Devilcards.com - Send FREE e-Cards here! Birthday, Christmas, Romance and many more...

Devilcards.com - Send FREE e-Cards here! Birthday, Christmas, Romance and many more...
thak you andrew

Hallmark.com: Products

Hallmark.com: Products
Happy 70th birthday to the web's chanpion genealogist !

We hope you are having a terrific day, best wishes from across the pond

I like that "play Again if you Dare"

Birthday Cards.com - FREE Greeting Cards for All Occasions - Reminders, Address Book, Christmas, Birthdays, Holidays

Birthday Cards.com - FREE Greeting Cards for All Occasions - Reminders, Address Book, Christmas, Birthdays, Holidays: "dear hugh
happy birthsday with the 70 year
stine is slepping and freja is seeing tele
hip hip hurar from gry kenneth stine freja"

missing in action

Alfred Henry Watkins

17 August 1907 to 24 September 1942 - HMS Somali

nicknamed David by his wife

click to enlarge this unusual death certificate
later my mother once laid three places for breakfast and childlike I asked, "Why lay three places when we are only two?"

HMS Collingwood

Royal Navy: History: "The Fourth HMS COLLINGWOOD

The present HMS COLLINGWOOD was built as a new entry Training Establishment for 'hostilities only' ratings of the Seaman Branch. The 200 acres it covers were compulsorily purchased in 1939 for just over £7,000; the land owner claimed that it was of the finest cornland in the South of England but, in local opinion, it was much the best snipe marsh in the country.

It was certainly wet and boggy and it took until the mid 1950s to clear sufficient water to allow the construction of anything better than a single storey building or concrete prefab. Initially, buildings were erected to form four distinct but identical sections with common Headquarter buildings; the whole surrounded the Parade Ground which was the focal point of the training. On 10 January 1940 the Establishment was commissioned as HMS COLLINGWOOD under the Command of a Commodore; training began a week later with batches of about 1000 trainees joining every 3 weeks for a 10-week course. Wireless Telegraphy ratings started their training in June 1940 when they transferred from HMS ST VINCENT and formed a separate group under their own Captain; a Radio Direction Finding School was added in 1942. At this time the Medical Section was rated as a Naval Hospital with a Surgeon Rear Admiral in charge. The Wrens came to HMS COLLINGWOOD when it was commissioned in 1940; fifty joined initially and worked as Cooks, Stewards, Messengers and Telephonists."

my father was there from May to August 1942
I have just found some of his letters amongst my late mother's papers
He mentions a three week gunnery course - but where ?

birthday card

Santa singing "Holy Nighty, Holy Nighty , Holy Nighty, STOP WRONG CARD

well any ways HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Birthday Cards.com - FREE Greeting Cards for All Occasions - Reminders, Address Book, Christmas, Birthdays, Holidays

happy birthday to me

myself in about 1939 aged about 3 years

from my email:-

Just wanted to get in an early birthday greeting to you before you got swamped on 7 Jan. You turn 70 years young that day, and I turn 71 (which I find extremely hard to believe). How do you plan to celebrate?

January 7 has always held some kind of mystical appeal for me. I've even collected a large file of names of other Jan 7 persons (yes, you are now in it). While having been an engineer by profession, I was also a professional musician, a symphony orchestra flutist. So I was amazed when I learned that Jean-Pierre Rampal was also a Jan 7 baby, as was Francis Poulenc, one of my favorite composers of music for the flute, and Nicanor Zabeleta, the great harpist who often performed with Rampal. The great pianist, Clara Haskil, was also one of us. My favorite US president, Millard Fillmore, b. 7 Jan 1800, never waged a war against another nation, was a staunch champion of the abolishment of slavery, and sent Commodore Perry to Japan to open trade and diplomatic relations with that country. Each year I exchange birthday greetings with Actress Erin Gray, best known as Wilma Deering in the "Buck Rogers" series of the 1970s. The highest paid woman today on American TV, Katie Couric, turns 49 on Saturday. The list goes on and on. For some reason, that date seems to have prompted a very high degree of creativity. The list of names fairly bristles with it. Montgolfier, Bernadette of Lourdes, Charles Addams, Nicholas Cage, Kenny Loggins, Butterfly McQueen, etc, etc, etc.

