Welcome to the NWKFHS Blog

Wednesday 29 February 2012

London’s Olympic history with Winning Endeavours-1,700 images of London’s previous Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948. AIM25 (Archives in the M25) database providing online access to collections held in over 100 repositories. The 1948 Olympics Behind the scenes at the Austerity Games- BBC Archives.

London’s Olympic history with Winning Endeavours-1,700 images of London’s previous Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948.

The Winning Endeavours website has over 1,700 images of London’s previous Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948 together with twentieth century British Olympians and Paralympians and of London’s sporting history in general. They include many unseen images from archival documents, newspapers, journals and ephemera in the care of the British Library, the London Metropolitan Archives and 23 other archival repositories in London and the South East of England. Many of the images have contextual notes giving useful background stories.

There are also three exciting  school resource packs that can be downloaded each contains teacher’s notes, ideas for class and individual activities, and students’ source sheets, and include many images of archival documents, photographs and newspaper articles. These resources are aimed at Key Stages 2 and 3 Citizenship but are ideal for families to explore.
The 1948 Olympics Behind the scenes at the Austerity Games- BBC Archives.

The BBC archives have an on line collection of broadcasting clips, Radio Times articles and photographic galleries documenting the 1948 London Olympics, titled Behind the Scenes at the Austerity Games. The first post war games and the first Olympics that British Television played a role. BBC The 1948 Olympics.
 
AIM25 (Archives in the M25).

This is a permanent web-accessible database providing on line access to collection-level descriptions of archives held in over 100 repositories within the area marked by the M25 motorway, including London School of Economics and Political Science, Senate House Library (University of London) and the Wellcome Library. LMA is the first local authority archive to feature.

AIM25 used by academics, researchers and the general public from around the world, and is the only on line database of its kind. It is managed by King’s College London Archives with technical support from the University of London Computing Centre. The LMA (London Metropolitan Archives) is the first local to feature. AIM25 allows indexing under subject, corporate name, place name and personal name all of which can be searched.

Further details can be found at City of London Archives   AIM25 can be searched at AIM25 Archives .

Sunday 26 February 2012

War II Damage in South-East London-Blackheath, Eltham, Greenwich, Lee, Lewisham and Woolwich. LMA workshops on Family History in April 2012. Dreamland (Margate) Photo Archive Online 1920's-1960's.

War II Damage in South-East London-Blackheath, Eltham, Greenwich, Lee, Lewisham and Woolwich.

If you and or your family lived in SE London during WWII you might be interested in the following information. Three volumes of records kept by Dyer, Son and Creasey, Auctioneers and Chartered Surveyors donated The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Library to the City of London (LMA) have now catalogued and available for consultation under catalogue reference LMA/4590/01/001-003.
Dyer, Son and Creasey, Auctioneers and Chartered Surveyors assessed and recorded the costs of work to repair bomb damage during the Second World War under The War Damage Act. books and cover addresses in South East London, particularly Blackheath, Eltham, Greenwich, Lee, Lewisham and Woolwich.  Arranged by owner’s name, they give the property address and ownership details, brief details of referenced claim. For further details see War Damage SE London 

If you live within travelling distance of the LMA you might be interested in these two workshops. at the LMA.


Wednesday 11 April, 2 - 3pm - Focus on Family History. A workshop where you can learn how to get the most out of digitised family history sources, including our records on Ancestry.co.uk.  This workshop is aimed at beginners. Free - booking required in advance

Wednesday 18 April, 2 - 4pm - Explore different ways of telling the story of your family history and passing on your discoveries to others.  There will be a chance to think about different written styles, creating image albums and tips on audio-visual presentations. £5 - booking required in advance. Further details can be found at LMA Events

Dreamland Photo Archive Online 1920's-1960's.

Dreamland in Margate was a popular destination for people who lived in SE London and NW Kent. At  Dreamland Trust Photo Archive Online you can see pictures from the 1920's-1960's.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Medical Licences Issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury 1535-1775-Free to down load index. The Mills Archive - Directory of Kent Mill People. Who Do You Think You Are?-24 - 26th February 2012 North West Kent Family History Society will be at Who Do You Think You Are? Live at Olympia, London.

Medical Licences Issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury 1535-1775-Free to down load index.

The licensing of medical practitioners in England and Wales  was exercised by a number of  separate authorities. A physician could hold a degree or a licence from a  university, or from the College of Physicians of London. Often physicians and surgeons held licences issued by the bishops of England and Wales. the Archbishop of Canterbury issued licences to practise medicine and surgery within the diocese of Canterbury, and information on these  diocesan licences are to be found in the diocesan records held in Canterbury Cathedral Archives. However, the Archbishop also granted licences throughout the province of Canterbury, (England south of the Humber and Wales) and these can be found in Lambeth Palace Library.

At Medical Licences you can download the Lambeth Palace Library Research Guide which includes a free name index of people who were granted a Licence from The Archbishop of Canterbury. The index gives the surname, first name, town/parish and County they practised in and the date of the Licence. You can also use the guide on how to follow up the information in the records.

