Why do we study family history?

Dick Eastman’s Newsletter of 7 June 2018 asked the question ‘Why do we study genealogy?

Genealogy is defined as the direct descent of an individual or group from an ancestor.

It is a simpler question than ‘Why do we study family history’.

Family History I believe is to research not only our lines of descent but also the details of our family members, their occupations, the places they lived and the social influences that affected their lives. It is trying to understand what made them do what they did. One question that crops up as you discover more about them is why they survived to create the generations of our family. They endured war, disease, poverty and occupational injuries. Sometimes they were working with the law and sometimes they appeared on the opposite side or merely as witnesses. Every event creating a record of their existence.

So why do we study family history? It is because:-

• It is curiosity.
• It is the search.
• It is the sense of knowing more about the family than other members of it know.
• It is the discovery.
• It is the puzzle as to where to look.
• It is finding sources that add to the search.
• It is the discovering characters that you like and wish you had known.
• It is the discovering characters that you feel you would not have liked, but wish you had known.
• It is the challenge of a ‘brick wall’ and the joy at demolishing it.
• It is the history of the place that the family inhabited.
• It is the history of the country that affected them.
• It is the journeys they undertook and the reason why they traveled.
• It is an addiction.

So why do you study family history?

Fake Pedigrees

‘Genealogy and the medieval historian’ by Michael Maclagan from the paper presented at the 1978 English Genealogy Congress held at St Catherine College, Cambridge.

In a recent workshop at NWKFHS Society Library I explored errors, lies and other misinformation in records found in the commercial and government indexes online. There are also a number of fake pedigrees that are known within the genealogical community such as those written by Gustav Anjou between 1890 and 1942 [Online https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Fraudulent_Genealogies]. Michael Maclagan mentions a case of someone embellishing their Ancestry. Sir Walter de Norwich d 1329 became Chief Baron of the Exchequer and his son John Admiral North of the Thames became a peer in 1342. The pedigree compiled with supporting forged documents (Maclagan p12 quoting Bodleian MS Top. Gen.c.62 (formerly Phillips 3796)) claims to go back to a companion of William the Conqueror.

Pedigree Collapse

‘Genealogy and the medieval historian’ by Michael Maclagan from the paper presented at the 1978 English Genealogy Congress held at St Catherine College, Cambridge.

If you have any interest in pedigree collapse and that your ancestors may have been related by multiple descent lines, then you will find Michael Maclagan’s paper of interest. He stresses “the wide spread of family connections through the Middle Ages”.

He gives examples of marriages forbidden by canon law that took place either by a clandestine marriage or by papal dispensation. The marriage between relatives has continued since medieval ages as Michael admits to be a child of second cousins.

Bromley meeting 22nd September 2018 now 15th September

Due to an unfortunate sequence of events that were out of our hands, we have had to change the date of our September meeting from Saturday 22nd to Saturday 15th. The venue is the Methodist Church as usual. Meryl Catty will still able to visit us, but we have had to change the title of the talk, as Maureen Binks will be on holiday on the 15th. Meryl’s talk will be 'Our Newspaper Heritage': a light-hearted introduction to the history of the press enlivened with extracts from newspapers, humorous, tragic and macabre as well as the more mundane.

Insight into occupation records

Everyone of your ancestors had to earn a living to survive, no social services and little parish support. So if you want to learn more about occupational records then Jean Stirk's workshop on 21 March 2018 will help you.
Contact workshop@nwkfhs.org.uk. There are places available for members.
Sorry, due to lack of workshop space we cannot accept non-members booking applications at this time.

New Web site goes live

The new web site has gone live www.nwkfhs.org.uk. Its been a long time coming but I feel the content and new layout have been well worth while.
There is now a members area which adds to the experience for members. It contains data available only to members.
To access the members area you need to enter your membership number and surname in caps.

Then clicking forgot password and it will take you through the process of entering a new password that you can choose.

Enjoy the site.

If you have a problem it may be because we have a small teething problem with email addresses because there are instances of two members having the same email address. Its mainly family members who for convenience have the same email address noted by the Society. So please can you change it so both family members have different email addresses.

