2010 programme of meetings - start time 8.00 p.m.

19 January
Tithe maps and apportionments: a history of the tithe and tithe commutation by Paul Blake (needs no introduction)

Saturday 13th February
A Visit to The National Archives with Brenda Hawkins
Weather permitting; Brenda will be visiting the National Archives at Kew. She will be happy to give advice to anyone who is new to Kew would like some guidance on using the records.
Make your own way there and meet in the Foyer at 9.30am.

16 February
Ten Things To Do With Your Electronic Family Tree by Steve Cordery
The talk explores the sorts of things that you might want to do with all the research information you have accumulated and stored on your computer.
"For those that don't use a computer, I hope to get them thinking about what they may be missing. For those that do use a computer, I may suggest something they have not thought of.
I do try to make the talk as interactive as possible. Contributions from the audience are always welcome and generally make for a better experience. The talk is timed to run for about 60 minutes but can overrun if there is lively audience participation!"

Steve has worked with computers for nearly 35 years and has been actively involved in the East of London Computer Group for the last 6 or 7 years. He was born in ESFHS territory in Lambeth at the General Lying In Hospital but most of his ancestors seem to be from the Romford area of Essex and, before that, Harlington, Middlesex (near that quaint village called Heath Row).         

16 March
Pre 16th century records (Before parish registers) by Ian Waller
Pre 1600 research is an entirely different "ball game" with many records existing that can be useful although the familiar ones had not even commenced. Many of the early records are underused and many family historians consider there research can go no further when parish registers stop. This talk helps family historians see what is available

Ian Waller is a professional genealogist and archive researcher, a member of AGRA, with 30 years experience in English research.
He has taught family history at both beginner and advanced levels at several adult education centres in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and has lectured widely to many family and local history societies. He is the author of "My Ancestor was an Agricultural Labourer" published by the Society of Genealogists and has written many articles for the family history press.
He was until recently a Trustee of the Society of Genealogists and in the past he was also chairman of the education committee. His other interests include making scale models of horse drawn vehicles, oil painting, digital photography and country and western music.

18 May
Droughts, deluges & dust devils: 300 years of South East weather by Ian Currie
For 30 years, weather wizard Ian, a former geography teacher at de Stafford School in Caterham, has been making accurate forecasts in the Surrey Mirror and its sister paper, the Croydon Advertiser.
He blames his passion on a lightening strike on his Kent school in 1958 during heavy storms, which he says "sparked" his imagination, followed by a Christmas gift of a simple weather station in 1962.

15 June
What did they do? - Sources for Professions Trades and Occupations by Else Churchill
Else Churchill is the Genealogy Officer of the Society of Genealogist having been appointed to that post after the retirement of the Society's Director Anthony Camp in 1998. She has over twenty years of experience as a professional genealogical librarian and researcher since 1982.
Formerly the Librarian of the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, a researcher with Achievements Ltd and Ancestors Ltd, Else has worked for the SoG since 1994 and now leads the Society's thriving education and publishing programmes as well as being the Society's Genealogist. She has contributed to articles in Family Tree Magazine, Ancestors Magazine, Your Family Tree and of course the  SoG’s Genealogists Magazine. She lectures regularly for the Society of Genealogists around the country and in the United States, Canada and New Zealand
Her main interests lie in the seventeenth century, but Else retains more than a fondness for the records of the Victorian Censuses which are invaluable for family historians. She has recently had some success in her own family research which now goes back to Herefordshire in the 1670s 

20 June
Postcards, an entertaining source of local history by Peter Lawrence
Peter Lawrence is an historian, not of words, but of images. He collects and studies old photographs, postcards, and other popular images.

21 September
Members’ Evening
Programme to be advised.

19 October
Bribery & corruption: the unreformed electoral system & its records by Richard Harvey
The talk relates to the means of conducting Parliamentary elections prior to the introduction of universal suffrage in the C20, and the records it produced, notably poll books.

Richard is a retired librarian: He worked at Guildhall Library for 34 years and is currently doing a PhD on an aspect of London Tramways at the Institute of Historical Research (nothing to do with family history!)

16 November
The Great Exhibition of 1851 by Anne Carter
Anne worked at Rochester Cathedral for 11 years in The Education and Visits Department, after which she became Head of Drama and Elocution at Gads Hill School, a post from which she has now retired.
Anne originally trained at the Italia Conti Stage School. The acting skills subsequently acquired in repertory theatre still prove useful when she performs her one woman show (in costume) “An Audience with Queen Victoria”.

