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CHAIRMAN Box G, 14 Charterhouse Buildings Peter Walker Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA 24 Bacons Drive Tel: 0800 011 2182 Cuffley Guild information E-mail: [email protected] Hertfordshire Website: www.one-name.org EN6 4DU Registered as a charity in England 01707 873778 Sales and Wales No. 802048 [email protected] AS well as Guild publications, the Sales Manager has a supply of Jour- VICE-CHAIRMAN nal folders, ties, lapel badges and Paul Millington back issues of the Journal. The 58 Belmont Street address is: President Worcester Derek A Palgrave MA FRHistS FSG Worcestershire Howard Benbrook WR3 8NN 7 Amber Hill Vice-Presidents 01905 745217 Camberley John Hebden [email protected] Surrey Richard Moore FSG GU15 1EB Iain Swinnerton SECRETARY England Alec Tritton Kirsty Gray E-mail enquiries to: 11 Brendon Close [email protected] Tilehurst, Reading Berkshire RG30 6EA Guild Committee 0118 941 4833 Forum The Committee consists of the four [email protected] THIS online discussion forum is Officers, plus the following: open to any member with access to TREASURER e-mail. You can join the list by Gordon Adshead Cliff Kemball sending a message with your mem- Peter Copsey 168 Green Lane bership number to: Peter Hagger Chislehurst [email protected] Barbara Harvey Kent BR7 6AY To e-mail a message to the forum, David Mellor 0208 467 8865 send it to: Roy Rayment [email protected] [email protected] Roy Stockdill Ken Toll Regional Representatives Sandra Turner * * * * * * * * * * * * Steven Whitaker The Guild has Regional Reps in many areas. If you are interested in becoming one, please contact the Bookstall & Sales Manager REGISTRAR Regional Representatives Co- Howard Benbrook David Mellor ordinator, Sandra Turner: Forum Manager 2 Bromley Road Wendy Archer West Bridgeford Nottingham 2 St Annes Close Regional Reps Co-ordinator Winchester Sandra Turner Notts NG2 7AP 01159 141838 Hampshire SO22 4LQ. Website Manager [email protected] Tel: 01962 840388 Anne Shankland E-mail: rep-coordinator@one- EDITOR name.org SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Roy Stockdill Executive Peter Walker 6 First Avenue The Journal of One-Name Studies is Marketing Ken Toll Garston, Watford published quarterly by the Guild of Publications Peter Walker Herts WD25 9PZ One-Name Studies and printed by Seminar Gordon Adshead 01923 893735 Flexpress Ltd, 5 Saxby St, Leicester IT Paul Millington [email protected] ISSN 0262-4842 © Journal of One-Name Studies Volume 9 Issue 9 January–March 2008

MAIN ARTICLES 6 Did our surname come to England with the Spanish Armada, as grandad told me? Focus on a one-name study: RENNISON VAYRO on the search for the origins of his rare surname – COVER STORY 11 Millions of new records go online at TNA, Find My Past, Ancestry and other sites JOHN HANSON with a webwatch update – COVER STORY 14 Rounding up registers not in the county record office COLIN ULPH reveals how in carrying out a marriage challenge he discovered non- conformist registers that hadn’t been deposited – COVER STORY

GUILD REPORTS • NEWS • EVENTS

16 Over 120 attend Census Seminar at Essex Record Office – report by SANDRA TURNER and LARAINE HAKE 17 Seminars update – Guild’s Midlands Seminar at Solihull in February 18 Marriage Challenge update by PETER COPSEY 19 Guild suffers problems with membership database and website searches 21 Halsted Trust One-Name Studies Seminar at Skipton Castle 22 College of Arms lecture among talks at Guild’s Annual Conference – CHRIS BRAUND and JANET FEW with an update of the 2008 conference in Devon

REGULARS

4 From the Chairman’s keyboard PETER WALKER 20 Registrar’s Notes DAVID MELLOR 21 Treasurer’s Comments CLIFF KEMBALL 23 A View From the Bookstall HOWARD BENBROOK 26 Reviews of new books and CDs 27 Letters to the Journal

ARTICLES, letters and other contributions are welcomed from members, especially accompanied by illustrations, and should be sent to the Editor. Publication dates will normally be the first day of January, April, July and October. Copyright of material is to the Editor and Publishers of the Journal of One- Name Studies and the author. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the prior permission of the publishers. The views expressed in the Journal are those of individual contributors and are not necessarily those of the Committee of the Guild of One-Name Studies. The distribution list for this Journal, and the information in the Register Update, is based on the information held in the Guild database on the first of the month preceding the issue date.

3 Thorny topic of surname variants and deviants crops up again from earlier centuries and all we have is what is recorded in parish registers. The starting point of any dis- cussion of variants and deviants must be that, in former times, not only did names get recorded with a wide range of spellings, but individuals themselves may have used many versions, too. It is said OME TOPICS seem regu- at present. that Shakespeare spelt his own larly to return to the So what is a deviant and how name in six or more different attention of the Com- does it differ from a variant? It ways over his lifetime, from evi- mittee. One such is that was our President, Derek Pal- dence of his known signatures. of surname variants. Recently, a grave, who coined the term, Additionally, many people member challenged why there is deviant, to describe those appar- were illiterate and could not sign a limit of five in the number of ent variants that were really their own name, so it is not poss- variants that can be registered. clerical errors in recording or ible to say that any given spelling A fair question. In fact, it was transcription. His seminal article was used by the individual. Offi- in the past a technical limitation on the subject was re-published cialdom will have recorded their of our membership database. in the January 2004 issue of the name and this may have become But, thanks to Paul Millington’s Journal (Volume 8 No 5). the adopted and accepted spell- improvements in the database, The Guild Members’ Handbook ing of the name; indeed, this is we could now remove this limit. provides some guidance on the the likely method by which vari- The Committee discussed the issue of variants and deviants, as ants arose. issue but decided that in most follows: It can often be seen that the cases we would prefer that the • Variants proposed for a study recorded spelling in parish regis- limit remains. We felt that an should be reasonable and derived ters changes with the change of unlimited number of variants from the main study name. incumbent. Should all such parish could pose problems for the • Variants should not overlap register spellings be considered as paper version of the Register. We with an existing study. variants? The best advice here also thought that given our • Up to five variants can be would seem to be that it depends advice that only variants in use registered. on the consistency with which the today should be registered, rarely • These should be true vari- name is recorded in official docu- is more than five needed. ants, and not deviants, of the ments. main surname. If the vicar consistently used a Deviants • Variants should only be regis- given spelling over many years, Of course, everyone is encour- tered if they are being studied then it may be considered as a aged to research as many variants fully. variant, bearing in mind that such as they believe exist. Raising the • Where more than five vari- records might have been called registration limit could encour- ants are known, the five most on as evidence in things like set- age members to register not just commonly found now should be tlement disputes or probate. On their valid variants but also what registered. the other hand, vicars, like we have come to call “deviants”, The Handbook goes on to anyone else, might use a large although our current Registrar explain that “a variant is an alter- range of spelling variants with no would prefer just to call them native name used by individuals particular pattern. This, for exam- “clerical errors”. But we then themselves, e.g. when signing a ple, is an extract of Hollier noted that while the issue of will or civil registration certifi- baptism and burial records from deviants had been covered to a cate. A deviant is a spelling of a St Martin’s in the Fields that I degree in the recent Members’ name in an official document or have collected as part of my own Handbook, that advice itself was transcription where the writer study: not perhaps perfect. has written down what they 1630 John Hollier Our website, on the other thought they heard or read”. 1632 Thomas Holliard (later hand, is currently silent on the But is that advice sufficient? In buried as Hollyer) issue. Even the Guild Knowledge many cases members won’t have 1633 Matthew Hollier Store (the Wiki) has little to say – documentary evidence of use 1636 Samuel Hollier

4 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 New Guild ideas include collaboration with the academic community and Halsted Trust

1638 Elizabeth Hallier study name. In these overlapping son to appoint. This does lead to 1639 Susanna Hollyard cases, it is hoped that members the need for disciplined commu- 1642 Maria Hollyer will collaborate in exchanging nication to keep everyone up to 1644 Symon Hollier information on boundary cases. speed and each external post- 1646 Edward Hollierd This advice will, I hope, be holder is usually assigned a con- I therefore recognise Hollyard, incorporated in our documenta- tact person on the Committee. Hollierd, Holliard and Hallier as tion in the future. For example, as well as being deviants. Hallier is certainly a There are many other issues Chairman, I am the contact for surname in its own right and, as being looked at by the Commit- the DNA Advisory Panel and the far as I’ve been able to ascertain, tee as I write. These include some Forum Manager. has no connection to Hollier. In interesting ideas for collabor- Each year, all posts come up for the above list, Hollyer should be ation with the academic commu- re-appointment irrespective of considered a deviant, though I nity, for mutual projects with the individuals’ desires to continue. recognise it is as a true variant in Halsted Trust and the Guild’s However, it does seem likely that other branches of the family. archiving policies. some present post-holders will Having discussed the matter in Adding to our challenges are not wish to continue and these Committee, we concluded that external, unplanned events such are, at the time of writing, the following approach is as our web-hosting company believed to include: Journal Edi- appropriate: complaining about the tor, Renewals Secretary, Vice- • The Guild defines a variant as “excessive” load our website was Chairman and Data Manager. We a name spelling which varies placing on their servers, which will probably be seeking a new from the primary name spelling has led to the temporary suspen- Chair for the Marketing Sub-com- (or another variant spelling) used sion of database name searches mittee and, ideally, that person by that person’s ancestors and on the public’s part of the would also be a member of the which is: website, though members can main committee. A name spelling that the per- still search via the Member’s The present Committee would son was known to have used, Room. like to see a full complement of through signature evidence on 15 on the next Committee and wills, marriage bonds, marriage Delayed this year we are better prepared, certificates or other documents This has regrettably delayed we hope, for the eventuality of a originating from the individual other planned improvements to contested election. If you think concerned, or... the website. I hope the situation serving on the Committee sounds A name spelling used by offi- may have improved by the time dull, you should appreciate we do cials on a consistent and persist- you read this. Added to all this, our best to limit the time taken ent basis over a period of years. issues relating to individual Guild on administrative matters and try • A deviant is any other spell- members have taken up a lot of to devote the maximum time to ing recorded, including cases time recently. issues relating to the future of where the spelling occurs in offi- All this brings me to next year’s the Guild, both our public chari- cial records, but only randomly Committee. With this issue you table role and what we can do to and inconsistently. Deviants will should find the normal form for improve benefits to members. also include spellings derived those wishing to stand for the I would welcome fresh blood from enumeration, transcription Committee. But recognising that and ideas coming forward to and indexing errors, both con- not all key Guild posts are held by assist us with these challenges. temporary and modern. Committee members, we are also There are also opportunities to • Having decided what spell- allowing everyone to express an assist the various sub-committees ings are variants, it may still not interest in being considered for and here it is perfectly possible be appropriate to register all of any of the Guild’s posts, whether for members outside the UK to them in a one-name study. Such or not you are interested in join- make a contribution, as much cases include where a variant ing the Committee. debate is conducted by e-mail. overlaps with another existing Detailed Job Descriptions are I think I should sign off at this study or where the variant is in the Members’ Room. Appoint- point and perhaps try to devote more commonly found as a sur- ments to all posts are decided by some time to my own study. name in its own right and where the incoming Committee and There always seems to be a new the variant is only a minority they may prefer, of course, to see source coming to light, thanks to source of that name. some posts filled by fellow Com- the Forum, to add to one’s The latter exclusion avoids the mittee members. But in other worldwide collection of data. problems that would occur if cases, if the best person for the You may run out of ancestors to someone wanted to register the job is outside the committee, research, but a one-name study surname concerned as a primary then that would be the right per- is a lifetime’s work. ❍

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 5 Did our surname come to England with the Spanish Armada, as my grandad told me?