Before I forget (yes, it's starting to happen), let me add how much I enjoy your comments on "The List," your various sites and blogs, and your photography skills (the creative eye!).

Well, Hugh, sorry for the long monologue on such a curious topic, but I thought that, of all people, you'd be interested. Nevertheless, best wishes for your 70th. Have one on me!

thank you Bill

my plans are for a quiet day scanning old photographs

my grandfather

Alfred Henry Watkins

lived

13 Aug 1862 to 2 Jan 1935

Late Mr A. H. Watkins

Death of a Well-Known

Solicitor

CLERK TO USK COUNCIL.

The townspeople of Usk received with great surprise and regret the news of the tragically sudden death of Mr Alfred Henry Watkins, of Woodbank House, Bridge Street, Usk, early on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Watkins had not been very well during the night, but he was his own cheery self talking business with the District Surveyor up to lunch time. After lunch he went into his study feeling unwell again and was attended by his wife, who sent for Dr. Hackett. He passed away from a heart attack a few minutes later.
Mr Watkins, who was 72 years of age last August, was a member of the well-known firm of solicitors, Messrs Watkins and Co., of Pontypool, and was for fifty years in practice there, retiring last September after an illness.

PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS.
For many years he was Clerk to Usk H.G. School Governors (Roger Edwards' Charity) and Usk Scholarship Managers. On the resignation of Mr A. F. Lucas as Clerk to Usk U.D.C., Mr Watkins was unanimously elected to that office in March, 1929, and officiated for the first time in May of that year. He had previously been a member of that body. He was for some years Churchwarden at Usk Parish Church, as the representative of the Vicar (the Rev. Canon Edward Morgan, M.A.).Born at Highmead, Llanvair Kilgeddin, where his father was engaged in agriculture, he took a keen interest in that industry, and was for a long period treasurer of Usk Farmers' Club.Among other official positions which Mr Watkins formerly held was that of Registrar of the Pontypool County Court.

HIGHLY ESTEEMED PRACTITIONER.
Mr Watkins was a man of generous impulses, with an urbanity of manner that made him highly esteemed by all who knew him—one of whom no one spoke in dispraise and everyone held in the greatest respect. Much sympathy is felt for his widow and only son, as well for other members of the family. Mr A. H. Watkins, junr., is on the staff of the National Provincial Bank—Horse Fair Branch, Birmingham—and is married.

The funeral take places on Saturday at Usk, leaving the house at 3 p.m.

on the 5th January 1935

THE LATE MR. A. H. WATKINS
Funeral of Clerk to

Usk Council

The funeral of Mr. Alfred Henry Watkins, solicitor, and Clerk to Usk Urban District Council, took place at St. Mary's Churchyard, Usk, on Saturday afternoon.
The cortege was met at the church gates by the clergy and surpliced choir, and as the procession entered the church the organist, Mr. R G. Long played the " Dead March " in " Saul."

The service was a most impressive one, the Rev. Canon Edward Morgan, Vicar, the Rev. T. E. Leyshon, Curate, and the Rev. Henry Rees, Vicar cf Llantrissent, officiating.

The 90th Psalm was chanted, and the two hymns, " Just as I am " and " On the resurrection morning " were sung. As the procession left the edifice Mr. Long played Chopin's " Funeral March."

The mourners were : Mrs. Watkins. widow ; Mr. Alfred H. Watkins, son ; Miss L. M. Jones, sister-in-law ;

Messrs. T. P. Holmes, Wyndham H., and Hubert H. Watkins, Harry, Frank, and Jack Hughes, nephews ;

J. Walters, Harold, R. H., and John H. Marfell, cousins ;

and Mr. J. Harper, a co-Churchwarden with Mr. Watkins for many years.

Messrs. E. J. Whitton, Reg. Roberts, Bert Kear, William Sales, Tom Probert, and S. Hughes acted as special bearers.

LARGE ATTENDANCE
Among a large and representative public attendance were : Sir Lewis Lougher (Radyr),
Messrs. S. A. Riley, J.P., H. T. Pearce, J.P., A. E. Bowen, Isca Bowen (Clerks to Pontypool magistrates),
W. J. Everett, D. J. Lougher, Dr. E. L. M. Hackett (Medical Officer of Health),
Captain H. C. A. Davies, Messrs.

