Day in Greater London and Hertfordshire successfully researching my ancestry and also visiting my City Solicitor for advice on selling The Comart Group

Up on time and to breakfast but after to play a while with Debbie before setting off for Watford. This morning I had set myself the task of trying to advance my work on my ancestors and I details below what I discovered. Fun over, and late for my next appointment, I sped off down the A10 to London but was stopped by an unmarked police car at 2.00pm and booked for speeding, “At speeds over a half mile from 85 to 103 mph.” This unfortunate incident over I drive to park at Finsbury Circus and walk to Richard James of Ashurst Morris and Crisp to arrive even later than planned. I update Richard on my plans and advises me on the options and implications of my forthcoming plans to sell Comart or buy Branmer’s Option. Even later after this to Graham Clifton of Transam and the evening planning the merger with UKITO and the process of events for the Export IT seminar.

Later home and after a supper of fried plaice and chips and the news, I set down the day’s events and listen to the news. Concerning my ancestors, the last position was the results of the 1851 Census which showed from records at Swiss Cottage that on the 30th March 1851, John Broad (23, a plumber) and Merab (26, formerly Green) were living with their son John Green Broad of 9 months at 14 Grafton Street. The return had given John’s birthplace as Watford and I had set off to find out exactly when and where. First I parked the car and bought a local map, the area having recently changed tremendously, but was unable to obtain a guide book. After ascertaining directions I set off for the Watford main Library and in the Reference Room studied the entire 1841 Census details (they were not present in 1841 at St Pancras) and found not a single Broad in the entire parish. I ascertained from the elderly librarian that the Parish Baptism, Marriage and Burial Records were kept at the Hertfordshire County Record Office in Hertford for safekeeping and so I proceeded there by car, eating my sandwiches on the way.  A very helpful records department staff dug out Watford Parish Births on reel 331 and I soon found that John Broad was baptised on 16th December 1827 (record 1607) and that his father (John Broad Snr) was a victualler and his mother’s name was Anne. The rareness of the Broad name in Watford was then my best ally. A local historian had cross indexed all male Broads married outside the Parish and the only John Broad had married Ann Bull in 1809 in Tring. Further searches (of reel 339) revealed the marriage took place at Tring Church on 27th November 1809 and that the witnesses were James Bull (I guess her father) and Sebastian Grace (I think his best man). Further searches on the Tring Parish Baptisms (reel 338) conducted twice failed to find her baptism or any close detail of her age. From the gap between the marriage (1809) and the birth of John Jnr (1827) she must have been young when married. Meanwhile the librarian had turned up details of licensed victuallers and ascertained that John Broad Snr was licensee of “The Red Lion” of Watford from 1822 to 1828 – perhaps the baby meant they had to give it up. Other history of local pubs in the area tells us that, although there were two Red Lions (the other licensee was John Armstrong) the one left in existence is John Broad’s Red Lion, the youngest house of the two. Word today of several incidents involving nuclear and chemical risks through exposure with the news in Anglia interrupted by an injunction on the latter. News also of little concord between the two sides in the USA/USSR security talks and of rising government disquiet on Rate Capping and the Housing Benefit changes. The Tory Government is winning enemies. Cold weather tonight and hard frost and snow expected.