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Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Arrgh, can't change title! Splott obviously!
I've taken the opportunity of lock-down to extend my family tree, which basically is 75% Welsh, 25% Durham.
My Welsh roots are very much rural Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthanshire, pre-industrial revolution, with a move to the Valleys later.
My family history is a basically a mix of Williams, Thomas, Evans & Price with other assortments throw in. Which makes tracing the tree more difficult! Do you know how many William Thomas & Thomas Williams there are in the valleys!!
Anyway, I digress. The point of my post relates to my limited Cardiff connection. My 25% Durham side stems from my great-grandfather, who moved to Cardiff when the Dowlais Works was opened in the early 1890's. My Gran was born in 63,Moorland Rd Splott (later moving round the corner to Carlisle St). My great-grandfather on my dads side lived in Menelaus St. which no longer exists. I've found out using an historical street map that was where Pacific Road now is, under what is now C2J Architects & South West Wood Products.
Anyone on here know when/why Menelaus St. was flattened & did Pacific Road replace it immediately?
As well as Menelaus St, Layard St, Enid St, Corise St, Elaine St, Cornelia St and that end of Portmanmoor Rd were flattened.
Any feedback or links gratefully received.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Des Parrot
Arrgh, can't change title! Splott obviously!
I've taken the opportunity of lock-down to extend my family tree, which basically is 75% Welsh, 25% Durham.
My Welsh roots are very much rural Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthanshire, pre-industrial revolution, with a move to the Valleys later.
My family history is a basically a mix of Williams, Thomas, Evans & Price with other assortments throw in. Which makes tracing the tree more difficult! Do you know how many William Thomas & Thomas Williams there are in the valleys!!
Anyway, I digress. The point of my post relates to my limited Cardiff connection. My 25% Durham side stems from my great-grandfather, who moved to Cardiff when the Dowlais Works was opened in the early 1890's. My Gran was born in 63,Moorland Rd Splott (later moving round the corner to Carlisle St). My great-grandfather on my dads side lived in Menelaus St. which no longer exists. I've found out using an historical street map that was where Pacific Road now is, under what is now C2J Architects & South West Wood Products.
Anyone on here know when/why Menelaus St. was flattened & did Pacific Road replace it immediately?
As well as Menelaus St, Layard St, Enid St, Corise St, Elaine St, Cornelia St and that end of Portmanmoor Rd were flattened.
Any feedback or links gratefully received.
Cyclops is on the case with my family Tree, and i must say that he's doing a brilliant job.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Des Parrot
Arrgh, can't change title! Splott obviously!
I've taken the opportunity of lock-down to extend my family tree, which basically is 75% Welsh, 25% Durham.
My Welsh roots are very much rural Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthanshire, pre-industrial revolution, with a move to the Valleys later.
My family history is a basically a mix of Williams, Thomas, Evans & Price with other assortments throw in. Which makes tracing the tree more difficult! Do you know how many William Thomas & Thomas Williams there are in the valleys!!
Anyway, I digress. The point of my post relates to my limited Cardiff connection. My 25% Durham side stems from my great-grandfather, who moved to Cardiff when the Dowlais Works was opened in the early 1890's. My Gran was born in 63,Moorland Rd Splott (later moving round the corner to Carlisle St). My great-grandfather on my dads side lived in Menelaus St. which no longer exists. I've found out using an historical street map that was where Pacific Road now is, under what is now C2J Architects & South West Wood Products.
Anyone on here know when/why Menelaus St. was flattened & did Pacific Road replace it immediately?
As well as Menelaus St, Layard St, Enid St, Corise St, Elaine St, Cornelia St and that end of Portmanmoor Rd were flattened.
Any feedback or links gratefully received.
Well it was definitely still there in 1963
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
I did find this:
Its swift transition in the 1880s into an impoverished working class community in a network of tightly-packed Victorian housing echoed the nearby expansion of Cardiff’s iron and steel industry which was hungry for workers.
Dowlais Steelworks moved to Cardiff and opened East Moors Steelworks in next door Tremorfa in 1891. After significant growth in the first part of the 20th century – by the 1930s the plant was capable of producing half a million tons of steel a year – the middle of the century saw a long, drawn-out decline for industry in Cardiff. The closure in 1978 of East Moors Steelworks saw thousands of job losses, but an end to hung-out-to-dry washing turning red from pollution.
