all be connected. The drawback is that there will be no Certificates as we know them now and only basic details as on a Short Certificate will be issued. The changes to the present system are complex and readers are advised to look at the summaries in various Family History journals.

Also in April

Mr. Peter Ollerhead gave a talk on Non Conformist Records. The surviving documents are scattered, some in the Methodist Chapels, others in private collections, but the majority are in the Cheshire Archives at Chester. The catalogue numbers EMC and EMS list the documents. The EMC documents contain some registers of births, marriages and deaths for the various chapels in Crewe and the surrounding villages.

Circuit plans list the ministers, including lay preachers. Most of the various factions of the non conformity are represented in Crewe and many of the founding fathers of Crewe were non conformists.

MicroFiche readers were available and the Cheshire BMD web site was on demonstration.

Mr Dave Gillan of Knutsford gave his talk entitled "Red Herrings or Revelations". A chance to visit a charity shop gave him the opportunity to buy a print of a young girl and a dog with the title "Love me love my dog". On the back of the frame was the name and address of the original owner. From these details he started to trace the lineage of the family. Many red herrings and a few revelations led him to Sinniiig on Thames, Northamptonshire and many places between. Talks with the curators of Art Museums enabled him to build up a family tree.

The second half of the evening stemmed from the purchase of two volumes recording the day to day doings of the village policeman in the early 1900's - checking on poachers, making sure the public houses were sticking within the law. The arrival at the policeman's house of a young girl and her father started the enquiry of an alleged murder.

Tramping back to the man's house they found the battered body of the man's wife. He was charged with murder, tried and sentenced to death. Looking into the newspaper reports of the case Dave's thoughts led him to the minutes of the sessions. Finding those between 1904/21 had been destroyed he went back to the newspapers and eventually found out that the murderer had spent time in Mental

Institutions, was reprieved and sent to the asylum. Chance meetings with various people, who were related to both the policeman and the criminal added spice to the story. A very entertaining meeting.

Miss Eileen Simpson chose to talk about Quarter Sessions Records for the August meeting. She outlined the vast amount of detail contained in these records. Most of the records are available in the County Archives.

A brief run down of the subject matter follows:
Session Books from 1559
Session Files
Alehouse Licences
Election Poll Books
Land Tax Records
Electoral Registers
Gamekeepers' Registers
Gaols, Prisoners and transportation
J.P.'s commissions
Militia Lists
Non Conformist Register of Dissenting Meeting Houses
People subscribing to various oaths of loyalty
Details of Papists Estates

From the above. it is obvious that much is to be found in the records. Her talk
was well covered with examples of the documents.

Annual General Meeting.

Full details are available to members via the Winter 2002 journal.