What is a Stray ?
It is a recorded event in which a person is described in the record as being from, or connected to, a place outside the area in which they normally lived. Normally this is interpreted as ‘out of county’, or counties in the case of our Society, but especially in the case of General Strays, there is a much narrower interpretation which can be next parish.
Census Strays
These show people resident outside their county of birth and may, or may not, include family members and can include any of the Census years. There are some 17,000 entries.
General Strays
Any other record except Census, usually baptisms, marriages, deaths but can include almost any event. There are some 1,100 entries from fifteenth century to the twenty first.
Both Census and General Strays are compiled by submissions from other people and because of this can be varied and far flung. It is only the tip of the iceberg when you consider the millions there must be.
Guildhall Apprentices
Apprentices from within our three counties but registered as apprentices at the London Guildhall. These give details of name, date of apprenticeship, father’s name, home address, occupation of father, to whom apprenticed and what Company of apprentices. There are 3000 Apprentice records.
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