GUILD member John Rennison Vayro (No. 4374) was Vayro in particular, the further back in time I have born in Willington, a mining village in County reached, I have discovered a wide variety of connec- Durham, where his grandfather and father both tions to derivatives such as VARO, VARA, and many worked at Brancepeth Colliery. Influenced by his others that I shall mention later. However, I have woodwork teacher, he followed a five-year course certainly found definite evidence traced back to in furniture design but was never tempted to go circa 1736 for the surname, Vayro, in the areas of into industry. Instead, he spent 40 years in teaching, Coverham, East Witton, Masham and Middleham in holding various appointments in primary and Lower Wensleydale and one particular farmstead secondary schools and an art college before finally named Angram Cote, in Ellingstring, had Vayro retiring from Durham University School of tenants from 1800 through to 1960. Education as Lecturer in Art and Design Technology Personally, I never believed my grandfather, on undergraduate and post-graduate courses. He Thomas, about the Spanish Armada. That took place has been researching his family history since 1983. in the late 16th century when the Spanish fleet, led by the Count of Medina, sailed through the English have been researching the VAYRO family Channel to be defeated by Sir Francis Drake, Lord ancestry since 1983, attempting to prove or Thomas Howard and a certain Sir Francis Vere disprove a casual comment made by my (1559–1608). Their task had been “To burn the King paternal grandfather, Thomas, that we orig- of Spain’s warships at anchor in Andalusia and inally came over with the Spanish Armada. Others Lisbon and therewith destroy victuals and munitions have said that two brothers came from Italy to help for the Spanish Navy”. tile the floors of the monasteries. Drake was in charge of naval troops and Sir A third, more recent thought is that the surname Richard Vere the land forces. Despite this, there is may be French in mention of Vere sailing in a vessel called the Rain- origin, due to the bow, also a Daniel Vere in his regiment and a fact that VARRO Captain Horatio Vere sailing in the Vanguard. and VARRON are proper names Captured sailors? found in larger There may well have been many Spanish sailors French dictionaries, who were captured, swam ashore, or somehow and also the sur- came to Britain to reap the harvest of fish stock in name VARO was a the North Sea, or were shipwrecked, but I still think name of the aristo- this was one of my grandfather’s stories that would cracy in Savoy in be very hard to prove. Northern France. However, on one particular website I found For the moment I details of surnames such as Varo, Varro and Varol, BY RENNISON have discarded this which were found in the province of Burgos, an area latter theory after of the Kingdom of Bastile which was very influential VAYRO writing to Patrick in the Middle Ages. The website suggested that the Pontet, an expert in French genealogy, who sug- origin of the surname, Varo, is Spanish and that the gested that this is highly unlikely as it did not family had a coat of arms. appear in Larouse’s book, Noms et Prenoms de It contained a shield divided “per fess”, the top France. half silver with blue “fleur de lis”, and the bottom In over 20 years of researching I have never found half gold with two black wolves “passant”, with the anyone rich or famous, but this was never really my top one facing “dexter” and the bottom one facing intention. However, if large headstones are an “sinister”. It is still possible, therefore, that grand- indicator of wealth in 19th century Britain, then father was correct in his theory that we were some of my ancestors who lie in East Witton and immigrants from Spain. Masham churchyards in Lower Wensleydale, North So what about the Italian Connection? According Yorkshire, may well have been more than simple to information on a scroll prepared by the Historical serfs or farm hinds. Research Centre Incorporated (USA), the earliest Whilst I have been concentrating on the surname references to the surname, VAIRO, date back to

6 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 1533 and are documented in Calabria, but was also ranging from FARRAR, FERRER, FARROW and FARO recorded near Salento and Naples. It is possibly to PHARROW, PHAROAH, VARAH, VAR(E)Y, VAR- derived from a nickname that illustrated a personal ROW, VAIROW and VARO. All of these variations attribute or physical characteristic of the individual. could have developed due to local dialect and the In this instance, the surname, Vairo, may derive from interchange of phonetics and written forms of the a Southern Italian word “vairo” or standard Italian letters F, V and Ph, which was common in the late “vair” meaning “blackish” and ultimately from the medieval period. Latin “varius/varios”. This was obviously prior to a What I found most interesting about this second time when a structured system of surnames was scroll was that, being based in York, the majority of developed and could have indicated someone with examples that they gave of this group of surnames dark hair, or with a swarthy or dark complexion. were from Yorkshire church registers. Among them were marriages for Agnes Varye and Rowland Revell Italian origin of Rotherham on June 3 1590, Elizabeth Vayroye According to information passed on by Monica and Robert Braithwaite of Sedburgh on November 3 Rose, the surname VEARER is certainly of Italian 1639 and a christening for Agnes Vayro in Coverham origin, being one of a group of names found in on June 4 1776. regional or dialect forms which are derived from Long before I had acquired this second script I Varo, Vara, Varro, Varia, and Varino, and the latin had found many entries in the transcripts, or parish word varus, meaning lame or crooked legged; or records, for Coverham, with some of the earliest varios, meaning freckled or pockmarked, and records I have found so far of an identical spelling of scarred by smallpox. There was a Spanish family of the surname, Vayro. Specifically at Coverham I have Vara accepted into the knightly order of Santiago in found christenings for William Vayro 1736, Thomas 1641 and I understand that a Varano family were Pharo 1739, Anne Pharoah 1739, Margaret Varo numbered among the nobility in Ferrara, namely 1743, and John Vara 1745, and, more importantly, Fabrizio Varano as Bishop of Camerino in 1482, and these were all children of two families living in Alfonso Varano, a poet who died in 1738. Melmerby and Carlton. In comparison, a scroll from Name Origin Even earlier than these was a marriage for a Research of York suggests that the surname, Vayro, Laurence Varr or Varo to Elizabeth Sadler in August may well be of early medieval English origin and a 1662. So, if I accept the variations in spelling, even if late variant of the more familiar name FARRAR. This we were not Italian in descent there was at least latter is an occupational surname for a blacksmith or hard evidence that the Yorkshire Dales was where ironworker, and possibly a derivative of the Middle some Vayro families had been living in the early English and Old French ferrour, ferour or perhaps 18th century. even fer or ferrum, which is Latin for iron. On searching through the Internet for Vayro The modern equivalent surname has variations websites I found “Imbiancheria del Vayro” and sent Distribution of Vayro surname in 1881 LEFT: A distribution map from the pro- gram, Surname Atlas, showing that the name, VAYRO, was predominantly found in the North Riding of Yorkshire in the 1881 census of Britain. A total of only 58 entries reveals how uncommon the sur- name was. BELOW: A table of the Vayro occurrences broken down into Poor Law Union dis- tricts shows the name was most common at Leyburn.

County Poor Law Union Actual per 100,000 YKS Leyburn 23 278 LAN Chorlton 10 4 YKS Bedale 9 109 YKS Richmond 7 52 YKS Guisborough 4 9 DUR Darlington 3 6 YKS Wakefield 1 1 YKS Ripon 1 6

© Archer Software 2003

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 7 I dug deep into the past for Italian roots to see whether our name could have come from ancient Rome off an e-mail and a letter to the curator of a suggested that it was not unlike a tiled roof with U- museum in the town of Chieri in north-east Italy. shaped tiles in blue and yellow. Remembering that there is no Y in the Italian A further website, www.melagnano.net, sug- alphabet, these are some of the details extracted gested that the derivation of this surname, Vairo, from a translation of the reply from Armando was uncertain and could have been drawn from a Brunetti, President of the museum. locality or place, in particular around Salerno and Vairo (also in the form Vario) is the name of one Turin. They named Rolando Vairo in 1600 AD and of the areas around the town of Chieri, is referred Leonardo Vairo to in old documents and is still in use today. Vairo is 1587–1603 AD. In also a family surname, as shown in the various old digging even further records. In 1276 it appears that several members of into an Italian the Vairo family lived in the village of San Martino website, I found that des Stellone (now known as Villastellone) and there are over 140 founded by the Chierisi family. areas, villages, Other Vairos lived in the Albussano district of towns, etc., where Chieri. These were: there are Vairo fam- • Lacabus Varius, catasto (property/estate) in 1253. ilies living today. • Guillieirri Vayri transfers the value of his goods Whilst all of this is as £22 from the Catasto of San Martino in 1276 and proof that there Catasto Gialdo in 1289 (sold his house?). were early Italian • Vayronus Vayrus in Albussano 1275, and variations of the Oddonus Vayrus in Albussano 1275. name Vayro, it Historically, Chieri was a walled city with would not neces- entrances or gateways – not unlike York, I suppose – sarily be proof that one of which was the Porto VAIRO, facing north Thomas Vayro, grandfather some of them came towards Turin. The town is famous for its textiles of Rennison Vayro to England as tilers! and furs, and mule trains used to leave for Turin, If, indeed, there were two Italian Vairo brothers loaded with furs and continue over the Alps to Lyon who came over to England, there is a distinct pos- in France. The furs were made for magistrates and sibility that if they came from Chieri they may have civic dignitaries. been working on textiles and woven tapestries in The museum itself, “Imbiancheria del Vairo”, was the abbeys rather than as tilers. Stretching this idea opened a few years ago to preserve the history of even further, they could have travelled over the the textile trade in Chieri. The word imbiancheria Italian Alps to the cathedral city of Lyons, and may mean bleaching, whitening, curing, dying of onwards across France to Great Britain. Simply myth textiles/furs in particular. There is also apparently a and legend and another tall tale until It is proved Heraldic Coat of Arms for Vairo/Varo showing the otherwise! “Winter Coat of The Siberian Squirrel” (honestly!) I did however dig deeper into the past for our and Mary Gallo, a research worker in the museum, Italian roots, to a time when Rome conquered all

