Wellington
Branch
Newsletter - July 2016
Upcoming Meetings:
Wednesday 27 July, 5.30pm - Using the Pictorial Collections in the
Alexander Turnbull Library by Jenni Christoffels
Wednesday 24 August, 5.30pm - Using genealogy software programmes
to record your family history data
Convenor’s Corner
Hello everyone
At the June monthly meeting Emerson Vandy
gave a very interesting demonstration of the
changes being made to the National Library’s
Papers Past website. In addition to altering the
website’s layout and simplifying the search tools,
the content has been broadened from solely
newspapers to also include digitized magazines
and journals, selected letters and diaries, plus
parliamentary papers. The website went live last
week, so have a look at the new format and
search facilities. It includes a help section and
your feedback is welcomed.
We have much to look forward to over the next
two months. Our July meeting focuses on another
aspect of the National Library holdings – the
pictorial collections of the Alexander Turnbull
Library – which Jenni Christoffels will discuss.
Then Family History Month follows with talks on
Family History In the Age of Technology to be
held on the first four Wednesdays in August at
Connolly Hall. Each week refreshments will be
available from 5.30pm and the meeting proper
will begin at 6.00pm.
This year the Wellington Branch is responsible for
co-ordinating Family History Month, and the
organizing committee is grateful to our branch
members who have signed up to assist with
setting up the hall and welcoming visitors. A
brochure containing the full programme for
Family History Month has been sent out to you.
Please pass on this information to friends and
associates.
Earlier this month Ann Ball emailed the NZSG
Wellington Branch Survey 2016 to members, and
a printed copy was posted to those who do not
use computers. This survey contains 15 short
questions on a range of topics and your
responses will assist the Committee to plan
future activities. The online survey is available
until the evening of Monday 1st August 2016.
Ann will be collating the responses and she will
present the results at a future meeting. If you
have not already taken the survey, please set
aside a few minutes to complete it.
Allison
Dutch term – Oudoom and Oudtante
An oudoom is a great-uncle, an oudtante is a
great-aunt; siblings of your grandparents. The
literal translations are “old uncle” and “old aunt,”
respectively.
Noticeboard
Branch Meetings:.
Wednesday 27 July, 5.30pm: Using the Pictorial Collections in the
Alexander Turnbull Library by Jenni Christoffels, pictorial
specialist for Research Services in the Alexander Turnbull Library.
Wednesday 24, August 5.30pm: A panel discusses different
software programmes incl. Legacy, Reunion and Brother’s Keeper.
The fourth presentation during Family History Month 2016.
Books for Borrowing
There are 5 new books for the Resources table
this month:
Family History at National Archives. This has
been around for a while, but even so I found
some record series that I had not been aware of.
Good if you are just starting out or if you want to
check that you have covered all possible series
held by NZ Archives.
Writing a Non-Boring Family History by Hazel
Edwards: Some great ideas on how to write and
publish ( either commercially or to self publish).
Good ideas on keeping the writing fresh and interesting and keeping the reader awake.
Seven Fleets by Sandra Clarke: A very slight
listing of the first canoes and each of the New
Zealand Company ships into each of the seven
Company settlements.
Solo Mothers - Society for Research on Woman
in NZ. Good social research on this subject up to
1975. Good background if your work includes a
sole parent of this era.
Urban Women - Society for Research on
Woman in NZ up to 1981. Similarly, a good picture of NZ women at the time.
We are also going to make the Branch's collection of disks available for lending. They contain
various records that may be of use to you. While
many of these records are now available online,
they may have just the record you need at no
cost. We will ask you to write down your name
for these and to bring them back when you have
finished with them.
Carolyn Adams
Fritz Reuter Immigrant Ship
140th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th August 2016
Inglewood, Taranaki
Further information was mailed out
to members last week
NZSG Branch Newsletters
Newsletters from other NZSG branches used to
be received by the Wellington Branch as printed
copies and put on a table at our monthly meetings for members to peruse. Now all of the newsletters are sent out electronically as soft copies
however they are available on the specific
Branch’s page on the NZSG website if you wish to
read them.
Here is a list of the Branches with on-line
newsletters.
North Island Go to http://
www.genealogy.org.nz/North_Island_335.aspx
and select the branch.
