The British Newspaper Archives

Earlier this month I was offered the opportunity to beta test the new The British Newspaper Archive

This is a joint venture between The British Library and brightsolid  (the company behind ScotlandsPeople and FindMyPast) to digitise and make available online up to 40 million newspaper pages from the collection of the British Library.

At present there are over 3 million pages on the website but this is added to daily. The dates range from the early 1700’s to the 1940’s.

Some of the newspapers have previously been available through the British Newspapers database which is free to access from many libraries in the UK, bur quite a few articles are on line for the first time.

The archive is free to search but to view results it is necessary to purchase a subscription but you can get the gist of the article from the small sample this gives you enough information to determine whether an article is likely to be relevant to your search.

I was lucky with the units I purchase for the 48 hour trial I was able to get at least 200 articles for my Hudgells some giving me extra information to add to what I had, or in a lot of cases new information that I hadn’t got already

Why not take a look and judge for yourselves.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

More Convicts

Its been a while since I downloaded the list of Hudgell convicts from Ancestry.com for the hulks but this last couple of weeks the British Newspaper Archives has come on line which was of a great help for me sorted which convict has done which crime. The christian name being used over and over for grandfather, father and son its hard to work out which actually did the crimes.

To see an update take a look at http://www.hudgill.com/

I am often given information on families from USA researching the Hudgell name or in most instances the variation is Hudgel and obviously researchers want information from here in the UK which is grand.

What we would like to find is if and when someone took the name across to the US.

We do know that the Hudswell/Hudgwell name went across to the Caribbean circa 1640 with John Hudgwell you can read more about it at
http://www.hudgill.com/Caribbean%20Hudgells/Caribbean%20Hudgell's.htm

So if you do have any connections with the Hudgwells from the Caribbean or the Hudgel's from the USA please do get in touch with us.

Thanks to Peter Waterman who has sent me additional information and photos on Mary Ann Violet Rose (nee Hudgell)

Peter is a desendent of Mary Ann Violet Hudgell and Richard Rose

Not a pleasent sort of chap!

From the discription below he doesn't seem a pleasant chap at all and not the sort you would like to me in a dark alley late at night.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION –

Police/Convict No:  2063

Trade:  (Ploughman)

Height: 5’ 4 ½“

Age: 

Complexion:  Brown

Head:  Oval

Hair:  Dark brown

Whiskers:  None

Visage:  Long

Forehead:  High

Eyebrows:  Dark brown

Eyes:  Hazel

Nose:  Long

Mouth:  Wide

Chin:  Medium long

Native Place:  Salesworth (Sawbridgeworth)

Distinguishing marks:  (Tattoos)

 D.H.W. Hudgell, Anchor, M. Hudgell, Mary Hopkins, H. Hudgell, G. Hudgel, W. Hudgell, P.H. N.H. E.H. T.H. Anchor and cable circle fc fc right arm; William Hudgle, scar on left cheek,

S.H.H. I. Hudgell, S. Patmore, I. Heard losing H.R. M Eldridge, Anchor and cable, C.H. D.H., 2 anchors, ½ moon, 199 left arm;  12 circles and numerous dots back of same hand

Source Citation: – CON 31/21

WILLIAM HUDGELL 1792 - 1851 Transported to Australia

After many weeks of research into William Hudgell rogue and convict.

I have collected quite a lot about him, including copies of the official documents of his numerous crimes in England, his transportation to VDL and his continued life of getting his own back on the establishment.

His life story and his life of larceny and felony can be found at www.hudgill.com follow the link at the bottom of the home page for recent updates.