Genealogy or family history has been all the rage for some years now. The craze has been fuelled by programmes like the BBC’s ‘Who do you think you are?’ and also by the ability to do research sitting in your own comfortable chair at home, finding information easily on the internet. Genealogists used to have to be like foot slogging soldiers, going from county records library to county records library and on to parish churches in search of snippets of information.

These days it still adds hugely to the interest of the hobby to visit places where people worked and lived. You may find people who knew your ancestors or who now live in their house. It’s possible you might get an invite to take a look around. A visit to a churchyard might find you a memorial stone. Some almost have family history essays on them and can lead to ideas for further research.

We get many such visitors at Market Lavington Museum. Our curator had a lovely moment, a couple of weeks ago when people with an interest in the Sainsbury family came seeking information. He unrolled, with a bit of dramatic flourish, a huge Sainsbury family tree the museum has. After a few minutes searching the visitors found their line and were able to work it back four more generations.

But after yesterday’s blog about the Davidge family, lets look a bit more at them and some of the ways in which market Lavington Museum can help with information which may not be on the web.

We hold burial records for St Mary’s, Market Lavington. These are the Davidge burials.

We may be able to point you to a grave and, indeed, there is a marked Davidge grave in the churchyard which is right by the museum.

Davidge grave in St Mary's Churchyard, Market Lavington

There could be some extra luck here, for the smaller stone book carries information about family members whose remains lie elsewhere. Incidentally, we know that once upon a time a vase made of brick material once adorned this grave.

Many people can access censuses on line but in addition we have electoral rolls – we’d love more – from 1926, 1964 and some from the 1980s. Members of the Davidge family appear on the earlier ones and give an address where the people lived.

The Market Lavington Davidge family in 1926 - they lived at Broadway by the brickworks. From an electoral roll at Market Lavington Museum

The last Davidges in Market Lavington on the 1964 electoral roll - at 26 Spin Hill

If visitors wanted to find these, our stewards would be able to point researchers in the right direction.

Now, due to our weekend visitor, we also have photos of the Davidge family like this one .

Edwin Davidge, carter at Market Lavington Brickworks - a photo now at Market Lavington Museum

We can’t always do so well. If you are visiting to research your family then do contact the curator first for he’ll be able to give you a good idea of what is available.