Hibiscus Coast
North Shore
Papakura
Franklin
Hamilton
Cambridge
Tairua/Pauanui
Tauranga
Papamoa
Otaki
New Plymouth - use the link to their own website
Stratford - use the link to their own website.
Kapiti - use the link to their own website.
Porirua - use the link to their own website.
Hutt Valley - use the link to their own website.
South Island Go to http://
www.genealogy.org.nz/SouthIsland_60.aspx and
select the branch.
Nelson
Riccarton
South Canterbury
Gore - use the link to their own website.
Southland - use the link to their own website.
Doug Miller
Waikanae Family History Group Open Day
6 August 9am - 3pm
Waikanae Chartered Club, 8 Elizabeth Street.
Starring Tim Shoebridge, Senior Historian,
Ministry for Culture and Heritage at 11am,
presenting “Understanding NZEF Files”
Entry is free! morning tea, refreshments, $10
lunch, hospitality Waikanae style. Contact:
Hanley Hoffmann at [email protected]
or Ph. (from Wellington) 934 3276
July 2016 — Page Two
FAMILY HISTORY MONTH 2016
SHARING STORIES: FAMILY HISTORY IN THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGY
During August the four NZSG Branches in the Wellington area – Kilbirnie, Wellington, Hutt Valley, and
Porirua - are once again collaborating to present a lively and informative programme of presentations
on subjects addressing the above theme. The programme comprises four meetings on Wednesday
evenings at Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace, starting at 5.30pm, with each Branch in turn “hosting” an
evening. Wellington Branch is leading the planning, organising and delivering of the programme this
year, and we hope that many of our members will be able to attend each of the presentations, and
assist with setup, supper service (tea/coffee), etc. Attendees will be invited to make a koha
contribution at each meeting, and there will be raffles with exciting prizes, for sale each week.
The programme is as follows:
Weds 3 August. Kilbirnie Branch hosting. “Starting family history research: using technology to get it
right: A case study showing how McDONELL forebears and living extended family were found in NZ,
Australia, Scotland and throughout the world from two original documents.” Presenter, Mary Shadbolt
Weds 10 August: Porirua Branch hosting. “Researching family history using social media: this presentation will show how social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, enables family history researchers to
create and share content”. Presenter, Jan Powell.
Weds 17 August: Hutt Valley Branch hosting. “Publishing your stories: how to get started and
progress towards getting all your family stories written down and out there to be enjoyed now and in
the future”. Presenter, Suzanne Sutton-Cummings.
Weds 24 August: Wellington Branch hosting. “Using genealogy software programmes to record your
family history data. A panel will present their experience with Legacy, Mac for Reunion, Brother’s
Keeper and other programmes”.
All information about the programme is available on a dedicated website http://tinyurl.com/fhm2016wgtn and on a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/WgtnFHM/?fref=ts
If you are able to assist at these meetings, or participate in the Wellington Branch panel, please
contact Barbara Mulligan [email protected]
More Items Recently Catalogued at the Alexander Turnbull Library
The black book of Taymouth : with other papers from the Breadalbane charter room. Edinburgh : T.
Constable, printer to Her Majesty, 1855.( Breadalbane, Campbell family)
Eight centuries of Freebodys : compiled by John W. Freebody] [Fairlawn, N.J., 1974]
Records of the Cust family of Pinchbeck, Stamford, and Belton in Lincolnshire, 1479-1700: compiled by
Lady Elizabeth Cust. London : Mitchell & Hughes, 1898.
History of the ancient family of Marmyun: their singular office of King's champion, by the tenure of the
baronial manor of Scrivelsby, in the county of Lincoln: also other dignitorial tenures, and the services
of London, Oxford, etc. on the coronation day / the whole collected at a great expense from the public
records by T.C. Banks. London : H.K. Causton, 1817. [Sir Joseph Banks had family seat at Revesby, Lincolnshire, and died in 1820]
Seale and allied families by Ida Carrie Seale. Birmingham, Alabama : C. Seale, 1954. [Includes Alston,
Cheatham, Conner, Harold, Hartsfield, Steen and related families.]
The tartan braw : in praise of Scotland's picturesque highland dress by Mrs Mary Noble Rattray.
Included is What is your tartan? a list of the Scottish clans who may rightfully wear the tartan.
The register book of the parish church of Saint Mary, Horncastle : for marriages, christenings and
burials, edited by J. Clare Hudson. Horncastle [Lincolnshire] : Morton, printer, 1892-1912.
