The world’s leading publication for one-namers Vol 8 Issue 9 January–March 2005 • • •

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CHAIRMAN Box G, 14 Charterhouse Buildings Ken Toll Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA 20 North Road E-mail: [email protected] Three Bridges Website: www.one-name.org W Sussex RH10 1JX Registered as a charity in England 01293 404986 and Wales No. 802048 [email protected] Guild information

Sales VICE-CHAIRMAN Peter Walker AS well as Guild publications, the 24 Bacons Drive Sales Manager has a supply of Jour- Cuffley nal folders, ties, lapel badges and President Hertfordshire back issues of the Journal. The Derek A Palgrave MA FRHistS FSG EN6 4DU address is: 01707 873778 Vice-Presidents [email protected] Howard Benbrook Peter Goodall 7 Amber Hill Ernest Hamley SECRETARY Camberley John Hebden Kirsty Maunder Surrey Peter Towey 11 Brendon Close GU15 1EB Tilehurst, Reading England Guild Committee Berkshire RG30 6EA E-mail enquiries to: The Committee consists of the 0118 9414833 [email protected] Officers, plus the following: [email protected] Rob Alexander Forum Howard Benbrook REGISTRAR THIS online discussion forum is Jeanne Bunting FSG Roger Goacher open to any member with access to Rod Clayburn Springwood e-mail. You can join the list by John Hanson Furzefield Road sending a message with your mem- Barbara Harvey East Grinstead bership number to: Cliff Kemball W Sussex RH19 2EF [email protected] Paul Millington 01342 326663 To e-mail a message to the forum, Roy Rayment [email protected] send it to: [email protected] Librarian TREASURER Sandra Turner Vacant Regional Representatives Regional Reps Co-ordinator 2 St Annes Close Barbara Harvey Winchester A LIST of Regional Representatives Bookstall & Sales Manager Hants SO22 4LQ of the Guild in a number of UK counties and overseas can be found Howard Benbrook 01962 840388 [email protected] on the inside back cover of this Forum Manager Journal. If you are interested in Sharon Symons EDITOR becoming a Regional Rep, please Website Manager Roy Stockdill contact the Regional Representa- Paul Millington 6 First Avenue tives Coordinator, Barbara Harvey Publicity Manager Garston, Watford (address and phone number on the Roy Rayment Herts WD25 9PZ inside back cover). Data Processing Manager 01923 893735 John Hanson [email protected] The Journal of One-Name Studies is published quarterly by the Guild of SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMEN One-Name Studies and printed by Executive Ken Toll Flexpress Ltd, 5 Saxby St, Leicester Publications Ken Toll ISSN 0262-4842 Seminars Jeanne Bunting FSG © Journal of One-Name Studies Vol 8 Issue 9 January–March 2005

MAIN ARTICLES 6 DNA Testing comes of age – COVER STORY CHRIS POMERY, a Guild pioneer of family history by genetic testing, reviews some of his early predictions 9 Do many of us really have rare surnames? – COVER STORY DONALD HATCH suggests that the number of very rare surnames is fewer than we imagine 14 Webwatch – is Genes Reunited just for beginners or one-namers, too? COVER STORY A look at the well-known website by KEN TOLL GUILD REPORTS • NEWS • EVENTS 18 Grey Owl, Jacobite Glass, slave records and settlement certificates in Unusual Studies Seminar at Swindon 19 Seminars update 23 Book early for 2005 Guild Conference and AGM at Wyboston Lakes • Notice of Guild election • Guild One-Name Publication Awards 24 Civil registration review is all off, at least for the time being REGULARS

4 Chairman’s Notes KEN TOLL 5 Just My Opinion ROY STOCKDILL 20 A View From The Bookstall HOWARD BENBROOK 21 Registrar’s Notes ROGER GOACHER 24 Letters – your views on issues in the one-name world

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.

3 Guild members will help advise on production of online probate calendars

month or so back I order to located the correct a member. Can I please remind received the Minutes of image. The main question is everyone that we have a process the Probate Depart- what should be in the Index for for Members’ Feedback. Initially, ment Copies Service free, and how much extra would any issues should be taken up Users Group, which gave a pro- there be in the image to make it with the Committee member gress report on the Digitisation worth paying for. concerned. Only then should it Project for the Probate Calen- Initial suggestions are that be escalated. Page 10 of the dars. It is hoped to be out to the index should contain: Members Handbook refers. tender early in 2005. • Name (including middle Having recently tried to use names). Constitutional Review the existing computerised calen- • Location (I presume deceased’s The Committee is making dars, for probate from 1998 last address). good progress, but at least one onwards, at First Avenue House • Date of death. more meeting is required before and, finding them less than • Clearly, each of these must I can table the outline proposals ideal for one-namers, I con- have facilities for wildcard and to members. I have written tacted the DCA (Department for range searching. again to the Charity Commis- Constitutional Affairs, the suc- By the time you read this I sion, seeking further clarifi- cessors to the Lord Chancellor’s will have already opened up the cation on some of the projects Department), to offer advice debate on the Guild Forum. I we may wish to undertake in and assistance on future on-line would welcome constructive the future. data. suggestions on online probate calendar access and my contact And finally Unique details are at the front of the The Guild year ended on I believe Guild members are Journal. November 31 2004. Subscrip- in an almost unique position as tions for 2004/5 were due to be genealogical data users and Welcome, Cliff paid by November 1. At the time many have considerable experi- Cliff Kemball, already of writing (early December), a ence in using online facilities for Regional Rep for Kent, was co- significant number of members obtaining information. To cut a opted onto the Committee on still had not re-subscribed. long story short, I have agreed September 18. I’m sure you will This year the Committee have to consult Guild members and join with me in welcoming him agreed as a goodwill gesture to co-ordinate responses to DCA on to his additional role. mail out this copy of the Journal what an online probate calen- to all members, including those dar should ideally contain and Member’s studies of you whose renewal is over- how it should be accessed. The Committee has discussed due. As it is paid for by the public member’s deposited research (or Membership and registration purse, such online facilities are lack of it) several times recently. of those not renewing will lapse unlikely ever to be completely I fully support the Registrar’s on February 1, resulting in loss free, so we need to take a prag- recommendations elsewhere in of all membership benefits. matic approach. What I under- this Journal. I strongly suggest Can I please urge you to stand to be envisaged is a pay- that we ALL re-evaluate what renew as soon as possible and per-view solution to look at we want to happen to our avoid having to re-register at a images of the existing calendars. studies long term, and start later date. Please contact our I believe pricing is planned to be making arrangements NOW! Renewals Secretary, Rod Clay- 10p per page viewed, with a burn, 4 Winnham Drive, Fare- minimum purchase of £5 which Complaints procedure ham, Hampshire PO16 8QE, e- would be valid for 30 days. The Guild Officers recently mail: guild.renewals@one- Clearly, an index is required in received a complaint direct from name.org

4 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 What was civil registration review all about, exactly?

ON'T governments get ation of the older records, this, than 25 years old. their nannying knickers too, was unclear, since no-one As a journalist, I am automati- in a twist sometimes? seemed to have much of a clue as cally opposed to censorship and Cynics might say rather to how this would be undertaken my views on unnecessarily strin- too often! Can there have been a – or who by. gent privacy laws are far too bigger surprise than the recent The principle of it being under- well-known for me to repeat announcement – reported on taken on a not-for-profit basis is them here. However, speaking as page 24 of this Journal – that the not one that would appeal to any a family historian, there is no much-heralded and controversial, large commercial organisations, doubt that even these watered- in some aspects, changes in civil and there was a real fear that if it down proposals would have seri- registration will apparently not ended up being undertaken by ously hampered our research. now happen? operatives in the Third World – as Now we learn the whole thing Well, at least not in the life- with the 1901 census – the quality is back in the melting pot. So time of this current parliament, of data produced would be unac- what happened? There is a belief for by the time the proposed leg- ceptable to family historians. that the government tripped islation can be reinstated there itself up badly in believing it will have been a General Election Restrictions could get away with forcing the and the entire political spectrum However, what really stuck in civil registration changes through may have altered. Who knows? the craw were the proposals to by using the Regulatory Reform Ever since we first heard about restrict information on birth and Order procedure. the civil registration review, the death certificates – specifically This was meant to be family history world was thrown addresses, occupations and causes employed on relatively non-contr- into turmoil, since certain aspects of death – under 100 years old. oversial, tidying-up legislation, of the proposals seemed to This would have meant that, at fast-tracked through parliament threaten our very existence. one fell swoop, the two most without a full debate. However, it It is quite true we welcomed vital pieces of information the seems the Regulatory Reform some of them, especially the genealogist needs to identify one Committee thought the pro- scheme to digitise the older, John Smith from scores of others cedure should not be used for historic records (those over 100 – addresses and occupations – such far-reaching changes as pro- years old) and make the original would have been removed! posed in the civil registration registers accessible at record After much arguing and con- review – the biggest shake-up offices. Obviously, this would sultation, our viewpoint was since the whole system was intro- have helped genealogical listened to and the proposed sup- duced in 1837. research considerably. pression of occupations was Did no-one warn ministers in And yet, even these promising removed. I can recall one memor- advance that this might happen? ideas seemed flawed. For the able occasion when I asked the Have the General Register Office powers-that-be admitted there civil servant in charge of the wasted lord-knows-how-much was no clear indication as to how whole review what on earth was money on their lengthy consulta- councils and record offices would sensitive about knowing that tion procedures? react when presented with piles someone was a plumber when he One nice little theory I saw of registers that not only had to married 40 or 50 years ago. propagated on the Internet be stored somewhere but made He looked me straight in the genealogy mailing lists was that accessible to the public, with all eye and admitted: "Nothing the immense interest generated the implications involved with whatsoever." by the BBC2 TV series "Who Do regard to staffing, supervision However, after the consulta- You Think You Are?" has pro- and permanent keeping in a safe tion process and much to-ing and duced so many new family environment. There was an fro-ing, we were still left with historians that ministers began to obvious fear that some would proposals to restrict addresses on panic about losing votes come end up in musty back rooms for marriage and death certificates election time next May. years, inaccessible to anyone. under 75 years old, and the cause Who knows what will happen As for the proposed digitis- of death on death certificates less now? Watch this space!