CHANGE AND CONTINUITY
Parts of Splott have been transformed beyond recognition. In the 1970s, 17 streets of homes were demolished, including streets Enid, Layard, and Menelaus. The successful football club Bridgend Street AFC, founded in 1899, is a reminder of another vanished Splott street, once full of homes, families and memories.
But why was it cleared? I think I know but I'll keep looking
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Des Parrot
I did find this:
Its swift transition in the 1880s into an impoverished working class community in a network of tightly-packed Victorian housing echoed the nearby expansion of Cardiff’s iron and steel industry which was hungry for workers.
Dowlais Steelworks moved to Cardiff and opened East Moors Steelworks in next door Tremorfa in 1891. After significant growth in the first part of the 20th century – by the 1930s the plant was capable of producing half a million tons of steel a year – the middle of the century saw a long, drawn-out decline for industry in Cardiff. The closure in 1978 of East Moors Steelworks saw thousands of job losses, but an end to hung-out-to-dry washing turning red from pollution.
CHANGE AND CONTINUITY
Parts of Splott have been transformed beyond recognition. In the 1970s, 17 streets of homes were demolished, including streets Enid, Layard, and Menelaus. The successful football club Bridgend Street AFC, founded in 1899, is a reminder of another vanished Splott street, once full of homes, families and memories.
But why was it cleared? I think I know but I'll keep looking
Wasn't it cleared when they were clearing the steel works. The area was considered almost slums by some but in reality there were some very good people living in the area, and there still are in splott.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
When I used to loiter in the area as a callow youth the wives were all so house proud the places were immaculate.
When you opened the front door there was always a heavy blanket hanging just inside to stop the dust from the blast furnaces and the scrap yard going into the houses.
And you always knew when they were going to 'drop' a blast furnace because all of sudden all the ladies would be out in the back yard bringing in the washing, almost as if a hooter had gone off. Amazing.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BLUETIT
That's what I was jut looking at. I used to go to the school pictured. lol
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BLUETIT
Quote:
Originally Posted by
xsnaggle
That's what I was jut looking at. I used to go to the school pictured. lol
Two names I remember from Layard street and Greenhill Street, are Claire Dymock and Margaret Brown
St Albans and the OLD St Illtyd’s for me
St Albans youth club in Tremorfa Park on a Friday night. Great times
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
St Illtyd's. still attending when they moved. My form was the first class in the new building. We were taken there to help set it up at the end of the last term in splott
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tuerto
Cyclops is on the case with my family Tree, and i must say that he's doing a brilliant job.
:thumbup:
Also looking at another poster's FH. Up to 54 A4 pages of info on the paternal line and still not finished! And all in Wales!
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
:thumbup:
Also looking at another poster's FH. Up to 54 A4 pages of info on the paternal line and still not finished! And all in Wales!
Fantastic. Looking forward to your next installment of Information :thumbup:
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
:thumbup:
Also looking at another poster's FH. Up to 54 A4 pages of info on the paternal line and still not finished! And all in Wales!
It's a very interesting topic.
Are there any decent, free websites, that you can use to trace your family tree, or do you really need to pay a subscription to get any decent results?
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
:thumbup:
Also looking at another poster's FH. Up to 54 A4 pages of info on the paternal line and still not finished! And all in Wales!
My dad (now dead) did a lot of family history research in the late 1970s through to the early 1990s - with visits to Somerset House and tours around parish churches to look at the births, deaths and marriages records. He was following his male line back. It is a fairly unusual name and came from Somerset (great-great grandfather and brothers moved to Cardiff to work in the docks second half 19th century - rest of family from various parts of Wales). He got back as far as a birth in 1630.
I have always read your posts on family history with interest. I wondered if the information now available on the web makes it much easier to put together family trees than it did when my dad was on the case with patchy physical records? I would like to fill in a few gaps and see if it is possible to go further back - but I'm not driven enough to go over the same ground as my dad and spend weeks trailing around West Country churches and graveyards.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tuerto
Cyclops is on the case with my family Tree, and i must say that he's doing a brilliant job.
He's in his element doing such things. He pulled out all the stops for me too.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
My mums family were from Wimborne Street they moved in in 1931.
I lived there for 6 months at the end of the 60s.
My nan and bambs were moved out mid 70s for slum clearance.