The Mills Archive - Directory of Kent Mill People.

A free to down load index of millers mainly the 18th and 19th centuries. It can be found at Kent Mill People The index contains the full name of the Miller, Location, date, any notes or comments about the Mill or Miller and the source of the information.

Who Do You Think You Are?-24 - 26th  February 2012 North West Kent Family History Society will be at Who Do You Think You Are? Live at Olympia, London. WDYTYA?

The North West Kent Family History Society Events Team are in the final stages of preparing for the big day. Many of the Society publications and books on Family History will be on sale at the Society Stand (numbers 120 & 121) and you can also take the opportunity to join the Society if you so wish and/or ask for advice about researching in the North West Kent and South East London area. 

You can see all the events that the Society will be attending in 2012 at Fairs and other events  

So if you are at Olympia on any of the three days, 24-26 February why not stop by, have a look at what publications are on offer and have a chat. We would be glad to see you.

Saturday 18 February 2012

Free to search and view records of Coal Mining in Ken. Kent Coal Mining-1890's-1980's.Female Mining Deaths and Injuries 1851-1919 (some from Kent). Mining History UK has a database of 200,000 entries of deaths and injuries including incidents in metal mines, fireclay mines and quarries. Coal Mining History Resource Centre-a database of over 164,000 records. North West Kent Family History Talks for March 2012.

Coal Mining in Kent-1890's-1980's.

Coal Mining was a late development in Kent and took place around the Canterbury/Deal area. Because there was little expertise or coal mining tradition before the 1890's miners from all over the country were employed. In the 1920's and 1930's because of Industrial problems, such as lockouts by the mining companies in Wales and the depression of the 1920's and 30's men and their families came from Wales, Durham, Yorkshire, Midlands and Scotland.  Many walked hundreds of miles to find work in Kent. The story of mining in Kent is the story of the hardship and poverty of many of our ancestors and families but also of their spirit and determination to overcome adversity.

Though there were no coal mines in the NW Kent area as time went on some of the families of the Kent Miners married and moved to other parts of Kent and London. If you had a Kentish Miner in your family these sites might help you find out more about them and their lives. All are free to search and view the records/details.

Betteshanger Pit-1928  The History of the Pit and the Miners.

Snowdown Colliery 1907 Snowdown Colliery and the story of the Miners Statue.

Coalfields Heritage Initiative Kent History of the finding of coal in Kent, history of all the Kent Coal Mines, details of the housing for miners and many photographs.plus a selection of the Kent Coal Oral History Collection.

Women and the Pits  It is sometimes forgotten that women were also employed in the coal mines this site has a lot of useful information including Female Mining Deaths and Injuries 1851 - 1919 (some from Kent)

Mining History UK has a database of 200,000 entries of deaths and injuries including incidents in metal mines, fireclay mines and quarries.

Coal Mining History Resource Centre  is an invaluable site for Kentish mines as well as for the rest of the UK. There is a database of over 164,000 records containing the names and details of coal mining accidents and deaths in the UK from 1705 to 1979. There are also maps of the locations of coal mines, including Kent, in the UK.

North West Kent Family History Talks for March 2012.

The 3 Branches, Bromley, Dartford and Sevenoaks, hold talks from quest speakers each month. Visitors are welcome (a donation is always welcome).


Bromley Branch:  Bromley Methodist Church, College Road, Bromley BR1 3NS.  
17 March 2012, 9.45amPat Mortlock The 1851 census - portrait of a market town & Annual Meeting.

Dartford Branch: Dartford Technology College, Heath Lane, Dartford. 
3 March 2012, 9.45am Norman Hopkins The Huguenots in Kent (with a brief reference to links with London).

Sevenoaks Branch:  Sevenoaks Community Centre, Otford Road (at junction with Crampton Rd.), Sevenoaks, Kent.
8 March 2012,  7.15pm, Ian Currie Frost Fairs.


Further details of meetings can be found at NWKFHS Meetings Before travelling to a meeting please check the website or with the Branch to see if there have been any changes.



Friday 17 February 2012

The County Atlas Digital Project-19th century Ontario Township maps, portraits and properties and owner database-Free to search and view. Home Children from Great Britain 1869-1930 Free to search database at Library and Archives Canada. Quebec Passenger lists from the UK-1865-1900. Information for former British child migrants-downloadable information leaflet. Denise Rason-North West Kent Family History Society.

The County Atlas Digital Project-19th century Ontario Township maps, portraits and properties and owner database. Free to search and view.

In the past Kent has had many of its people settle in Canada. People who emigrated also married into families who had already settled in various areas. One of the problems in the past has been trying to locate records and information.

This is fast changing and there is now a lot of information about immigrants and their families that can be obtained on the Internet and a lot of it is free to access.

