GREENWICH

Went to Greenwich a couple of times. The first time was to get an overview of the place and see what was there. I discovered the library five minutes before it was due to close. So no research on that trip.

First thing to know when heading there by Docklands Light Rail is that you want to get off at the Greenwich Cutty Sark station – not the Greenwich one. It is very confusing when you get off at the wrong place. Not too far to walk, just confusing. Of course you could also arrive by boat on the river Thames.

It is quite a large area with plenty of green space for a picnic. The Queens House had recently been closed for renovation for the next year as it approaches its 400^th anniversary.Even though it is built quite a distance back from the river, no buildings were allowed to be in front of it so it had a clear view to the river.

The Cutty Sark, the last surviving tea clipper is available to take tours through. Looked like there were plenty of fun things to do aboard it.

In the middle of the huge park, up a little hill, is the observatory and planetarium. Actually that hill was quite a hike. There were plenty of Asian tourists taking their photo on the prime meridian line. Just a few days earlier I had seen a documentary which said the true line is actually 334 feet to the east. Didn't want to pay to go stand on the wrong line so I took a picture through the fence.

Before the entry into the museum housing the meridian line is a 24 hour clock. It was installed there in 1852. Still accurate up to 0.5 of a second.

This photo is taken on the way down from the observatory. That is the Queens house in the background.

In the Old Royal Naval College there was a magnificent painted hall. The finest baroque dining hall in the UK. What patience and skill it must have taken. Another building housed a chapel which is still in use.

I had gone there to do some research at the National Maritime Museum. The Caird Library is within that building. For a client I was able to photograph the pages out of a Nautical Report from the P&O shipping line in 1873-1875. This told him where his great-grandfather was during his term as a steward on the “Australia”.

Because one of my ancestors was a Naval Captain in the early 1700's I wanted to find all I could about that time and the ships he was on. The Log Book for his ship “Granado” 1707 to 1709 shows that he was no longer Captain after the Siege at Toulon. Unfortunately there was not a record of his next ship “Namur”. There was a book though which told me about the type of vessel he would have been sailing.

Thought I should walk the foot tunnel which runs 50 feet under the Thames to the Isle of Dogs. It is only 1217 feet long – but that was long enough for me to be walking under the river. It was built in 1902 for workmen to be able to cross the river to work on the Isle of Dogs. Today there is a lovely park on the other side where you can get a good view of Maritime Greenwich.

The little domed building you can see on the Isle of Dogs is where the tunnel exits.

As with all museums and entertainment areas – there was a shop. What fascinated me were these socks. You wear the green one on your right foot to remind you which side of the ship is starboard. The red therefore is for port. Lights on the Port side are always red and starboard green. More trivia.

MURCOTT FAMILY HISTORY

I came to Warwick to search records at the County Record Office and visit any people or churches that relate to the family. Most parish records are online.

At the record offices I found memorial inscriptions and a very large 1731 marriage agreement. It was about four A4 pages wide and over 2 pages deep. The base of it had the seals of each of the people who signed it. I had to be very careful handling it as the paper was so stiff and had been folded up nearly 300 years.

An 8^th cousin, Jane Dyer, came up to Warwick from Oxfordshire to meet with me. Our 6^th great grandfathers were brothers so she has done a lot of research on that side of the family. Our 7^th great grandparents were William MURCOTT and Elizabeth GRESWOLD who married in 1686. We must have many 8^th cousins.

Elizabeth McIntyre decided in the 1990's to research the history of the house she lives in. She discovered Umbers and Garlicks who had married Murcotts so she researched all these families. None of them her relations. To make sense of it all she started with Henry Murcott who was born in 1507 and created a descendancy chart for him. It takes up fifteen A3 pages. She has also written a couple of books with all the data she has gathered. “The Murcotts of Warwickshire” and “John Joseph Murcott, recluse of Whitnash, 1818-1894”. I was able to get these on a CD.

There were three churches my direct ancestors have been involved with since the early 1600's. St. Mary Warwick, Kenilworth and Cubbington.

St Mary's was just a short walk from where I was staying. My third great-grandparents Thomas MURCOTT and Sarah BALL were married here in 1828.

I caught the bus to Kenilworth. Visited the church and cemetery where three generations of MURCOTT's worshiped. There I found the tombstone of Thomas MURCOTT who died in 1879 and his second wife Jane.

Elizabeth drove me to Cubbington to see the church where seven generations of Murcotts have been christened, married or buried. There was a large tombstone belonging to several of the family. In this church the cartouche to Abraham MURCOTT, a captain in the Royal Navy was erected. This is a wooden carving with his name and the year 1702. It is there because he was presumed to have died in a big storm off the Scilly Isles. However he was the captain of the ship Granado in 1707 and Elizabeth has copies of two wills written by him.

Abraham Murcott Cartouche

Murcott tomb at Cubbington

I have received too much material to record it all while I am here. MURCOTT's will keep me busy for a long time.

KENILWORTH

I caught a bus to Kenilworth which was only about a half hour away. Went to the library and got a map and spoke to a man about any cemetery records. He said perhaps the council will have some. I thought I would check them out if I had no luck at the cemetery. 

St Nicholas Church cemetery

I walked through Abbey Fields and found St Nicholas church. There was a wedding inside so I couldn't go in. I talked to man who I think was a driver for the wedding. He said he lived in Australia for about 6 years. He said the Ozzies are well balanced – they have a chip on each shoulder. Oops!

St Nicholas Church

My 2nd and 3rd great-grandfathers had been christened here and my 4th great-grandparents were married here. Many other family members also as well as their burials. I really wanted to get inside that church.

The cemetery was rather large and a lot of the stones very worn so I walked up the old High Street looking for the council offices but could not see them. Some lovely old thatched houses up the High Street.

I saw Kenilworth castle so I walked alongside that for a bit. Decided not to go in as it was a ruin and I still planned to visit Warwick castle. 

Kenilworth Castle

Got back to the church and the wedding was over so I could go inside. There were lots of pamphlets etc to look at and among all the papers I saw a booklet which had a list of the people buried at the cemetery along with a map. Fantastic! 

From that I was able to find the tombstone of Thomas MURCOTT who died in 1879 and his second wife Jane.

Kenilworth mission accomplished!

St MARY'S CHURCH, WARWICK

 What a fascinating church.  It was founded in 1123. Many parts have been rebuilt or renovated over the years but the crypt is part of the original Norman building. It actually smells that old too. This crypt shows the strength of Norman architecture as it has held the building above for over 850 years.

There are some memorial stones. Remarkably in great readable condition.

My third great grandparents - Thomas MURCOTT and Sarah BALL were married in this church in 1828 and several other relations were married and christened here.

Been waiting for a clear day so I can walk the 160 steps up the tower to get a view of Warwick. 

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