They moved to a council flat for pentioners off city Road.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jon1959
I have always read your posts on family history with interest. I wondered if the information now available on the web makes it much easier to put together family trees than it did when my dad was on the case with patchy physical records? I would like to fill in a few gaps and see if it is possible to go further back - but I'm not driven enough to go over the same ground as my dad and spend weeks trailing around West Country churches and graveyards.
To answer your question, it can be much easier now to research than even in 2000 when I started. The pay-for sites are wonderful (and could be accessed in local libraries if open) and the searchable sites of newspapers can be incredibly rewarding. Family Search (the Mormons free site) is very good and the Free BMD and parish records sites are excellent.
But you still need to be absolutely sure that the lines you are tracing are the right ones - otherwise you are wasting your time. Marriage and birth certs need to be obtained to confirm information. I had a case where a client's ancestors shared an unusual name with another person and all the published family trees followed the wrong line. Only by getting a cert could the right line be established.
What I will say is that anyone can access the on-line records, but an experienced researcher will access far more information. He/she will also often break down the seemingly impenetrable brickwalls taking research back several generations. I have a check list of things to do for every ancestor so that no stone is left unturned. It is surprising what is revealed. It's this nous and experience that you pay for if you use someone else. People worry about the cost. I do it because I enjoy doing it. There is a cost involved, but its not prohibitive.
Also there is only so much research that can be done on the internet. Libraries and County Archive Record Offices as well as the National Archives MUST be visited. In TBG's case, the answer to his question was only arrived at because 1) I spotted something in a Cardiff paper which was apparently unrelated and 2) I visited Cathays library (the local history section) where the key was found to unlock a mystery. It wouldn't have happened without that. I have to say that unlocking what these Archives have is a specialised science.
I wouldn't rubbish what your Dad did. He would have discovered stuff along the way that you would never get from the internet.
You also have to have serendipity on your shoulder - or call it luck - or call it having the eye. I could give you so many examples of this......:-)
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rock_Flock_of_Five
It's a very interesting topic.
Are there any decent, free websites, that you can use to trace your family tree, or do you really need to pay a subscription to get any decent results?
Ancestry and Find My Past are MUST have subs imo. They each have many unique records. They are free in Cardiff libraries when open.
If you have Welsh ancestors the National Library of Wales has a wonderful free website with tithe maps, searchable Welsh newspapers and Welsh wills to 1858.
Free BMD is essential and Family Search is free.
Find a Grave is useful.
I'd say successful internet research is roughly down to 75% sites with subs and 25% free sites.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
He's in his element doing such things. He pulled out all the stops for me too.
It's been fantastic so far-Waiting on a marriage Cert in order to get the ball rolling again.
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tuerto
It's been fantastic so far-Waiting on a marriage Cert in order to get the ball rolling again.
Yeah - champing at the bit here. If I'm right about your line, there's a lot of interesting stuff to come out. But we need that cert. The GOV site says certs are sent out 4 days after receipt. We've been waiting almost a month. This is the advice on the site:
Attachment 3832
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Yeah - champing at the bit here. If I'm right about your line, there's a lot of interesting stuff to come out. But we need that cert. The GOV site says certs are sent out 4 days after receipt. We've been waiting almost a month. This is the advice on the site:
Attachment 3832
Thought as much, not to worry, none of them are going anywhere :hehe: Really appreciate your work.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
I would never go looking at my family tree way to sad, far to many deaths.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
trampie09
I would never go looking at my family tree way to sad, far to many deaths.
I know that's meant to be droll, but I try to remember the happiness that accompanies every birth I record, the hope with every marriage and the grief with each burial. Otherwise tracing family trees is like train-spotting.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
I know that's meant to be droll, but I try to remember the happiness that accompanies every birth I record, the hope with every marriage and the grief with each burial. Otherwise tracing family trees is like train-spotting.
I know it can be taken both ways Cyclops but if somebody suffers lots of tragedies then I can't see why they would want to go there.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
trampie09
I know it can be taken both ways Cyclops but if somebody suffers lots of tragedies then I can't see why they would want to go there.
Everybody dies, it is one of only 2 things certain in life!
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
xsnaggle
Everybody dies, it is one of only 2 things certain in life!
Not everybody dies tragically young mind you and not every family suffer that on a few separate multiple occasions and I'm not talking about going back umpteen decades either.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Ancestry and Find My Past are MUST have subs imo. They each have many unique records. They are free in Cardiff libraries when open.
If you have Welsh ancestors the National Library of Wales has a wonderful free website with tithe maps, searchable Welsh newspapers and Welsh wills to 1858.
