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East Surrey Family History Society

 

2011 GROUP MEETINGS PROGRAMME

2012 Programme

 

Croydon Lingfield Richmond Southwark Sutton

Admission is free and non-members are more than welcome to attend our meetings.
To email a group click the white box in the header of each group.
If your email program is not already open allow a few moments for it to appear.


Croydon Group
Group Secretary: Mary Gill - click box to send an email

Meetings on 3rd Tuesday of month, except August and December,
at 8.00 p.m. in the small hall.

Hall opens 7.30pm.

East Croydon United Reformed Church,
Addiscombe Grove, Croydon, CR0 5LP
Google Street view Google map



East Croydon URC website


2011

18th January - Railway Ancestors George Yalden

15th February - Identifying Victorian photographs by Marie Alderman
'I originate from Wales and have been tracing my family history since 1976. I began teaching FH in 1987 and work for Birkbeck College and at Adult Education Centres in Bromley, Bexley and Kent. My interest in the history of photography began at the age of 15 when my grandmother made me label her old photographs. Subsequently I inherited them and used them to begin my family history research.'
If members wish they can bring their own photographs for dating, but you may need to allow time for this if a lot of people attend.

15th March - Newspapers for Family Historians - How to get the most from them by Celia Heritage

9th April AGM and supporting events with the theme - Counting the People and the Law of Unintended Consequences - Click here for the programme.

17th May - Bread, gruel & dumplings - Life in the workhouse by Ian Waller.
Ian 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.

21st June - The Hearth Tax - A general history of the Hearth Tax, also looking at surviving documents and their use to family historians by Peter Seaman
Peter read history at St Catherine’s College Oxford. From 1982 to April 2010, when he retired he worked for TNA as an archivist. He has published three volumes on the Norfolk Hearth Tax and is still a volunteer at TNA. He was recently made an Honorary Research Fellow of Roehampton University.

19th July - MEMBERS EVENING - DOORS OPEN 7.30PM. FREE REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE. This month's meeting is all about the census and is especially for you. Is there someone you cannot find on a census? Is there a census entry you do not understand or do you have some interesting information relating to a census that you would like to share? Either way - if you need help or want to offer help please come along.
We will have a computer with internet access but, in order to speed things up, if you can bring along an additional laptop that would be much appreciated. The Church does not have wi-fi, but if anyone attending has a dongle or has a BTbroadband account and has registered with BTFON you should be able to get on line without any trouble.

August - no meeting

20th September - Forgotten Heroes of WWI by Geoff Bridger
War memorials are as much a part of our heritage as cricket or tea. And yet how often do we pause to examine one and reflect upon the individual sacrifice made by each man or woman named upon it. With over 750,000 killed from the British Isles alone in the Great War (and over 400,000 in World War II), nearly every family lost a loved one. Their names adorn the memorials we pass by in our daily lives. Many questions surely require an explanation as to how they came to be there. Who are these people? When and where did they come to join the armed forces, and what unit were they in? Exactly where did they face danger, and how did they come to die for their King and Country?
This profusely illustrated talk provides an insight into the techniques of wresting the names of the dead from the cold stone and restoring them as human beings to their rightful places in society. It demonstrates how to trace the lives, military careers and untimely deaths of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We then learn how to locate and visit their last resting place or memorial generally situated on, or near, the field of battle.

18th October - Adoption and fostering, circa 1850-1930 by Louise Taylor

15th November - John Whitgift & his legacy to Croydon by Sue Turnbull : Not much theology, more genealogy, local history and personal experience.
Sue is a retired nurse who has spent the last eleven years or so working for the Whitgift Foundation. Genealogy is a passion and she also has a great interest in local history, especially Medieval Croydon.

December - no meeting

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Lingfield Group

Chairman: Rita Russell - click box to send an email

Meetings on 4th Wednesday of each month, except August and December, at 2.30pm.
Doors open 2.00pm.

Lingfield & Dormansland Community Centre,
High St, Lingfield, RH7 6AB
Google Street view Google map

Community centre website


2011

January 26th – My Grandparent was .... – members of the Group to talk about their most interesting or elusive ancestor.

February 23rd – Debts, Debtors and Bankrupts – Ian Waller

March 23rd – A Soldier on Campaign – Ken Divall

April 27th – Churches, Gravestones and Symbolism – Celia Heritage

May 25th - A photo dating session - Jayne Shrimpton
Members are invited to bring 2 or 3 photos for Jayne to date for them

June 22nd – London Maps – Alan Rushton

July 27th – Land Tax Assessments – Eric Probert

August - no meeting

September 28th – A Burden on the Parish - a talk on Poor Law by Margaret Griffiths from Surrey History Centre

October 26th – Livery Companies – Peter Lusty

November 23rd – Stuart London – Ian Bevan

December - no meeting

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Richmond Group
Chairman: David Carter - click box to send an email


Meetings on 2nd Saturday of alternate months at 2.30pm.
Hall opens 2.00pm.


