A. The following is a list of some of the source materials used by R W S Norfolk in the course of his research. In his book "The Norfolks of Naburn in the East Riding of Yorkshire and Their Descendants", all references to these sources (and others) are fully notated:
1. Calendar of Patent Rolls
2. Calendar of Close Rolls
3. Yorkshire Archaeological Society Journals
4. Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series
5. Yorkshire Archaeological Society Extra Record Series
6. Surtees Society
7. William Salt Historical Collection
8. East Riding of Yorkshire Archives and Records Service: Palmes Family Papers
9. National Archives (formerly Public Record Office)
10. "History and Antiquities of the City of York" - Francis Drake
11. "Register of Royal and Baronial Domestic Minstrels 1272-1327" by Constance Bullock-Davies
12. Harleian manuscripts
1. Calendar of Patent Rolls.
The following description of the Calendar of Patent Rolls is found on the website of the University of Reading School of History: The patent rolls (The National Archives: Public Record Office, C 66) are one of the most important and valuable sources for the administrative, political and social history of the British Isles. From the thirteenth century, down to the present day, these documents have recorded the issue of royal letters open or 'patent', whereby the sovereign has conferred a privilege or communicated his or her will. Their contents provide key information about government action, intention and patronage, and they embrace a wide and varying range of business. The enrolments, usually in Latin in the late medieval and early modern period, include, for example, charters of incorporation, charters for founding schools, grants of annuities, lands, leases, markets and fairs, monopolies, trading licences, wardships and offices, as well as denizations, appointments to royal offices, appointments to commissions, presentations to ecclesiastical benefices, licences for episcopal elections, and general and special pardons for felonies. They contain a wealth of material that is of interest for students, professional and amateur historians, and genealogists. The Rev. C Moor writes in his book "Knights of Edward I": "The Patent Rolls, which began in 1201, contain a record of the patent, i.e. open or public letters of the king or his ministers directed to various persons, and include grants of land or of offices, deeds of various kinds, and an enormous collection of miscellaneous matter, so that it is not too much to say that practically every parish in England and almost every person of consequence was at some time mentioned therein. It would in fact be futile to attempt to write a history of any parish in this country, or to tell the story of any ancient family without reference to them."
2. Calendar of Close Rolls.
The Close Rolls contain enrolments of letters "close" (i.e. issued folded and closed by the Great Seal) of royal orders and instructions and of private deeds such as land transfers, and can be found in the Public Record Office. Documents thus enrolled also included deeds of bargain and sale; deeds of lease and release; surrenders of office; conveyances in trust for chapels, schools and charitable purposes and even documents giving details of pardons for serious crimes such as murder.
3,4,5. Yorkshire Archaeological Society.
Archives and records kept by the Y.A.S. can be found in the Society's library in Leeds. The Yorkshire Archaeological Journal is an annual publication, usually issued in August. The Society's website address for further information is www.yas.org.uk
6. The Surtees Society.
This society publishes rare documents such as the York Archiepiscopal Registers, almost in their entirety, from 1225 to 1972 which contain records of the business of the Chancery court and of legal instruments affecting churches and parishes. Many such documents have now been put onto microfilm and can be found in academic libraries such as The Borthwick Institute in York.
7. William Salt Historical Collection.
This collection forms the basis of the William Salt Library in Stafford and contains a great many historical documents from anglo-saxon times onwards.
8. East Riding of Yorkshire Archives and Records Service.
Papers in the Archive relating to the Palmes family of Naburn, York, contain Norfolk-related information that help to establish timelines e.g. Feoffment relating to land in Stillingfleet - ref. zDDX161/1 - date: 20 Feb 1399 (from Scope and Content) Parties: 1) Joan, widow of Peter Wryght of Stillyngflete [Stillingfleet] 2) Henry de Acclom, son of Sir William de Acclom, and wife Margaret Property: tenement (tenement of Nicholas de Crathorn westside and tenement of Richard de Camsall on the other side) and two and a half acres in the fields (ie one and a half acres in le Clerkryddyng and 1acre in le Sleightholmes, between lands of William de Donyngton, rector of Stillyngflete) in Stillyngflete [Stillingfleet]; which lands and tenements she inherited on death of her brother, William Wryght of Kelfeld Witnesses: Sir Gerard Salvan, Sir Thomas Fitz Henry, Francis Palmes, Nicholas Northfolk and Robert Henryson of Kelfeld Endorsed 'BIII page 48', and '54'
9. National Archives.
The National Archive of the United Kingdom holds over 1000 years of historic documents for use by researchers. It now includes the searchable online database A2A (Access to Archives).