Free BMD is essential and Family Search is free.
Find a Grave is useful.
I'd say successful internet research is roughly down to 75% sites with subs and 25% free sites.
I started about 10 years ago and used Genes ReUnited. Over Xmas I kicked it off again and moved it on block to Ancestry. My wife's father is from Belfast and she knew zero, as he died when she was 3. I started searching around 3 weeks ago, had a little luck and now we have traced 300+ family members, linked her up with 3 cousins she didn't know she had and we're off to Belfast for a reunion later in the year.
I'm trying to be careful & only use official documents as I've found the the vast majority of Ancestry.com trees are wrong because people blinding link trees without reading the documents.
The other site that I've subscribed to is the BNA British Newpaper Archives, it's been my best source of leads for the 20th century.
I have a WW1 puzzle if you'd like to try & crack it Cyclops. I've failed on the internet, at the IMW & Portsmouth dockyard!
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Cyclops has mentioned serendipity as playing a part in family history research. I have such a story if anyone is interested!
I started on my family history back in the early 1980’s. My father vaguely recalled his grandmother had a sister who had emigrated in the 1860’s to Pennsylvania. Her husband went to find work in the coal mines there. In our collection of family photos we have one solitary photo of my dad’s great aunt’s daughter together with her family. There was no date on it but from the clothing style we guessed early 1900’s. We knew her married name, the names of the husband and children were handwritten on the back of the photo, and the photographic studio was in a town called Nanticoke, Pennsylvania.
In the mid 1980’s I had to attend a 3 day business conference in New Jersey, which was the first time I had ever been to the USA. I took advantage of the trip to book a flight on the Friday night so that I could have the weekend free before the conference started on the Monday. New Jersey is adjacent to Pennsylvania, so my dad suggested that if I had time I could visit this place called Nanticoke and see if I could find any trace of the great aunt’s family. As our family have strong connections with the Methodist church he thought it might be a good idea to seek out the Methodist church in that town and enquire there for a start.
To cut a long story short, I found the main Methodist church, checked the Sunday service time and arrived about half an hour early. I showed the photo to the guy on the door but he was not able to help as he did not know of a family with that surname. However when he read the names on the back of the photo he said that there was an elderly lady by the name of Eva who attended there but she was very old and did not come every week. I waited on the off chance that this particular Sunday this lady would turn up, which she duly did. I showed her the photo and she burst into tears saying “where did you get that photo – that’s me second from the right!”
Serendipity or what!! From that chance one-off meeting I met many of her relatives who were able to fill me in with so many details about our American connections. But that’s another story….
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gofer Blue
Cyclops has mentioned serendipity as playing a part in family history research. I have such a story if anyone is interested!
I started on my family history back in the early 1980’s. My father vaguely recalled his grandmother had a sister who had emigrated in the 1860’s to Pennsylvania. Her husband went to find work in the coal mines there. In our collection of family photos we have one solitary photo of my dad’s great aunt’s daughter together with her family. There was no date on it but from the clothing style we guessed early 1900’s. We knew her married name, the names of the husband and children were handwritten on the back of the photo, and the photographic studio was in a town called Nanticoke, Pennsylvania.
In the mid 1980’s I had to attend a 3 day business conference in New Jersey, which was the first time I had ever been to the USA. I took advantage of the trip to book a flight on the Friday night so that I could have the weekend free before the conference started on the Monday. New Jersey is adjacent to Pennsylvania, so my dad suggested that if I had time I could visit this place called Nanticoke and see if I could find any trace of the great aunt’s family. As our family have strong connections with the Methodist church he thought it might be a good idea to seek out the Methodist church in that town and enquire there for a start.
To cut a long story short, I found the main Methodist church, checked the Sunday service time and arrived about half an hour early. I showed the photo to the guy on the door but he was not able to help as he did not know of a family with that surname. However when he read the names on the back of the photo he said that there was an elderly lady by the name of Eva who attended there but she was very old and did not come every week. I waited on the off chance that this particular Sunday this lady would turn up, which she duly did. I showed her the photo and she burst into tears saying “where did you get that photo – that’s me second from the right!”
Serendipity or what!! From that chance one-off meeting I met many of her relatives who were able to fill me in with so many details about our American connections. But that’s another story….
That's wonderful!
