vv oct nov2213sept

Let your fingers find your
family history in and
around Milford-on-Sea?
Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society
[MOSHRS] has started a major project called
“Local History Lives” which may help you
find the answers to these and other
questions about your family’s history. The
project has been made possible through
grants from the National Lottery Heritage
Fund, Hampshire Archives Trust, Hampshire
County Council, Milford-on-Sea Parish
Council as well as a contribution from
MOSHRS. It is also supported by volunteers
from MOSHRS and Milton Heritage Society
and if you are interested in helping, please
make contact through our website at
www.milfordhistory.org.uk
Three new local history search aids will be
launched on the MOSHRS website over the
next twelve months. The Research Library,
Names Directory and Parish Registers will
serve the needs of local and family historians.
If you want to find out what Milford was like
a hundred or two hundred years ago, then
you will be able to dip into our Research
Library. You may find your family or your
house among the 150 research articles
published by MOSHRS. Each article will be
available in a word searchable pdf file with
the text readily convertible into a speech file.
Looking for a particular house or family? A
good place to start will be our Names
Directory which will search through over
75,000 local records. Successful searches will
provide source references for you to
investigate more deeply. The directory will
draw on many historical records relevant to
Milford including census records, churchyard
burial records, parish rate books, and taxation
records going back to 1327.
1594. The registers of the ancient parish of
Milford include the baptisms, marriages and
burials of Milford, Hordle, Milton and
Pennington, so they cover a very wide area
from Highcliffe in the west to Priestlands in
the east, and from Holmsley and Wootton
Bridge in the New Forest, and south to the
sea. The registers include Milton’s from 1654
onwards and Hordle’s from 1754 onwards.
Pennington records were included in
Milford’s registers until it became a separate
parish in 1839. Our records continue until
1837 when life events were registered
centrally.
We shall announce the launch of each search
aid as it becomes available and we shall
feature each one in future issues of Village
Voice. Over time we shall add more articles
and records so if your ancestors don’t turn up
immediately, try again later. Training videos
will be available with each search aid as well
as workshops and talks to promote their use.
“This far-sighted and ambitious project looks
to make research material widely available
and in a form that suits the needs of users.”
Hampshire Archives Trust.
“Whether you come from an old village
family, are new to the area or are viewing
from afar, you will be able to use these
search aids to investigate your family history
and to learn something of Milford’s rich
history." Chris Hobby, chairman of MOSHRS.
“The three new research aids that will be
made available through the Local History
Lives project will be an invaluable resource
for local historians. They will help us to gain a
better understanding of those who lived in
our area and enable us to examine the social
history in our villages." Nick Saunders,
chairman of Milton Heritage Society.
If you are searching for some really old
ancestors, then you will be able to explore
our Parish Registers which first started in
4 To advertise call 01590 643969/07801 562358 or e-mail info@lymingtondirectory.co.uk