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 5 DNA testing comes of age How a surname-based DNA project can be organised and results benefit the one-namer ith genetic genealogy now we can quickly identify whether they almost five years old, 2005 share a common DNA signature or not. is a good time to review If they do not, the answer will lie either some of the predictions I in a documentary error within the tree, made in July 2001 when I confidently which we can then try to correct, or in described DNA testing as “a valuable a break in the line of DNA transmission tool for one-namers”, and the progress in one generation from father to son. of the Pomeroy DNA study. There are, of course, good reasons What strikes me most clearly is that, why some male descendants might while the promises that DNA testing have a different DNA signature than offers to historians are slightly delayed the standard one for other male in arriving, the potential that genetic descendants in that tree. These include By Chris genealogy now offers has grown larger an illegitimate birth somewhere in the than I’d anticipated just a few years paternal line, the parenting of a male Pomery ago. child by a man other than the docu- To reveal how this is happening let’s mented husband, name changes for review how a surname-based DNA inheritance purposes, and the like. But FOR several years project can be organised and how its the DNA testing of a small number of now, Guild results might benefit the one-namer. male descendants per documented tree member CHRIS Typically, a one-name study gathers will quickly reveal their common DNA POMERY has been together family trees researched by signature, in turn isolating that part of in the vanguard of different, often unconnected the tree where a different DNA signa- the “new researchers. ture is found as warranting closer genealogy” – the Some of these trees will have been documentary investigation. science of making drafted many years ago before mass genetic links by transcription data such as FreeBMD Impact DNA testing. came online, others more recently and Four years on, it is hard for me to His book, DNA benefiting from the flood of data now over-estimate the huge impact that and Family available on the web. Even as the dili- DNA testing has had on the Pomeroy History, was gent one-namer gathers transcription One-Name Study, which has benefited published by The data from far and wide, one of the key greatly from the hints provided by our National Archives problems he or she faces is how to link DNA results. At the same time, I can in September together the trees and to corroborate reveal that virtually every large docu- 2004 and has all this research already done by third mented tree has revealed some proved a best- parties. anomalous DNA results which have seller. caused us to reinvestigate the docu- In this specially Effective mented assumptions underlying each commissioned DNA testing is proving an effective tree and to try to correct them. In a article, he tool to corroborate the integrity of nutshell, most of the major trees had describes how the documented family trees for the simple significant faults in them which the work he has been reason that the DNA signature of each DNA results have flagged up and undertaking since male descendant is passed down from allowed us to start to remedy. 2001 has father to son in a manner that exactly Within this context, I have to confess progressed and its mimics the transmission of the surname that I take a very pro-active role in effect on the from one generation to the next. running the Pomeroy One Name Study Pomeroy One- The Y-chromosome test results of which I know would not suit every Name Study. any male descendant who shares the GOON. In fact, I even have the desire of surname of the oldest male in the tree one day “finishing” the study by recon- should, in almost all cases, be identical stituting its family trees! In practice, or extremely similar. By DNA testing what this means is that I have an active several male descendants within a tree, certificate-buying policy using society

6 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 research funds to identify the missing documentable active way, I think the impact that DNA testing has links. had upon our study would be replicated in other This is, over a few years, consolidating a large surnames, too. number of small family trees into our major trees. By When we first started the Pomeroy DNA project doing this, I am – in consultantspeak – leveraging in 2000, we had just two or three documented the benefits of the DNA results which have indicated family trees with more than 200 name-bearers in which trees might be linked together through a them, and we deliberately chose one male descen- common genetic heritage. dant per tree to be DNA tested, regardless of the But I should stress that while I have been working tree’s size, in order to find out which trees would at developing the one-name study in a very pro- turn out to be linked by genetics. The initial results identified seven “genetic families” where several participants shared a Handling the switch broadly identical DNA signature, plus a number of singleton DNA signature results. As we enter 2005 from paper systems the picture looks markedly different. The number of DNA-tested male POMs has risen from 51 to 73; the to digital archives number of “genetic families” (classified as two or more identical or near identical DNA results) has BACK in January 2001 I wrote an article about risen from seven to 14, and the largest of these how one-namers might handle the switch “genetic families” has 18 members. from paper-based systems to digital communi- cations and archives. While that seemed a bit Documented of pipe dream at the time, I can report that, Some of these genetic families are now clearly after a long-term scanning effort, our paper documented as a single family tree. The best exam- archives have now been turned into a 1.5Gb ple is that of Tony Pomeroy, my predecessor who set folder of PDF files. up the Pomeroy ONS, whose DNA result was shared During this process I found that my prede- by four other DNA study participants whose smaller cessor, Tony Pomeroy, and myself have had trees have subsequently been documentarily linked contact with over 1,000 researchers or with Tony’s Dorset tree, expanding it from around enquirers and that collectively in the archives 200 to 500 members. we had details of over 400 certificates. Even By contrast, other “genetic families” are still a more reassuring, we now have multiple documentary work in progress. Traditional methods copies of the archive shared among our lead- suggest that the trees of a set of eight DNA partici- ing members, so it is much safer than when it pants are highly likely, based on their geographical was simply on a single shelf. origin, to form a single family tree. The DNA results I was quite surprised by these figures, as are, however, less clear cut, suggesting that there I’ve always thought we were quite a small may be three distinct DNA signatures within such an study with fewer than 2,500 name-bearers in expanded tree. One of those DNA signatures is only the UK, backed by my resolve to put no more found within this family tree, so I am fairly confi- than 20 hours a month into it. This realisation dent that this one is truly associated with the tree as spurred me on, though, to attempt the next documented. stage and switch the delivery of our newslet- The other two DNA signatures have also been ter wherever possible from post to e-mail. found in other unlinked family trees. This opens up Just 37% of our 216 newsletter recipients two possibilities for each of these DNA signatures: don’t have an e-mail delivery address, though firstly, that the trees they are associated with might a few of them still elect to take a printed one day be documentarily linked together and with posted copy. the main tree; or, secondly, that the same DNA As an incentive, any member who takes the signature independently exists in two genuinely e-mail PDF version now only has to pay a one- unlinked family trees, despite the common surname. time membership fee, so we’ve also slashed If the caveats above seem a bit vague and unsatis- the administrative time taken to chase sub- factory, the answer lies in the particular circums- scriptions every year. Next year I plan to tances of our DNA project. The reason why the market the study more widely outside the UK Pomeroy DNA study has yet to answer this type of and I’m hopeful that we’ll get a stream of question is simply because we ran our initial set of new members who will, in effect, pay a one- Y-chromosome tests on 51 members four years ago time donation to join our e-mail newsletter when this kind of DNA testing was still in its infancy. mailing list and boost our research funds. I’d Just to backtrack, each DNA signature is defined by be interested in hearing from any GOON a series of numbers generated by investigating the who’s tried this approach and to hear structure of the DNA at a number of different places whether the experience has been good or (known as markers) on the Y-chromosome. disappointing. The very first surname-based DNA study in 2000

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 7 compared just four markers across its participants; people bearing my own variant surname – Pomery – the Pomeroy DNA study a year later compared 12; link back to a single family, is an invaluable today, the standard genealogical Y-chromosome test hypothesis that I’m hoping future trawls through measures 43 markers. the documentary evidence will gradually back up. If we were running the same test surname pro- But whenever anyone asks me what’s the point of gramme today our results would be much, much DNA testing. I cite the case of one of our American clearer because of the higher resolution of a routine members who for several decades has tried to test procedure that uses almost four times as many document his links back to a Pomeroy family in markers as we had access to four years ago. Basi- County Cork in Ireland in the mid-17th century. Two cally, I would now be able to look at every individual British men who separately trace back to a family in DNA result and determine the linkages between the same time and place we already knew share the them with a much higher degree of clarity than I same DNA signature. Why not take the DNA test can with the low resolution tests we received in and see if yours is the same as theirs, I asked the 2001. American? Upgraded Identical This move from low resolution Y-chromosome A few weeks later the answer came back: his tests (12–25 markers) to high resolution tests (37–43 result was identical. While the match is only at a low markers) is the key one that has upgraded the resolution, anything other than an exact match usefulness of genetic would have tended to disprove his research and testing for genealogists family history, so he was extremely pleased that the How to get across the board and DNA test tends to confirm, even if it cannot conclu- guaranteed the continu- sively prove, the link. a copy of ing growth of interest in As I see it, DNA testing opens up a highly valu- Chris’s book the investigation of able way for Guild members to link name-bearers in DNA links. the New World with their Old World ancestor CHRIS Pomery’s Back in 2001 I pre- families, a feature which I, with my focus on the book, “DNA and dicted that it would origins of the British families, find extremely useful Family History”, soon be possible to com- to engage our overseas cousins. ❍ was published by pare one’s individual Y- The National chromosome result with CHRIS POMERY Archives in Novem- a large public database, Member 3400 ber 2004. A signed, and that control popula- Slough Enterprise Hub dedicated and num- tions of results based on Thames Valley University bered copy can be regions and data on the Wellington Street bought direct from mutation rates of Slough SL1 1YG the author at the individual markers [email protected] book’s website, would become available www.DNAandFamil- to help organisers with yHistory.com some of the more The website pub- advanced aspects of lishes and links to a DNA testing. While I need your help! range of other these have not yet genetic genealogy arrived in the form I had • FOOTNOTE resources, including expected, there are Can I please enlist GOONS members’ sup- detailed results of signs that they are now port? I’m currently trying to identify inspiring, the Pomeroy DNA in the process of arriv- complex and ambitious history projects under- study, advice how ing. taken by non-academics, i.e. people like us. to run a surname- These would include genealogy and family based DNA project Price drop history projects, surname studies, local history and a list of testing Better news is that projects such as parish, community and factory companies & prices. the price of a high studies, plus anything quirky and fascinating resolution Y-chromo- with a strong historical theme to it that some test has dropped significantly helped in part involves an historical person or a quest of by the current weakness of the dollar against the some sort. pound. A 43-marker test can now be bought for They can be published or unpublished. I’m around £85–90, putting it within reach of the doing this within a part-time diploma in dedicated genealogist. history and I’d be very grateful to hear of any The key test of any technology is an assessment projects that members can signpost me tow- of the benefits it brings. Purely personally, the ards. Please feel free to e-mail or write to me indication from our DNA results that the majority of with suggestions.