Angram Cote Farm, North Yorkshire, home of Vayros for 160 years Location of the farm

8 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 and found two possible links. The first was CAIUS IN THE early 1980s I discovered in an old tin box, TERENTIUS VARRO in 216 BC. This particular Varro among many souvenirs, two Victorian funeral was a Roman statesman and general, as well as a invitation cards that turned out to be for my great- Roman Consul who apparently opposed Hannibal in grandfather James (1853–1893) and great-great the battle of Cannae. grandfather William (1825 –1907). Finding these was a Most of the Roman army was destroyed but, stroke of luck, but more recently I located a vital according to history, this disaster could have been baptism record for an ancestor who for over 20 years due to the Roman system of alternating command remained particularly elusive. The remembrance cards pinpointed places and dates in North Yorkshire and East Witton in particular, where my ancestors had lived and worked as tenant farmers on the Jervaulx estates in Lower Wensleydale. In the village of Ellingstring several generations had lived at Moorcote, Tranmire and Angram Cote Farms between 1800 and 1960. This meant many of the births, banns, deaths and marriages for my Vayro ancestors were found in the East Witton parish registers. But I was never able to find the baptism of another James Vayro/Varo/Varah, one of about a dozen with the same Christian name, until June last year. There was a William Varo/Varah and Esther Lye who married at East Witton in August 1795 and were known to have a son James, born 1795, who married Mary Walker in 1816, had been mentioned in his father’s will and died at Angram Cote in 1863, aged 68. However the baptism register for 1770 to 1810 had gone missing in the mid-1960s and never been deposited at the North Yorkshire County Records Funeral memorial card for William Vayro in 1907 Office. I heard rumours of a fire in 1796, that the vicarage had been burned down and the register may than to Varro’s incompetence. Thank God for that – have been destroyed. we don’t want that piece of responsibility on our However, a visit to the West Yorkshire Archives in family shoulders, do we? As one of the few survi- Leeds allowed me to examine the bishop’s transcripts vors, Varro rallied the remnants of his army at for East Witton, 1737–1799, in an attempt to trace nearby Canusium (now Canosa di Puglia) and for James’s baptism. Even then, a page or two were this received official commendation from the Roman missing and there was a “gap year” from June 1795 to Senate. June 1796, which covered the period when James The second was a certain MARCUS TERENTIUS could have been baptised. But it proved that a register VARRO, 116–29 BC, who was a celebrated writer had existed and I found the records for the baptisms ”whose vast and varied knowledge in many fields of Mary 1797, William 1799, Thomas 1801, John 1805 earned for him the title of the most learned of the and Richard 1808, James’s younger siblings. Romans.“ He held a high naval position in wars I had given up on finding a baptism record for against pirates and Mithridates, a famous Grecian James when I received a message through the Upper ruler. He served in the legation of Pampeius in Spain Dales Family History Group. An article had appeared in in the Civil Wars but was compelled to surrender to the Northern Echo, with the headline “Mystery parcel Caesar. is final piece in parish records jigsaw“. An anonymous Later, after service for the Pompeian party in donor had sent a volume of East Witton parish records Greece, he asked forgiveness from Caesar who for 1771–1813 to the record office in Northallerton. employed him in superintending the collection and They were believed to have been lost when the vicar arrangement of a great library designed for public handed over the records 30 years ago, that volume use. He composed at least 490 books but of these being missing. only two are extant, namely De Re Rustica (37 BC) I was excited by this news and paid a visit to the (Reprint “On Horticulture”, Harvard University Press, NYCRO. I was not allowed access to the actual register, published 1934), and De Lingua Latina. The first was but the assistant archivist was kind enough to written in his 80th year and was addressed to his examine the entries in the period in question and wife with the professed objective of enabling her assures me that there is indeed an entry for a James. after his death to carry on the estate she had inher- son of William and Esther Varah, baptised November 8 ited or purchased 1795. So, with this evidence I can now trace back To return to the variations or derivatives of the through three further generations of ancestors to circa surname, Vayro, I was contacted by Hazel Martell, 1700. who has Varray ancestors, following an enquiry I

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 9 had made in the Dalesman magazine in May 2003. tially I relied on close friends and relatives. But over Hazel was one of several new contacts made the years I have made many contacts with through this magazine and she informed me that in individuals who have shared the same interests, the parish registers for Birstall alone there were both in the origins of our surname Vayro/Varo and eleven different spellings of the surname. The first also who were/are attempting to put together the mention was for a William Varray of Adwalton who evidence leading backwards in time, through the married Isabel Brogden on July 4 1640. generations to who-knows-where. The other versions of the surname were Vairey, These really are too numerous to mention, but I Vara, Varah, Varay, Varey, Varo, Varray, Varrey, Varry, owe thanks in particular to Marjorie Powner, Bar- Vary, and Verah, but notice no recordings for Vayro! bara Massam, Irene Parker, Stanley Varo and Steve There is a record of a Joshua Veary of Birstall marry- Walker in the UK, Ian Ross Vayro in Australia, Sophie ing at Adel (North Leeds) in December 1701 and, Vayro in Canada, and several members of the Dales even earlier, a Peter Varr whose two children were Family History Society e-mail group. All have given christened at Tong in the chapelry of Birstall parish. their help and assistance freely and, as well as many Both Hazel Martell and Marion Moverley of the having been proved to be long-lost relatives, they Dales Family History Society had mentioned George have also become close friends through a common Redmonds as a leading expert on genealogical interest in finding out more about our family research and Yorkshire surnames in particular. Hazel history. had extracted the following information from Through requests in magazines I have also found George’s book on surnames in the Bradford area: researchers as busy as I am, but on surnames that “Varey, Vara(h), Varo – Reaney (another expert on are close derivatives of Vayro, either in spelling or surnames) said of these surnames that they were phonetically, as follows: ‘clearly a late development of Farrow’ and drew his examples from 18th century Suffolk sources. Locally, VEARER Monica Rose in Middleton, Suffolk. however, the name first occurred c1640 at Adwalton VARO Stanley Varo in Bingley, Yorkshire. in Birstall parish and it was spelt in a wide variety of VEROY Graham Veroy in Kent. ways. The origins and meaning are not clear, but VARRAY Hazel Martell in Keighley, Yorkshire. there are similar surnames in the 16th century in VAREY E. Varey in Thatcham, Berkshire. South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.” VARAH Suzanne Langford in Waddington, Lincoln.

Different origin The search is never-ending, and despite all of Redmonds went on to say: “The substitution of these discoveries, I have come to understand that it initial V for F would be very unusual in the West may be impossible to find the true origins of our Riding of Yorkshire, so these names may have a surname and that at some point in time I will be different origin to the one suggested by Reaney, searching the records not simply for a particular possibly outside the county”. Examples he gave Vayro entry, but for links through the years to a were: 1566–75, Richard Varay/Vayray/Vayrie in multitude of other surnames that are similar to my Rotherham; 1640–77, William Varray/Varah/Varo in own. Adwalton; and 1674–76, Edward Varey/Varah in East However. if the International Genealogical Index Bierley. is correct, then there was a baptism for a Francisca When I first started my research into my family Vayro in 1650 in Peru and a marriage of a Maria ancestry I was not aware that genealogy was one of Vayro in 1654 in Santiago, Bolivia. the fastest growing hobbies or pastimes, and ini- At the present time, these are the earliest records I have found for an identical spelling of the surname, and it may be necessary to begin again and reconsider the Span- ish or even Portuguese links from South America. ❍

J. Rennison Vayro Member 4374 [email protected]

• The account of how the author located the missing volume of the parish registers of East Witton appears in a longer version in the January 2008 issue of the magazine, Practical Family History (www.family-tree.co.uk), to which thanks are due for permitting its re-publication here. East Witton Parish Church, scene of many Vayro events

10 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 Millions of new records go online at TNA, Find My Past, Ancestry and other Internet websites N THIS special webwatch article I want to Workhouse, 1834–1871. You can visit Southwell bring members an update on what is new and Workhouse’s own website at interesting on the web over the past six–nine www.nationaltrust.org.uk/workhouse/ months, also some of those sites that may have escaped the net and have been mentioned on • FindMyPast.com the Guild Forum. Millions of new records have been www.findmypast.com added recently. Find My Past continues to add more new material The Guild Forum is one of the best places to keep to its website. Apart from expanding the counties track of what is happening on the web and often from the 1871 census, they have added further years mentions sites before you see them anywhere else. to the BT27 (Board of Trade: Outwards Passenger Lists) set of records which now • The National Archives goes as far as 1939. It was inter- www.nationalarchives.gov.uk esting to note during her talk at The documents online data- the Computer Seminar in Chel- base has been expanded to msford that Elaine Collins, FMP’s include, amongst others, WO commercial director, mentioned 373, War Office and Ministry of that they will have all the cen- Defence: Military Secretary’s suses online by the end of 2008. Department: Recommendations In addition, they now have the for Honours and Awards for Gallant and Distin- City of London Burial index with over 400,000 burial guished Service (Army) 1935-1990; ADM336, WW1 records within the City and surrounding parishes, Women’s Royal Naval Service ratings; AIR50, Air predominantly from the period between 1812 and Ministry Combat Reports 1939–1945; and the fasci- 1853. Being a full transcript it contains the full nating documentation on Southwell Union details of the burial, including age, abode and any supplementary notes. You may be aware that the company has acquire Family History Online from the Federa- tion of Family History Societies and over the next few months it is hoped that a lot of the material will be moved over. Already, there is most of the National Burial Index that was on FHOL and a lot of it has been updated with corrected records. Bear in mind, though, that not all material that is on the CDROM version is on the Internet and vice-versa. Finally, they have also added the Civil Service An entry from the City of London Burials at findmypast.com Evidence of Age from

