Surfing sources from the sofa: Using the Web to research the history of a place

This is an account of cartographic evidence, statistical analyses, and textual sources, accessed from afar to support enquiry into the impact upon the inhabitants of a rural village in 19th century England that became a garrison town and the military centre of an empire. Initial sources included micro-census data for 1851 and 1861, supplemented by vital registration data. Cross-sectional analysis of demographic and occupational structure is supported by attempt at nominal linkage for families, individuals and households to assess longitudinal change. The serendipity of the Web uncovered news of discovery of a strongbox hidden in a church belfry and the subsequent digitisation of manuscripts on land holdings that extend back over 500 years, digitised copies of maps and contemporary guidebooks, with the "Gary Owen" providing link to the U.S. 7th Cavalry. This did mean delay and need to start anew, 'cause writing up is hard to do, but also enabled rich context for statistical conclusion and a rich experience for the researcher. It also prompted recall of IASSIST 1990 with its then futuristic theme of "numbers pictures words and sounds: all will be digital and accessed from afar"