Metropolitan Archives June Seminar-Archives for the Napoleonic Wars at the National Army Museum and Beyond. The National Archives The Olympic Record-Timeline. The Internet Surname Database

Metropolitan Archives June Seminar-Archives for the Napoleonic Wars at the National Army Museum and Beyond. Thursday 14 June 2012, 6:00pm (doors 5:30pm) - 7:30pm at London Metropolitan Archives - Huntley Room 40 Northampton Road, London EC1R 0HB

The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 involved Britain in a long period of conflict with the French. It affected the entire country and many of our ancestors would have been aware of what was happening. Many would have been involved as sailors (both voluntary and pressed) and soldiers many others would have been involved in supplying goods etc. 

Kent being so close to France was one of the counties directly affected. If you are researching this period, one of your ancestral family was involved in anyway and you could make the seminar it may well pay dividends. The Speaker, Dr Alastair Massie, is an expert on the Crimean War and Head of Archives at the National Army Museum for over 10 years, will give an overview of the rich sources held in the UK that shed light on this conflict.

Booking in advance is required, it is free to Archives for London Members and £5 for non members. Further details can be found at Archives For London to book a place you can e-mail City of London Archives

The National Archives The Olympic Record-Timeline.

The Olympics have come to London twice before the 2012 Olympics, in 1908 and 1948. Both times people from NW Kent, including those that became part of London, had the Olympics almost next door. The National Archives site at NA Olympic Timeline has lots of information about the Olympics including the 1908 and 1948 games in London.

The Internet Surname Database is a useful site where you can get some ideas on the origins of your surname. You can, if you wish, order a printed scroll with the details of any surname given on the site.   

Great British Story starts on BBC 2 Friday 25 May 2012 at 9pm. North West Kent Family History Society at the largest of the BBC Roadshows to be held on Saturday 23 June 2012, 10am-4pm at Hall Place, Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent. Historian, broadcaster and writer Michael Wood will discuss The Great British Story - the series he is presenting for BBC Two

Great British Story starts on BBC 2 Friday 25 May 2012 at 9pm.
A new BBC Two series, presented by Michael Wood, The Great British Story looks at history through the eyes of ordinary people. An unusual program in that it is looking at the history of the ordinary man.

The largest of the BBC Roadshows  to be held on Saturday 23 June 2012, 10am-4pm at Hall Place, Bourne Road, Bexley, DA5 1PQ will link in with the series.

The public will  have the chance to get involved! There will be a BBC local history event to be held on Saturday 23 June 2012, 10am-4pm at Hall Place, Bourne Road, Bexley, DA5 1PQ.  You will be able to discover more about Bexley's fascinating history and learn how to delve into your own past. Find out more about family history, archaeology, oral history, artefacts and and local history.

Poster Supplied by the BBC.

NWKFHS will have a major presence in the Great Chamber and Long Gallery (1st floor) and will be fielding up to 24 volunteers who can help you research your ancestors and their families, particularly in south east London and north west Kent. We will have several internet-enabled PC's, and should have access to various commercial websites. There will be free information packs and the Society can offer one-to-one advice at up to 15 stations (book this on the day, & remember to bring details with you). More details can be found at NWKFHS at The Great British Story.

The Society of Genealogists, Bexley Historical Society, Bexley Local Studies & Archives Centre, Museum of London and the Heritage Lottery Fund are amongst the many Societies and organisations that will be present on the day.

Historian, broadcaster and writer Michael Wood will discuss The Great British Story - the series he is presenting for BBC Two. Other talks will also be taking place during the day.

Entry for the day is by tickets that can be obtained Free from the BBC at The Great British Story  Under 16's have to be accompanied by a adult ticket holder.  Places for Michael Wood's talk are limited, ticket holders will be contacted by the BBC nearer the time and invited to apply for an additional ticket to Michael's talk. A large number of people have already applied for tickets but there a plenty of tickets still available.

National Archives Documents Online and Catalogue to be turned off and replaced by Discovery. NWKFHS Projects: School Registers-St Mary Cray, Dartford, Brent School, Dartford, St Albans School.

National Archives Documents Online and Catalogue to be turned off and replaced by Discovery.


The National Archives Documents Online, will be switched off on Monday 21 May. Until then the new Discovery service will run in parallel with both providing secure transactions for purchases. The Catalogue  (formerly PROCAT) will be switched off at the end of June and more information will provide more information about this over the coming weeks.

The system, Discovery already has the image delivery service  available, which means you can search and download records, where online versions exist, all in one place.

Discovery also allows you to tag records to improve their descriptions, preview records before purchase, filter search results by subject, date range and collection and shows results in order of relevance. Further details can be found at Download Discovery digitised documents  and  Discovery FAQs


NWKFHS Projects: School Registers-St Mary Cray, Dartford, Brent School, Dartford, St Albans School.


