Wing Buckinghamshire/Tilford Surrey

[Alex]

I’m Alex from Auckland NZ and I’ve been undertaking a study of Wing in Buckinghamshire for around six years. I started by transcribing the 1841 census (this was back in the days when census records weren’t easily accessible online – so much has changed in so short a time) and putting this online as a page on my personal website. After I’d gathered a few more bits and pieces I decided it should really have its own website, so I registered a domain name in September 2005 and away I went!

I am also just starting a one-place-study of the hamlet of Tilford in Farnham, Surrey, and I run this One Place Study website.

[From Little Acorns]

Hi Alex,

Love the site and forum Not started an OPS yet but may do in future

Katie

[AndrewUK]

Hi Alex,

Found your website through you posting in the community forum I've setup, so thought I would wander over, like the idea of OPS and thought I would introduce myself as you have on the United Kingdom Genealogy forum.

Like Katie I might start an OPS myself in the future. Though with the size of some of the towns in the UK, it could be an uphill struggle. I love the idea though and wish you the best of luck.

Alas I don't know the hamlet of Tilford, but I know Farnham in the UK very well as I used to work there and a great Uncle of mine lives there. Used to enjoy strolling along the stream at lunch times, visiting the cafe or popping into a couple of great second-hand shops there. In later years I used to drink in the Plough, William Cobbett and the Blue Bell. Farnham has a great history.

All the best

[Alex]

Hi Katie and Andrew, and thanks for dropping by! Yes, Andrew, you are right that size can make an OPS more challenging. There are some studies about that are just suburbs or even streets within cities.

Tilford in Farnham is roughly where the Rural Life Centre now is - my ancestor farmed on that road so I would love to visit the Centre but it's a bit far from NZ. One day......

[nadams]

Hi Alex, i am interested with what you shared in this forum. I came across with it when I was once going through genealogy discussions on the net. I would have to agree that the size of the towns in the UK could set me back as I want to start OPS some time in the future. Could give me any advice and tips I must put to mind for me to be able to succeed?

[Alex]

One Place Studies can be any size, from a street or hamlet up to a town or even wider area (see http://www.wirksworth.org.uk/ for one of the larger ones). Ideally it will be small enough that you can make progress without getting bogged down, but still large enough you have a lot of variety in the families of that place. I would suggest looking at the census for each year - around 250 to 500 people is ideal. If you go bigger it can certainly be done (Wing has around 1500 to 1800 people each census), it will just take you longer to transcribe key documents like the census and the parish registers.