At The County Atlas Digital Project there are forty-three atlases containing Township maps, portraits and properties that have been scanned and there is also a  property owners' names database which links to the maps. The names of residents were marked on the lots of the township  This project which was began in 1998 is an amazing resource and could be of great help if you have ancestors or family who moved to Canada in the 1800's.

Home Children from Great Britain 1869-1930 Free to search database at Library and Archives Canada.

The Library and Archives Canada has progressively been making more records and information available free on the Internet and is always a good place to start searching for family who moved to Canada.
On the Library and Archives Canada site there is a free searchable database of children who were sent to Canada from Great Britain during the child emigration movement. The information you can find includes Name, age, ship travelled on, where it sailed from and to which port in Canada and where their destination within Canada, departure and arrival dates and if the child travelled as one of a group in a party, who headed the group. Home Children 1869-1830 The database is now almost complete thanks to the work of the  British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa

Quebec Passenger lists from the UK-1865-1900

The on line database contains the arrivals at Quebec from 1865 to 1900 which have been indexed by name. You can search by name to access digitised images of original passenger lists which list the name, age, country of origin, occupation and destination of each passenger. Quebec Passenger List 1865-1900

At Information for former British child migrants there is a downloadable information (pdf) from the Department of Health which provides contact details about tracing former child migrants, and various schemes in place to assist in this matter.

Denise Rason-North West Kent Family History Society.

It is with regret that the NWKFHS has learnt of the death of Denise Rason. Denise was the Society Secretary from 1993-1996 and adminsitered the Society mailing list on Rootsweb until recently. She was always ready to help people in their family history research and started the NWKFHS mailing list on Rootsweb in 2000 to encourage members to help and assist each other. Denise will be missed by her many colleagues and those she has helped at NWKFHS.

Tuesday 7 February 2012

24 - 26th February 2012 North West Kent Family History Society will be at Who Do You Think You Are? Live at Olympia, London. North West Kent Family History Society will also be at the Sussex & South London Fair at K2 Crawley March 11th 2012.

24 - 26th  February 2012 North West Kent Family History Society will be at Who Do You Think You Are? Live at Olympia, London. WDYTYA?

The NWKFHS will be at WDYTYA? for the 3 days of the Biggest Family History event. We will be located at Stand numbers: 120 & 121.

If you want advice about researching your family in North West Kent and South East London, see what the Society can offer and how we can help or just wish to browse please stop by our stand and meet one of our team of friendly and experienced Family Historians who are always prepared to help and advise.

Don't forget to call at the Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS) Stand, number: 615 where you can obtain a free copy of 'our really useful leaflet'. The NWKFHS is an active member and supporter of the FFHS. FFHS Web site 

The County of Kent will be well represented at the show, besides NWKFHS the Kent FHS will be at stand number: 102 & 103

You can download a plan at Ground Floor where you can find the NWKFHS location at Stand: 120 & 121 and you can also download a copy of the Gallery Level plan.

North West Kent Family History Society will also be at the Sussex & South London Fair at K2 Crawley March 11th 2012.

The Society will also be at the Sussex & South London Fair at K2 Crawley, Pease Pottage Hill, Crawley, RH11 9BQ on Sunday March 11th 2012. If you are in the area why not call in and see us to see how we can help with your research and browse our publications.


Thursday 2 February 2012

Family History Society Journals: North West Kent Family History Society Free to search Journals index from 1978-2012. New Transcripts and Indexes on CD for St John the Baptist, Meopham, Kent and St Mary the Virgin, Stone Kent. The Tunbridge Wells FHS Journals, copies available online. East Surrey FHS Journal Index-1977- 2001

Family History Society Journals.

Family History Society Journals are always a good potential source to search. It may be that some research on your family has already been carried out and published in a FHS Journal.

North West Kent Family Society has now indexed all its Journals from volume 1 in 1978 to volume 12 December 2011.  Each article is indexed gives its page reference, name of the Author or Submitter, Title, and a summary of Content. It is free to search and any article can be ordered for a small fee. Full details and the Index can be found at NWKFHS Back Journals

North West Kent FHS also has some new CD publications available.

Meopham, St John the Baptist, Transcript & index of baptisms 1813-71. Ref: CD40

Stone, St Mary the Virgin Transcripts & indexes of burials 1718-1963. Ref: CD41

Stone, St Mary the Virgin Transcripts & indexes of marriages 1722-1955. Ref: CD42 

CDs are priced at £5 each plus £1 postage in the UK, £2 postage for rest of the world. Full details plus link to order form can be found at NWKFHS Publications

The Tunbridge Wells FHS Journals.

The Tunbridge Wells FHS has made available on its website its Journals from 2009-2011. You can find them at TWFHSJournals

East Surrey FHS Journal Index-1977- 2001.

The East Surrey FHS covers some parishes which border on or close to the NWKFHS area. Camberwell-Peckam, Southwark. Families and individuals often came from or went to these places. 

At Journal Index to articles you can download  a text file with an index to all articles in the Journal from 1977-2001