8 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 Do many of us really have rare surnames or do we just think we do? By Donald Hatch e all know that for many day-to-day frequency of rare or unique names. In addition, purposes, and especially for family many apparently hapax names are transcription history research, having an uncommon errors, spelling variants or homonyms for more or rare surname can be beneficial. common names. Even after correction for these Those with surnames that occur uniquely or very factors, many remaining hapax names appear to be rarely can be more easily traced than the 100,000 dubious, and very few individuals can be found to John Smiths or Mary Browns. Many of us may, be hapax in both the 1881 and 1901 census returns. however, mistakenly think we have a (very) rare name when this is not the case. Extinction of names – a theoretical My interest in this subject was awakened by an approach article by Trevor Ogden entitled “How rare are Given assumptions about longevity, and about surnames?” in the Journal of One-Name Studies in the chances of a holder of a hapax name marrying April 1998, which suggested that there might be at and producing sons, it is possible to estimate the least several hundred thousand different surnames chances of a hapax name becoming extinct, remain- in the UK and also that a large proportion of these ing hapax or multiplying. Assuming. then, that our occurred only once, i.e. there was only one person Mr or Miss Hapax is a 20-year-old orphan without with this name in the UK. relatives of the same name, marries at 25, produces In this article I will call such a unique occurrence two children by the time he or she is 30 and dies at of a surname a “hapax”, after the Greek word 70, and this also applies to all their children, Table 1, meaning once-only and used in an expression to below, indicates the likely outcome. describe words that are found only once in all The table indicates that under these assumptions extant classical literature. More recent work by the chance that a hapax name will disappear alto- Ogden1 suggests that there are perhaps 200,000 gether is high and rises over time, and that if it does persons with names that only occur once in the UK not disappear it will cease to be a hapax name! For and 140,000 whose names only occur twice. example, if our hapax is a Miss Hapax, after 30 years Can there really be so many unique names and she will have married and lost her maiden name, so how can this be? Apart from immigrants, most there is a 50% chance of extinction in the first people must surely have at least some relatives with generation. If it is a Mr Hapax he will also have the same name; and as soon as a male marries his married, but will now have a wife and two children, name will automatically acquire a second holder. My so that there are four persons with his “hapax” conclusions in this article from research into 19th surname. century names is that although a considerable If both children are girls (25% chance) he and his proportion of all names are “hapax”, the number wife will have died after another 30 years and both and proportion of people with such a name is girls will have married and lost their maiden name, smaller than at first sight might appear. leading to an additional 12.5% chance of extinction. Estimates based on small samples, or even large If they are a boy and a girl (50% chance) there will samples that are only a small proportion of the total be still one family of four after 60 years (50% of population, give rise to erroneous estimates of the 50% = 25%). After 120 years there is a nearly 75% chance that the name will have disappeared, and a Table 1 – Rates of extinction of “hapax” surnames small chance that from the original one Mr Hapax more than 10 descen- Number of persons 30 years 60 90 years 120 years 150 years dants have appeared. with hapax name after years Eventually, the chance 0 i.e name is extinct 50.0% 62.5% 69.5% 74.2% 77.5% that the name 4 50.0% 25.0% 15.6% 10.8% 7.6% becomes extinct levels 8 12.5% 10.9% 8.9% 14.9%* out at 81%. Given the 12 3.1% 3.9% simple assumptions 16 0.8% 1.6% above, a real hapax 20 0.4% cannot occur, since all 24 0.2% the occurrences come 28 <0.1% in family units of four 32 negl. persons, but, of * (8 or more) course, reality is much (The formula used to make these computations is given in an Appendix at the end of the article) more complex so that

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 9 hapax names can appear and disappear regularly. names turn out not to be so, as a second, third, etc., Indeed, given the rate of extinction there must be a holder is found. It will be shown that even if a 20% similar rate of hapax creation. sample of the population is taken, (a very large This finding that hapax names will tend to number of persons), many of the apparent hapax become extinct or multiply supports the belief that names are not, in fact, so. the total number at any time may not be as great as A similar effect occurs with the words in this some estimates based on samples suggest. To test article: if we just take the first sentence nearly all this hypothesis, I examined some large samples of the words are hapax, and in the whole article very names. To avoid the problems caused by the influx many will be, but this does not mean that if all in recent years of large numbers of immigrants with English literature is examined such a large propor- unusual names, I started by analysing a large sample tion will remain so. As a test I analysed the 25,000 of Victorian marriage registrations. Because even words in a report I had written, which suggested this large sample seriously underestimated the that of the 2,615 different words used, 1,059 (41%) number of hapax names, it was later augmented by occurred only once, and a further 402 (15%) only a 100% sample from the 1881 census. twice. But together these uncommon words repre- sented only 7% of the total number of words. The Samples and sampling error most common 10 (“the”, “of”, “and”, “to” etc) If you take a random sample of persons, the were good for 70% of all the words used. A similar proportion of those with apparently hapax names is distribution is found with surnames. at first 100%. All the names are different but after To achieve as large a proportional sample as say, 50, persons are sampled some names begin to possible I restricted my analysis to names beginning be repeated. In this way the number of hapax with the letters HA. All the marriages between 1867 names continues to rise, but they decline as a pro- and 1886 of brides and grooms whose surname portion of all the names found. Most of the hapax began with these letters were extracted from the FreeBMD database as at November 2001. At that Table 2 – Characteristics of Ha names from a sample time, the coverage of marriages was about 73% – of Free BMD marriages and the 1881 census 5.7 million persons marrying, compared to the ONS total of 7.7 for Name* Percentage Frequency 1867-86 All names 1867-86 1881 England and with main in 1867-86 marriage in 1853** marriages census *** Wales in this per- spelling* sample sample iod. Surnames beginning with Rankings % “Ha” were, and Hall 100% 17387 1 19 9.0 8.5 remain, about Harris 98% 14728 2 21 7.6 7.5 3.4% or 1 in 30 of Harrison 99% 13360 3 34 6.9 6.5 all UK surnames. Harvey 99% 6171 4 87 3.2 3.2 “Ha” does not Hart 99% 4691 5 134 2.4 2.5 include any of the Hawkins 100% 4532 6 135 2.3 2.1 most common sur- Hayes 94% 4357 8 136 2.3 1.9 names such as Harding 99% 4292 7 150 2.2 2.1 Smith or Brown Hartley 99% 4010 9 243 2.1 1.8 but has a good Hardy 96% 3776 10 188 2.0 2.1 scatter of names Haynes 63% 3731 11 >300 1.9 1.8 in the top 200. If Hammond 99% 3529 12 194 1.8 1.7 we assume that the distribution of Harper 100% 3210 13 185 1.7 1.9 “Ha” names is Hayward 100% 3014 14 252 1.6 1.2 similar to that of Hancock 100% 2968 15 257 1.5 1.3 all other names, Haigh 66% 2919 16 >300 1.5 1.6 we can make esti- Hargreaves 100% 2612 17 >300 1.4 1.2 mates for the Hanson 94% 2255 18 >300 1.2 0.9 whole population Hale 95% 2079 19 >300 1.1 1.1 of names by using Hamer 69% 1829 20 >300 0.9 0.8 this factor of ±30. All others 87992 45.5 48.3 This assumption Total sample 93,6% 193442 100.0 100.0 has not been veri- * Including homonyms such as Haynes/Haines, Haigh/Hague, Hamer/Harmer etc. fied, and is com- ** Excluding homonyms for England and Wales, source Registrar General mented on later in *** Including Scotland; the Scottish name Hamilton came in the 6th place with 2.2% this paper. NB: In 1853 the most common surname, Smith, was held by 1.36% of all persons, or slightly more Table 2 (left) than 4 times as frequent as Hall summarises the

10 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 distribution of the most common names from this and combined with another name. The result was sample of marriages (the data from the 1881 census that the total number of names was reduced from is discussed later in this article and added here for 3,775 to 2,274, and the number of hapax names fell comparison). more sharply, from 1,900 to just 854, (since relatively The total sample amounted to 193,972 persons, many of these names were homonyms for, or spell- but still only represented about 20% of all persons ing variants of, more common names). This meant with “Ha” names at the time. A small number (340) that 38% of all names were hapax names, but only of obvious transcription errors, spelling mistakes, 0.44% of persons had such a name. and double-barrelled names were removed. Dealing To estimate how many of these 854 names were, with “foreign” names, which were relatively few at in fact, hapax names, and not just “apparent hapax” this period – slightly less than 1% of the births of names because of the relatively small sample, two people in the 1901 census took place abroad – was further tests were carried out. Firstly, a large num- more difficult. ber of random subsamples were taken from the Foreign names Obvious foreign names with small numbers of holders (e.g. Haber- stumpf), were removed, since they were likely to be recent immigrants or temporary visitors. Hagestadt, with six occurrences, was the most com- mon of the 190 persons with foreign names. Foreign names that occurred more often were left in the sample, since it could be assumed that the name had become indigenous, e.g. Habershon, with 17 persons. After removal of all these persons (0.3%) the sample for further analysis became the 193,442 in Table 2. Amongst these persons there were 3,775 “different” FreeBMD sample, at levels of 50%, 25%, 12.5% etc., names, of which about 1,900, or half, were hapax down to samples of just one person. From these, names. This would suggest that there might have summary statistics were calculated and graphed. been 285,000 hapax names in the total population Figure 1 illustrates how a quite small sample gives (1900 x 5 x 30, as the sample is only 20% of the total a good estimate of the percentage of persons with “Ha” names, and “Ha” names are 1/ 30 of the total population). This total is similar to Trevor Ogden’s original estimate for modern-day Britain. However, inspection of the sample indicated that there were many spell- ing variations of what could realisti- cally be considered the same name, either because of transcription errors or simply from the existence of hom- onyms – different spellings of the same sound. Homonyms The process of reducing the com- plete sample to account for this factor is somewhat subjective. In principle, I combined all the various spellings of the top 10 names (±40%), but that the percentage surnames that were pronounced similarly – hom- of persons who appear to have a hapax name (or, onyms – but even here there is doubt about the for example, to have just one other holder of their pronunciation used. For example, did Haman rhyme name, a “2”) declines continuously. A sample of 200, with Harman, Hamman or Hayman? The most or 0.1%, of the full sample of 193,442 persons frequently occurring spelling variants combined into suggests that about 30% have hapax names and a one name were Haynes (2,338 persons) and Haines further 10% 2s (marked by arrows). (1,263 persons). Only about six per cent of all per- Figure 2 uses logarithmic scales, which generate a sons had a name that was regarded as a homonym straight line trend, to clarify the decline in percentage