John H. Salter (Chairman of Usk Urban District Council), with all the members and officers,
J. R. Evans (Barclays Bank), Noel Bunning, G. Edwards (London and Provincial Bank), J. Coomber (Lloyds Bank),
Owen James, Morwent Parker, A. F. Lucas, Sam Jenkins, H. Powell, G. T. Gale (London), Gus Parkhouse (Pontypool),
W. W. Gibbon, T. D. R. Sage, A. L. and F. J. Lucas, Wilfrid Smith, Don Clift, John H. Rennie, Richard H., Percy, and William T. Marfell, F. Thomas (Griffiths-town),
Gilbert Prior (Rating Officer), James Murray, R. H. Williams, Ron Roberts, Tom Trigg, W. Jones (Coedybrain), Edward Morgan, George and L. Sweet, W. Eason, J. Green, John Parker (Llangattock Court),
J. Knight, Tom Davies, H. C. Davies,

Albert and S. Hathaway, William J. Sheddick, the Rev. W. J. Howell,
Messrs. Bert Williams, F. Hill, C. H. Rogers (staff of Watkins and Co.),
J. Saffin, J. Coward, J. Collins, Albert J. Davies, W. D. Husband, W. E. Scudamore, T. Evans, William Parker (Hereford),

George Edmunds, H. Ll. Hughes (Pontypool),

Tom Jones (Messrs. Tom Jones and Sons),

W. Evans, J. Cale, junior, A. J. Burgoyne, Spencer Kear, William Wise, John Lewis (Baron-street),

Tom Crump, Tom Parton, Ben Morgan (Deputy Clerk Pontypool Urban District Council),

Reuben Morgan, John Evans (Coedyfon),

E. Griffin, Percy Thomas, R. Window, C. A. Mortimer, W. Evans,

W. M. Haines (Penpergwm),
Wilfred Bowen, Owen Taylor (Pontypool), and D. Squire.

Mr. Bert Whitton, Usk, carried out the funeral arrangements.
After the service a muffled peal was rung on the bells of St. Mary's as a tribute to an old Churchwarden for many years.

I just found these two cuttings in an account book my father used 1935 to 1937 and tested Omnipage Pro 15 , with my new Scanjet 4890 Photo scanner from PIXMANIA and blurred the newspaper image in Photoshop Elements 4 and saved it for the web.

In about 1950 his widow, my granny, his widow, complained to me that his funeral was "taken over by the freemasons" and that she had little say in the arrangements.

Monday Solihull library

LAPHAM 1: LAPHAM family histories

Solihull Library telephoned to say they had obtained two of these four books for me, but they, and I, must stay on the library

So if you see me there in the family history room don't hesitate to speak

Solihull Website - Libraries

Workhouse

Workhouse Glossary
from Workhouse - The Story of Workhouses
by Peter Higginbotham, the creator of this web site which, at the last count, contained over 2000 web pages, 4000 photos and illustrations, and 1000 maps and plans

===

From 1869, the workhouse master had to record the religious creed of each new inmate so that appropriate arrangements could be made in respect of their education (in the case of children), serious illness, or death.

The fixed (and often basic and monotonous) diet prescribed for workhouse inmates. The dietary specified the food to be served to each class of inmate (male/female, adult/children etc.) for each meal of the week, often including the exact amount to be provided.
After 1834, the Poor Law Commissioners devised a set of six slightly different standard dietaries from which each union could select the one it preferred, based on the local availability of various foodstuffs. The "No. 3" diet is shown here .

useful to remember when reading the census.

Idiots and Imbeciles
Idiots and imbeciles were two commonly used categories of mental subnormality. Definitions varied over the years but in broad terms:
Idiots, the most deficient, were unable to protect themselves against basic physical dangers.
Imbeciles, a less severely deficient group, were unable to protect themselves against moral and mental dangers.