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gofer Blue
Serendipity or what!! From that chance one-off meeting I met many of her relatives who were able to fill me in with so many details about our American connections. But that’s another story….
Great anecdote!
I have a website with all my FH. I came to an end of one line in 1715 in Hampshire near Winchester. One day I had an email from a stranger living in Germany. She had just bought a deed in a car boot sale which mentioned my ancestor and his brother. She sent a copy. Because of it, I was able to trace the birth of my 1715 forefather to Henley on Thames and got back several generations to the 16thC. They were bricklayers and built many houses in the town and their work survives to this day. The lady who found the Deed, made me a gift of it. Some relatives with the same unusual surname still live there. All this came to light because of a find in a German car boot sale, a caring woman and a website.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Des Parrot
The other site that I've subscribed to is the BNA British Newpaper Archives, it's been my best source of leads for the 20th century.
I have a WW1 puzzle if you'd like to try & crack it Cyclops. I've failed on the internet, at the IMW & Portsmouth dockyard!
Yeah Genes Reunited is great for tracing living relatives and getting info - and like you I treat the trees on Ancestry with extreme caution. They show how many mistakes have been made by amateurs tracing their lines and making extreme leaps of faith.
PM me a few details. My maternal line is from Pompey and my grt grandfather was a shipwright in the Dockyard. I've written articles about the area online - http://historyinportsmouth.co.uk/pla...-buildings.htm. Now watch me fall flat on my face.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Des Parrot
Arrgh, can't change title! Splott obviously!
I've taken the opportunity of lock-down to extend my family tree, which basically is 75% Welsh, 25% Durham.
My Welsh roots are very much rural Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthanshire, pre-industrial revolution, with a move to the Valleys later.
My family history is a basically a mix of Williams, Thomas, Evans & Price with other assortments throw in. Which makes tracing the tree more difficult! Do you know how many William Thomas & Thomas Williams there are in the valleys!!
Anyway, I digress. The point of my post relates to my limited Cardiff connection. My 25% Durham side stems from my great-grandfather, who moved to Cardiff when the Dowlais Works was opened in the early 1890's. My Gran was born in 63,Moorland Rd Splott (later moving round the corner to Carlisle St). My great-grandfather on my dads side lived in Menelaus St. which no longer exists. I've found out using an historical street map that was where Pacific Road now is, under what is now C2J Architects & South West Wood Products.
Anyone on here know when/why Menelaus St. was flattened & did Pacific Road replace it immediately?
As well as Menelaus St, Layard St, Enid St, Corise St, Elaine St, Cornelia St and that end of Portmanmoor Rd were flattened.
Any feedback or links gratefully received.
My wife lived in Cornelia Street until late 1969, when we got married. Her mother moved from there in 1970 because the house was compulsory purchase, so they would have been flattened early 70’s.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Des Parrot
Arrgh, can't change title! Splott obviously!
I've taken the opportunity of lock-down to extend my family tree, which basically is 75% Welsh, 25% Durham.
My Welsh roots are very much rural Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthanshire, pre-industrial revolution, with a move to the Valleys later.
My family history is a basically a mix of Williams, Thomas, Evans & Price with other assortments throw in. Which makes tracing the tree more difficult! Do you know how many William Thomas & Thomas Williams there are in the valleys!!
Anyway, I digress. The point of my post relates to my limited Cardiff connection. My 25% Durham side stems from my great-grandfather, who moved to Cardiff when the Dowlais Works was opened in the early 1890's. My Gran was born in 63,Moorland Rd Splott (later moving round the corner to Carlisle St). My great-grandfather on my dads side lived in Menelaus St. which no longer exists. I've found out using an historical street map that was where Pacific Road now is, under what is now C2J Architects & South West Wood Products.
Anyone on here know when/why Menelaus St. was flattened & did Pacific Road replace it immediately?
As well as Menelaus St, Layard St, Enid St, Corise St, Elaine St, Cornelia St and that end of Portmanmoor Rd were flattened.
Any feedback or links gratefully received.
I’ve been trying to think back to the early days of when I worked for the Council in their finance department. It’s a long time ago now but the Council had a number of slum clearance schemes and areas of Splott were definitely included. Properties were compulsory purchased, demolished and rehousing was offered where necessary. The resulting cleared land would be used for either new housing or industrial development. I remember there being bound leather volumes of Council minutes in those days which the Glamorgan Archive Service will have. If you wanted to research slum clearance schemes for Splott in more detail looking up the minutes of the Estates and Finsnce committees of the late 60s onward msy provide you with the info
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Ancestry and Find My Past are MUST have subs imo. They each have many unique records. They are free in Cardiff libraries when open.