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 11 hapax as the sample size increases (the 100% sample the original 19th century, and later FreeBMD, size in this figure refers to all “Ha” names, about transcription processes; with the census the original five times as many as the FreeBMD sample of enumerator may well have misspelled a considerable 193,442 persons). Extrapolation suggests that if the number of names, and there is well documented FreeBMD sample were increased to 100% coverage evidence that in recent times the census transcrip- of the “Ha” names, no more than about 0.15% (or tion process has also added many errors. But all about 1,500) of all persons would have one. Applied transcriptions are subject to considerable errors to the total population, there would be only about from various sources. Table 3 gives some summary 45,000 (1,500 x 30) hapax names, instead of the statistics from both samples. 200,000 suggested by earlier research. Figure 3 illustrates how the percentage of appar- To sum up, the sample of 193,442 persons with 854 hapax names suggests that 0.44% of all persons had a hapax name, or about 132,000 in the whole population of about 30 millions at the time (854 x 5 x 30), but extrapola- tion to a 100% sample reduces this total considerably to less than 50,000. 1881 census check To confirm this estimate, a full sample of the 1881 UK census for names beginning with “Ha” was analysed. My thanks are due to Steve Archer for extracting this sample from the 1881 census. A similar process of analysis was ent hapax names that are really hapax rises sharply used as for the FreeBMD sample: of the 1,041,336 as the sample size increases; even a 20% sample persons with “Ha” names, only 2,075 were removed (e.g. the 193,442 persons in the FreeBMD sample) as foreign, and 302 as double-barrelled or clear only means that about 41% of apparent hapax transcription errors. The process of correcting for names really are so. homonyms reduced the number of different (spell- ings of) names from 10,439 to 5,961. The number of Samples hapax names fell from 3,886 to 1,876. On the assumption that there are actually 1876 This is somewhat higher than the estimate of real hapax names amongst “Ha” names in the 1881 1,500 given above; it may be related to the way census, the FreeBMD sample of 18.6% would sug- names are transcribed. In the FreeBMD sample the gest that only 18.6%, or 349, of the 854 apparent original names in the marriage registers were hapax names were, in fact, really so. The next step possibly correctly given and spelled at the time of was to examine the individual hapax names in the registration, with the errors only creeping in during two samples to see if this was the case. It transpired that there were only 54, not 349, Table 3 – Summary statistics from Ha samples names that were hapax in both sam- Sample:- “Small FreeBMD 1881 census ples. Two-hundred- sample”* sample and-sixty-seven of the other 800 hapax Number of persons with Ha names 12074 193442 1038959 names in the Percentage of all Ha names 1% 18.6% 100% FreeBMD sample Number of different names found 779 2274 5961 Persons per name, average 15.5 85.1 174.3 occurred more than % with top 10 names 41% 40% 39% once in the census, Number of (apparent) hapax names 315 854 1876 and the remaining % of names that are (apparent) hapax 40.4% 37.6% 31.5% 533 did not occur at all. % of persons with hapax names / 2.6% 0.44% 0.18% persons per hapax name 38 227 555 Conversely, of the 1876 hapax names % of apparent hapax names that are real hapax 7% 41% 100% in the 1881 census, * 6.25% of the FreeBMD sample (= ± 1% of the total population of Ha names) 1,822 did not ** see also figures 2 and 3 appear at all in the

12 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 Table 4 – Examples of hapax names in 1881 census names were checked against the Name Not Name Note Name Not Name Note 1901 census. Two e e hundred of the Habisham Hamblick Haronesty Haveeker 1 1876 names were examined, randomly Hadwitt Hammie Harrups Hawbrow chosen but exclud- Hainault 1 Hancatty 1 Harsomb Hawlock ing names that Haitch Hanigigton Hartcham 1 Haxt could have been Hallatson Hanscourt Hasdrick Haybold foreign or a possible Hallswatt Harberer Hasthead Haygest spelling variation. Halsno 1 Hardslup Hatterbey Haynesmus Good English- Haltiwell Harkard Hauds Hayslow sounding names such as Hallingford, (Note 1 indicates persons with a birthplace outside England; these were France, Norway, Ireland, N America and and Belgium respectively. In addition it can be clearly seen that some of the other Hallmore or Hap- names could easily be spelled differently, e.g. Habersham, Hadwit etc.) perton remained. Table 5 gives the FreeBMD sample and just 17 occurred more than number of holders in 1901 of these 1881 census once. However, the FreeBMD sample of marriages hapax names. It appears that nearly three-quarters has the peculiar property that the marriage being of the 1881 hapax names had become extinct by registered immediately abolishes a hapax name, 1901, a similar but faster result than that predicted since a male hapax acquires a wife with his name in Table 1. and a female loses her maiden name! A further Finally, which were these names that were hapax Table 5 – Number of persons in 1901 with names that were hapax in 1881 in both the 1881 and 1901 cen- suses, and were they, in fact, the same persons? The total is esti- Nr of persons in 1901 census Number of % mated to be about 170 (9% with an 1881 hapax name occurrences [Table 5] of 1,876 names) giving 0 = extinct in 1901 146 73 5,100 (170 x 30) for the popula- tion at large. But none of the 17 1 = still hapax in 1901 17 9 persons identified in Table 5 2 occurrences 10 5 were actually the same person in 3 5 3 both censuses! Their names are 4 3 1 given in Table 6. 5 3 1 Indeed, there was only one 6 4 2 occurrence of any of the sample 7 1 <1 of 200 hapax persons in 1881 8 or more* 11 5 being found in 1901, even if the Total sub-sample of 1881 hapax names 200 100 name was by then no longer hapax. This was a certain John * One hapax name in 1881, Haxt, with no variants such as Haxed or Hackst, Haytread, born Hitchin, a lock- occurred no less than 19 times in the 1901 census smith aged 23 living at Willenhall check was, therefore, carried out by examining what in 1881, and a superintendent of an assurance had happened to the 1881 census hapax names by company, aged 44, living at Swadlincote in 1901. the time of the 1901 census. An examination of the These findings suggest, as many users of the 1876 hapax names in the 1881 census suggests that census will be aware, that these databases are by no many of these may well have been foreign and of means as accurate and comprehensive as we would recent origin, or a variant spelling of another name, like. in spite of the correction process carried out. Table 4 gives 32 randomly selected names as examples. Conclusions Next, a proportion of the 1881 census hapax What conclusions can we draw from these ana- lyses about the rarity or not of Table 6 – Names that were hapax in both the 1881 and 1901 census surnames? On the basis of the 1881 census sample, corrected Hablon Halfold Hardles for homonyms, etc., as Hackard Hamshall Harpick described above, the following Hadred Handor Hatward distribution is suggested, as Hafliger Handslow Hawlock shown in Table 7 on page 17. Hagday Hanscourt Hawloy Hainbrook Happerton (Please turn to page 17 for the conclusion of this article.)

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 13 was an early subscriber to Friends Reunited list (see Figure 3 on page 16) facilities. A copy of the and found it of considerable benefit. In message is placed in your “sent messages” list and common with many users, I let my the individual is marked as “contacted” in future subscription lapse after the initial year. search results list. When they launched a sister site called Genescon- Recipients of messages have to visit the GR site nected, I was more sceptical (and there weren’t any and log in or click a link in the notifying e-mail they occurrences of my “Name” listed!) so didn’t register. Genes Reunited site aimed at the beginner receive to read the message, which is located in This year they re-branded as Genes Reunited (GR), their personal inbox. In this way. each party can and having heard some favourable tales, I decided but still has much to offer for one-namers carry on a discussion without revealing their email to give it a go. The service has evolved over the last address to the other. You can, of course, reveal your six months. Some features have improved (such as else). Having registered, there are many more menu my ONS. Of these, about 700 have my registered true contact details in a message to enable discus- personal security), some have been added, and options available (see the side panel in Figure 2.) name and would, therefore, swamp those entries of sion to continue outside GR, for example to swap others have been trimmed. What follows is, I One nice feature is the free downloadable charts in the other subscribers. images of records or post to printouts. believe, the latest situation. PDF format which were all quite usable when I also have about 500 other surnames which I am Your contact list provides a historical log of all the The purpose of the site is to enable individuals to printed out. There is a six-generation fan chart, a not particularly interested in, mostly the spouses of messages via GR and you can use it (or your message “publish” their family tree, four-generation pedigree chart, distant branches. However, the prospect of anyone find connections with other and a family group record sheet searching for those names (including Smith) and researchers and share data. It that is one of the better ones finding me listed as apparently interested made me also provides various forums I’ve seen. (selfishly perhaps!) decide to keep my entry to a for mutual help & advice. At this stage it is also poss- minimum and I resisted the temptation to add more ible to start entering data and than my own basic details. Basic home page building a family tree. There is When you search you can select by first name, Some of the information on the home page a facility to import & export GedCom, but this has surname, year of birth (with range) and place of changes periodically, so it will not always be identi- not been evaluated. I think I’ve worked out how the birth. Wildcards are still not allowed. A search for cal to the illustration (see Figure 1). One snippet site operates: a large, lineage-linked database of John Toll brought up 10 matches and indicated that that appeared whilst preparing this was the fact individuals, indexed by surname and other details. there were a further 34 listed under variants, which that there were 22,516,862 ancestors on the site. I If I entered my own tree just for my one-name line, it had found using something called NameX® and assume they mean entries, as many of the ancestors it would be about 1,200 individuals – about 20% of which it claims to be superior to Soundex. It then will clearly be duplicates of someone else’s. goes on to say that it doesn’t check all spellings From the basic (free) home page you can search under which your ancestors name may appear. for an individual by forename AND surname only. I Clicking on any of the names gives you the tried John Smith and there were 7,059 entries. It forename and membership number of the person won’t let you see the details of the entries unless who submitted the information, complete with a you Register, which is free. summary of the details they submitted on their I tried using wild cards for searching, but it ancestor. It also invites you to subscribe for £7.50 per wouldn’t have it. Well, actually, it did – it said there annum, so you can contact the submitter. were four entries for “* Smith”! I tried my usual trick of putting in three spaces followed by an Subscription asterisk (it works on some sites) for forename, with Subscription is online by popular credit and debit Smith as the surname. Again, it wouldn’t accept it, cards or by cheque. There is a link at the bottom of but did come back and tell me there were 21,3021 the screen for details. They have cheekily ticked the entries for Smith. Clearly, a lot of people out there box to make it a Repeat Transaction Authority, need help. It goes on to say that over 250,000 renewing your subscription automatically in future entries are added each week. A check for my regis- years, but there is a note telling you that you can tered name revealed that there were 198 entries. I untick the box if you don’t want to do that. know already that this represents about 60+ Benefits of full membership include, say GR: individuals, increasing by about two per week. • Contact members and discover your family Figure 2 – registered user home page You can start building a family tree from the basic history. homepage, but I’m not sure what value this has. I • View other members’ family trees. lists) to contact submitters again. On your messages started one as directed, and when I clicked on the • Post messages on all message boards. list you can mark entries for deletion – but once it’s appropriate button I got an “error on page” mes- • Add photos to your family tree gone it’s gone! sage. I assume that unless you register, this For me, the first is the most useful. Clicking on a I haven’t found a way to export messages but you information is discarded. name’s individual brings up a screen similar to the can copy and paste them into other programs such one before, except now you can send a message to as Word or Notepad. You can edit the basic informa- Registration the submitter of the individual concerned. At this tion about individuals stored in your family tree and There is not a lot you can do on the site without stage you only know the submitter’s forename (that supplement supplement it with additional registering, but that is free, easy and seems to be which they registered with) and their membership genealogical data – even a photograph. However, I secure. I certainly haven’t had any unwanted mail as number. If you write a message in the annoyingly haven’t actually used these facilities (but am in a result. Registration requires some personal data to small box provided and send it, the recipient gets an contact with people who have). You can chose to be entered, but there are no checks and you can e-mail advising them they have a message. You have share your family tree with specific subscribers, and more or less put what you like (but so can everyone Figure 1 – the homepage of Genes Reunited them automatically added to your personal contacts not with others. You can also request others share