Grubber
One of the slang names for the workhouse, along with Spike, Bastille etc. presumably derived from grub — a slang term for food.
at Clifton College slang for the tuck shop

Industrial Schools
Originally applied to workhouse schools where industrial training was given to pauper children.
After 1856, the term was more commonly applied to schools set up to detain vagrant, destitute and disorderly children who were considered in danger of becoming criminals.
From the 1930s, the latter were known as Approved Schools.

waiting for my new scanner

my new Scanjet 4890 Photo scanner from PIXMANIA


Parcelforce Worldwide Track and Trace service.: "Parcel tracking details

Progress of the parcel you've enquired about is displayed below.

Parcel number:PBVC**********
Status:In progress

Parcel tracks

Date Time Location Tracking Event

05-01-2006 21:12 Birmingham South Depot Automatic redelivery
05-01-2006 21:12 Birmingham South Depot Returned to depot
05-01-2006 15:25 Birmingham South Depot Attempted delivery
05-01-2006 05:21 Birmingham South Depot Out for delivery
05-01-2006 00:27 National HubSorted in hub"

skifteuddrag

skifteuddrag Københavns Len, Amt og Birk

Det drejer sig om de tidligste skifteprotokoller og allene om uddrag af personalhistoriske oplysninger, kun i sjældne tilfælde har jeg medtaget kuriosa eller nogle få økonomiske data.

ERIK REINERT NIELSENS GENEALOGISKE SIDER

GENEALOGY SURNAME NAVIGATOR

Hej
Just a short note to let you know that there has been a major update
at Surname Navigator DENMARK

Now also with primary links
Happy Hunting

Rob Kuijsten

Last update: 5-1-2005
Since 2001:
3,808,275 visits
http://www.kuijsten.de/navigator/

Using Aide Memoires

Using Aide Memoires as a Memory Aid - Mind Tools:

" An Aide Memoire (Memory aid) is a structured list of points or headings that should be considered when solving a particular problem. It tends to be specific to the type of problem being faced."

If you are solving a common problem, then a good aide memoire may already exist for it. If you cannot find a good pre-prepared one, then you may have to develop it for yourself. This is worthwhile where you need to plan a number of similar jobs

for example a check list developed for use of the pilot when an aeroplane is prepared on the runway before take off

Pre-Takeoff Checklist
I see pilots are using a Pocket PC device these days instead of a clip board strapped to the thigh

and for a glider

and for a genealogist before visits to archives what to bring with you
from The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU England UK

Background information on your enquiry
Please bring as much information as you can on your enquiry. This will help us to help you.

Reader's tickets
Please remember to bring your reader's ticket with you. If you forget or lose your valid reader's ticket and would like a replacement you will have to pay a fee.
All reader's tickets are valid for three years from the date of issue. Tickets are automatically cancelled after this period. A new ticket will be issued on proof of identity

Proof of identity
To get a reader's ticket British visitors will need, a driving licence, passport, cheque card or credit card. If you have come from abroad then bring your national identity card, driving licence or your passport. If you are still at school or college, aged 14 or over, please bring a letter on headed notepaper, signed by your teacher or tutor, together with some evidence of your age (for example a birth certificate).

Pencil
You can only use graphite ('lead') pencils here. Pens are not allowed.
Notebook, notepad or Transparent Document Wallet

You may only take twenty sheets of loose paper into the reading rooms.

'Loose' paper includes any documents you might want to bring. You can take a notebook, notepad and/or twenty sheets of loose paper, which may be located in a transparent document wallet. Or you can use a portable computer or typewriter: These can be used in appropriate areas of the reading rooms.

Digital camera
Digital cameras may be used to take photographs of some documents. You will have to register your camera with us. Please ask for further details at the record copying desk.

Somewhere to keep your valuables
You will have to leave coats and bags in the lockers provided in the cloakrooms.

Cash, cheques or credit card
If you need copies of documents they can be paid for using any of these methods

Warm clothing
You may want to bring a pullover or cardigan to wear in the reading rooms.

Food and drink
There is a restaurant and an area where you can eat your own food and drink.

I would add white cotton gloves to protect mss
but much work is done with film in the self service areas

a sheet of plastic to protect maps and cushions to support old books are provided at the archives

The Family Records Centre
You do not need a reader's ticket to visit the Family Records Centre in London.
To find out more about visiting the Family Records Centre, see the information here, or visit their website at www.familyrecords.gov.uk/frc

mapping cemeteries

from usenet soc.genealogy.computing :-

I have been visiting cemeteries and would like to include GPS data for some of the older private cemeteries that are in very bad shape. I know that the system isn't accurate enough to pinpoint individual graves but would indicate where the graveyard is... or was.

