PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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The Plymouth Data Website was seven years old on January 7th 2009. During 2008 the site received 459,372 unique visitors. It doesn't earn me a penny but many thanks to you all, especially those who have taken the trouble to express their appreciation in writing. How it all began My interest in publishing started in 1957, at the age of 10, when I produced a book for a class exhibition at primary school. My interest in local history started around 1961 when I became curious about the name over my local sub post office -- Keyham Barton. What did the Barton refer to? When I found out that a Barton was a Manor House and that Barton Avenue was said to be built on the site of it, I went in search of a map to see where it was. My diary records that I first climbed the stairs to the Plymouth Local Studies Library on Saturday December 2nd 1961. I proved that Barton Avenue was NOT built on the site of Keyham Barton and I suppose that started me on my constant quest for the truth about the dates and information used in Plymouth history. How the Plymouth Data Website came to be developed is now told elsewhere. The site currently runs to over 1,700 pages and is revised or updated as quickly as I can. The site is still growing, either by the addition of material already in my collection or by my ever continuing research. New pages are being added regularly and thus what is not there today may well be there tomorrow. How to use the site Start with the A - Z Contents Page. This lists all the subjects covered by the encyclopaedia. The entries are arranged by subject or in some cases by individual title. The largest sections are those on Churches and Other Places of Worship, Memorials and Monuments and Schools. When searching with Google, just type "Plymouth" in front of what ever subject you are searching for. Conventions Readers should be warned that some old fashioned conventions are followed in the text. Hyphens and apostrophies have gone out of fashion -- except on Plymouth Data. The terms Mr, Mrs, Master and Miss are frequently used in order to denote the men from the boys and, in the case of the females, the unmarried from the married, always helpful when trying to identify members of a family. One unusual convention is that the First World War is normally referred to as the Great War - simply because at the time it happened that is what it was known as and documents and reports of the time used that terminology. Nobody expected there to be a second one. Family history Please note that Plymouth Data is not a family history website but wherever possible I have included personal names as I know these will be of interest. I am now feeding information about the not-so prominent citizens of Plymouth to the Devon Family History Society at Tree House, Exeter, and enquiries should be directed to them. Research service I do not offer a research service but I will happily try to answer local history questions. All genuine enquiries will be answered but my top priority is adding information and photographs to the site and carrying out the research to enable me to do so, both of which take up a considerable amount of time. Photographs Photographs are included on Plymouth Data purely for illustrative purposes. Copies are NOT available. There are five main suppliers of historical photos of Plymouth: please see the Links webpage. The Plymouth Data Team There is no team. I do everything, from the research to the writing and the maintenance of the site. Funding The site is funded from my pension. There are no grants from Plymouth City Council or any other body and no funding from the National Lottery. Sales of the remaining volumes of "Plymouth Through the Lens" do contribute towards the cost. No copies were sold during 2008!! How to contact me The e-mail address for enquiries and technical problems is .... brianmoseley at plymouthdata dot info. I am sorry it is not a direct link but blame that on the spam merchants. And finally ... ..... can I emphasise that this Website is about Plymouth past. For information about Plymouth present, like hotels, attractions, events, etc., please see the Tourist Information Centres page. There are also some useful sites in Links. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Mrs Marian E Beckford was the Local Studies Librarian when I first visited it in 1961. It was due to her encouragement that my interest in old Plymouth was nurtured. Sadly, she died on June 3rd 1972 at the early age of 60 years. The staff have changed several times over (Owen Baker, the late Ken Burns, Michael Crews, Anique Williams, John Smith, 'Polly' Lamb, Ann Landers, Joyce Brown, and currently Graham Naylor, Ian Criddle and Malcolm Matthews) -- but without their continuing help, and the facilities that the library provides, very little of the Plymouth Data Website would be possible. Likewise the staff of the main Reference Library have had to put up with me for 47 years as well. I also acknowledge the help of Sam Johnston, Anne Morgan, Deborah Watson, Alan Barclay and Ian Conday of the Plymouth & West Devon Record Office. I still remember when former City archivist Keith Holt introduced me to the collection of old newspapers that were housed in the basement of the Library building, way back in the 1960s. I also acknowledge the enormous debt that the City owes to its other historians like Worth, Yorkshire-born Llewellyn Jewitt, Whitfeld, Bracken, Exeter-born R A J Walling, Crispin Gill, and Sussex-born Chris Robinson. Lastly I should like to thank Mr Tom Jewell, of the Devon Family History Society in Exeter, along with members of the Plymouth Group, for their valued assistance in researching Prominent Citizens. Thank you for visiting the Plymouth Data Website. Brian Moseley
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