Please let the membership@nwkfhs.org.uk, webmaster@nwkfhs.org.uk or me president@nwkfhs.org.uk know of the changed email address with your membership number in a private email. Please do not add it as a comment. Thanks

Transcriptions volunteers

The data backbone of Family History Societies is the transcribing and indexing of original documents. Eric Jackson in his report for the Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS) general meeting (2018) mentions the transcribers' comradery of the Lancashire ‘Crew Lists Project’ volunteers. The same atmosphere is enjoyed by NWKFHS volunteers. In addition to the transcribing activities there is also a team of volunteers creating a catalogue of the books, photographs, fiche and old documents held in the Society Library. At these sessions the comradery is created by the supply of tea, coffee and biscuits with lots of ready banter among the team. The advantage the Society has is having a room in which to work with the tools of atlases, magnifying glasses and guidance references and adjacent kitchen facilities.

Members are very welcome to join the transcription and cataloguing teams by offering their services at the regular monthly branch meetings or at the Library on any Wednesday.

Metropolitan Police History

Ken Chamberlain at Dartford on Saturday talked about the history of the Metropolitan police force and during the presentation gave hints on researching your police ancestors. The first was to contact the metropolitan police historical collection www.metpolicehistory.co.uk and the second was the guidance notes at the TNA. The TNA under the MEPO piece number MEPO4 has a number of registers that have been digitised and are FREE to view on line. You can in 'Discovery' enter the ancestors name and  then view the actual register entry online at no cost. I managed to see the registers that gave the date of recruitment, date of leaving, warrant number and the division of members of my family who served in the police. One of these men served not in London but at Chatham Dockyard.
A good talk that surprised me in providing information that has lead to four new pieces of family history. Thanks Ken.

The Society Photographic Albums

The Society photographic albums are in two areas. The albums in the store includes  donations from the families of deceased members, informal recording by Society officers and members, and events over the last forty years. The albums on the open shelves are photographs and postcards reproduced in a standard size to suit the album. The originals that do not suit the albums are in store.

 The albums can be browsed during the Wednesday  sessions of the Society Library and resource centre. Some of the Society event photos are better labelled than others. Please pop in and see if you can add names! All of the photographs on the open shelves are fully labelled and most dated.

 

 

County boundaries and mapping your ancestors' locations

At the mapping workshop on Wednesday 17th January 2018 one of the queries raised was to do with a brickmaker in 1911 at Kilsyth, Stirlingshire. Checking the Brickmakers Index there were two entries for sources that refer to Kilsyth. The first was Gartshore Brickworks at Kilsyth, Dunbartonshire. The second was for Gartshore Brickworks at Kiltsyth Stirlingshire. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland publication 'Brick Tile and Fireclay Industries in Scotland' has a diagram G3 distribution map of sites in Clackmannanshire, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Stirlingshire. There is a small area between Stirlingshire and Lanarkshire that is unlabelled. This area is East Dunbartonshire. where this publication lists Gartshore Brickworks, Kilsyth as in the NGR location NS706743. It was thought there could have been two brickworks. However the 1956 OS map supplied from the National Library of Scotland web site [http://maps.nls.uk//view/91578896] of old maps shows a single brickworks on the north of the B8048 road and south of the railway spur that joins the Glasgow to Stirling main line at about Drumgrew Bridge. This was one of the colliery brickworks taken over by the NCB (National Coal Board) when they took over the mining collieries in 1946/47.
It just shows that places and parishes need to be checked. I good guide for England and Wales is Philimore's Atlas and Index. As an example in Bedfordshire Kensworth was previously in Hertfordshire and Swineshead was in Huntingdonshire.
Good luck with mapping your ancestors and I hope it helps you breakdown barriers.
Regards
David

New NWKFHS program 2018-2019 is available

 

The New NWKFHS Program is now available on our old web www.nwkfhs.org.uk and it will be featured on the new web site when its launched early in the new year.

 

The Society celebrates its 40 anniversary in 2018. The programme has the new anniversary logo which will feature on our publications in the new year.

 

You can also find the Society events in the Journal of Kent History for publication.

 

Happy New Year.

 

 

Volunteers wanted to assist with data entry at the Society Library.

Volunteers wanted to assist with data entry and processing.

If you can use a computer and either EXCEL or ACCESS Microsoft software programs, you can help NWKFHS by volunteering to manage some of the many resources stored at the library.
Volunteer 1 – entry of family history data.

Can you enter data into spreads-sheets (Excel) or Access tables that look like spread-sheets?
Volunteer 2 – to draw up spread-sheets.

Can you draw up spread-sheets and format the cells for others to take them over and input the data?