10. "History and Antiquities of the City of York" - Francis Drake.
Francis Drake's "Eboracum", or "The history and antiquities of the city of York", printed by William Bowyer, 1736.
11. "Register of Royal and Baronial Domestic Minstrels 1272-1327" by Constance Bullock-Davies.
Contains many entries drawn from 13th and 14th century manuscripts. Published by the Boydell Press 1986, ISBN 085115431X.
12. Harleian manuscripts.
These manuscripts were collected by Robert and Edward Harley, first and second Earls of Oxford in the 18th Century, and include records of the work and duties of Heralds from the 12th to 16th centuries. An important function of Heralds was the running and scoring of tournaments, but the development of the full-face helm during the 12th to 14th centuries meant that identification of the participants in tournaments - and real battles - was very difficult. Because of this, it became necessary to devise a means of distinguishing individuals and this was done through the practice of decorating shields and surcoats with distinctive designs known as "arms". Heralds were skilled at identifying knights by their arms and began to record such arms and developed armorials - reference books or rolls picturing or describing (blazoning) them. Consequently, knights wishing to assume arms consulted Heralds to ensure that their own armorial design did not conflict with an existing one. Heralds also performed the duty of messenger on behalf of their Lords and, importantly, they were used in battles to help the identification of combatants of both sides by their arms and banners, as well as to parley with the enemy. When acting for a Prince they were believed to assume the sovereign's identity by wearing the royal coat of arms and because of this it was deemed to be treason to harm a herald dressed in this way. Heralds were considered the voice of the crown and were given the duty of announcing Royal proclamations and even of speaking on behalf of the monarch with foreign princes and other nobility, though this role had virtually ceased by the reign of Elizabeth I.
B. The following is a list of the main resources used by me in the course of my research:
1. "The Norfolks of Naburn in the East Riding of Yorkshire and Their Descendants" by RWS Norfolk
2. The Borthwick Institute, York
3. http://www.familysearch.org
5. http://www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk
6. http://www.ksenior.dircon.co.uk
7. http://www.yorkshirebmd.org.uk
1. "The Norfolks of Naburn in the East Riding of Yorkshire and Their Descendants" by RWS Norfolk.
Written by RWS "Bill" Norfolk, this book is the product of meticulous, scholarly research into the history of my Norfolk family, and has provided me with the majority of the information I have presented on this website.
2. The Borthwick Institute.
Now at York University and is located in the J B Morrell library. A great deal of information was found here, in particular, in the Parish records of Copmanthorpe (after 1759), Wigginton and St Mary Bishophill (Junior and Senior) as well as various Marriage Indexes.
3. http://www.familysearch.org
The website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). This site is invaluable as it not only allows free access to the 1881 British Census but also has the free searchable database of the International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.).
This site enabled me to search through birth, death and marriage records from 1837 to the present and also to view records of Norfolks in the 1861 and 1891 Censuses. This is a pay-per-view site.
5. http://www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk
As the name suggests, this is the website for all matters relating to the 1901 Census and was the initial springboard for my research as it was here that I first located my grandfather's parents and siblings. This site is also pay-per-view.
6. http://www.ksenior.dircon.co.uk
The family history website of Kathryn Senior. She has produced a site full of information that was extremely helpful to me. In particular she has transcribed Pollington Censuses for 1851, 1871, 1891 and 1901 and, in doing so, provided me with more information about my Pollington ancestors than I could have hoped for. Without this site I may never have discovered my family's connection to York or found out that I have relatives still living in Pollington today.
7. http://www.yorkshirebmd.org.uk
Tracing my Hull relatives was greatly helped by using the birth, marriage and death information in the Hull section of this very useful, free site.
One of the largest collections of free genealogical data there is. Fully searchable by county, town, even village, this site is packed with useful historical information e.g. trade directories such as Baines's, Pigot's and White's, as well as details of churches, cemeteries, where to find parish records, censuses etc.