Test Your Genealogy IQ - English Research
Answers by Lee Rickerson

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Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 1

What changes were made to the Gregorian or New Style calendar when this system was adopted by Great Britain in 1752? The proposed World Calendar was considered but never adopted by the United Nations in 1954. It was based on a year of 364 days or exactly 52 weeks. The year would start on a Sunday and be labeled January 1.

The first month of each quarter had 31 days while all the remaining months contained 30 days. At the conclusion of the 364th day, a period called a "year-end day" was added. The year-end day was generic and was not designated as a day or given a numeric date. During leap years, a "leap-year day" was added at the end of the 26th week i.e. between June 30 and July 1. It, too, was not given a numeric date or designated as one of the normal days of the week. Obviously the UN version of 1954 was a bit later than the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752.

Easter is the anchor event for the entire religious season. The formula for determining Easter was set when the Gregorian calendar was created in 1582. Pope Gregory XIII, seeing that the previous calendar system had cumulative errors that by 1582 had caused church holidays to fall during the wrong season, decreed that the vernal equinox should occur on March 21and thus dropped ten days from the calendar that year. He further made century years (1600, 1700, 1800...) that were divisible by 400 into leap years.

The use of the label AD and BC also came during the creation of the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The abbreviation BC indicates "before Christ" and AD, representing anno domini, translated to "year of our Lord".

The British corrected a discrepancy that had occurred over the past 180 years by lopping off eleven days to make September 14 the next day after September 2. The British them designated January as the beginning of the new year.

Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 2

What was the sentence of transportation? Up until 1838, some 200 different crimes were considered capital offenses i.e. crimes warranting the death penalty. These crimes included forgery, theft, and pickpocketing. It is believed that over a thousand people were executed each year up until 1838. A reformation occurred at this point and only murder or attempted murder were considered capital offenses. Hanging was the preferred method of execution yet a good many people were burned or pressed to death.

Transportation was a sentence which ordered the felon to be transported to the colonies. By the time of America's declaration of independence, England had emptied its prisons of some 40,000 criminals by sending them to the colonies.

Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 3

Civil registration of births, marriage, and deaths in England began on 1 July 1837. In 1927, registrations involving stillbirths and adoptions were added. Copies are maintained at the Family Records Centre in London. One can also obtain a copy of a registration by contacting the local District Register Office representing the district where it was originally recorded. All registered births, marriages, and deaths can be found in the General Register Office Index. The original index volumes are located at the Family Records Centre. The index has also been microfilmed and can be found at most libraries, local records offices, and LDS Family History Centres.

Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 4

The Domesday Book involved a survey ordered by William the Conqueror in 1086 to register the landed wealth of the country. This survey listed both lay and ecclesiastical feudal estates and all who lived upon the land. Unfortunately, this survey was not taken seriously and a second survey was ordered (with stiff penalties for giving false information).

This compilation was made in two volumes. These manuscripts were first published in 1783. These volumes have been referenced in medieval and contemporary courts of law to answer questions of genealogy and land ownership.

Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 5

According to the English system, the grades of peerage (from lowest to highest) include: baron, viscount, earl, marquess, and duke.

Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 6

What is true of Great Britain is that the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not part of Great Britain. These two groups of islands are direct dependencies of the British Crown but are (for the most part) self-governing. Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom, is composed of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Ireland itself is a republic.

Answer to Test Your Genealogy IQ - Question 7

The keeping of a census stems back to the Domesday Book. The traditional census customarily used by a family researcher dates to 1841. The first real census had little data important to genealogists because it only indicated whether or not the person was born in the same county as when the census was taken.

The 1851 census however was much more detailed. It indicated the birthplace of each person listed, as well as, noting the person's age and relationship to the head of household. Great Britain has similar laws to the Right to Privacy Act in the U.S. and contemporary records are not available for public review.

The most significant cache of records relevant to the genealogist involve parish records. The keeping of parish registers that recorded christenings, marriages, and burials was made official by royal edict in 1538. Some records, however, extend to 1344 A.D. in certain parishes. Beginning in 1598, copies of parish records were forwarded to the diocesan registry of the bishop's office on an annual basis. These records are called Bishop's Transcripts. Many registers stop in 1812 because this year was chosen make changes in how records were recorded. It was mandated that each parish commence new registers (separate registers) for baptisms, marriages, and burials. In 1979, parish registers exceeding 100 years old were removed to the various County Records offices.

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