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 11 the Society of Genealogists. This dataset, whilst only • National Archives of Australia containing about 65,000 records, is irreplaceable www.naa.gov.au/The_Collection/gift-to-the- material. The material given to the Society was nation.html about two per cent of the total – the remainder was The National Archives of Australia has digitised destroyed by the Civil Service – provides often the service records of 376,000 Australian men and irreplaceable evidence of birth for which other women who served in the First World War and sources are unlikely to be available. With about 28% made them available online free of charge as a “gift Irish, it is well worth delving into and it is well worth to the nation” (and the world). reading the background information. • British History Online • Ancestry www.british-history.ac.uk www.ancestry.co.uk This site contains some of the core printed pri- Ancestry continues to add to its long list of online mary and secondary sources for the medieval and resources. It is well worth going back on a regular modern history of the British Isles. You will find here basis to check the list of latest additions. As well as complete Victorian County Histories and much more. completing WO364 WW1 Pension Records, they have now added (at the time of writing) surnames • WILLS – several new sites online A–C of WO363 WW1 Service Records (Burnt docu- http://apps.buckscc.gov.uk/eforms/wills/search.aspx ments). Also take a look at the Australian Convict Although the wills themselves have not yet been Index, 1788–1868. I understand as well that they digitised, the index will give you the reference have signed an agreement with The National number for the will, which you can then view at the Archives to index and put online BT26 (Board of Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies in Aylesbury. Trade: Inwards Passenger Lists) www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/record_office/ • BMD Registers our_collection/derbyshirewills www.bmdregisters.co.uk Derbyshire Record Office holds wills proved in the The site is part of the S&N network and comes civil registry from 1858–1928, and has made avail- about from an agreement signed with The National able on its website portable document format (PDF) Archives to index and make available access to indexes of wills and also administrations (1858–75). “various unpublished registries from 1534 to 1865”. At present, it contains RG4 (GRO: Registers of BMDs http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage surrendered to the Non Parochial Registers Commis- A detailed catalogue of wills 1540–1858 is now sions of 1837 and 1857) and RG5 (GRO: Birth available free of charge in the first stage of Wilt- Certificates from the Presbyterian, Independent, shire and Swindon Archives’ online catalogue. There Baptist & Methodist Registries). are digitised images online for around a quarter of However the plans disclosed say that it will also the wills, currently available free of charge. You can include: RG6 (GRO: Society of Friends’ Registers, also order a colour copy of any of the wills from the Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Archives at a charge of £5 for the first page and £1 Burials); RG7 (GRO: Registers of Clandestine Marri- for each succeeding page, plus p&p. ages and of Baptisms in the Fleet Prison, King’s Bench Prison, the Mint and the May Fair Chapel); www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/ RG8 (GRO: Registers of BMDs surrendered to the leisure_heritage/ Non Parochial Registers Commission of 1857, and libraries_archives_museums_galleries/lma/ other registers and church records); RG32 (GRO: aims_policies/Volunteers.htm#WorkDone Miscellaneous Foreign Returns 1831–1869). Over the last six years, volunteers at the London Other records planned for this site include: RG33 Metropolitan Archives (LMA) have been indexing (GRO: Foreign Registers and Returns 1697–1960); around 31,000 wills and administrations proved at RG34 (GRO: Miscellaneous Foreign Marriage Returns the Diocese of London’s Consistory Court from 1826–1921); RG35 (GRO: Miscellaneous Foreign 1514–20, 1540–1641 and 1671–1858. The index is Death Returns 1830–1921): RG36 (GRO: Registers now online in the form of PDF files. and Returns of Births, Marriages and Deaths in the Protectorates etc. of Africa and Asia 1895–1965); • New Irish Genealogy Centres BT158 (Board of Trade: Registrar General of Ship- Armagh Ancestry Online ping and Seamen and predecessor: Registers of http://armagh.brsgenealogy.com Births, Deaths and Marriages of Passengers at Sea Swords Heritage Centre (North part of Dublin) 1854–1890); BT159 (Board of Trade: Registrar Gen- http://dublinnorth.brsgenealogy.com eral of Shipping and Seamen: Registers of Deaths at North Tipperary Genealogy Centre Sea of British Nationals 1875–1898); and BT160 http://tipperarynorth.brsgenealogy.com (Board of Trade: Registrar General of Shipping and Roscommon Heritage and Genealogy Company Seamen: Registers of Births at Sea of British http://roscommon.brsgenealogy.com Nationals 1875–1891). A number of genealogy centres now have records

12 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 resource: 300,000 biographi- cal entries of births and baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials from its India Office records collection. Mainly the records cover Europeans in India and Eurasian Christians up to 1947. This index, though, repre- sents only 10 per cent of the biographical sources avail- able in the India Office records. I can’t wait for the next batch.

• 10 million records for £100 www.theoriginalrecord.com Transcript of the 1911 census for Dublin, now online Since its launch in 2006, the Original Record website has put over 10 million available online as part of the Irish Family History carefully hand-indexed records online and is still Foundation’s Online Research Service (ORS). At all of uploading a further 50,000 new entries every week. these sites, you can search the indexes free of To make access to this wealth of records a bit charge but it will cost you about £7 to view a more affordable, the Original Record is introducing detailed record. an “open access” scheme, whereby for a one-off payment of £100 (for 12 months’ access) you can • New local BMD website for South Tyneside view, save, print and download as many of the www.southtyneside.info/communitysupport/ records as are relevant to you. Great for a one-name register/search/default.aspx study and with imagination you can get every South Tyneside (covering South Shields and record that matches your search criteria. H*LST*D* Jarrow) is the latest area to have a free BMD gets all of the material for the Halsted research and website. There you can search the local registers of over £1,000-worth for the £100. births, marriages and deaths. • South African records • Derbyshire prisoner records www.genealogyworld.net www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/record_office/ Post-1820 correspondence for British settlers in our_collection/prisoner_records/default.asp South Africa, transcribed from records held in The This is a free index by Derbyshire County Council National Archives, Kew, are searchable online on the to prisoners’ records. The index will eventually cover Genealogy World website. Visit to search items such the period 1761–1888, as well as including some as distressed settler reports from 1822 and land earlier and later prison records, although only the claims from 1825. period 1800–19 is available online so far. • Lost Cousins • New Zealander family tree www.lostcousins.com www.nzgdb.co.nz You can now make contact with distant relatives A site by and for people with New Zealand by entering details of your ancestors and relatives ancestors, New Zealand Dead Famous People is listed in the 1841 census at the Lost Cousins website. another of the burgeoning number of online family Previously, the site accepted only information from tree and database websites. the 1881 census. The website aims to create a “New Zealand Family Tree”, “a living repository, yet with the • One million Dorset online internet’s advantages of linking, publishing and www.dorset-opc.com collaborating”. It’s free to join and already there are The Online Parish Clerk scheme has recently over 650,000 individuals with 3.7 million facts added the Dorset OPC scheme with something recorded in its databases. approaching a million records online, all transcribed and donated by their volunteers. If only more • Ireland 1911 census counties did the same! www.census.nationalarchives.ie And finally, the Irish 1911 census has just started • Indian biographical details to come online. This has access to the transcript of http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/ images for Dublin at the moment, with more to The British Library has launched a new free online follow. ❍

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 13 Y WIFE, Cheran, and I are avid marriage However, it seems there are no similar regulations challengers. Having been fired up by pertaining to non-conformist registers, so these one of Peter Copsey’s earlier articles in precious documents are held or deposited at the the Journal and having benefited from whim of the church, chapel or denomination challenges carried out by other members, we concerned. Consequently, very few get deposited at decided to do our bit for the Guild by offering our a secure, central site where you and I can easily services at the beginning of 2006. consult them. The registration district we chose first was Steyn- As a member and preacher of the Methodist ing, mainly because it was the one that covered the Church, I felt rather ashamed to discover that West area where we live. We quickly received an offer of Sussex Record Office held virtually no registers for help from fellow member Marion Woolgar, which the Worthing Methodist circuit which, over the we gratefully accepted and proved invaluable. years, has embraced some 16 places of worship and However, we soon regretted choosing Steyning as still has ten. As a regular user of the record office I our first challenge because felt I needed to do we found its parish regis- something about it. ters are spread over two I soon found out that county record offices. several registers were still Steyning covered not just lurking in church safes, the small West Sussex despite having been towns and villages we had “closed” many years ago expected but also a large because they were full. It chunk of Brighton and transpired that, as far as Hove, which were then in marriage registers were East Sussex. So our research concerned, there was a had to be done at both Chichester and Lewes. printed instruction on the first page of each register, Although this added somewhat to the challenge, directing that they should be retained in the church we found, and still find, marriage challenge to be a safe and ministers over the years had interpreted highly enjoyable and satisfying experience. We have this as being for ever and ever – Amen. since completed challenges for Worthing, East Preston and Thakeham, and overall have found Guidance 84.8% of the 864 marriages that Guild members In the early days of my enquiries, Guild member were seeking. With a few notable exceptions, the Marilyn Marshall drew my attention to some gui- Anglican marriage registers we needed for the years dance just released (in 2007) by the Connexional up to 1911 have all been deposited at the appropri- Archives Liaison Officer of the British Methodist ate record office. Not all have been filmed or fiched, Church. This stated that the archivist for each so sometimes we have suffered the time-consuming Methodist District has responsibility to advise where process of ordering and waiting for original docu- Methodist archives should be deposited. It went on ments. to say that “for church and circuit records this is The main satisfaction comes from finding the usually the local authority record or archive office marriages that other members request – the which covers the area of the main circuit church”. “Eureka” factor – and so it follows that we feel Suitable records for deposit “would usually include frustrated when we fail. After studying the page completed baptismal, marriage and burial numbers and “cardinal points”, we usually have to registers”, plus other items such as minute books conclude that the missing marriages took place in and membership rolls. The guidance concluded with either the register office or in a non-conformist the following paragraph detailing why records church. The latter category includes Roman Catholic, should be deposited: Jewish, Methodist, Baptist, Congregational and “To survive, records need to be stored in very well probably other denominations that were around regulated environmental conditions which cannot before 1911. Why, we wondered, are nearly all be maintained in a church or home. Record offices Anglican registers deposited but not those of the also usually have special arrangements to guard non-conformist churches? against fire and flood and to rescue any records should such an event occur. They also have the Regulations facilities to allow researchers to use the archives.” Registers of Anglican churches are the subject of So, armed with this valuable ammunition, my the Parochial Registers and Records Measure, passed next step was to speak to our Circuit Superinten- by the General Synod in 1978. This stipulates that a dent, the senior minister, who agreed unequivocally Diocesan Record Office (usually the county record that such important records should no longer be office) should be designated for each diocese. All kept in church safes and gave me authority to round non-current registers over 100 years old must be them up and deposit them at the record office. Of deposited there, as well as all other registers in course, I undertook to give each church a formal which the earliest entry is more than 150 years old. receipt for any registers surrendered to me and to

