Interest high in family ties
Hutt News | Tuesday, 31 October 2006 [circa]
A Medieval Knight in the family? Retiring HV genealogy chair Sandra Greig (right) seeks the help of fellow member Sheila Clegg, who is able to translate a Medieval Will into plain English for her. For the record, the Knight was Sir William Hendle who lived in the 1400s.
A HUTT Valley genealogist, Lynly Yates is heading the 2007
conference committee, which will also mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the
NZ Society of Genealogists.
The Hutt Valley and Wellington branches are combining to stage the
2007 annual general meeting and conference at Queen's Birthday weekend, 1-4 June at Wellington Girls College in Thorndon.
A list of experienced Kiwi speakers is headed by overseas guest Else Churchill from the UK Society of Genealogists.
THE LOCAL genealogy society is expecting a renewed interest in family history as UKTV airs the BBC television series tracing the ancestry of six British celebrities on Sky.
Who Do You Think You Are? has already stirred renewed interest in genealogy in the UK and DominionPost reviewer Linda Burgess has called it "compulsive, riveting viewing... speaking to all of us because we all have some curiosity about where we come from".
Retiring Hutt Valley Branch President of the NZ Society of Genealogists, Sandra Greig, says her group is the ideal place to start the quest to grow the family tree.
Based at the Hutt Bridge Club rooms in Park Avenue, it's the biggest branch in New Zealand and she says Hutt Valley has an extensive library of books and microfiche- "and plenty of experienced genealogists only too willing to help the newbie get started."
New members are "buddied up" with an experienced researcher to help them along.
"With all the major repositories like the National Archives and National and Turnbull Libraries on our doorstep, it makes it very convenient for local researchers."
The club has two meetings a month, one at 9.30am on the third Thursday February to November and 7.30pm on the first Thursday February to December.
Sandra Greig stands down at the AGM on 2 November after seven years on the committee, the last four as Co-ordinator/chair.
After the 7.30pm agm on 2 November, the guest speaker will be Gary Tonks speaking on the Tonks Family of early Wellington. The name has been in the news recently with the Wellington Motorway extension displacing some of the homes associated with the family.
For further information call Sandra on 586-0847 or Deb on 567-0213.
Who Do You Think You Are? screens on UKTV Sky Channel 6 at 8.30pm on Tuesdays. There are three episodes to go.