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2009 programme of meetings

20 January Mari Alderman - The origin of surnames

17 March Else Churchill - Georgian Ancestry, Sources for the eighteenth century

19 May Peter Christian - Maps online

15 July Stephen Humphrey - Charles Dickens and Southwark

15 September Members evening - With computers and laptops

17 November David Cufley - Trades and occupation sources, using bricklayers as an example

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2010 programme of meetings

January 27
Out of Sight, Out of Mind? - Sources for the History of Surrey's Mental Hospitals 1770 - c.1990 - Julian Pooley

February 24
Convict Transportation - Law & Order, Justice, Courts & Overseas - Ian Waller

March 24
Surrey's War Hospitals - following a casualty from the front line to one of the 150 hospitals set up to cater for 2 million men wounded in WW1 - Laurence Spring

Wed April 28
Adoption and fostering, circa 1850 - 1930 - Louise Taylor.

Wed May 25th
Where did they live? Records relating to residence and land ownership before 1840 - looking at directories, poll books, land and tax records - Else Churchill of the SOG

Wed June 23rd
Members meeting - Were there any surprises in the 1911 census and have you any new and interesting family research to share?

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2009 Meetings

28th January "The ancestor I should like to spend ten minutes with...." Members' meeting.

25th February Subject TBA

25th March Life in the Workhouse – Ian Waller

22nd April Militia Lists and Muster Rolls – Ken Divall
In theory an annual census of all men in a parish between the ages of 18 and 50 in the late 18th & early 19th centuries

27 May Projects session
Lingfield group have kindly agreed to check some of the project work thereby clearing some of the backlog.

24 June Non-conformity: a teach-in for the family historian – Alan Ruston
A different slant on an interesting subject

29 July The Great Exhibition of 1851 – Ian Bevan
Ian has a wealth of knowledge on the exhibition and uses some local (Lingfield) information to illustrate his talk.

23 September Identifying Victorian Photographs – Mari Alderman
It’s time to sort out that shoe box or drawer of photos

28 October - The Marshalsea Prison - Stephen Humphrey
Learn about the criminals and their conditions

25 November - London, the metroplitan nightmare - Paul Blake
A new talk based on the South Bank

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2010 programme of meetings

9th January: London Labyrinth by Kathy Chater

13th March: Adoption and Fostering c1850-1930 by Louise Taylor

8th May: Members' meeting (But non-members very welcome). Come along and tell us about your successes and failures; ask for assistance or help others; or just have a chat over a cup of tea!

10th July: British property and land records - an introduction to sources by Paul Blake

11th Sept: The Hearth Tax by Pete Seaman

13th Nov: Strawberry Hill by Kim Hacker

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2009 meetings

10th January. Vivien Kermath. Bermondsey: Exploring traces of a Family and a Community - c1856-c1939

14th March. Jean Debney. Dating old photographs

9th May. Members' meeting. (But of course non-members more than welcome!)

11th July. Ron Cox. The happiest days ..... - Education and its records

12th Sep. Alan Ruston. The Gentleman's Magazine

14th Nov Paul Blake. Naval Ancestors

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Delays to refurbishments at Southwark Library have disrupted the smooth running of our meeting programme.

FEBRUARY Mon 22nd at the Cuming Museum
An Introduction to Family History Sources in Southwark Local History Library.
Talk by Stephen Humphrey
Stephen is the Borough Archivist & will show some original documents.


APRIL Mon 26th - back at Southwark LHL*
NB Speaker & topic changed due to cancellation of November 2009 meeting
FAMILY LIFE & THE AGED POOR IN [EAST] LONDON IN THE 1890s
Talk by Marina STACK
*NOTE: Meeting to be held at Southwark Local History Library, 211 Borough High St.
Please use the John Harvard Library entrance.