14 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 15 their tree with you. done a certain amount of research – and the earlier There is another facility which they don’t list as the dates, the more they might have done – and be benefit which I find extremely useful, and that is to interested in your one-name study. The others seem be e-mailed periodically when new people with your to fall into two basic groups: name(s) of interest have been added. You can also • Those who have the name on a distant branch. have a list of people who have been added in the Some of these have been quite helpful. last few days, which can be set to up to 14 days. • Those who have just put their own name in to see what happens. Personal experience The latter are often very interested and provide When I find a new entry has been added for my useful information of the current generations in name, I send a message via GR explaining who I am, exchange for data on their ancestors. I have helped what I do and the sort of data I hold. Some of them many who were just starting out on their family are very surprised! I try to tailor each response for history. I now give my contacts the option of drip- best results, depending on whether I recognise the feeding information to help them along their way, individual(s) listed from my records. or “all at once” for those who have only a passing I have had a much higher degree of success than I interest in the subject. expected, given that many of those contacted will only have a passing interest in the name. Overall, “Lost” individuals “No reply” is about 15-20%, but I have modified my I’m not sure whether it is a co-incidence or not, approach slightly and now seem to be faring consid- but a significant number of the contacts I’ve made erably better. are related to individuals I’ve “lost” in my own When confronted with a long list of individuals research. Often this is because they relocated within whose submitters I’ve not contacted, I start the the UK or Colonies, and somehow eluded the contact process to see who submitted the entry. I various census indexes. I’m also collaborating with note the individual, submitter name & membership other contacts on tracing their Toll ancestors who number (e.g. in a spreadsheet), and cancel the seem to appear from nowhere. This is helping me to process. I repeat this for each name submitted. target future research to mutually helpful areas. Sorting the information by membership number, If I made any mistake, it was contacting too many you can see who has make multiple entries and who people at once. I was like a kid in a candy shop, has made single ones. The former are likely to have firing off messages, perhaps 10 a day. Then the replies came back and I was faced with quite a heavy workload to satisfy the expectations I’d created! If doing it again, I would endeavour to select perhaps five submitters who appeared to be from the same family. Once those had been resolved, I’d move on to another five or another family. I haven’t found an easy way to add those branches of my ONS that are not related to me. I suppose I could register as a deceased individual from one of those lines, giving my e-mail address, but I’m not sure of the value of doing so. I have yet to find a way to de-register and remove my informa- tion, though I’m sure it must be there. Summary GenesReunited is definitely aimed at the begin- ner and has some very annoying adverts, not even relevant to genealogy. Has it been worthwhile? Definitely! For about the price of one English BMD certificate I have received data in abundance, particularly from abroad. One very kind person extracted a huge amount from locally held records in Australia. I have also had the satisfaction of providing significant help to about 30 people. In less than six months I have been in contact with more people interested in my Guild-registered name than through any other method and might now have enough contacts to start a one-name Figure 3 – the contacts page group. ❍

16 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 (Continued from page 13) Table 7 – Estimate of the frequency distribution of names, late 19th century

Description Nr of Nr of names Nr of persons % of Frequency Examples of “Ha” in whole in whole population (one occurrence names names population* population* in x persons) (millions)

Common 4 116 7.7 25.7% more than 1 in 1000 Hall, Harris, Harrison, Harvey Quite 24 694 10.0 33.3% 1 in 1000 to Hartley, Hancock, common 1 in 5000 Hay, Harwood

Quite rare 255 7370 9.8 32.8% 1 in 5000 Hatch, Handford, to 1 in 100000 Hamlet, Harbottle

Very rare 5678 164094 2.5 8.2% less than 1 in 100000 Hawcroft, Hamper, Havage, Halber Total 5961 172273 30.0 100.0% * Grossed up to England and Wales 1881 census population of approximately 30 millions by a factor of 28.9 (30 / 1.039 (Ha names)). From a modern sample of 55.9 million recent registrations in England and Wales the first 116 names only account for 23% of the population, with 152 names representing the most common 25.7%. The first 10 Ha names account for 1,3% of all persons in the 1881 census, and 1,2% in this modern sample. These differences may suggest that the assumption that the Ha names were representative of all names is not entirely correct, or that a modern sample has a slightly different composition to a 19th century one. See www.taliesin-arlein.net/names/ for the source of the modern data.

The estimate of about 172,000 different names rare” name and less than 1% have an “extremely applies to the situation in England and Wales in the rare” or “unique” name, but one in three may claim late 19th century. Since then the population has to have a name classified as “quite rare”. An inter- nearly doubled and many new names have been esting further study would be to investigate imported by immigrants. This would suggest that whether the distributions found here for England more than 200,000 different names are currently to and Wales in the 19th century are also to be found be found amongst the British population. Of the 2.5 at other times and in other countries, where the million persons classified as having “very rare” generation and history of names might be very Table 8 – Estimate of the number of extremely different. rare and hapax names, late 19th century I would like to acknowledge my thanks for constructive comment and encouragement from Philip Dance in the preparation of this names persons % of article. Any errors or omissions are entirely (000) population my own responsibility. ❍ hapax names 54216 54 0.18% occurrence = 2 19565 39 0.13% DONALD HATCH = 3 11618 35 0.12% Bilthoven = 4 10635 43 0.14% Netherlands = 5 9190 46 0.15% Reference = 6 7138 43 0.14% 1) To be found on Philip Dance’s “Modern Total 6 or less 112362 260 0.86% British surnames website at: Total more than 59911 29740 99.14% homepages.newnet.co.uk/dance/webpjd/ 6 Total 172273 30000 100.00% Appendix – Formula for rates of extinction of surnames: The formula for generating the rate of names in table 7, about 10% or 260,000 had extinction becomes quite extensive after a “extremely rare” (two to six holders) or hapax few generations. After 60 years (two gener- names, a breakdown of which is given in table 8. ations) it is 1/2 + 1/2^3 (= 62.5%); after 90 Taking a slightly broader view of what qualifies as years 1/2 + 1/2^3 + 1/2^4 + 1/2^7 (=69.5%); a unique name, i.e. a single family unit, we may after 120 years 1/2 + 1/2^3 + 1/2^4 + 1/2^5 conclude that there were about 112,000 names held +1/2^6 + 1/2^8 + 1/2^9 + 1/2^10 + 1/2^11 + by six or fewer persons at this time, comprising a 1/2^15 (=74,2%). This only applies of course total of 260,000 persons. Only 8% of us have a “very under the assumption made here.

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 17 Grey Owl, Jacobite glass, slave records and settlement certificates in Unusual Studies Seminar at Swindon By Michael Bunting Belaney, who poisoned his wife in 1938 but, luckily, during the Rachel with prussic acid, but they house clearance the glass was REMARKABLY mixed were counter-balanced by a rediscovered after which it was programme of topics Roman Catholic priest and writer put up for sale at Sotheby’s. was on the menu at the Robert Belaney, as well as Guy Grannum gave two talks, Guild’s Unusual Studies another who was a nun. the first being entitled “Slave in Seminar at Gorse Hill Baptist The erudite Mrs Dominic Joh- the Family”. His incentive in tackl- Church, Swindon, on Saturday, nson informed the audience that ing the preparation of his November 27 2004. Red Indian men do not have paternal family tree was his par- The first talk was given by facial hair. Did you know that? ent’s wedding anniversary. Marjorie Moore and was entitled That leads me nicely to the sec- Whilst having the benefit of a “Grey Owl – A Red Indian in the ond talk, “The Spottiswoode fairly unusual name, he still had Family”. Grey Owl was intro- Amen Glass” by Dominic Johnson. to contend with a number of duced as a member of the Early English glassware was variants. Luckily, there were few Canadian Armed Forces in World manufactured during the reign of entries in the General Register War I who married an Indian girl, James I, with Dominic showing an Office Indexes until 1950, after Anahara. Grey Owl was a trapper example of a Jacobite glass which which the numbers of Grannem/ but his wife persuaded him to looked more like a soup bowl as Granhams in the UK increased give up killing it had two handles. The chased markedly. beavers and pattern was a very attractive Guy compiled a set of statistics eventually he open rose surmounted by inter- of the normal family history became a con- twined stems, leading to two events, including the IGI, for the servationist, a rosebuds. United Kingdom and Barbados, writer and lec- his great-grandfather, a land- turer in the Toast owner and colonial civil servant, subject, John Spottiswoode fought for having been born there in 1872. In this role he Prince Charles, the Young Pre- By comparison, the UK figures for visited London tender and when the Stuarts each event were about a third or in 1935, meet- were toasted by their supporters, less of those in Barbados, a poss- ing King the cry “Amen” was shouted. ible reason being that the slaves George VI and Family wills showed that the working for landowners in the Grey Owl Queen Eliz- glass was bequeathed through West Indies, as they did not have abeth. He was also commissioned the family by a com- unique surnames for identifi- to appear on Children’s Hour but plicated sequence of cation, often adopted the because of his anti-fox hunting deaths and led even- surname of the plantation owner. views the programme appear- tually to John Roder- Guy had brought along a num- ance was abandoned. Even so, a ick Charles Herbert. ber of slave registers, which were leaflet based on the script sold He was married only of limited use from a family well. He died on April 13 1938 three times and history aspect, but those of the and it was at this point that Mar- adopted the name estate owners had more informa- jorie explained her connection Spottiswoode. By tion about siblings, deaths and with Grey Owl – but to tell you this time the inheritance. the solution now would be to The Amen “Amen” glass had He closed by describing how spoil her story! So invite her Glass been consigned to a various parliamentary acts from along to one of your meetings. wooden box and left under the 1807 onwards led to a reduction Marjorie also has on the same stairs. The family home was in the slave trade, beginning with tree a murderer, James Coburn demolished some 250 years later the Africa to West Indies move-