14 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 obtain a receipt from the record office when the officers willingly surrendered the registers for books were deposited. deposit. Another officer questioned the need to I also offered to create a computer database of deposit registers 30 miles away at Chichester, saying basic details from each register and provide printed that it would deprive his church of valuable income indexes for each church. In the event of an enquiry, derived from copying register entries for enquirers. they then would be able to say with certainty When I asked how many such enquiries there were, whether or not the relevant event was recorded in a he replied that he remembered having one, once! register now held at the record office. I next con- Indexing did not take long, as the basic details I tacted the County Archivist at Chichester, who recorded were only the date, surname, Christian confirmed that they would be delighted to take “on names, spouse’s surname and church for marriages, permanent loan” any registers I brought in for and just the date, surname, Christian names and deposit. church for baptisms. From these I produced print- The Superintendent advised his ministers of my outs by name and date for each church. Ministers project and I began to contact them or their church and churches alike were delighted to have these for officers to collect the registers. I soon discovered their safes! that, although baptisms always began soon after I have also compiled a central index in name the church was built and dedicated, this was not the order for the entire circuit and produced a spread- case with marriages. The sheet showing full details of marriages – 71 of them, Although the earliest Methodist church mostly post-1911 – for registered surnames that recording of marriage I found took GOONS members had asked for in earlier marriage place in 1899, and it looks challenges. I e-mailed this to the members marriages was as though these churches concerned who were delighted with this bonus. a legal were simply not licensed One of them was a 1901 marriage we had searched requirement, to conduct marriages for, unsuccessfully, in the Steyning marriage before that. I found also challenge. some ministers that burials did not seem were notoriously to have been recorded at Missing registers all, as none of the Technically, the exercise is not yet over, as there neglectful at churches had its own are missing registers I have not yet located. I expect recording burial ground. soon to begin a search of miscellaneous cupboards baptisms Among other interest- where they may be hiding! However, so far I have ing things I discovered as deposited with a grateful county record office 68 the project continued were that, although the registers of different sizes, containing 3,883 bap- recording of marriages was a legal requirement tisms and 2,443 marriages. I have also given the from which there was no exception, some ministers record office copies of the name indexes for use by were notoriously neglectful at recording baptisms. researchers as finding aids, and a potted history of Fortunately, most Methodist churches maintain a each church or chapel and the registers held. separate “cradle roll” of babies brought for This exercise has taken only a few months to christening and, in one case, it was possible to enter reach near completion. I believe it has been well these details into the baptism register retrospec- worthwhile. It will have been of value to tively, with appropriate notation. researchers, it has added to the resources of the record office and it has awakened awareness among Break-ins the churches of the need to provide a safe environ- At one church, built in 1904, I discovered that ment for priceless records. marriage registers dated only from 1992 and the I just wonder how many non-conformist registers only baptism register was still in use! I learned that nationally have not yet found their way into our in the 1990s there had been a break-in at the church county record offices? There must be thousands of and thieves had stolen the complete safe with the them out there, deteriorating because they are not registers inside. The safe was later found empty, at kept at the correct temperature and humidity, not the bottom of Shoreham Harbour. Around the same to mention being at risk of fire, flood or theft. time, there was a break-in at a neighbouring church, Those of you who are connected with non-con- but the safe had been “cracked” on the premises formist churches may like to initiate enquiries in and only blank pages taken from the current marri- your chosen denomination and, if necessary, offer to age register. do something about it. But you don’t have to be a Most ministers co-operated readily in the exer- church member to get involved in this kind of cise, although there was one who told me “rounding up” exercise. emphatically that there were no closed registers in All you need is the ability to persuade the people his churches, while telling his church officers that it responsible of the need to care properly for such was his duty to retain the registers for posterity in records and then do something about it! ❍ the church safes. In this case I was able to wait until the said minister had retired, after which the church • Marriage Challenge update – pages 18 and 19

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 15 Over 120 attend successful Census Online Seminar at Essex Record Office, Chelmsford

HE CENSUS Online y ANDRA URNER tations given by Howard Ben- Seminar, held at the B S T brook and Elaine Collins. This will Essex Record Office on and LARAINE HAKE be of special interest to those Saturday, November 17 members not living in the UK 2007, was a joint seminar with able – well worth thinking of who cannot attend our seminars. the Essex Society for Family how some letters can be miss- You will, of course, miss out on History, using the excellent lec- transcribed. any questions and answers but it ture theatre at the Record Office will certainly give a taste for in Chelmsford. Over 120 people Highlight what has been said. A warning, were present, of which about a One highlight was undoubt- though – if you do not have a third were Guild members. edly the lecture by Elaine Collins, broadband connection the pre- Howard Benbrook (Member of the Find My Past team, on the sentations can take a while to 3112) opened the proceedings problems and logistics of putting open. with a comprehensive look at a census online. Elaine took us It does seem that even experi- what census records are available through some of the technical enced Guild members gained a online as well as how best to use indexing options and gave us an lot from this seminar. Here is a them. He presented a very inter- insight into some of the high report from Laraine Hake (1174): esting comparison of quality of costs involved. She explained a images and of the different pric- little of the bidding process ing methods used. He concluded behind bringing the 1911 census Opportunity that the best value for money to the Internet, where the cost of HAVING been born and lived in when it comes to paying for creating the set of images of all Essex until 1998 when we moved images of census pages is with pages will be in excess of three to Norfolk, I eagerly grasped the Find My Past, although he did million pounds. opportunity of attending the emphasise that it was useful to John Hanson (2572) ended on joint Essex FHS/Guild of One- check other online providers of a humorous note with a descrip- Name Studies Seminar in Chelms- census material as their coverage tion of a wide range of interest- ford. Mary Griffiths, (62) a did vary. ing and odd entries to be found founder member of the Guild, Jeanne Bunting (3472) gave a in the UK census. joined me on the drive down whole host of hints and tips for We have two of the presenta- from Norfolk, along the A140, finding the seemingly un-find- tions on the Guild website in A14 and A12, approaching roads I their entirety used to know so well. and a sample Chelmsford had changed, from Jeanne although I managed to find the Bunting and Army and Navy roundabout, and John Hanson, recognise its immediate environs. too. Go to the Then came a shock – the last time members’ room I was at the ERO it was at County of the website Hall! We hastily dug out the pro- and on the left- gramme and actually read the hand side you address – Wharf Road! Never will see a sec- mind, we arrived at our destina- tion entitled tion and were suitably impressed Seminar Pro- by the apparently purpose-built ceedings. Click building of which I had previously on Census been unaware! Online Seminar Once arrived, there were various faces, both from Essex The purpose-built Essex Record Office and you will see the presen- and GOONS that we each recogn-

16 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 ised. I was impressed by the badges with which we were issued; not only were our names clearly shown but as members of the Guild of One-Name Studies, so was the surname of our Interesting line-up of study. Excellent! It makes talk- ing to people so much easier if you do not have to try to dig talks for Guild’s Midlands their name out of the recesses of your mind! Seminar at Solihull

Impressive THE NEXT GUILD SEMINAR will ber. Richard Heaton (3231) will The lecture theatre was take place on Saturday, February tell us how to research local impressive, as were the lectures 16 at the Solihull Methodist newspapers for our names and themselves. I use censuses Church Hall, Blossomfield Road, will also tell us about the digitis- online as a matter of course Solihull B91 1LG. ation project of the British and have subscriptions with the This is going to be a very inter- Newspaper Library. main providers, so would not esting day. We will be looking at Even if your names interests do have believed that I had very some of the local Midland Indus- not originate in the Midlands, much to learn on the subject. try and how it influenced the these talks can show how you can However, I can honestly say I people in the area. In some cases, look at local industry and where found the day informative as it was the other way round – the and how to search for the names well as entertaining. Mary was people influenced the industry. you are interested in. impressed, too. She has never The first speaker is Guild mem- used censuses online previously, ber John Frearson (Member Accessible despite owning a computer, but 4688), who is the honorary This will be a great opportun- she said that she was reassured archivist of the Rugby Cement ity to meet with fellow by the style of the day; it was Archive and his talk will show the researchers and, as the venue is not over-technical but clear and influence of families and canals central and easy accessible to easy to understand. on the lime industry in North many, we hope this will prove a Warwickshire from the 1760s popular seminar, so please do Splendid day onwards to the present day, and book early. The venue is close to The comparisons between the families involved with the Solihull railway station and there providers, which was part of ownership. is plenty of free parking if you Howard Benbrook’s talk was of Then Christopher and Judith travel by car. especial interest to me as was Rouse will talk on “The Midland The cost of this seminar will be the presentation by Elaine Col- Railway and its staff records”. £18 per person, to include lunch. lins of Find My Past. When the Although Christopher has told The closing date for applications tips from Jean Bunting and the me that of the 28,000 names in is February 9 2008. Please use the humour provided by the finds of his index only a third are staff, booking form which is available John Hanson were added to the there are many other names from the Guild website: Just click mix, it equalled a splendid day mentioned including those who on “Events” and you can down- on many counts. had accidents on the railway and load the booking form. If you I spent the following day at those who committed crimes have difficulties with this, please the East Anglian History Fair in During the light lunch (which phone the Helpdesk Tel 0800 011 Norwich, manning the Guild of will be provided and included in 2182 and a form can be posted to One-Name Studies information the cost), there will be time to you. table, along with David Witt browse the Guild Bookstall and You can also pay online using (4172) and Bernie Guymer chat to fellow members – there PayPal or you can pay by cheque (3871). David had also attended will also be some indexes to in the usual way. the seminar in Chelmsford and check. Further information may be we both referred to it regularly In the afternoon we will have obtained by contacting the book- as an example of one of the three more talks. First, Peter Lee ing secretary: Sandra Turner, 2 St advantages of being a member will give a slide presentation on Annes Close, Winchester, Hamp- of the Guild. ❍ the Nuneaton Brickyards, Col- shire SO22 4LQ, e-mail: semi- lieries and Quarries, then Graham [email protected] Laraine Hake, Member 1174 Sutherland will be talking about Regional Representative for Warwickshire/Midland Crimes and Sandra Turner Norfolk Criminals. We finish the day with Member 3038 another talk from a Guild mem-