School Registers are proving an important resource for Family Historians. North West Kent Family History Society has been transcribing admission registers for some other schools within NW Kent. These will be available in the near future.

St Mary Cray - transcripts are being prepared for publication.

Dartford, Brent School - the admission registers, from 1894 when the school opened, up to 1935, also the school log books for approximately the same dates have been transcribed . They should be available soon.

Dartford, St Albans School Admission Registers & Log Books. Admission Registers 1912-1940 and the Log Books 1893-1915 have been indexed and should be available in the near future.

Further details can be found at Current Society Projects

North West Kent Family History Society Meetings-June 2012, visitors welcome. Working Class Movement Library. Ag labs in the 1830's- Tolpuddle Martyrs' Museum and Festival Website.

North West Kent Family History Society Meetings-June 2012.

Bromley Branch, Bromley Methodist Church, College Road, Bromley BR1 3NS. Hall opens 9.45am.

Saturday 19 May,  Else Churchill "Researching before 1700 using alternative resources"
Saturday 16 June, Dr Ann Kneif "The Glass Industry in the Weald"

Saturday Dartford Branch, Dartford Technology College, Heath Lane, Dartford. Open from 9.45am with the meeting proper starting at 10.30am.

Sevenoaks Branch, Sevenoaks Community Centre, Otford Road (at junction with Crampton Rd.), Sevenoaks, starts at 7.15pm.

Thursday 14 June Scott Belcher "Chatham Dockyard"

There are bookstalls and people willing to help. Visitors are welcome (a donation is appreciated). Please check the website before travelling to ensure that no changes have occurred. More details and maps can be found at NWKFHS Meetings

Working Class Movement Library.

The great majority of us will have our family roots in working class people. This site WCM Library  contains a wealth of information about records of over 200 years of organising and campaigning by ordinary men and women, brushmakers, silk workers, tailors, boilermakers and others. You can search what records are held and there are links to many other sites.

Ag labs in the 1830's- Tolpuddle Martyrs' Museum and Festival Website.

In the 1830s Farm workers could suffered cuts to their pay. Whether in Kent or Dorset of any other county our Ag lab ancestors were on the verge of destitution. Some resisted by destroying the then new threshing machines. In 1834, farm workers  Dorset formed a trade union. Though Unions were lawful the six leaders of the union were arrested and sentenced to seven years transportation for taking an oath of secrecy.

Major protest swept across the country and thousands of people marched through London and many more signed petitions and organised protest meetings to demand their freedom. The campaign was successful and the Tolpuddle Martyrs returned home in triumph. If your ancestor was an Ag lab at this time anywhere in the country they most like would have been involved, they were almost certainly suffering cuts to already low pay.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs' Museum and Festival Website will give you lots of information and background to what was happening to your Ag labs in the 1830's.

North West Kent Family History Society will be at the BBC's Great British Story – Bexley 23 June 2012- Free Tickets

North West Kent Family History Society will be at the BBC's Great British Story – Bexley 23 June 2012- Free Tickets.

A new BBC TV series to be presented by Michael Wood, The Great British Story will soon be starting on BBC. In conjunction with the TV program the NWKFHS will be taking part in the largest of the local BBC road-shows that will link in with the series. Saturday 23 June 2012, 10am - 4pm Hall Place and Gardens, Bourne Road, Bexley, DA5 1PQ

The day promises to be a great event which will give you the chance to find out about tracing your family history and help and advice from Family History Experts. NWKFHS will be providing help and information about the occupations of your ancestors and researching ancestors and their families in South East London and NW Kent.  Access to on line records and how they can help you. Free information packs and one to one advice (which can be booked on the day) on your family history  research (remember to bring some details with you).

There will be other organisations there for you to talk to and see how they can help in your quest:

Listen to historian, broadcaster and writer Michael Wood discussing The Great British Story. Track down your ancestors with help and advice from family history experts Learn how experts conserve and protect treasures from the Museum of London. Find out how to date your old photos, if you've inherited an family photo bring it along to find out more Learn how to discover the history of your home using local archive sources. Discover Bexley's archaeological treasures and show your own mystery finds to our experts. Explore the history of Bexley through local heroes, landmarks, working lives and industrial heritage. Take part in a reminiscence session and share your memories of working in and around the Thames Gateway plus a full programme of talks will run throughout the day.

This is a ticketed event but the tickets are FREE. Tickets are  only available from the BBC.  Apply for your FREE tickets at  Great British Event 23 June 2012   or by calling 03709 011227.  Booking Application will take you straight to the booking form.

Further details of the day can be found at BBC Events-The Great British Story