Vestry House,
21 Paradise Road, Richmond-upon-Thames, TW9 1SA
Google street view



Vestry House website (Richmond Parish Lands Charity)


2011

8th January “Where there’s a will, there’s a waiting relative” by Ian Waller

12th March “Marshalsea Prison” by Stephen Humphrey

14 May “Members’ Meeting” (Non-members very welcome).
Share successes and failures; ask for assistance or help others; or just have a chat over a cup of tea!

9 July “English Occupational Records” by Chris Watts

10 September “Manorial Records” by Paul Blake

12 November “Turning your tree into a tale – writing up your family history” by Kathy Chater

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Southwark Group
Group Secretary: Sheila Gallagher - click box to send an email


Meetings on last Monday of alternate months at 12 noon
(except January).

Doors open 11.30am

Southwark Local History Library,
211 Borough High Street, SE1 1JA
Google street view

Entry is from Borough High Street via John Harvard Library.

Local History Library website


The Reference Library material & archives are now back at Borough High St.
but please check with the Library before visiting. Some items are stored
elsewhere & must be ordered in advance.

2011

February 28th : "POVERTY & MADNESS - stories of poor women from Stepney in the late 19th century"
Talk by Louise TAYLOR.
Louise has researched the lives of these women to discover how & why they were committed to an asylum & will use them to illustrate the richness of the relevant sources available for family history. She also teaches family history.

April 18th : "IN & OUT OF LONDON - sources for ancestors migrating to & from the Metropolis."
Talk by Ian WALLER.
Ian is a professional genealogist, archive researcher & teacher of family history.
Please note change of date, as the 4th Monday falls at Easter

June 27th : "WAS YOUR ANCESTOR REALLY MARRIED? - Marriage laws, records & customs."
Talk by Dr. Colin CHAPMAN, author & lecturer on family history.

August 8th - "MEMBERS' MEETING" - sharing problems, solutions found, helpful & interesting websites etc.

October 24 - PLEASE NOTE – NO meeting at Southwark instead there is a
GROUP VISIT to the LONDON METROPOLITAN ARCHIVES,
40 Northampton Rd, EC1R 0HB. Tel: 020 7332 3824. (Open 9.30 – 4.45)

10.15 Introduction to LMA
10.30 Illustrated talk:“How to Search School Records at LMA: including LCC schools - holdings & content; & other schools – e.g Jews’ Free School, Special schools, Reformatories etc.”
If you wish to consult original documents/archives you will need a HISTORY CARD – available online, see: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma or apply on day, bringing evidence of ID & address.

Numbers are limited – PLEASE BOOK with Sheila Gallagher, 88 Oaks Ave, Worcester Park, KT4 8XF (enclose SAE) or email - see the box above.

December - no meeting

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Sutton Group
Group Secretary: Chris Pocock - click box to send an email


Meetings on 1st Thursday of each month at 8.00pm.
Doors open 7.30pm.

St. Nicholas Church Hall, Robin Hood Lane, Sutton, SM1 2RG (map)


Google street view - the entrance to hall is on LHS by the white railings
Gibson Road car park is on the RHS

St. Nicholas website

2011

January 6 Paul Blake - Crime, Criminals and Punishment in England
Paul is a professional genealogist and President of the East Surrey Family History Society

February 3 Else Churchill - Using English Parish Records
Else is the Genelogical Officer of the Society of Genealogists

March 3 Dr Geoff Swinfield - Tracing Living Relatives and Missing People
Geoff is a professional genealogist and family history reseacher.

April 7 NO MEETING (April 9 East Surrey FHS AGM at Croydon)

May 5 Ron Cox - Its where you sleep that counts. Care of the poor in The 19th century.
Ron is a family historian and a local historian specialising in Croydon.

June 2 Michael Gandy - Problems in London Ancestry
Michael is a professional genealogist, author and family history researcher.

July 7 Jeremy Harte - Nonsuch
Jeremy is the Curator of the Bourne Hall Museum, Ewell.

Aug 4 Chris Pocock My Ancestors Abroad Looking at Emigration
Chris is a family historian and Secretary of the Sutton Group of the East Surrey FHS

Sept 1 Stephen Humphrey - Medieval Churches in England
Stephen worked for many years in Southwark Local History Library and gives talks and guided tours about the history of the London Borough of Southwark. Over the years he has taken photographs of churches, cathedrals and abbeys all over England.

Oct 6 Ian Waller - Victorian Shopping
Ian is an author and family historian.

Nov 3 Peter Christian - Maps Online
Peter is an author and lecturer specialising in IT and Family History

Dec 1 Members' Evening and Christmas Social - Members are asked to bring family photographs to share.
Contributions of food and drink are invited for the Christmas Social.

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© 2012 East Surrey Family History Society.
Registered Charity No. 286659.
Updated 5/1/12