18 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 ment and finally the inter-island movement. Guy went on to describe how the merger with the Historical Manuscript Commission, and thus the formation of The National Maps and Directories Archives, had led to many developments from the old Public Record Office. A great deal of Seminar at Essex Record internal reorganisation had taken place: rebranding of the website Office looks like being with much greater use of drop- down menus to improve user popular navigation and more documents being made available on line. By Jeanne Bunting Self-service pigeon holes were now being used and there was an pplications have been where we had our AGM until we electronic seat allocation system. coming in thick and fast outgrew it. Digitised documents now avail- for our Maps and Direc- Their pricing structure has able include PCC wills; a WWI tories Seminar at the changed dramatically since then Army medal index; a WWI Mer- Essex Record Office on Saturday, and is no longer within our bud- chant Seamen medal index; and February 19 2005. get. However, we have picked photographs of Victorian Because our press date is what we think is an excellent prisoners in Wandsworth Jail before Christmas, we do not alternative. 1872–1973. There are also know whether there will still be Where better to hold a compu- Immigration lists 1948–60 from places available when you receive ter seminar than Bletchley Park, India and the Carribean and your Journal. However, a notice the World War II home of WWII Internee cards, as well as will appear on the Guild’s website Colossus and Enigma? The date is access to the Ancestry census when all places have been filled. Saturday, May 28, so make a note Indexes for 1881 and 1891. In case there are still places avail- now! able, there is an application form Poor relief included with your Journal. Websites In “Please Relieve Me – No Just to remind you, we have We have yet to finalise the Talk”, Beryl Hurley gave an what we hope will be a good programme, but it will include a historical review of poor relief, line-up of lectures... lecture by Peter Walker on including examples of the pre- • Evelyn Cornell, Director of “Creating a Website” and Paul judice of people of the day and the Historical Directories Project Millington will describe his latest of the use of settlement certifi- at Leicester University, will be project for the Guild – instant cates, drawn from examples at talking about the project. websites for members. the Swindon and Wiltshire • Clive Paine, well-known We hope to include either a Record Offices. In the latter case, author, broadcaster and lecturer tour of the site or a look at the there were quite a number of in his native Suffolk who will talk Computer Museum in place of multiple removals of the same about tithe, estate and town the last lecture and a buffet lunch person from the same place of maps. will be included. habitat. Low wages often led to • David Hawgood will outline Details will appear on the temporary or long-term poverty his project for preparing tactile Guild website once they have or illness. Sometimes. this was maps for the blind. been finalised and an application alleviated by inter-parish co-oper- • John Hanson will describe form will appear in the ation rather than removal and by Computer Maps and Mapping April–June Journal. short term handouts, but more and Jeanne Bunting will tell you Further seminars in the plan- often the treatment was harsher how you can use maps and direc- ning stage are as follows: and less generous. tories to help you find census • August 20, St Peter’s Campus, Vestry minutes sometimes give entries more easily. the University of Sunderland – an insight into the difficulty the Occupations. Overseers had in raising relief. Computer Seminar at • November 19, The Woolwell Beryl went on to read many home of Colossus and Centre, Plymouth – Lesser known examples of the applications and sources. letters requesting help. These Enigma were read dramatically to por- ORIGINALLY, we had hoped to Jeanne Bunting tray the humour and pathos in hold the next Computer Seminar Chairman the different situations. in the hotel in Northampton Seminar Sub-Committee

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 19 names. I should mention the Mar- we’ve come to expect from that keting Subcommittee here. This publisher. Each book is stuffed relatively new group has the task full of articles and maps and illus- of presenting and promoting the trations tracing the history of its Guild. It’s partly about recruit- county, with a comprehensive ment, of course, but its more reading list if you want to investi- important role is to bring your gate further. Recently I received study names to the attention of the third in this series, which is the public at large. That, after all, equally appealing. An Historical is the most important thing we Atlas of Kent. If your names and sell’. We’ve already resolved that families are closely associated we need to “put ourselves about with any of these three counties, hose of you resident in a bit”, and I’ll be helping to pro- I can recommend these books. the UK can’t have failed mote Guild services from the to notice the current Bookstall. If any of you has ideas Price list television series, “Who about how we might improve our There are a few extra items on Do You Think You Are?”. profile, let me know. the latest, yellow price list. If Whether you feel it represents you’ve ancestors in London, I’ve family history research fairly or What’s new, what’s big added two more of the useful not, it’s clearly having an impact. Commercial modesty forbids research aids produced by the We’ve noticed an increase in me from revealing just how many West Surrey FHS, focused on Vic- the number of people who’ve copies of the National Burial torian and Edwardian London just started out and are bewild- Index 2nd Edition have by now (FH40 and FH41). And members ered by the wealth of data that’s passed through my hands, but it’s can once again take advantage of now available and the range of already reached the status of my subscriptions to Ancestors and products they can buy to support second-best-selling item ever. I Family Tree Magazine. At this their new hobby. just hope that the benefit from stage, I’m only able to offer This was amply demonstrated all these sales is going to those annual subscriptions to UK-based at two events I attended recently. family history societies whose members. One was organised by BBC Lon- members spent many eye-pop- This time of year seems to be a don and run in conjunction with ping hours recording all this favourite one for societies to hold The National Archives at Kew. On information! their Open Day and I’ve been to the following day I was with BBC There are some items on the Kidlington (Oxfordshire FHS), WM, in Birmingham. Bookstall that I feel are a real Horndean (Hampshire GS), Hast- They were great opportunities privilege to be able to offer. For a ings (Hastings & Rother FHS), and for a bit of community broadcast- Woking (West Surrey ing and Guild members were to FHS) since the last the fore in practising their media Journal. Add to that skills. Barbara Harvey responded the usual round of to listeners’ late night enquiries family history fairs in from the BBC London offices in places like Chelten- Marylebone, and Trish Bliss ham, Eastleigh, Nor- wound up the Brummies with her wich and Wimborne, very own version of I’m Sorry, I and the Guild’s own Haven’t A Clewley on BBC WM. seminars in Longdon, I’m afraid I couldn’t resist getting Staffs, and Swindon in on the act and Carl Chinn, local and you’ll under- historian and personality at BBC stand why my car WM, dragged me from the Book- needs a wash! Wim- stall in Birmingham for a 15- borne usually marks minute slot on surnames. If the ‘closed season’, you’ve got a copy of Surname but this year that all Atlas, try entering CHINN and Poor law administration maps from Phillimore’s changed, thanks to you’ll see just how local a broad- “An Historical Atlas of Sussex” the BBC. I’m really caster Carl is! while now I have been selling a looking forward to the holidays. To be serious for a moment, couple of beautifully illustrated this has to be a wonderful oppor- books from the Phillimore Where we’re going tunity for us, as Guild members, catalogue, An Historical Atlas of Once I’ve recovered from my to help a new wave of family Sussex and An Historical Atlas of Christmas pudding, I shall once historians get to grips with Lincolnshire. Both are hardback, again jump into the car and rep- researching some of their difficult and up to the usual high quality resent the Guild at these coming

20 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 events in the New Year: And if you’d like to join the who’s not even a member! • East of London FHS FH Fair increasing band of active mem- On top of that, I must just Mile End, January 22 bers and lend a hand for an hour mention Sue Atkins, who turned • Bracknell FH Fair, Bracknell, or two behind the tables, you out to represent the Guild at the Berkshire, January 30 know where to come (address Aintree FH Fair, and to Richard • Sussex & South London FH below)... and Anne Chilvers and Richard Fair, Crawley, February 13 Just where would I be without and Judith Akhurst, who turned • Maps & Directories Seminar all the help I get? This time out in force at the Family History Chelmsford, Essex February 19 around, I’ve been helped by a Day run by the West Sussex • Bath FH Fair, Bath, February 20 veritable army that includes: Ken Record Office. I’m now in danger • Guild AGM & Conference Grubb, Paul Millington, Denise of forgetting some of the names. Wyboston Lakes, Bedfordshire, Bright, Sue Hedges, Marc Hiles, so if that’s happened, please for- April 1–3 Trish Bliss, Barbara Griffiths, Keith give me but to you all I just want • Wolverhampton FH Fair, Richards, Alan Toplis, Barbara to say a really big thank you. Wolverhampton April 10 Harvey, Bob Cumberbatch, Ray If you’d like to contact Howard • South Coast FH Fair, Agombar, Sue Roberts, Jill Perry, about any of the items he holds Worthing, Sussex, April 24 Kirsty Maunder, Malcolm Smith, on the Bookstall, you can write to If you can get to any of these Bob Hilbourne, Michael Simper, him at guild.bookstall@one- places, please come and say hello; Ann Cossar, Helen Williams, John name.org, or 7 Amber Hill, Cam- you know we’d love to see you. Varlow and his wife, Shirley, berley, Surrey, GU15 1EB. ❍

Please don’t let your lifetime’s one-name study research end up on a bonfire!

or some researchers contact us telling us they will not but the research on almost all is undertaking a one-name be renewing their membership, “lost” – probably destroyed in study is a transitory we contact them and ask them to most cases. hobby. For many Guild consider the future disposal of It pains me when a new mem- members their one-name study their research material. We also ber asks to register a name that I becomes a life-long obsession. try to find out what has hap- know has been held by a former They spend thousands of hours pened to the papers of deceased member, but for which we have researching sources, collecting members. But there is a limit to no information about past and collating information, seek- the action we can take to try to research. I think of the hours and ing ancestors or descendants and trace deceased member’s next-of- hours of work the new member corresponding with other family kin. will spend re-inventing the members. In about 100 cases each year wheel. But what happens to all that members just “disappear”. They painstaking research when they don’t respond to subscription Preserve can no longer continue with their reminders or letters are returned What can we do to preserve hobby? I wish I knew! marked “Gone Away”. There is our ONS research for the future? little more we can do to try to First, we can spread it around. If Disposal seek to preserve their research. we are in touch with others inter- Every year, about seven per Where we are told about the ested in our name, we can give cent of Guild members fail to lodgement of one-name study them copies of our research renew their subscription. Some- papers we maintain a record of where possible. Then we can times we learn why – some no the details. But we know about make use of some of the Guild longer feel able to continue with less than 90 past studies. resources. We can put our BMDs their study due to increasing age, I have recently been reviewing on the Guild Archive... infirmity or a change in family the records of the 2,500+ former http://www.one-name.org/ circumstances, and in a few cases members of the Guild. Thousands members/archive/archive- each year we learn that the mem- of names have been studied in description.shtml ber has died. When members the past from ABERY to ZOUCH, and our extended marriages

