Genealogy Chat

Would love to. Any Saturday in July at the moment. Many thanks Linda

would like to be added as a possible, nothing planned at the moment. But Maz in the East End is orgainsing a child friendly meet sometime in July so hopefully they won't clash!!!!

Hi Brenda I'm definitely going to make the effort to come down for this one cos there's so much I need to look up! The only weekend in July I can't do is the one that includes the 10th July cos the family would kill me if I vanished on my birthday! Lou

Hi Louise Joint leaders on a day at the FRC sounds like an excellent idea. Much anxious time can be spent if you’ve mislaid someone, which happened once when there was a fire alarm and we piled out of different exits! It would be really good to have one person on each floor, then nobody who needs help would feel short-changed. I didn’t realise the FRC listed future group visits. It would be so helpful in the National Archives did the same. Hi Vivienne Please e-mail me your snail mail address. Yours were the only soldier’s records I managed to find on Saturday. I can’t find any major VE/VJ day celebrations listed for 16th July: the official day seems to be Sunday 10th July, but there is a Jazz Festival at Kew that weekend. It’s always going to be a gamble with other events going on: 2nd July is Wimbledon, for example.

Hi Brenda At the moment I can do 2nd/23rd/30th july. I suggest you check out the 16th as my entertainment agenda from the Somerset Light Infantry Assoc. says there will be VE & VJ Victory celebrations in London that day! Did you have any luck with the look ups you were going to do for me? I do understand if you didn't have time. Regards Vivienne

Anne, If you are planning to go to the FRC, check out their website. They post details on any big bus trips in advance so that other folk have a chance to go at other times! Louise

Hi Brenda, You are a star! Having been very disappointed to miss last Saturday, please count me in for a trip to Kew in July. I hope to make a solo trip in the near future but would also love to come along on a group visit. Any date in July is OK for me unless there is a spectacular windfall in my household and I am whisked away for an exotic summer holiday - most unlikely! Re. a trip to the FRC - I am regularly in central London and pop in lots. I am happy to help you organise this if I can be useful. It may be helpful to split into groups - one for the ground floor to look up BMDs and another to go upstairs to view census returns. Whatever you decide, make sure you avoid bus trip days which are a nightmare! Louise

I have confirmed a visit date of July 30 with TNA. This will include a tour at 11 am. Minimum group size is 15. If this is going to be your first visit to Kew, please remember that it does not hold parish records or early censuses. It is useful for information on ancestors who were in the army, navy, merchant navy and the metropolitan police. It has some records for soldiers who served in WW1 (but only some 40% survive). Virtually all of us should be able to find ancestors in the National Archives, but it may prove very hard work. Please look at their website, particularly the research guides under the getting started section to decide whether a visit would be helpful to your research. PLEASE READ FINAL DETAILS, PAGE 5 Anybody who is interested, please add your name to this thread.