If you have Welsh ancestors the National Library of Wales has a wonderful free website with tithe maps, searchable Welsh newspapers and Welsh wills to 1858.
Free BMD is essential and Family Search is free.
Find a Grave is useful.
I'd say successful internet research is roughly down to 75% sites with subs and 25% free sites.
Might be worth checking to see if Ancestry/FMP have been allowed free access, via library websites, during lockdown. Mrs D works on a voluntary basis at our local library, which comes under Staffordshire. Staffs have just enabled free access, from home, to Ancestry so long as you have an account and pin.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
For those interested, I wrote an article for Family Tree magazine which discussed the reasons folk might use a researcher to investigate their family trees. It focused on Mrs SR's family which was the most amazing journey I've made. Couldn't believe the people she was descended from - the GOOD and the BAD. Link to article: http://www.prestonherts.co.uk/page26...reearticleZoeT
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Enoch Mort
I’ve been trying to think back to the early days of when I worked for the Council in their finance department. It’s a long time ago now but the Council had a number of slum clearance schemes and areas of Splott were definitely included. Properties were compulsory purchased, demolished and rehousing was offered where necessary. The resulting cleared land would be used for either new housing or industrial development. I remember there being bound leather volumes of Council minutes in those days which the Glamorgan Archive Service will have. If you wanted to research slum clearance schemes for Splott in more detail looking up the minutes of the Estates and Finsnce committees of the late 60s onward msy provide you with the info
You can have a look see at the Glam records collection which lists what is available. I worked out where my mum worked in Lisvane, during the war, by tracking down a planning application for a toilet block. The house has reverted to private ownership. I wonder if they know they have bogs in their garden?!
http://calmview.cardiff.gov.uk
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rock_Flock_of_Five
It's a very interesting topic.
Are there any decent, free websites, that you can use to trace your family tree, or do you really need to pay a subscription to get any decent results?
Try this :
https://www.familysearch.org/en/
It's the Mormon site, absolutely free. As good as any for BMD and now has access to all Census records too, which is probably 90% 0f what you need. The BMD's go back as far as the 1600's if the record existed at all. The pay sites have additional stuff like crime, immigration, trade, etc, and you can get a month's sub. for mosts.
This is also a good site for going off on a tangent to find something specific :
https://www.cyndislist.com/uk/
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
For historic maps, National Library of Scotland is free to use. The spy feature allows a section of old map to be overlayed onto current satellite images and moved around. Useful for a quick search to see what was there if you are thinking of buying a house or just to see how places have changed. There is a side by side option, too, allowing comparisons of old and new.
https://maps.nls.uk/os/
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gofer Blue
Cyclops has mentioned serendipity as playing a part in family history research. I have such a story if anyone is interested
Serendipity or what!! From that chance one-off meeting I met many of her relatives who were able to fill me in with so many details about our American connections. But that’s another story….
Goosebumps mate. Great story.
I've yet to do the US side by I know that there are plenty to follow up, like you Pennsylvania & Virginia are the start points due to the Coal & Steel.
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Re: Genealogy / Menelaus St. Spolt
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Yeah Genes Reunited is great for tracing living relatives and getting info - and like you I treat the trees on Ancestry with extreme caution. They show how many mistakes have been made by amateurs tracing their lines and making extreme leaps of faith.
PM me a few details. My maternal line is from Pompey and my grt grandfather was a shipwright in the Dockyard. I've written articles about the area online -
http://historyinportsmouth.co.uk/pla...-buildings.htm. Now watch me fall flat on my face.
Ditto some of the family trees on the Mormon website. Some people find the first record that comes up on a search and assume it's the right ancestor. I wasted time looking for a distant relative who had appeared to emigrate to Canada. Turned out there were two people, both about the same time, in a similar place with exactly the same, fairly unusual name. Check, check and check again. The National Library of Scotland online OS maps are good for checking the location of streets long gone. You do get a feel for it after a while. If a possible relative was born in the same town but lived miles away from your known family you tend to get the hint that this is not one of yours. You could throw a tablecloth over the streets in Plymouth where my gramp's family lived, for example. Many of which were rearranged by the Luftwaffe. Nothing to see now apart from main roads and blocks of flats.