Searching for ancestors just got easier

By Gerard Duignan

The Petone Chronicle | December 2014

Searching for deceased loved ones is much easier now the Hutt City Council has added the Taita Cemetery records to its online database, replacing manual methods.

However, because of the Privacy Act you can't see your family's school record after 1919 "...  unless you can prove they're dead,"  Alistair Hardy told a full room of genealogists in the Petone Library in November.  "Of course, you can ask for your own record, but many people want their whole family's details," he said.  Hardy, president of the Hutt Valley branch of the NZ Society of Genealogists, says they are looking into updating the early school records prior to 1919.

Graeme McVerry, a former Korokoro resident, told the story of how Jack McVerry, his kiwi-born father, became a decorated pilot in Bomber Command during WWII, leading dozens of dangerous tours over Europe with the famous Pathfinders Squadron.  His moving story engaged the audience at the monthly meeting in November, when he explained how he discovered the facts behind the remarkable challenges those young aviators faced.

McVerry gave a very detailed tour of 'Discovery', a feature of the National Archives of England, Wales and the UK.  "You'll pay for your annual Society subs in one night of downloading" information, for which members would otherwise have to pay for in pounds sterling, he said.

There are millions of searchable records in the National Archives along with other services, such as an explanation of palaeography, the study of old handwriting which is helpful for reading old wills and documents.

"We're enthusiastic supporters of the heritage centre based here in the Petone Library,"  Hardy said.  The society's extensive resources are securely stored there, and the public may browse the society's books.

NZSG meets monthly except January, on a Thursday evening and the following Thursday morning.  The final meeting will be on 11 December.