June has given us plenty to do apart from researching our family history.  The weather has been kind and there have been other attractions. Family History need not be done in a rush as the records are not going to disappear, except for the erosion of some Memorials on Gravestones! However, I find that you are likely to forget what you have consulted unless you make careful notes of what you have found and where you found it. 

Workshops

We had the 2nd of our Workshops led by Peter de Dulin during June, this one on Marriages –  full members who missed it can see it via the website  and they can also see the talk on the West Somerset Railway given on the 8^th June by Don Bishop.

Research Forum

There has been a lively exchange of ideas on the web site about people involved in the Hewish and Puxton Harvest Festival Committee and it has been interesting to follow it and see the ways in which members have tackled the problem of naming the people involved.  This un-named photograph is from the Weston Gazette Pictorial Review of 1931  -  How about naming the six men in the lower picture?

The Research Forum can enable some helpful exchange of ideas – why not try it?  I had some very useful information from my query about the COLES family which solved a long-held problem.

Facebook Group

We had a sudden influx of new members during June – all of whom are welcome and we hope that at least some of them will join the Society to get the benefit of full membership. We ask all new members to post their SURNAME Interests so that other members may see if there is a possible link with their research.  The same applies to the Society – if you live locally,  the chances are that you are researching a family from elsewhere so we do not restrict queries to North Somerset. 

LostCousins

I really do not need to write a newsletter each month when there are others such as the Lost Cousins Newsletter which which is excellent.  Do read the Masterclass on How to ask for Help by Dr Janet Few – or rather what to do before you ask for help!

War Medals

I was grateful to Peter Towey who discovered that the medals awarded to a cousin of my husband’s were being auctioned. The Auction Catalogue also gave a summary of his life and why the medals were awarded – I knew most of it as we were in touch with his daughter during her lifetime, but it was good to see it recorded.

His parents were married at Emmanuel Church in Weston and his mother was a descendant of "Farmer King" who lived off Meadow Street and was featured in a book entitled " Somerset Dialogues or Reminiscences of the old farmhouse in Weston-super-Mare" published in 1826 

It is about a woman who stayed in Farmer Kng's Farmhouse on holiday in Weston and her reaction to the spoken word in Weston at that time.  You can see this book on archive.org a site for reading out of print books. However, not all the illustrations seem to work. 

DNA Results

Myheritage has a system of offering a Theory of Family Relativity where connections are made using published trees on their site which is proving interesting to me - More information is available on the My Heritage Blog  It is suggested on that site that my husband has a direct link with the CREED family of West Pennard and on closer inspection of their tree it seems to confirm that they and Mike share a common ancestor of John & Mary CREED (Mike's 4 x g grandparents) This is particularly interesting because Matthew CREED, son of John & Mary was named as the father of illegitimate twins Joseph & Mary TAYLOR born in 1824 to a Christian TAYLOR and Mike is descended from the boy, Joseph TAYLOR.  In Christian's examination Matthew did admit to being the father but it is very satisfying to find a DNA link to a 5th Cousin with 24.2cM

Free Help Session - Weston Library

These will start again on Saturday July 2nd at 2.00 pm. Bring along your research and use the free access to Ancestry which is available in the library.  If you haven't already done so - contact the library on 01934 426010 or Weston.library@n-somerset.gov.uk to make your booking 

Next Society Meeting

Our next live meeting will be on Wed 13th July when Sue Burne, from the Taunton Branch of the Somerset & Dorset FHS and a talented glass engraver will be talking about the STOREY family from Bridgwater and North Petherton who were Publicans and Boatmen. Timing of Meeting 

Next Workshop

The next Workshop which will be by Zoom on Wed 27th July at 7.30pm will concentrate on Death Records

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