JUNE Mon 28th
MAPPING YOUR ANCESTORS: maps – migration – mobility – demography.
Talk by John HANSON

AUGUST Date & subject to be announced

OCTOBER Mon 25th
SOUTHWARK: 'POLICE' PROSECUTIONS in the 1820s & the latest on Workhouse transcriptions & indexes.
Talk by Peter SHILHAM
Peter is the compiler of the SELON [South East LONdon] Index

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2009 meetings

FEBRUARY @ PECKHAM LIBRARY
Mon 3rd The Old Kent Road
Stephen Humphrey, Archivist at Southwark Local History Library

APRIL
Mon 27th GROUP VISIT to LONDON METROPOLITAN ARCHIVES,
40 Northampton Rd, EC1R 0HB

JUNE @ PECKHAM LIBRARY
Mon 22nd BLACK BRITISH ANCESTRY – Britain's part in the slave trade & overseas Empire meant that black people came to this country long before the 20th century and left descendants. Could you be among them?
Kathy CHATER

AUGUST @ PECKHAM LIBRARY
Monday 17th MEMBERS' MEETING - "Successes & Failures" - an exchange of helpful suggestions, sources & ideas for research.

NOVEMBER Monday 9th back @ SOUTHWARK LIBRARY -
This was cancelled due to the meeting room not being ready on the day as promised however the talk is now February 22nd 2010.
FAMILY LIFE & THE AGED POOR IN [EAST] LONDON IN THE 1890s
Talk by Marina STACK

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2010 programme of meetings including special presentation on April 17th

January 7 Members Meeting Looking at Census Returns Cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.

February 4 Brian Hudson The ESFHS Website
Brian is the webmaster of the East Surrey Family History Society

March 4 John Hanson An A-Z of Occupations
John is a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists, and is a lecturer, writer and teacher of family history.

Saturday April 17
ESFHA presents 'From TNA to DNA' with guest speakers, help desk and displays.
10am to 4pm - click here for details.

May 6 Stephen Humphrey Charles Dickens and Southwark
Stephen is the Archivist at Southwark Local History Library. He has written many books about Southwark and leads walks in the local area.

June 3 Ian Waller Upstairs Downstairs
A talk about Domestic Service Ian is an author and family historian.

July 1 Dr Chris Watts Tracing a Merchant Seaman
Chris is an author and a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists.

August 5 Chris Pocock My family and famous people.
Chris is Secretary of the Sutton Group of the East Surrey Family History Society and teaches family history for Sutton U3A

Details to come for September 2, October 7, November 4 and December 2.

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2009 programme of meetings

Jan 8 Family History Forum and Members Help Desk

Feb 5 Kathy Chater Insanity
Kathy is an Author and Family Historian. Her talk is about how people with
“mental health problems” were treated in the past.

Mar 5 John Phillips The River Wandle and its industries
John is Heritage Officer of the London Borough of Sutton. He is a Local Historian and Archaeologist.
His talk looks at the development of the River Wandle

Apr 2 Matthew Piggott Surrey on Film 1914-1953 - A Community in Peace and War
Matthew is from the Surrey History Centre
This is a talk interspersed with a fascinating compilation of rare moving images showing Surrey towns, villages and families in the 1st half of the 20th century celebrating in times of peace and coming together in response to the stress of two world wars.

May 7 Michael Gandy Ancestors in the Kings service; army, navy and others; an overview.
Michael is an Author and Family Historian. He will talk about where you can find military records.

Jun 4 Ian Waller Sold, Separated and Divorced
Ian is an author and family historian.

Jul 2 Dr Ron Cox East Surrey in 1851 people and places in census year
Dr Ron Cox is an experienced family and local historian.

Aug 6 Chris Pocock From South Wales to Sutton
The story of my Welsh Ancestors
Chris is Secretary of the East Surrey Family History Society and has been researching his family history for 13 years. He leads two groups in the Sutton branch of the University of the 3rd Age. His talk will cover the research he has carried out into his mother’s family with names like Jones, Evans and Davies.

Sep 3 Members meeting - Non members very welcome. A chance to get help with your family history research

Oct 1 Paul Blake Emmigration
Paul is an author, a professional genealogist and is the President of the East Surrey Family History Society.

Nov 5 Kath Shawcross Sutton Local Studies and Archives
Kath is the Borough Archivist and Local Studies Manager for The London Borough of Sutton Local Studies and Archives.

Dec 3 Peter Lawerance Villages of East London
Peter is a local historian specialising in the historic county of Essex.
This talk is about the development of the different parishes of East London with marvellous photographs.

After the talk is a Christmas Social. Members are asked to bring contributions of food and drink.

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