Collectanea genealogica Edinburgh : Privately Printed, 1883. [Principally notes of claims to Scottish
peerages.]
July 2016 — Page three
The Wellington War Memorials Project (WMP)
is researching the stories of 100 men listed as killed
during the First World War on five Wellington war
memorials. The memorials are located in Roseneath,
Aro Valley, Brooklyn, Newlands and Makara. The
WMP started in 1914 and is due to end on 11
November 1918. It comprises a small group of
genealogists researching the stories of each man,
writing their stories and submitting them to the
Project Leader for editing and uploading to a
dedicated website. Thirty nine stories have been
completed so far. Researchers work in their own
time and at their own pace at home using mostly
online resources. The group meets from time to
time to share experiences, knowledge and swap
stories. One member of the group is a military
historian who provides guidance and support
on military details. If you would like to
participate in this project, either researching
and/or writing stories, email me at
[email protected].
Take a look at the website at
www.warmemorialswgtn.weebly.com.
There are about 20 unique visitors per day to
the website. The Project is registered with New
Zealand WW100 (www.ww100.govt.nz)
Barbara Mulligan,
Project Leader, WMP
Have your say
The NZSG Wellington Branch Survey 2016 is your chance to help shape the future of the Wellington
Branch. On Sunday 10th July you should have received an e-mail containing a link to the survey. There
are 15 short questions and the survey should take less than 15 minutes to complete. Your responses
will help the Committee make decisions in the future. The survey is conducted using some software
called Survey Monkey. This collects your responses and allows Ann to export them for analysis. Ann
cannot tell who each set of survey responses belongs to, so you can answer the questions in complete
confidence.
The survey is open until the evening of Monday 1st August, so you have 3 weeks to have your say.
After that Ann will analyse the responses and report back, firstly to the committee and then, at a
suitable time, to the Branch.
Here is an example, from a test Ann ran with the previous Committee, so you can see how the results
are presented by Survey Monkey. Once the survey is over Ann will delete the survey from Survey
Monkey together with your responses.
1. How long have you been a member of NZSG Wellington Branch?
Answer Options
Less than one year
1 - 5 years
6 - 10 years
11 - 15 years
16 - 20 years
More than 20 years
Response
Percent
Response
Count
20.0%
0.0%
0.0%
60.0%
20.0%
0.0%
answered question
skipped question
1
0
0
3
1
0
5
0
If you want to know more about Survey Monkey go to SurveyMonkey.com.
If you have any questions about the survey itself, or you didn't get the link, please contact Ann on
[email protected].
Note: Members without e-mail will be posted their surveys with a stamped addressed envelope for its
return.
Thank you to all who have completed the survey so far.
July 2016 — Page Four
Scenes from Clerical Lives
After 1538, the newly established Church of
England was instructed to keep records of all
baptisms, burials and marriages, although it was
not enforced until the end of the century. Even
then, the details varied greatly between parishes.
From 1598, incumbents were required annually
to send a complete copy of the previous year’s
parish register entries to the diocesan register,
known as Bishop’s Transcripts (BTs). As with any
copied record, the accuracy of the
transcription was often questionable: some BTs
are a true copy of the entries, others are not.
Where both registers and BTs survive,
researchers are advised to compare them.
Marriage settlements, available at county
records offices, were generally the reserve of the
wealthy, but these indentures are fascinating, as
they usually detail all lands held by the groom,
the type of tenure, and the provision proposed
for spouse and children in the event of the
husband’s death.
During the 1640s, approximately one third of all
marriages went unregistered. This can be
explained by the advent of the Commonwealth
Period, during which time Cromwell banned
marriages in church. A couple had to travel
further afield to find a Justice of the Peace who
would marry them and many simply didn’t
bother. Some clergy refused to accept such
blasphemy and forced a second marriage in the
church after the Reformation, or else branded
the children illegitimate. This helps to explain
the entries such as ‘Averill alias Taylor’ or ‘Simcox
alias Hunt’ in some parish registers.
Family History Monthly
What’s on at your local branches?
Kilbirnie Branch - 10.00am, Wed 3 August Family Search - Not Just the Highway by Valerie
Hagan-Pratt.
Hutt Valley Branch - 7.30pm, Thursday 11 August
- What’s new for the Irish? By Graham McVerry.