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 17 marriage was originally dated Progress with Billericay August 26 1839 but the year has been crossed out and 1840 writ- ten above. John married Sarah Marriage Challenge in Ann BYFORD and a check on the GRO Indexes gave the same two my home town marriage references for her, demonstrating that there was N THE LAST edition of the some of the challenge period. only one marriage. Journal I announced my Checking through the search list John’s marriage was entry No. intention to carry out a and consulting FreeBMD on the 2 in the register. Entry No. 1 is challenge for the Billericay dated June 27 1839 but entry No. Registration District. This area is 3 is, surprisingly, dated February very familiar to me, as my home 18 1840. So which year did they is in Billericay. marry? The announcement was also But that is not all – the plot made on the Guild Forum and on thickens. Entry No. 3 is a marriage the Marriage Challenge web between William WENLOCK and page. The cut-off date for By PETER Eliza COOPER. Again, checking requests was November 18. I am the GRO entry for this, I find it writing this at the end of Novem- COPSEY not in Q1 1840 but in Q4 1840. ber when my challenge is well Entry No 4 is, for once, correctly under way. indexed also in Q4 1840. By the start of the challenge I I cannot find any logical had received 264 requests. Mary explanation for these double Rix had sent me the Guild Marri- likely page numbers of the non- entries, corrections and errors but age Index for Billericay, asking me Anglican marriages, I guess that they certainly add to the fascina- to keep a look out for the marri- about 50 more marriages are still tion of marriage challenge. ages on the GMI where details to be found including about 10 If you would like to become a were missing. Many of these mar- that I may have missed. challenger, or would like to know riages were already on my search more about what it involves, list, but there were 47 that were Church visit please contact me on: not. One more full day at the marriage-challenge@one- Although it is not essential to record office should be adequate name.org include these additional marri- to finish the challenge before For more information on Mar- ages, I added them as I know it posting out certificates – unless, riage Challenge and what it takes little time to note down the of course, I visit the three involves, see the article in the bare essentials required for the churches that have not released Journal of October–December GMI. So, in total, I am looking for their registers. The nearest is 2005. 311 marriages. within walking distance, so I have little excuse not to go. New challenges Records check With every marriage challenge On the opposite page is the list Before the challenge started I there is usually the curious or of forthcoming challenges. All spent a few hours at Essex Record celebrity marriage that adds a members are encouraged to send Office checking on what records special interest or excitement. their requests to the challengers had been deposited and produc- Billericay is no exception; here, by e-mail or post (address in ing a definitive list of Anglican the curiosity is the marriage of Register). For the Lambeth Chal- churches within the registration John PARSK. From the request lenge, there is no need to re-send district. There are 24 Anglican list, it seemed that John married your requests to me if you have churches, three with records still twice, initially in Q3 1839 (GRO already sent them to Marion. at the church. ref. 12–14a) and then a year later Send the information So far, I have spent two full in Q3 1840 (GRO ref. 12–21). extracted from the GRO index for days at the record office, taking I began feeling sorry for John, the named registration district advantage of their long opening as I assumed that his first wife between the years given (Year, hours, 9.0 am to 8.30 pm on must have died soon after they Quarter, Surname, First names, Mondays. In all, I have found and married; but then he recovered full GRO reference). recorded 177 marriages. quickly to find someone new. Challengers will search for, There is only one more Angli- I found the marriage in the and often find, your marriages in can church to examine, plus there register for Vange parish church the deposited church registers are two non-conformist churches and, lo and behold, it seemed and then send you the full par- that have deposited registers for that he only married once. The ticulars. ❍

18 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 gramming is needed. Guild suffers problems This is, of course, rather embarrassing for the Guild and is delaying not only other planned with membership database improvements in the website but also several marketing initiatives and website searches which can only go ahead once the public search is available By Peter Walker again.

AST OCTOBER we found capacity to deal with the many Attacks that all our website complex IT functions that the These are not easy issues to functions that interact Guild provides. However, this is address. It could be that the with the Guild member- not as straightforward as you cause of the overload has been ship database were failing. might think and much re-pro- automated attacks on the Guild’s Initially, our hosting company website and in future we may claimed that we hadn’t paid the need to implement facilities to bill for the website, which was ensure that only search requests not true. Then it transpired that from real people are accepted. they had disabled all our data- No doubt many of you are base functions as our site was familiar with sites that ask overloading their servers. enquirers to copy a test word from a distorted image. Load When problems like this arise, I In order to reduce the load, trust that members appreciate we have regrettably had to that everyone involved in pro- suspend all the surname search viding the IT facilities are facilities on the public part of volunteers, many with day jobs the website. Searches for mem- to hold down as well. bers from within the Members’ We are all working towards Room are still available. the early restoration of the We are now embarked on website’s full functionality, but moving to a different kind of patience and a disciplined ❍ server which we hope has the The Guild’s website approach must prevail. Registration Deadline for Challenger Challenger's e-mail District and Requests Period Poplar 31 January David [email protected] 1876 - 1911 Horwill Exeter 5 February Des Gander [email protected] (Repeat) 1837 - 1911 Swaffham 10 February John [email protected]. 1837 - 1911 Pepperdine uk

Shoreditch 10 February Howard [email protected] 1837 - 1860 Benbrook Lambeth - 24 February Peter [email protected] Stage 3 Copsey 1891 - 1911 (taking over from Marion Hopkins)

Details of forthcoming marriage challenges

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 19 I don’t enjoy dealing with complaints concerning non- answered enquiries to Guild members

AN INVENTED junk mail and filtered out, or the period of several months, the language to message may have been received Guild Committee is asked to satisfy his deeply but then overlooked. Likewise decide whether or not to de- rooted need to letters can go astray in the post, register the member’s study. The complain...” (Lily Tomlin, Ameri- they may be the victim of a postal Committee does not like to can actress, comedian and strike or, like piano music, get recommend this action, but takes writer). “...but when complaints eaten by the family dog. the view that members of the are freely heard, deeply consid- Many Guild members are busy public should expect to receive a ered, and speedily reformed, people who can get behind with reply to an enquiry about any of then is the utmost bound of civil their mail. Illness or some family the one-name studies listed in the liberty attained that wise men upheaval can interfere with Register. look for.” (John Milton 1608- anyone’s best intentions to reply About three members have 1674, British poet and writer, to enquiries as quickly as possible. their studies de-registered in this quotation from Areopagitica, A response may have been sent way every year. Someone who 1644). by e-mail or letter but have never has had his study de-registered reached the enquirer. remains a Guild member and can Complaints apply to have his study re-regis- The work of the Guild Regis- Process tered at any time in the future. trar is varied and generally Some enquirers will send me a That is assuming the study name satisfying, but the one activity I complaint if they have not has not been taken over by do not enjoy is that of dealing received a response just a short someone else, and providing he with complaints from the public time after they have sent a single can commit himself once more to concerning unanswered enquiries. e-mail, in keeping with Lily Tom- responding promptly to all e-mail All Guild members who have lin’s thesis about complaining. and reply-paid letter enquiries, registered a study surname have Other enquirers will have sent and on payment of a further agreed to respond promptly to all several e-mails and letters before registration fee. e-mails and reply-paid letters complaining to me, often many relating to their one-name study. months after their first attempt Prevention Despite the pledge we all have at contact. I hope this description of the made, I receive on average four However, I feel obliged to process set in motion when a complaints a month from mem- investigate all complaints I complaint of non-response has bers of the public who have not receive by writing to the Guild been received will encourage received a reply to an enquiry member concerned both by e- members to take preventative sent to one of our members. This mail and letter. I usually get a measures so that I do not have to may be only the tip of the ice- satisfactory response from most bother them with complaint berg, as I have no way of know- members and the matter is then investigations. ing the number of unanswered closed. However, if I have had no The most important means of enquiries where no complaint is response after 4-6 weeks I send a prevention include informing the made to me. further letter by recorded deliv- Guild of changes in street and e- ery, so that I know whether or mail addresses and a prompt Non-response not it has been received. response to all enquiries. There are of course many dif- If there is no reply to this let- I also hope that John Milton ferent reasons for non-response. ter, I will try to make contact by would consider the process An e-mail does not always reach telephone and ask the member’s described above at least appro- the intended recipient, it may Regional Representative if they aches “the utmost bound of civil have disappeared into the ether, know of any reason for non- liberty attained that wise men it may have been identified as response. If all has failed after a look for.” ❍

20 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 Busiest time of the Guild year for the Treasurer

