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/

Hi Folks,
Don't forget on Saturday 22nd April we have the AGM with talks in the morning and Afternoon.
The morning is Imogen Corrigan on ' Put that light out' 93rd Search Light Regiment Royal Artillery and Melanie Gibson-Barton on 'Wandering the Somme'.
West Heath School Ashgrove Road Sevenoaks was built in 1760 and became a school in 1932. Its the school were Princess Diana went in the 1970's.
Look forward to seeing you there but don't forget to book a place.
Best wishes David

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

North West Kent Family History Society: Research North West Kent area.

North West Kent Family History Society: Research North West Kent area.: Society Library Based Research Society volunteers are available to carry out research for members and non-members at a cost of £10.00 per ho...