Volunteer 3 – to use ACCESS and administer databases.

Can you use ACCESS databases?

Can you create tables for data entry?

Can you design queries and reports in ACCESS databases?

Training available for volunteers.

If you can volunteer on a regular basis and can already use WORD or other Microsoft programs, we can provide training in data entry and processing. These will be new transferrable skills you can use to advance your family history research.

Please contact the library@nwkfhs.org.uk or David at president@nwkfhs.org.uk.

GRO Indexes available at NWKFHS Joydens Wood

In 2017 the closure of a local archive gave the Society the opportunity to provide a home for the microfiche General Registry Office birth, marriage, and death indexes. This collection of fiche is available to members at the Society Library at Joydens Wood, Bexley every Wednesday from 10.00am to 4.00pm. See our web site for directions at www. nwkfhs.org.uk.

If you would like a list of these fiche please send an email request to library@nwkfhs.org.uk.

The fiche include not only the BMD indexes up to 1965 but also the overseas register indexes some from as early as 1796 to 1965.

Asking Grandparents

At the Society Library yesterday a prospective member made an interesting observation. He said 'We are the grandparents we wished we asked when we started our family history research'.
Perhaps over Christmas I should be dropping some QI facts into the conversations with the grandchildren!
A realisation I had some time ago wishing I had asked more questions of my grandparents when they were alive. C'est la vie ....
Have a happy Christmas
Best wishes
David

QI = 'Quite interesting', after the television program.

Pictures and Maps

Writing up your family history can be enhanced by pictures and maps.
Too often they are copyright or watermarked. That's fine, but so many pictures from old books are out of copyright.
It was wonderful that one of my links sent me the details of the 'Digital Library of America', I'm now enjoying the search for new pictures and maps that can illustrate my family history.
I've even discovered Sergeant Wayne A Cuffley, a very distant relative, has provided photographs to the USAF and these are available on the site.
Its amazing how the availability of knowledge has increased over the last ten years.

NWKFHS Library Christmas Closures

The Library will be open on Wednesday 20th December when you can research and enjoy Janet's Christmas fare provided by the 'Tea Club'.
On Wednesday 27th December the Library is CLOSED.
On the Wednesday 3rd January the Library is OPEN. Have a happy new year and don't forget its our 40th Anniversary year.
Have a Happy Christmas.
Best wishes David

Syd Jordan Cartoons

If you or your parents played sport in the South East London area were they recorded by Syd Jordan. Syd Jordan who died in 1972 drew sketches of sportsmen from the local clubs.
It was seeing a cartoon of my father and his brother playing bowls for Woolwich Polytechnic (later know as Thames Poly and now Greenwich University) Bowls club who beat Bexleyheath Conservative Club that reminded me of these wonderful sketches. I'm fortunate that I too have a cartoon from my rugby playing days.
Syd was born in 1894 at Plumstead and died in 1972. His sketching started in 1919 for a Crayford works magazine before moving to work for the Kentish Times (The Mercury 27 November 1997).
He was not only a cartoonist but had been trained as an engineer working for Vickers during both world wars. In the 1920's he was the licensee of a pub in Bexleyheath.
If anyone else can add to Syd Jordan's biography or know where a collection of his sketches can be seen other than in old newspapers I would like to hear.

David

Dartford Branch meeting 2 November 2017

Peter Jones gave a talk on 'The Masons and 300 years of the Grand Lodge of England' explaining their history and the work in the community.
The next Dartford meeting on the 2nd December has a talk by Rupert Matthews entitled 'The Biography of Father Christmas'
If you want to learn more about all the North West Kent FHS branches and their meetings see the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/North-West-Kent-Family-History-Society-185363068176998/

There is always something going on in the Society and as December approaches the Society newsletter is worth looking at to keep up to date. Tony has made it very seasonal and it’s packed with Society information .... ..http://www.nwkfhs.org.uk/nwk-newsletter-dec-2016.pdf

 

There is also mention of the library  before and after Christmas treats and many workshops and discussion dates for Jan-March (these are slightly different to those that will appear in  the journal when it comes out ..... . just a hiccup as dates were changed to accommodate MORE activities!).

 

I'm sorry to send early greetings but in case I don't talk to you all before Christmas have a Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Regards

David

Latest Worshops

Hi Folks Victor has updated the program of workshops for the end of the year and 2017.