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 21 information on the Guild Marri- discussed the issue with someone out a massive injection of cash, age Index... who is prepared to take over the the Guild is unlikely to be able to http://www.one-name.org/ study and our research data? Do afford our own premises and members/GMI/gmi.html are nearest and dearest know make material available to non- This will not only help other what they should do with the members, but we are looking at researchers but also ensure that material? How can we ensure other possibilities for preserving the information can be pre- that our wishes are carried out? and disseminating deposited served. The Guild Committee is research material. looking at ways of enhancing the Codicil All that said, the Guild has Guild Archive, but please be pati- We could consider adding a never rejected a gift of research ent, as such developments take codicil to our will setting out our material and nor would we, for it time. intentions for the lodgement of is one of the Guild’s principal If we maintain computer our ONS research. A draft codicil objectives to ensure that ONS records of our study we can con- is included in the Guild’s Mem- material is preserved. But is our sider lodging a CD of the data bers’ Handbook. We could also material in a form that it can be with a record office or local consider including a bequest for stored for future researchers? studies library and the Guild. We the maintenance and preserva- When the Guild’s former Editor should not wait until our study is tion of our research. and Vice-President Mary Rumsey “finished” – it never will be. We But who will take our research died we “rescued” all her remain- could lodge a copy of our study material if we haven’t got a rela- ing family history research at a significant milestone in our tive or contact prepared to papers, as her son, who lives research, or just for safety’s sake. continue our study? If our ONS is abroad, did not wish to retain largely based on one locality we them. These papers filled three Label large crates. But we need to remember that Is your one- such CDs should be appropriately Wheat labelled and contain a ReadMe name research My wife, who is also a member file, which is a file in basic text of the Guild, somewhat foolishly providing details of: in a form that offered to sort them out. It took • When the disc was created her three months just to sort the and by whom. can be stored wheat from the chaff, setting • A list of the files on the disc, aside the non-genealogical brief details of their contents and for future material and sorting the papers the program with which each was into “names”. created. researchers? Having done this she concen- • Plans for future research trated on cataloguing the • Details on how to contact the could deposit it with the local material for just one of the study owner. Record Office – most welcome names Mary researched, WINDI- Our data collection is ongoing, such material. The Society of BANK. At the end of a further six so we will need to provide Genealogists in London will months we were able, by agree- updated discs at regular intervals. accept such material, too. Both ment, to pass this material on to Remember, too, that technology local record offices and the SoG Brian Windibank in France, the changes rapidly and repositories are repositories open to the gen- member now studying the WIND- don’t have the resources to con- eral public, so deposited research IBANK name. vert files and move them to new will be available to those who My wife is now working on the recording media regularly – I come after us. material for other names Mary suspect few of us are still using A local family history society studied, hoping to get them in 5¼” discs, for instance. might be prepared to take the some kind of order so that they Non-computer users might material, but we should ensure can go back into the Guild Library want to consider depositing that they are willing to accept it. for future researchers. paper copies of parts of their So my final point is: is our ONS study – perhaps family trees and Limited material in a form that it can be BMD information – in a similar Why haven’t I mentioned leav- passed on? If we can, we should way. ing our ONS research to the find the time to sort the material Such intentions are all very Guild? Like most other family out before it is too late. well, but we are busy people and history societies, the Guild has Please consider the future of still actively working on our ONS. limited storage facilities, no your ONS study now. We don’t But what happens if the prover- resources to carry on a study, and want to learn of more valuable bial “bus” comes along in the material is not available to the research work ending up in land- near future? general public. fill sites or burnt on a back Have we already identified and Why not you may ask? With- garden bonfire! ❍

22 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 Guild One-Name Publication Awards YOU will find with this issue of the Journal an entry form Book early for the 2005 for the Guild Award for One- Name Publications 2004. Guild Conference and Despite the disappointing number of entries in recent years, the Committee has AGM at Wyboston Lakes decided to run the competi- tion for at least another year – am pleased to find that so probate speaker for you. so let’s see those one-name many of you have already Our first speaker of the Con- newsletters and journals roll- booked for our Annual Con- ference – immediately after the ing in! ference from April 1–3 at AGM – will be George Redmonds, As usual, there will be two Wyboston Lakes Conference Cen- the well-known surnames expert, classes: for Category A Guild tre, Bedfordshire. and his talk will be sponsored by members and for Categories B I have been kept informed by The Halsted Trust, registered in & C combined. The winners Roy Rayment and he told me yes- England and Wales as Charity will be announced at the terday that, in comparison to the Number 1090907 The name Hal- Guild’s 2005 Annual Confer- bookings taken the same time of sted is registered with the Guild. ence at Wyboston Lakes, year for the 2003 Conference I am looking forward to meet- Bedfordshire, from April 1–3. when we went to Liverpool, the ing many friends old and new at To enter you must send numbers are up. Wyboston. three copies of your chosen This does mean that you really publication to the address will need to book early to avoid SANDRA TURNER given on the entrance form. disappointment. There is a limit Conference Organiser Please note that they MUST be to the number of people the identical copies of the same venue will hold, so obviously issue, which must have been when that number is reached we Notice of 2005 published during 2004. Entries will have to say “No more”. Guild election from years other than 2004, or Do have a look at the Guild entries with different issues, website under Events and then and closing date will be disqualified. 2005 AGM and Conference for Ken Grubb, Editor of details and latest information. for nominations “Grubbing Around”, journal of You will find details of how to the Grubb Family Association get there, if you need them, and NOMINATIONS are invited and winner of the 2003 Cate- a little about the speakers and gory A class, has kindly agreed their photos, too. from all members of the Guild for election to the Guild to chair the Judging Panel for the 2004 Award. ❍ Speakers Committee. We will also have a list of The Committee has agreed attendees – so you will be able to measures in advance to protect Michael Walcot the fairness and integrity of see if your friend has booked or WE are saddened to learn of the the election procedure. The maybe find someone in your area death of a former member of the procedures described in the who you could travel with. Guild, Michael Walcot, on document posted with this You will see from the booking November 1 2004. Journal are in accordance with form sent with this Journal that, Michael served on the steering those measures. in addition to the speakers men- committee that set up the Guild The 2005 Annual General tioned last time, we have also and was a founder member. He Meeting of the Guild of One- booked Michael Gandy, a very appeared in a photograph with Name Studies will take place well-known speaker. other early one-namers in the on Saturday April 2 2005 at We are trying to get someone Octobrt–December 2004 issue of Wyboston Lakes Conference from the Probate Office to come the Journal. He had served on the Centre, Bedfordshire, at 09:05. and talk to us. Unfortunately, the committee of the Birmingham The closing date for nomina- printer cannot wait and the and Midland Society for tions is, therefore, Tuesday, booking form and Journal have Genealogy and Heraldry and February 2 2005. deadlines to meet, so please when he moved to Hampshire to KEN TOLL check with the website to see if teach he founded the Hampshire Chairman we have managed to get our Genealogical Society.

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 23 Civil registration review – A beginner's it’s all off (at least for the guide to time being)! attending FTER many months of service. This was the result of the concern on the part of White Paper, and the extensive your first family historians over consultations that followed on the government’s major the future of civil registration. Guild seminar review of civil registration in “The FFHS presented evidence England and Wales, it came as in two written submissions, and By Patricia Kearns something of a shock – just oral evidence was given in person before the Journal went to press by our representatives to the I BECAME a Guild member by – to learn that the whole thing Regulatory Reform Committee of accident. I had been researching appears to have been shelved, at the House of Commons, express- my family history for a couple of least for the time being. ing our concerns about some of years when one day I received a The far-reaching review consti- the issues that had emerged. We copy of the Guild's Journal in the tuted the biggest-shake up of also presented that evidence in post. It was not addressed to me, civil registration since the system writing to the Delegated Powers just redirected to my address. was instituted in 1837. Several and Regulatory Reform Commit- The detective in me went in thousand family historians tee of the House of Lords. search of its rightful owner and I responded to the initial White “We have today been advised soon found out that she was liv- Paper and gave their opinions. by the House of Commons that ing only a few houses away. While the genealogical world the Regulatory Reform Commit- Imogen had been a member of welcomed some of the proposals, tee has concluded ‘that the order- the Guild for some time and especially those relating to mak- making power under the Regula- because of her reassurance that it ing the historic registers access- tory Reform Act 2001 should not wasn't a full-time job, I registered ible at record offices and be used in respect of the pro- the name of Swadling in March digitising the older records, posals contained in the proposal 2003. others were vehemently opposed. for the Regulatory Reform (Regis- These included proposed restric- tration of Births and Deaths, Contact tions on information on birth and England and Wales) Order 2004, I had my first contact in the death certificates. which was laid before the House July and helped the lady as much on 22nd July, in the last Session of as I could. I then found out from Reform Order Parliament.’ a cousin that most of her infor- The government had planned “This means the changes pro- mation was what she had to put the necessary legislation posed CAN NOT be made by received from him. What a disap- through using Regulatory Reform means of this Order! Despite this, pointment! During the next nine Order powers which, in effect, the GRO has advised us that it months I collected a large bypass full parliamentary debate. remains committed to the reform amount of information for my However, in a surprise state- of civil registration and will study. ment on December 8, the chair- explore options for proceeding My next contact was a bit man of the Regulatory Reform with modernisation. The GRO scary. He wanted a copy of all my Committee announced that the had naturally been aware of our research material. On the Guild's committee had decided the concerns about some of the pro- advice I only answered direct powers should not be used in the posals that were being made, and questions. I corresponded with case of civil registration reform. liaison meetings had been started this person for many months and In a statement to member between us to try to address now have a lever arch file of societies of the Federation of them. We hope that the good information on his family. Family History Societies, Geoff relations we enjoy with the GRO Riggs, Director of Computer and will enable us to have input to Introduction Internet Facilities (and a former their discussions where appropri- That was a year ago, so when vice-chairman of the Guild), said: ate whilst they are addressing my Journal arrived with the “You will be well aware of the their future options for "Introduction to One-Name draft Regulatory Reform Order modernisation.” Studies" seminar details, I published in July intended to Clearly, there is now no pos- decided that I should attend and reform the law on registering sibility of any changes being ask the question: "Why don't births and deaths and the struc- made during the lifetime of the people contact me?" ture of the local registration present parliament. ❍ There were many points in