Yes, it is certainly viable to use GPS to capture the location of a small cemetery. If the cemetery is large and you want to capture the location of a few graves within the cemetery, then again GPS is fine to the extent that you (or others) can return to the cemetery later and with a bit of poking around find the grave(s) reasonably quickly (especially if you have a few additional comments like "3rd black headstone from roadway" to help once you are in the vicinity).

We take the GPS data and create KML/KMZ (GoogleEarth) files which we publish on our WWW site of headstone photos from various old cemeteries. This
enables anyone who wants to see where a cemetery is in Google Earth to simply click on the link. Here's an example from our WWW site -- IF you have GoogleEarth installed, click it and it will "fly" you to the Alberton Cemetery at the Gold Coast, Australia. It won't work if you don't have GoogleEarth installed.

http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/
FamilyHistory/Photos/
Alberton_Cemetery-Gold_Coast_City/
GoogleEarth.kmz

Although KML/KMZ files can hold as precise a location as you get from your GPS, GoogleEarth does not have the resolution to *display* to the same level of precision. Therefore, we only make KML/KMZ files to record locations of cemeteries and not of individual graves, although I guess you could use it to record the *approximate* location of a specific grave in a large cemetery (it would depend on just how good the resolution of Google Earth is at that location -- it is extremely variable).

I would also like to use a combination of GPS, mapping software and plotting software to indicate the early homes and land holdings of my ancestors, and how they were divided over time. I know that there are quite a few map packages available. Do any allow you to add overlays... or do what I have in mind..? Are there any packages that have a base topo map and/or allow you to remove all man-made features and start fresh with early 1600 settlements, for
instance..? Are any of you doing something similar..?

You want to bear in mind that most of the GPS receivers comes bundled with mapping software from the same/affiliated company and therefore uses a proprietary data format (vendor lock-in). There do exist various programs (some of them freeware) to allow you to convert your GPS data from your vendor's format to various other formats. The impact for you of all this is that you may well need to start by choosing your mapping software, then
choose a GPS receiver compatible with it (or convertable to it).

A lot of mapping software will allow you to add overlays, but I am not sure about the availability of purely topological map sets with everything else done as optional overlays. Most mapping software are used for contemporary purposes so relating locations to things like roads tend to be more useful to most users, so at least some of this information tends to come as part of the base map (e.g. my base map for Garmin MapSource has highways and major towns on it). And indeed, even for historical purposes, it is useful to know where a historic location is relative to current landmarks (you probably have to drive there to visit it). However, I take your point that you would like to be able to view the data optionally with and without current landmarks, but you may need to settle for being able to reduce the amount of contemporary information rather than turn it all off.

The other issue is whether you want to share your location data with others, and whether or not these people will have a GPS or mapping software (of the same brand as yours or a brand that you can covert to). Most likely the people you want to share with don't have these things. This is where KML/KMZ (GoogleEarth) files are very useful as GoogleEarth is probably the most ubiquitous free mapping software available. Now I know there are many things to be said against Google Earth (poor resolution, doesn't run on Macs/Linux, generally needs broadband although some people say they use it over dial-up), but its installed base is massive compared with anything else. For most people, even if they cannot install Google Earth themselves (Mac/Linux/dialup users), odds on they know someone who can use Google Earth. You can define your own overlays for Google Earth incidentally, including overlaying images (very useful if you happen to have aerial photos or old maps), 3D shapes (e.g. to show the position of old buildings), polygons (e.g. to show the boundaries of a piece of ancestral land), lines (e.g. to show a route or track), and placemarkers (to mark locations of houses, cemeteries etc).

I guess what I am saying here is that when it comes to GPS, mapping and genealogy, there probably isn't going to be a simple off-the-shelf solution for you. It's probably a much too specialised niche market. And looking at the bigger picture of GPS and mapping, it seems likely that Google Earth will become (or perhaps already is) the "default" software mapping tool for most ordinary Internet users, so you might as well factor using Google Earth as a means of sharing your genealogic GPS data into your long term plans.