HIS IS THE busiest time promotional.html gives details of to receive a trickle of further Gift of the year for the Guild these promotional codes and Aid Declarations on the basis of Treasurer. Not only is it they are also shown on the which I will be able to claim addi- the end of the Guild’s reverse of the address label flyer tional back dated Gift Aid financial year, when I am busy that came with this Journal. refunds. preparing the 2006–07 draft Trus- Please note that the promotional I have received another che- tees’ Report and the Guild’s codes cannot be used in addition que from everyclick.com – financial accounts, it is also the to any other special Findmypast www.everyclick.com/ – as a result time of the year when subscrip- offers. For example, members of the 43 Guild members who tions are coming in and deposits/ will not able to gain an addi- have signed up with this site and payments are being made for the tional 10% in addition to the used their search facility. The Guild Conference for April next 20% loyalty discount available to more members who sign up to year. In addition, I shall soon be all renewing members for a Find- this site and search the web, the putting together the Guild’s Gift mypast subscription. more money the Guild will Aid claim for 2007–08. The extension of the promo- receive. Every bit helps! ❍ tional code means that Guild Guild finances members can save £6.50 on the Halsted Trust Seminar The Guild finances continue to £64.95 “Discovery” package and be well managed (even if I say so £9.00 on the £89.95 “Explorer” A FREE seminar on One-Name myself) and the Guild is continu- package. The latter package has Studies, organised by the ing to expand on its activities and recently provided access to UK Halsted Trust at Skipton Castle, on the facilities it is making avail- North Yorkshire, on Saturday, able to its members. Anne November 24, heard a variety of Shankland, the Guild Webmaster, talks from experts, most of them has developed an online PayPal Guild members. system which provides members Alec Tritton, Halsted Trust with an alternative method of chairman and a Guild vice- paying their annual subscriptions. Outbound Passenger Lists (BT27), president, gave the introductory At the time of writing, 191 the National Burial Index (NBI) talk on One-Name Studies and Guild members have taken and the Civil Service Evidence of was followed by Guild President advantage of this facility and Age (CSEoA). Further details of Derek Palgrave, who spoke on paid £2,310 in subscriptions via what can be searched on Find- “Variants and Deviants”. PayPal and donated a further mypast.com can be found at Geoff Riggs introduced the £168 to the Guild. Further dona- www.findmypast.com/home.jsp audience to his remarkable tions have been made by mem- In the coming year I hope to selection of Riggs memorabilia bers paying by other means and I be able to approach some of the in his talk, entitled “The would like to thank all of them other online organisations to see Apprentice”. Then Else Churchill, for their kind generosity. if we can negotiate a similar pro- of the Society of Genealogists, Near the end of November motional arrangement with one spoke about “Special Collections 2007. Findmypast.com kindly or more of them. Watch this for One-Name Studies” in the agreed to extend their Guild pro- space! SoG’s library. motional code to cover subscrip- Jeanne Bunting introduced tions as well as purchasing Gift Aid the attendees to new websites units. This meant that the promo- I would like to thank all those in a talk entitled “What’s New on tional code for Findmypast had to Guild members who responded the Internet”, followed by John be changed, details of which to my last campaign to get more Hanson, who spoke about the were given to our online mem- members to sign a Gift Aid Decla- Halstead Archive. bers via the Chairman’s latest ration. HM Revenue & Customs A number of Guild Committee Newsflash. have recently refunded the Guild members were present, along with ordinary members and The Members’ area at £2,600 as a result. Since the claim ❍ www.one-name.org/members/ was submitted, I have continued members of the public.

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 21 expressed an interest in attend- ing pre-conference outings should receive details during January. There will be a sailing to the island of Lundy (www.lundyisland.co.uk/) on College of Arms records Wednesday, April 2, leaving Ilfracombe at 10.00 a.m. and lecture at Guild’s returning at 6.00 p.m., allowing Annual Conference four hours on the island. Scenery By CHRIS BRAUND and JANET FEW Lundy has spectacular scenery and is ideal if you enjoy walking LANS FOR the 29th find a reward for the best but is unsuitable for those with Guild of One-Name effort. mobility problems. There is a Studies Annual Confer- In our capacity as committee climb up a steep hill from the ence – the theme of members of the Braund Society, ferry and a single pub and shop, which is “The Rich Man in his we have taken our display to so little to do for those unable Castle, the Poor Man at his several Guild conferences. We to walk round the island. Gate” – are nearing completion, would like to encourage others The maximum cost will be with just one speaker still to be to put their ancestors on display. £30, payable on booking. If we finalised. All members, not just confer- get sufficient numbers to qualify The conference is being held ence attendees, are invited to for a group discount the differ- at the Durrant House Hotel, produce a single display panel ence will be refunded. If the Bideford, Devon, over the week- (maximum 34 inches x 24 inches) sailing is cancelled due to bad end of April 4–6. illustrating an aspect of their weather, all monies will be We can now confirm that one-name study. These will be returned. Peter O’Donoghue, Bluemantle shown at the conference and a On Thursday, April 3, we have Pursuivant will speak on “The prize will be awarded for the an appointment at Torrington Records of the College of Arms”. most informative and visually 1646 (www.torrington- We also have Friday night enter- pleasing entry. 1646.co.uk/). This is an amazing tainment from Master Jake and Those attending the confer- 17th century experience where friends from Torrington 1646 – ence may bring their panels one can wield a pike, learn definitely not to be missed. with them but it is essential that about herbal cures and “enjoy” an “intention to enter” is the ministrations of the barber Ancestors on display received no later than March 15, surgeon. Just beware you are A Bunch of Quays will provide so that space can be allocated. If not accused of witchcraft if you musical accompaniment for the you wish to take part, please e- produce a camera! Saturday night banquet. We mail to this effect to would like to encourage as [email protected]. Gardens many banquet-goers as possible All e-mails will be Other planned outings to attend in ancestral costume – acknowledged, so if you do not include the Royal Horticultural anything from 1970 BC to 1970 receive a reply please resend. Society Gardens at Rosemoor is acceptable and we may even Members who are not attending (www.rhs.org.uk/rosemoor) and the conference the picturesque village of may send Clovelly (www.clovelly.co.uk). panels to Janet At the time of writing, more Few, Coles than 60 delegates have returned Manning, Buck- their booking forms and many land Brewer, are extending their stay either Bideford, Devon at the conference venue, the EX39 5LP to Durrant House Hotel arrive between (www.durranthousehotel.com) March 1 and or elsewhere. We hope you will 15. These will join us. be returned if postage and CHRIS BRAUND, Member 594 packing costs JANET FEW, Member 1136 are provided. Conference Organisers All those who Durrant House Hotel, conference venue

22 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 Changes to the way we celebrate the end of each year is history in the making

AVE YOU NOTICED the the marriages performed at the Boom, the Grey Pound, the slow, subtle change in beginning and end of each quar- History Freaks, with plenty of the way that we appro- ter in each church after civil disposable money to explore ach the various festivals registration was established in their chosen pursuit. that characterise the end of each England & Wales. The trick is that In this world, the key skill is to year? the GRO Marriage Indexes entries know your customers and have Brought up in the south-east for a pair of CPs will establish the the ability to reach out to them of England, I was always encour- range of pages used for that (well, of course, in any world, aged to wish everyone a “Happy church so, if you have a marriage actually). Clearly, the FFHS has Christmas”. It never occurred to on a page in between, you can decided they can’t hack it on me that this might not, actually, identify the church! their own and, after the clear- be appropriate for some of the This is a powerful tool and ance sale of the outstanding people I met. Not that we had offers the opportunity to find the stock of their publications, Family many Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus information (usually free) at a History Online has been sold to or Jews in the class of 4S; Roman local record office rather than Find My Past and GENfair has Catholics, yes, but those others? spend £7 on a GRO copy certifi- fallen to Nigel Bayley’s S&N Later, I marvelled at the ability cate. Beyond some enthusiastic empire. of my local corner shop to be individuals’ efforts, little has been A reflection on the changing able to open on December 25, as done to move this forward and so times, perhaps, but this will be I stumbled in to ask for I think it’s time to escalate this to good news to those societies who something for my rebellious a real project. have supported the FFHS, as the stomach. My plan will be to populate a new arrangements should yield But here’s the point – this is, proper research database with significantly more income from without realising it, history in the online query access but, unlike the increased marketing promo- making. Isn’t this just a modern the Guild Marriage Index, I’ll be tion. How this leaves the FFHS example of the historical lessons deliberately looking for a com- financially is a mystery to me, but we must all try to learn about, mercial edge to benefit Guild for those groups who didn’t join like, say, the place of women in funds. I hope to bring more the party (this includes the Guild, society, the dominance of the details on this next time, once by the way, as we had nothing to church in legal affairs, the inev- I’ve worked up a formal proposal offer), they’re still on their own. itability of class structures and so to the Committee, but if you’re Maybe they prefer it that way. many more? interested to make a contribution Me? I have to look for another History wasn’t my subject at – which could be, say, recording supplier. Uni but, my goodness, if I want to the CPs for a single church at understand, it has to be my sub- your local record office – let me What’s new, what’s big? ject now. Christmas will be over know. One of my tasks over the by the time you read this but, recent holidays has been to whatever or whoever you trust, Never mind the quality... explore new items to tempt you believe or have faith in, I would Remember my Business News in the New Year. One of these is like to take this opportunity to item in the previous Journal? Did an extension to an existing range offer you my very best wishes at you catch the point about con- – a new voucher from find- this significant time of the year... solidation in the Heritage Mar- mypast.com (FMP). ket? Well, here we go again... You may be aware that FMP Cardinal Points The Federation (of Family have two levels of annual sub- For a very long time now, I’ve History Societies) has capitulated scription – Discovery, which costs been espousing the cause of the to the inevitable – that the com- £64.95 and offers access to all so-called Cardinal Points (CPs). If mercialisation of this sector is an their census and BMD records, you haven’t met these before, obvious consequence of, and Explorer (£89.95), which they are, quite simply, a record of whatever you call it, the Baby gives you carte-blanche to

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 23 detailed, indexed refurbishment. Within days, I’ll be London maps on straight through those doors CD. Is this clever looking for marriages that took marketing insight? place in the Shoreditch Registra- Not really. Pretty tion District. Yes, I’m doing much everyone has another marriage challenge! someone in their Shoreditch is a big RD, (about family tree who the size of my earlier onslaught went to London, of on Stepney and Mile End), so I’ll course. But I’ve need to take it in stages. Stage 1 now decided that I will be between the years 1837 should escalate this and 1860, so, if you need to find and create a the details of marriages in Shore- explore all their holdings, includ- special table for them. I’m toying ditch RD for your registered ing those wonderful passenger with the name: “London Roots surname between those dates, let lists. I’ve been offering their Dis- and Routes”. me have the full GRO Index refer- covery voucher at a discount to As I write this, I have plans to ence and I’ll do my best to members for some time now buy in a range of books, CDs, transcribe the content of the mar- (£58.50), but now I’m able to maps and lots of things that have riage register for you. It’s quickest offer a voucher to give members the word, London, in their title. if you send your requests by e- full access, for a year, to all FMP Below are a few things I’m mail to: benbrook@one- resources at a price of: £81.00, tempted by, but if you have an name.org, but I certainly don’t plus p&p. interesting request that might turn my nose up at “snail mail”. sell well, please let me know! London ancestors Blue van man I’ve been successfully selling a Another challenge I was unsure, I prevaricated, I number of items at fairs which By January 21, the London hesitated, but eventually I took appeal to those people who have Metropolitan Archives (LMA) the plunge. Yes, there is now a London ancestors – things like should have re-opened after their Guild van! But it’s not white, it’s blue. I did this, of course, to spite Roy Stockdill with his Fleet Street remarks about my ambitions to be a “white van man”! In time, we might be able to put the Guild logo on the sides, so I’d like to believe that this will make us instantly recognisable when we turn up at fairs. In the meantime, say hello to the Guild’s latest recruit. (I reckon it should be called Benbrook’s Blue Bat- mobile! - Editor). Bookstall logo And while we’re on the subject of logos, what do you make of the one on the opposite page? I’m proposing to use it on my forthcoming literature, including the latest Price List that you should find with this issue. I hope you agree that it captures the Guild’s image, while trying to establish the Bookstall’s own “brand”. Your opinions are, of course, welcome. Boy, can he talk! I was invited to make a contri- bution recently to the Guild’s London maps and books available soon on the Guild Bookstall Computer Seminar at Chelmsford,