60 – October 19th 2016 :- “ Writing Family Histories” :-  This led- discussion group will not tell you how to write or even how to write up your family history but will help you to think widely about communicating you research to your chosen audience.  Pauline is not an expert at family history research but enjoys words, attends a creative writing group and edits our journal.  It would be helpful to bring a simple family tree of three generations or more, hand sketched is fine, and a timeline of events from the life of one of your ancestors. - Pauline Heathcote – This is a repeat of the workshop first held in November 2015

 61 – November 16th 2016 :- “ Brick Walls - Thinking Outside the Box – Mind Maps and other Methods” :- This workshop will try and suggest methods of thinking about how to overcome those ‘brick walls’ that every family historian meets.  It will use the attendees own stumbling blocks to discuss sources and how to set out the known facts and suggest research to help solve the problem.  Attendees' submitted brick walls will be used as case studies. - David Cufley – This is a repeat of the workshop held in March 2015

62 – January 18th 2017

:- “ Record Keeping for Family Historians” :- Filing family group sheets, certificates and other paper documents with cross referencing systems and descriptions to enable research results and sources to suggest your future research. - David Cufley                                                                                                                                      This is a repeat of the workshop first run in October 2015.       

62A – January 25th 2017 :- “Society Quarterly Discussion Group” :-  “What happens to my research when I'm gone?”                                                                                                                         [Please see information elsewhere in the December 2016 Journal]                        

63 – February 15th 2017 :- “Beginner Session” :-  This workshop aims to assist in the early stages of Family History research. It will cover birth, marriage & death certificates, census, parish registers, wills, directories & websites. - Fran Rogers

64 – February 22nd 2017 :- “An Introduction to Family Historian - A Genealogy and Family Tree Software Computer Program” :- This workshop will provide an overview of this UK program. Content will include preferences, data entry, importing data from other programs, as well as introducing diagrams, reports and the adding of photos. It will also cover the method of recording sources and their respective citations. Aimed at beginners. - Brian Kirk                    This is a repeat of the workshop first held in April 2016 & repeated in September 2016

 

PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE TWO WORKSHOPS IN FEBRUARY

65 – March 15th 2017 :-  “Finding the Missing”:- Searching for ancestors in unexpected places such as hospitals, prisons, workhouses, almshouses, asylums, industrial schools and among apprenticeship, Poor Law and Settlement records. - Jean Stirk                                                   This replaces the postponed workshop from July 2016

 

66 – April 19th 2017  :- “Some Early Sources Pre 1700” :- Have you tried using Equity Records held in The National Archives?  ie. Star Chamber, Chancery, Exchequer & Court of Requests.  By using TNA's 'Discovery', references to the documents are revealed.  Explanation of the documents with their immense amount of information even for the very 'umble'. - Joyce Hoad

 

66A - April 26th 2017 :-“Society Quarterly Discussion Group” - Topic TBA                     [Please see information elsewhere in the December 2016 Journal]

67 – May 17th 2017 :-  “Andrew Farmer, 1835-1865, a Royal Naval Officer.” A Greenwich scholar who fought in the Opium Wars, court martialled for prevarication and died of a fever serving on a ship engaged on anti-slavery patrol. Janet's research has involved using a variety of sources which she will share with workshop participants. - Janet Digby

68 – June 21st 2017 :- “Your Society Needs YOU :- Transcribing, Checking and Editing of Society Publications”.  A workshop for volunteers interested in becoming transcribers, checkers and editors. Additional volunteers are needed to help with the production of new publications from original documents. Join this workshop to find out how you can help. - Barbara Phillips This is a repeat of the workshop first held in May 2016  

                                                                                            

69 – July 19th 2017 :-  “The 1939 Register” :– The Register can be used as a census substitute but, unlike other census', it is not a snapshot in time but an evolving document which continued to be updated for some years after WW2.  We will examine what it contains and discuss any problems you may have encountered when using it. - Christine Hills                                          This is a repeat of the workshop first held in May 2016

69A - July 26th 2017 :-“Society Quarterly Discussion Group” - Topic TBA                      [Please see information elsewhere in the December 2016 Journal]

70 – August 16th 2017 :- “Your Family in History – A Time Line” :- A guide through history (1500-1914) briefly highlighting events and their effects on your ancestors lives.  This is more in the form of a discussion group so that you can introduce events that affected YOUR ancestors. - Hilary Waters                                                                                                                                This is a repeat of the workshop held in August 2016