Having said all that, probably the most important thing you need to have in your mapping software is the ability to export it to plain text which you can cut-n-paste into other formats or other mapping software. Conversion tools are nice but nothing beats plain text for handling the unanticipated situations.
Kerry
and read the whole conversation (thread)

Google Earth –Explore, Search and Discover

Google Code: Google Earth KML Tutorial

GenBridge™ technology

Most genealogy applications provide two methods
to input data – manual data input and GEDCOM
(Genealogical Data COMmunications) import.

The Master Genealogist, Family history project manager for DOS and Windows from Wholly Genes Software, can import data directly from several popular genealogy programs

Software Application --- File Type --- Backup File
The Master Genealogist™ v4.x or earlier *.TMG *.SQZ
Family Origins® *.FOW *.ZIP
Family Tree Maker® *.FTW *FBK
GEDCOM *.GED
Generations™ *.UDS
Legacy Family Tree™ *.FDB *.ZIP
Personal Ancestral File® v3-5.x *.PAF *.ZIP
The Roots Family of Products
Family Gathering® *.PRO *.SQZ
Roots IV™ *.PRO *.SQZ
Roots V™ *.PRO *.SQZ
Ultimate Family Tree® *.PRO *.SQZ
Visual Roots™ *.PRO *.SQZ

see http://www.whollygenes.com/images/GMOTMG%20Ch03.pdf

The Master Genealogist UK Edition

ISLE OF MULL ANCESTRY

HOME
A genealogy website to assist inthe research of those individuals, who haveancestry connected with the Isle of Mull,Scotland. McPHERSON, STEWART, McCOLL, LAMONT,McPHAIL, FLETCHER, McDOUGALL, McDONALD, McLEAN, McINNES.

Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery

Home Page
for research into the first world war

Motto: Fidelity and Audacity (Worn in silver by officers)

Finding L.D.S. Batch Numbers

GENUKI
Batch numbers are used to identify the sources of records included on the I.G.I. (International Genealogical Index).
Now that the L.D.S. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) have provided online search facilities to this unparalleled resource, but without as yet providing means of limiting name searches to particular localities, batch numbers have become a valuable search aid because they can be used on the Custom Search page to restrict searches to a particular parish. Unfortunately the L.D.S. have not provided an online index to batch numbers, and unofficial listings, while useful, are very far from complete and are not completely accurate.

However, by following the steps on this site , it is possible to use the existing L.D.S. place search facility to determine batch numbers yourself

Place search
Select "... - Church Records -Indexes" from the list of available topics. see this Genuki page for detailed help

Keynsham Light Horse.

Anglo Zulu War of 1879 - Memorials and Headstones
The Keynsham Light Horse are enthusiasts dedicated to the location of memorials and headstones to those involved in the Anglo Zulu War of 1879. The fruits of that labour are presented on this site with over 1 380 such memorials and headstones online. Such battles as Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, Hlobane, Gingindlovu, Khambula and Ulundi are the framework of the Anglo Zulu War of 1879

The site is not intended as a genealogical database or to provide detailed descriptions of the people or their headstones, it is a simple gazetteer of where their last resting places are.

Ireland Old News

Irish Death Notices and Obituaries

Ireland Newspaper Abstracts:
"The links will take you to the articles currently on their site and organized by county of publication, year and month.
These pages are updated frequently so be sure to check back often for your particular interests."

Sisters reunited after 76 years

BBC NEWS "Doris Coughtrey, of Peterborough, Cambs, and her sister Irene, 85, of Maidstone, Kent, lost touch in 1929, when they were aged three and eight.

The sisters lived with different relatives after their mother died.

They spoke by telephone after Mrs Coughtrey's neighbour Gordon Low traced Irene using website Genes Reunited

I am in love

Sony VAIO VGC-V3S PC Desktop at Unbeatable.co.uk

I saw one at Currys in the Bull Ring in Brum

£1500 but my credit rating was not good enough - age 70 on the seventh of January or an unsmart address in B37?

Sony Vaio VGC-V3 Full Specs
Dell would be cheaper but not so elegant so I settled for the external hard disk I had planned to buy

and unpacked on my bed

I think 298 gb will take a while to fill with snaps and genealogy