24 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 you might catch us if you fancy a trip out: • East of London FHS Fair, Barking, Essex, Saturday , Jan 19. • Bracknell FH Fair, Bracknell, Berks, Sunday, Jan 27. • Crawley FH FairCrawley, Sussex, Sunday, Feb 10. • Guild Midland Seminar, Solihull, Saturday, Feb 16. • Oxfordshire FH FairKidling- ton, Oxon, Sunday, Feb 24 • Dorset FHS Open Day, Poole, Dorset, Sunday, March 9. • Merseyside & Cheshire FH Fair, Wirral, Merseyside, Sunday, March 9. • FFHS AGM & Fair, Plymouth, Devon, Saturday, March 29. Come on! You know you’d love to come and say hello. Tempted to buy something? Let rip! Thanks to all I’m really grateful for all the help I get and I know that people make a special effort to turn out Benbrook’s Blue Batmobile, aka the Guild Bookstall van for The Guild Bookstall, so it’s always reassuring when they a joint event with the Essex take up a surprising amount of offer to help a second time or Society for Family History, on the time so I have, a little reluctantly, more. subject of the day – Online Cen- resigned my position on the My thanks are due, and not for suses. Speaking to audiences is Guild’s Committee. I should say the first time for several of this basically what I’ve always done straight away that this doesn’t list, to: Cliff Kemball, Ian and and this one seemed to go down affect my position as Bookstall Anne Shankland, Alan Moor- really well. Manager and I will continue to house, Pat Wilson, Ken Grubb If you’d like to take a look at devote just as much energy there. (who is now getting close to a the content, Anne Shankland has And I would like to assure all Long Service Award), David and kindly put a copy of my presenta- those members who voted for me Brenda Horwill, Jean Norming- tion slides in the Member’s Room. at the Committee elections that, ton, Mike Walker, Laraine Hake, I’ve done a few other talks locally, despite my resignation, I will con- Peter Copsey, Graham Walter, too, including my version of the tinue to promote the Guild, its Kirsty Gray, and Ken and Celia Guild’s talk on One-Name Studies. activities and objectives wherever Mycock. The response has encouraged and whenever I can. Oh! And if A special mention is also due me to do more, so I’ve started to you fancy taking my place on the to Laraine Hake’s helpers at the develop a few subjects and Committee, don’t hold back! Norwich Fair, David Witt and accept invitations to give talks Bernie Guymer, for their day pro- more widely. Get in touch with Where we’ve been, moting the Guild’s interests. And me directly if you think I could where we’re going I mustn’t forget Ron Wood- make a contribution to your local Yes, we’ve been out and about house’s selfless efforts, together group. again. Since my last piece, the with his wife, Gwen, to promote Southern Bookstall has been to the Guild’s interests in the North Strengths Hastings, Eastleigh, Cheltenham, of England. Thanks, thanks, all of None of this comes without Woking, the Guild’s Computer you! further demands on my time, and Seminar at Chelmsford, and Wim- If you’d like to contact Howard I’ve belatedly recognised that I borne, and Our Man in the North, about any of the items he holds should really play to my strengths Ron Woodhouse, has been at on the Guild Bookstall or to and interests to make the most Doncaster and Hull. We also had volunteer to help, you can write significant contribution. If I’m a presence at Norwich. to him at bookstall@one- truthful, committee work was The New Year brings new name.org, or 7 Amber Hill, Cam- never my strong point and it does opportunities and this is where berley, Surrey, GU15 1EB, UK. ❍

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 25 that interest. There is also a bib- liography for those who wish to go into further research. Throughout the book, com- ments are given on the level of assurance which can be gained from the evidence located and guidance is given on where fur- ther research is needed and the direction that the research could take. This encourages future entrating on a specific Choice genealogical research by other Betty’s book is family. Each chapter contains the members of the Choice family. earliest progenitor, his spouse, From a one-name study per- a choice read and children, discussed first. spective, I was disappointed not Then the family of the oldest to see an analysis of the volume By CLIFF KEMBALL child of the earliest progenitor is of Choice/Choyce births, marri- taken down through each gener- ages and deaths over time, either THE CHOICE COMPENDIUM, 1,075 ational level to the present day in the United States or the UK or pages, format 8½ x 11 hardback. where possible. The same style in any of the other main coun- Price: United States: $95, Over- continues with the family of the tries where these families have seas: $122.00 (from the author, second and subsequent children. lived. address in the Guild Register of Family chapters are divided Such information could also e-mail [email protected]). into three sections: a narrative help to identify the extent to THIS extensive, and hefty hard- including family history, photo- which this book had managed to back book is clearly a labour of graphs and document; a sche- research the name internation- love by the author Mrs Betty matic family chart; and a ally. Interestingly from a look at Choyce (Guild member 192). thumbnail sketch proving a brief www.taliesin-arlein.net/names/ Betty made a few attempts at family history and genealogy of search.php it appears that the putting her family tree together name is fairly rare in the UK. during her early teens but found Name Number Ranking the British were somewhat preoc- Choice 10 143,714th cupied with World War II to Choyce 106 31,959th respond to her queries! This book includes an array of Some 40 years later Betty indexes (214 pages) covering a resumed her enquires and this distaff index, a cross-referenced book is the result of almost 30 index and a spouse index which years of research, searches and between them include a number correspondence with other mem- of Guild names, amongst which I bers of the Choyce/Choice family. identified Bolling, Banks, Bills- The objectives of the book are borough, Featherstone, Law, Rix to preserve the collection of and Tulley. Choice and Choyce statistics for The Choice/Choyce com- posterity, generate a genealogical pendium is far from being a interest in individual Choice/ the collateral line. There are over finished work. It is acknowledged Choyce families and to unite such 350 family photographs and doc- to be rampant with speculation worldwide families with their uments, most of which have and rife with unrelated vital stat- common heritage. Among the come from the families they istics, but it is, nevertheless, the family treasures which motivated portray. most extensive collection of Betty in undertaking her The written style is informal, genealogical material on the researches was a mid-1800s detailed and scholarly, but not Choice and Choyce families. mahogany mantle clock, solid stuffy and quite easily to read. It Should you be interested in silver jewellery in the shape of a goes into a fair amount of detail reading extracts from this book five-pointed star and a very old where appropriate but has lain you can visit Betty’s website at parchment will for a Richard off in the delicate areas where www.bettychoyce.com/2007/, Choyce, dated 1771. How many individual feelings may be where a limited number of of we genealogist one-namers involved. The book is generally selected pages taken from the have such treasures to empower geared towards the person who book are presented and the our researches? has no knowledge of family pages are frequently changed to The book contains 24 main genealogy but is written with the provide a different selection of chapters, with each chapter conc- intention of helping to develop pages. The choice is yours! ❍

26 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2008 a torse – a ring of twisted cord which held the mantling (to pro- tect the expensive armour from the sun and rain). During battle this often became cut and ragged so the tradition evolved to show it thus, as is the case today. A motto, which may be changed at will, sat below the shield (sometimes above in cer- tain heraldry) and the whole thing held up by supporters for those entitled to them. The whole thing becomes the Get yourself a Guild one of the ones who hasn’t yet achievement of arms. Profile now – and get looked at it, I can heartily recom- on the Internet! mend the process. Important It is a mistake therefore to CHRIS POMERY describe simply “the family crest” I HAVE a confession to make. I Member 3400 should have done it a long time when it is actually the shield ago, but there was always a rea- which is the important part, for son why it never got done. But, Crests v shields and an without the shield the rest can- as these things happen, I did issue over coats of arms not exist. It is the merging of finally get around to it one wet family “shields” (in a specific June weekend...and I have to say AT THE risk of sounding pedantic, way) rather than “crests” that that I am mightily pleased with could I clear up a common mis- enables us to read the various the result. conception vis-a-vis coats of arms, families that are depicted in a trap recently fallen into in impalements (side by side with Simple Robin Wood’s excellent article. spouses) and quarterings (for I speak of the incredibly useful A coat of arms consists first offspring) that forms much of the system we as members enjoy to and foremost of a shield, without family heraldry that we see today. set up a Guild web profile. I which nothing else can exist. In found that the entire process of some very ancient families often Dr BERNARD JUBY Hon. F.H.S. setting up an online presence it was the only part. Then came Member 2171 took only a few minutes and is helms (denoting the rank of the really very simple indeed. owner) and a crest for those of Do likes attract? At the end, what I have is a tournament rank – the origin of I HAVE a completely unscientific well-structured description of my the term “crestfallen”, perhaps, theory that people with very study, categorised under helpfully when it was knocked off during a common names – SMITH, WHITE, supplied headings, that will be tournament? GREEN, BROWN etc. – marry each found by the web’s top search This was held onto the helm by other and, conversely, people engines. And as an added bonus, with uncommon names marry the profile’s web address is con- each other. siderably shorter than the My one-name study is of equivalent at Rootsweb or other WHITTOME and I also have the free website providers. following names in my tree, all of which are registered in the Ideal GOONS by other people who I The profile is ideal for those did not know existed: BLISS, Guild members just venturing BRACKSTONE, CHILVERS and onto the internet who want a HANDSCOMB. I also have quick and simple system to create BAVEYSTOCK, which is a variation a credible and easily found web of BAVERSTOCK. Incidentally, Mr. page. Power users will also see and Mrs. BLANCHARD lived next benefits: judging from the hit door when I was a child and Bert counters of some of the early POMEROY was my Dad’s best profiles there is clearly a lot of man. Both these names are in the traffic coming in. Illustration from Robin Wood’s Guild also. I’m told that only 15 per cent article on the Coningsby of members have created a pro- surname in the PATRICIA PORTSMOUTH file so far so if, as I was, you’re October–December 2007 Journal Member 3658

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Vol 9 Issue 9 January–March 2008