Kapiti Branch - 7.30pm, Tuesday 23 August Regional Research round tables.
Porirua Branch - 5.30pm, Wed 10 August Researching Family History using social media by
Jan Powell. Held at Connolly Hall as part of
Family History Month.
Websites
http://www.calderdale.gov.uk
400,000 Yorkshire Folk
A six year volunteer project to index vital records
has been completed. They have been working for
Calderdale Libraries in West Yorkshire, combing
through almost 90 years of microfilmed birth,
marriage and death announcements from the
Halifax Guardian newspaper, to create a FREE
online index to the data. The Halifax Guardian ran
from 1832 to1921 and the team has been through
every issue.
http://war-memorial.co.uk/
War memorials website launches online
A new resource
containing details
of thousands of
war memorials
has launched
online.
Created using
records collected
by Mark Herber,
the database
currently holds
the names of
more than
270,000 men
and women
remembered on monuments across Britain, with
photographs of the inscriptions also available to
download.
A monthly subscription to the website costs £5,
with quarterly and annual membership priced
£9.95 and £29.95 respectively.
http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/
The website Lancashire BMD continues to add
new Lancashire genealogy records at a steady
pace. Some of the latest additions include 6,000
birth records from Radcliffe (1934 to 1943) 5,000
burial records from Elton (1888 to 1909) and
4,000 birth records for Trafford. In total, the
website has 9.8 million birth records, 4.5 million
marriage records and 5.8 million death records.
Access is free.
July 2016 — Page Five
From various Branch newsletters
BookCase
Annie’s War
A New Zealand woman and her family in England 1916-19
Edited by Susanna Montgomerie Norris, with Anna Rogers
Annie’s War is a remarkable book. There have been many published
collections of soldiers’ diaries and letters from the First World War,
but never a first-hand account of one New Zealand family’s life in
England during these challenging and frightening years.
When her sons, Oswald and Seton, decided they wanted to serve as
pilots, which meant enlisting in Britain, Annie Montgomerie
decreed that the whole family would go too. So from 1916 to 1919
they lived in London, facing Zeppelin attacks, giving hospitality to
young New Zealand friends who left to fight (and sometimes never
came back), watching Oswald and Seton go off to war, and
suffering in the influenza epidemic.
Through all this Annie kept a diary, in which she recorded her deep
love and concern for her family, her hatred of the war, her forthright,
amusing and proudly Kiwi views on the English and myriad fascinating
details about wartime London life. Annie’s granddaughter, Susanna
Montgomerie Norris, has transcribed and edited this extraordinary account, along with many letters
and diary excerpts from her pilot father, Seton. Richly illustrated with contemporary photographs and
other memorabilia, and superbly annotated by Anna Rogers, Annie’s War offers a unique and compelling view of a crucial time in world history.
This Month in History - 26 July 1865 - Parliament moves to Wellington
The capital moved from Auckland to more centrally located Wellington on the recommendation of a
specially appointed Australian commission. The former Wellington Provincial Council chamber became
the new home for Parliament.
The location of New Zealand’s Parliament had been a matter of debate for some years. For South
Island members the long sea voyage to Auckland was a genuine trial. The issue came to a head as the
populations of Canterbury and Otago grew rapidly in the 1860s.
Eventually an independent commission chosen by the governors of the Australian colonies was
charged with selecting New Zealand’s capital. After visiting Wellington, Whanganui, Picton, Port
Underwood, Havelock and Nelson, at a cost of £4085 (equivalent to $450,000 in 2015), they opted for
Wellington. The move – a substantial logistical exercise – took place in early 1865, at a total cost of
£54,665 (nearly $6 million).
NZ History Online
Committee
Postal Address
Convenor: Allison Diem 476 9567
Secretary: Prue Theobald 232 0241
Treasurer: Carolyn Adams 479 2524
Membership: Doug Miller 232 7724
PO Box 2223, Wellington, 6140
Evening Meetings
5.30pm for 6.00pm, 4th Wednesday, Connolly
Hall, Guildford Terrace, Thorndon
Speakers’ Programme: Ann Ball 479 6718
Outside Committee
Newsletter Editor: Heather Conland 971 4071
Committee Contact:
[email protected]
Branch Website:
www.genealogy.org.nz/Wellington_153.aspx
July 2016 - Page Six