Plymouth (city), Devon Genealogy

Guide to Plymouth (city) history, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.



HISTORY
Upper Paleolithic deposits, including bones of Homo sapiens, have been found in local caves, and artifacts dating from the Bronze Age to the Middle Iron Age have been found at Mount Batten showing that it was one of the main trading ports of the country at that time.

An unidentified settlement named 'TAMARI OSTIA' (mouth/estuaries of the Tamar) is listed in Ptolemy's Geographia and is presumed to be located in the area of the modern city.

It is well known that tin from Cornish tin mines was being shipped from this area to the middle east at least by 800 BC, and that Phoenician sailors were regular visitors to these shores. The harbor at Plymouth is ideally suited for trade of this kind.

Plymouth castle served to protect Sutton Pool, which is where the fleet was based in Plymouth prior to the establishment of Plymouth Dockyard. In 1512 an Act of Parliament was passed for further fortifying Plymouth, and a series of fortifications were then built, including defensive walls at the entrance to Sutton Pool.

Plymouth was the home port for successful maritime traders, among them Sir John Hawkins, who led England's first foray into the Atlantic slave trade, as well as Sir Francis Drake, Mayor of Plymouth in 1581 and 1593.[16] According to legend, Drake insisted on completing his game of bowls on the Hoe before engaging the Spanish Armada in 1588. Plymouth Hoe is a prominent hill at the entrance of Plymouth harbor, one of the best natural harbors in the world. A picture of the Hoe follows:



Throughout the 17th century Plymouth had gradually lost its preeminence as a trading port. By the mid-17th century commodities manufactured elsewhere in England cost too much to transport to Plymouth and the city had no means of processing sugar or tobacco imports, although it did play a relatively small part in the Atlantic slave trade during the early 18th century.

During the First World War, Plymouth was the port of entry for many troops from around the Empire and also developed as a facility for the manufacture of munitions.

As the primary HQ for the British navy, the city was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe in WWII, in a series of 59 raids known as the Plymouth Blitz. This was largely due to Plymouth's status as the major Royal Navy port for the Atlantic fleet.

Post-war, Devonport Dockyard was kept busy refitting aircraft carriers such as the Ark Royal and, later, nuclear submarines while new light industrial factories were constructed in the newly zoned industrial sector attracting rapid growth of the urban population. The army had substantially left the city by 1971, with barracks pulled down in the 1960s, however the city remains home to the 42 Commando of the Royal Marines.

LOCATION
Plymouth lies between the River Plym to the east and the River Tamar to the west; both rivers flow into the natural harbor of Plymouth Sound. The River Tamar forms the county boundary between Devon and Cornwall and its estuary forms the Hamoaze on which is sited Devonport Dockyard.

The city is about 35 miles from Exeter, and 190 miles from London.

Geologically, Plymouth has a mixture of limestone, Devonian slate, granite and Middle Devonian limestone. Plymouth Sound, Shores and Cliffs is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, because of its geology.

To the north and north east of the city is the granite mass of Dartmoor; the granite was mined and exported via Plymouth. Rocks brought down the Tamar from Dartmoor include ores containing tin, copper, tungsten, lead and other minerals.

RELIGION
Plymouth, from the middle of the second millennium has been a city that valued religious freedom. One of the primary reasons for the founding of the Plymouth Colony in the New World was to allow freedom of religion and freedom of conscience to grow unfettered, unlike the conditions back in the old world.

The Plymouth Separatists, a group seeking religious freedom and purity, cooperated with the Puritans on organizing the Mayflower sailing in 1620. A large proportion of those pilgrims were members of the radical English Separatist Church, who traveled to America to escape the jurisdiction of the Church of England, which they found corrupt. The Separatists won financial backing from a group of investors called the London Adventurers, who were promised a sizable share of the colony’s profits.

Later in Plymouth's history, a group called the Plymouth Brethren were organized. The Plymouth Brethren are a conservative, low church, nonconformist, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s, originating from Anglicanism. They were formally organized in the middle 1830's in Plymouth itself.

Today, the city has more than 150 churches, including the roman Catholic Cathedral.

INDUSTRY
Plymouth has one of the best natural harbors in the British Isles. Because of this coastal location, the economy of Plymouth has traditionally been maritime,[93] in particular the defense sector with over 12,000 people employed and approximately 7,500 in the armed forces.

A tradition of the British Navy since time immemorial was to provide a toddy of gin daily to its sailors. This had 2 effects; to keep the sailors happy, and also to increase their belligerence during battles. Because of this, the Plymouth Gin Distillery has been producing Plymouth Gin since 1793, which was exported around the world by the Royal Navy.

Since the 1980s, employment in the defense sector has decreased substantially and today Devonport Dockyard is the UK's only naval base that refits nuclear submarines and the Navy estimates that the Dockyard generates about 10% of Plymouth's income.

However Plymouth still has the largest cluster of marine and maritime businesses in the south west with 270 firms operating within the sector.

Other substantial employers include the university with 30,000 students and almost 3,000 staff, as well as the Tamar Science Park employing 500 people in 50 companies.

CIVIL REGISTRATION
Birth, marriages and deaths records have been kept by government since July 1837 to the present day. Prior to that, local parishes of the Church of England, and local branches of other faiths were the only repositories of this information. The following link provides access for Canterbury records:


 * Free BMD UK


 * UK BMD


 * Devon Gov records

CENSUS RECORDS
Census records for Canterbury can be found using the following links:


 * UK Gov census records


 * GENUKI Plymouth census records

PROBATE RECORDS
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by several locations for Plymouth. Please follow the links below:


 * UK Gov probate records


 * Plymouth probate office

CEMETERIES AND GRAVES
There are presently four cemeteries, and several outlying cemeteries within the Plymouth city district. The link follows:


 * Plymouth city cemeteries

Other useful sites follow:


 * Findagrave, Plymouth


 * Billion graves, Plymouth

GENEALOGY SOCIETIES AND GENEALOGY

 * Devon Genealogy


 * Devon Family History Society


 * Roots web Devon


 * GENUKI org Devon FHS