24 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 favour of attending... far back in the hall, he wasn't ing from a bad cold but intended • It was free. able to hear my question or ans- to carry on with someone in the • It was relatively local. wer it. wings to help if she felt too bad. • The programme offered a After a few more questions we Her words of wisdom to us was to full day of information on useful stopped for a short break and make sure that every entry was topics that would help me to con- more refreshments. Paul Milling- cross-referenced, sources docu- tinue my one-name study. ton approached me and wanted mented, make sure we process all • My friend Imogen wanted to to know about my Guild name, as new information before we col- attend too. he was very concerned that I lect any more. So on Saturday, October 2 thought that no-one could find "Get organised" was her slo- 2004, Imogen and I set off for The me via the Internet. He assured gan and why was she so adamant Village Hall, Brookend, Longdon, me that he would look into it. about this? Years earlier she had Staffordshire. Using a map and agreed to help sort out informa- the directions we had received in Organising tion left to the Guild, and the post, we arrived in plenty of Paul was the next speaker. His thinking it was catalogued, she time. talk was entitled: "Organising found filing cabinets and files full Unfortunately, there was very Your One-Name Study". He of documents and paperwork little parking outside the village explained about using paper that had no order whatsoever. hall but there was someone on records. Cards indexes were good She then spent several months hand to direct us to alternative and the bigger the card the trying to organise it. Not wishing parking. Once inside, we were better. to repeat the experience or have issued with our name badges and With today's technology, com- anyone else experience the chaos, offered refreshments. puters were making the lives of she urged us to get organised. The seminar was well attended genealogists much easier. He and at 10 a.m. we settle down to demonstrated spreadsheet short- Forum listen to the first speaker, Roger cuts for editing records and After another short break, Goacher, the Guild's registrar. His transferring data from one source there was an Open Forum for section was entitled: "What is a (1881 census) to your own data- questions. This should have been One-Name Study and How Can base, how to keep records and chaired by Ken Toll, but in his the Guild Help?" what family tree packages were absence Roger, Jeanne and Paul available. were able to answer all of the Unique After lunch, John Hanson questions put to them. He explained about the history began his talk on "Sources for I enjoyed my trip to Longdon of the Guild and defined what One-Namers". He provided us as it gave me the opportunity to sort of information we needed to with a wealth of Internet sites to meet the people behind the collect. He jokingly said that not check and, for those who didn't scenes. Each section of the pro- every surname submitted is auto- own a computer or have access to gramme offered useful and matically guaranteed registration the Internet, places to visit and relevant information on a wide on the Guild website. The sur- resources to check to enable us to range of subjects that would help name has to be unique enough find our research material. anyone thinking about starting, to warrant being added. What or in the first stages of, a one- was the point of registering the Death name study with their initial name of Smith? Jeanne Bunting was the last research. At the end of his talk Roger speaker of the day and her talk Each topic was well presented invited us to ask questions. So I was entitled: "What happens by experienced one-namers who asked : "How did people find when I die?" I was most inter- wanted to share their wealth of me?" because I hadn't had any ested in learning as much as I knowledge with us. contacts for over a year and could about this, as I needed to Our aim as one-namers is to couldn't even find myself on the know what I should organise collect as many incidences of our Internet. before my death so that my name as possible. By the end of Unfortunately, Roger was hav- records would survive after my the day I had learnt how to ing trouble with his hearing aid death. organise my information better, that day, and as I was sitting too Poor Jeanne – she was suffer- been shown the pit falls of not

Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 25 organising my information cor- 133 duplicate and three triplicate rectly and shown were to look for records. In just over half of these Sorry, but I new information. duplicate records, each of the wasn't the During the week after the pair had exactly the same seminar Paul Millington con- postcode. handsome tacted me and explained how I could be found on the Internet. I Deleted fellow in the was very impressed with his help Although a few of these might and now feel that it's not the possibly be children of voting age picture! Guild website that can't be found with the same forename as one I AM writing with regard to but that there is no-one out there of their parents, I have deleted Derek Palgrave’s article in the last looking for me! one of each of these records. Journal concerning the history of In just under half of the dupli- the Guild. Patricia Kearns cate or triplicate records, each of I thoroughly enjoyed the arti- Member 4069 the pair or triplet had the same cle and was flattered to find that 31 Springvale Road area postcode, although the dis- I was supposedly standing Webheath trict and/or sector code was between Derek and Iain Swinner- Redditch B97 5RW different. I have deleted one of ton in the picture on page 20 of a [email protected] each pair or two of each triplet of one-name gathering in 1977. these records. Unfortunately, it wasn’t me Editor's note: We are always In 13 pairs of duplicate records, but it was, in fact, David Watkins pleased to hear from newer each of the pair had different Grubb, our current President of members of the Guild, telling us postcodes. All of these records, the Grubb Family Association and especially how they enjoy the fortunately, included an STD area son of our founder, Geoffrey seminars we organise around the telephone code which was the Watkins Grubb, and a much more country, how helpful they find same for each of the pair, allow- handsome fellow! them in their research and ing the record with the wrong whether there is anything else we postcode to be deleted. After all Kenneth P Grubb should be doing to enhance our these deletions, I recalculated the Member 2970 services to members. Do feel free prevalence of Heps in each post- 9 Drakes Place to write to the Journal if there code area, together with the Cheltenham are any points you want to take corresponding Banwell indices. Glos GL50 2JF up. Whether it's praise or criti- cism, we don't mind – we can Ranking A Happy New take both equally! There was no change in the ranking of postcode area preva- Year to all Guild lences. No postcode area preva- members Issues arising from lence moved out of one Banwell index range (0–1, 1–2, 2–3, 3–4, THE year 2004 was another good surname mapping >4) into another and so, for- one for the Journal. Obviously, tunately, the map as published is the highlight was the fact that by postcode article correct. we walked off with the FFHS's SINCE the publication of my arti- • Typos. The term “postcode Elizabeth Simpson Award for the cle in the October–December district” when used in the article best family history journal in 2004 issue of the Journal of One- should really read “postcode 2003, the second time we have Name Studies I have received area” and “Branwell Index” won this prestigious prize. correspondence from members should be spelt “Banwell Index”, I want to take this opportunity, Philip Dance and Mick Sheath, as it was, of course, devised by as we enter yet another year, to raising two issues: the late Eric Banwell. thank everyone associated with • Duplicates. Gordon Adshead the Journal – Committee mem- has shown previously that the Dr David Mellor bers who have given me their electoral register data on the UK- Member 3823 whole-hearted support, our Info Disk contains duplications, 2 Bromley Road printers, but most of all those i.e. people with the same address West Bridgford members who contributed arti- listed twice but with different Nottingham NG2 7AP cles and items. You all contrib- postcodes. [email protected] uted to our success, and long may I had not been aware of this it continue! when I prepared the article, but i Editor’s note: The Journal apol- My best wishes to all members have now checked my results. ogises for the unfortunate for a very happy and successful Sorting the records by person, mistaken spelling of the Banwell 2005. name and street address, I found Index in Dr Mellor’s article. Roy Stockdill, Editor

26 Journal of One-Name Studies, January–March 2005 Regional Representatives as at December 1 2004 E-mail contact SCOTLAND NORTH To contact a Regional Representative by e-mail, use the alias in the following format:- Graham Tuley [email protected], with the name of the region replacing 26 Crown Drive “scotland-north” as appropriate (put “-” instead of a space). Inverness IV2 3NL. Where there is no e-mail contact, the message will go to [email protected] Tel: 01463 230 446 Fax: 01463 230 446 ENGLAND HERTFORDSHIRE WARWICKSHIRE BERKSHIRE Barbara Harvey Trish Bliss SCOTLAND SOUTH Peter Tanner 15 Park Avenue 22 Cheshire Avenue Dr. James Floyd 7 Reading Road St. Albans AL1 4PB Shirley, Solihull 84 Pentland Terrace Burghfield Common Tel: 01727 865631 West Midlands B90 2LJ Edinburgh EH10 6HF Near Reading RG7 3PY Tel: 0131 445 3906 KENT WESTMORLAND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Clifford Kemball See Cumberland SOUTH AFRICA See Oxfordshire 168 Green Lane Brian Spurr Chislehurst WILTSHIRE 32 Newport Avenue CHESHIRE Kent BR7 6AY Richard Moore Glenashley H Gordon Adshead 1 Cambridge Close KwaZulu Natal 4051 2 Goodrington Road LINCOLNSHIRE Swindon SN3 1JG Handforth John Laws Wilmslow WORCESTERSHIRE UNITED STATES 4 The Hardings USA SOUTH EAST Cheshire SK9 3AT Welton LN2 3FE Derek Gallimore The Grange Dr. John Cookson 13203 W. Heritage Woods Pl. CUMBERLAND 30 Pinewoods Avenue NORFOLK Midlothian VA 23112 Anne Nichols Mrs. Mary Griffiths Hagley, Stourbridge West Midlands DY9 0JF 4 Drovers Way 20 Knyvett Green USA SOUTH WEST Burton Ashwellthorpe Tel: 01562 883908 Fax: 01562 885101 Bill Bunning Carnforth Norwich NR16 1HA PO Box 5632, Irvine LA 6 1HU CA 92616-5632 NOTTINGHAMSHIRE YORKSHIRE EAST Frank Hakney CORNWALL Dominic Johnson WALES 33 Redhill Lodge Drive 19 Church Street Sharon Symons Elloughton WALES NORTH & MID Joanlea Red Hill See WALES SOUTH & WEST Nottingham NG5 8JH East Yorkshire HU15 1HT. The Mount Tel: 01482 668340 Par WALES SOUTH & WEST OXFORDSHIRE Geoff Riggs Cornwall PL24 2BY Dr. Wendy Archer YORKSHIRE NORTH Pete Redwood Peacehaven The Old Nursery Badgers Meadow DERBYSHIRE The Garden Flat Pump Lane North Pwllmeyric Ron Duckett 36 Albemarle Crescent Marlow Chepstow Outwood Hills Farm Scarborough Buckinghamshire SL7 3RD Gwent NP6 6UE. Lower Outwoods Road North Yorkshire YO11 1XX Tel: 01628 485013 Tel: 01291 626417 Burton on Trent DE13 0QX Tel: 01283 561557 SOMERSET YORKSHIRE WEST See Yorkshire East COORDINATOR Ken Dilkes See Hertfordshire DEVON Clematis Cottage Elizabeth Holliday IRELAND Whitstone Hill WE have vacancies for Caradon Mick Merrigan Pilton BA4 4DX Regional Representatives in Jubilee Road 11 Desmond Avenue the following areas: Totnes Dún Laoghaire STAFFORDSHIRE BEDFORDSHIRE Devon TQ9 5BW See Derbyshire Co. Dublin Tel: (353.1) 284-2711 CAMBRIDGESHIRE DURHAM DORSET SURREY HAMPSHIRE Phil Sherwood NEW ZEALAND Martin Gegg LANCASHIRE Rock House Mrs. Lily Baker 4 Little Orchard LEICESTERSHIRE 20 Belfield Park Avenue 905 Wall Road Woodham LONDON Weymouth DT4 9RE Hastings Addlestone KT15 3ED NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Tel: 01305 770820 SCOTLAND SHROPSHIRE SUSSEX EAST SUFFOLK HEREFORDSHIRE ABERDEEN Richard Akhurst AUSTRALIA Polly Rubery Peter Bellarby 95 Sea Road CANADA WEST Medwam 13 Westfield Road East Preston BN16 1LN USA CENTRAL Edwyn Ralph Stonehaven USA NORTH EAST Bromyard HR7 4LY Kincardineshire AB39 2EE USA NORTH WEST Tel: 01885 483318 SUSSEX WEST Mobile: 07774 245436 Richard Chilvers 56 George Fifth Avenue WHY not devote just a little Worthing of your spare time to the BN11 5RL Guild by becoming a Regional Rep? Contact the Coordinator. £ I G Q J J S a o 2 u u S n u . N i T h b B h F a 0 a C u l r o h u r u i d r 0 g n o r e a g c 0 t h t k k

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Vol 8 Issue 9 January–March 2005