This is a home for odds and ends that don't fit anywhere else..
In England and Wales, when you are born, die or get married
you are expected to register the fact at your local Register
Office. Although for the first two it is acceptable to get
someone else to do it for you.
The Registrar notes a variety of information, including location,
occupations, etc. As far as I'm aware this information isn't
particularly used in local planning, for which the census remains
the prime tool.
The Registrar enters your details in a record book or Register.
They use a special ink, which darkens over time, so records don't
fade. You get a copy of the information on a certificate, for
which you have to pay. For births you can have a full or a short
certificate, at slightly different prices. We got both for our
kids, the short one for general use and the full one for the
record.
Anybody can get a copy of anybody's records.
You just have to pay. Of course, you also have to provide
reasonably close dates and locations - at least the registration
office's official area (even if it's now obsolete, they can find
it). Registry officials won't do your legwork. You have to apply
to an office in the right area, with info, money and return
envelope.
If you're in the UK you find out about your local Register Office
by looking in the phone book. They can tell you about other
offices covering different areas, and give you contact info. They
are very helpful. Otherwise, the GENUKI web site has this
information. Maybe your local LDS???
Scotland typically has a similar system which varies in the
details.
Registrars are well qualified people. The ones I've met have mostly been women. They are very interested in you, and will ask about your trade or profession and try to understand it if it's not obvious.
You'll probably know that the Church of the Latter Day Saints holds an incredible amount of genealogical information. They distribute their information internationally. I found the address of my local church (in Poole) from a lady in the US...
(From Andrew Bebb)
Bamburgh and Bamborough are apparently alternative spellings.
It's the same place. I found some more references to Queen Bebba
in a bookcalled Arthur's Britain by Leslie Alcock. In the sixth
century (547) the Angles (English) under King Ida, set up a
Kingdom called Bernicia (roughly today's Durham and
Northumberland, with part of south Scotland) with its
headquarters at Dinguoroy, a fortified romano-british settlement
which they seem to have taken over.
AElfrith succeeded to the throne towards the end of the 6th.
century and seems to have been a very good soldier. He conquered
the neighbouring Kingdom of Deira (today's Yorkshire) and thus
established the Kingdom of Northumbria. AElfrith had a wife
called Bebba. Dinguoroy was renamed Bebbanburh (now Bamborough)
in honour of his Queen and it became the capital.
So he must have thought a lot about her!
Another interesting thing about Aelfrith, whom Bede in his
history calls the 'scourge of the British' (sometimes referred to
as the Welsh) is that he led his army to great victories at
Chester and later at Oswestry on the border of Powys. I wonder if
his queen travelled with him and if some of his followers took
her name (or perhaps some of the prisoners). That's probably idle
speculation! But the geographical link is interesting.
Bebba is such an odd name. I wonder if it is known in the area
that the Angles came from?
[Oswestry is in Shropshire, and not very far from the old Montgomeryshire border MB]
You can see a photo of Bamburgh
castle, together with a 'blow-up' map of Bebba's
country, at the site below. You should click on the pictures for
the full version:
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~wendavey/castles.html.
Another photo, with some additional background, can be found at:
http://www.camelotintl.com/heritage/bambu1.html
Brian Tompsett [email protected] has a Directory of Royal Genealogical Data page, in which Bebba and some of her descendants get a mention. I've not had time for a good look round, the site was very slow to load when I was there: http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~bct/public/genealogy/royal/
The initials B.E.B.B are used for a variety of things - such as Bristol East Brass Band.
You can also code BEBB in hexadecimal, if you ever need to.
A local Bournemouth airline (Channel Express) had a Dart Herald aircraft with the registration G-BEBB. Sadly, for their own reasons they re-registered it before I could get a photo.
Somebody has called a model of bass guitar BEBB.
Maureen Jenkins found this in a booklet she bought some years ago, called."A study of Newtown in 1881". The powers that be, printed a copy of an advertisement called "press briefs".
Bebbs New Confectionery Establishment --- EVAN BEBB CONFECTIONER, BROAD ST, NEWTOWN In tendering his best thanks to his numerous customers for their continued patronage since his removal to larger premises assures them that no effort shall be spared in maintaining the well known superiority of his Goods. ALL ORDERS PROMPTLY EXECUTED ------- THE HOUSE FOR WEDDING CAKES ---------- E. BEBBS CAKES FOR TEAPARTIES IS UNEQUALLED Note the new address: THE RESTAURANT (opposite the Nat. Prov. Bank.)
Sandra Tuller's grandparents, William Evan and Lucy M. Seward
Bebb "had nine kids and they lived in a dug out when they
came to Kansas, later living in soddies (sod houses). My father,
their son, Raymond Edwin, told us of the time they all had small
pox.
It was in the early 1900's. It took several weeks for everyone to
break out and at one point the first one to become sick was just
well enough to start helping take care of the last one to become
sick. They lived in a sod house and one day the stove pipe came
down spreading soot all over everything, including the pox sores.
The family always said that is why no one died because there was
something in the soot that was healing!
Anyway, the smallpox outbreak killed many people for miles around.
As far as they knew, they were the only family that did not lose
at least one member during the illness. There was no way to go to
town as people were quarantined so whoever was the most able
would walk about 1-1/2 miles and pick up a food basket left by
other families. People were afraid to go any closer.
They were a very poor family but all of the kids grew up
reasonably successful and had good lives."
Some more Bebbs in Kansas
Also
'There is a story in my Bebb family that a Bebb woman at Oberlin,
KS, 34 miles W. of Norton, was in the last Indian raid and killed
an Indian with a pair of sewing scissors.'
Legal Bebbs
According to the BBC in an on-line news article about the
increasing number of women solicitors in the UK:
(Article
1st Apr 98, but I still believe it)
In 1913 the Law Society refused to allow four women to
sit the Law Society examinations. The women took the
case to the Court of Appeal. But in a famous case, Bebb
v The Law Society, the Court of Appeal upheld the Law
Society's decision. The Judge, Mr Justice Joyce, ruled
that women were not "persons" within the meaning of the
Solicitors Act of 1843.
There is another Bebb still practising law in England, Gordon Bebb.
The Powysland Club
I need to find out a little more about the Powysland Club. I know that they have a collective interest in Powys and they publish the Montgomeryshire Collections, a publication which chronicles (at least in part) the history of this area. I did enquire about Bebb references, and got this in reply from the librarian of the Powys Archives:
I have checked the Montgomeryshire Collections for the volumes which are indexed, these are volumes 1-74. I have found a couple of references within these volumes which may be of use to you. Bebb, Jane Welshpool volume 17 page 346 Bebb, John Welshpool, Llanidloes volume 17 page 346 and volume 38 page 171 It is possible the later volumes 75-86 have not yet been indexed. It mentioned under the above references that the Bebb's were the founders of the Calvinistic Methodist cause. If it would be of interest, I understand the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, SY23 3BU has material concerned with this movement.
I mention Murray Chapman on the main page. I understand that he is writing an article for the 1999 copy of the Collections, regarding Welsh names, which refers to Bebbs. I don't presently have any detail (April 99).
Ummm - Spaniels?
It seems that a line of very well respected cocker spaniels was sired by a dog called Bebb. Not something I'd thought about before, but since they wanted quality they obviously chose a good name. You can read more about it here.
Woof. I suppose.
Further contributions welcome..