Family History Handbook 2018 Posted 23 November 2017 by Julie GoucherThe Guild is featured on page 25 of the recently published Family History Handbook 2018 which is published by Family Tree Magazine in association with the Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS). Also listed is a number of surname specific family history associations and societies. Here is what the Guild Chairman, Paul Howes said about the Guild on page 54 “Established in 1979, the Guild exists to further the study of surnames, both in educating the public and encouraging our members to study particular surnames. We have about 3,000 members around the world studying a total of almost 9,000 surnames including variant spellings. We support members by providing seminars, a quarterly journal, discounts and shared databases. Our marriage database contains over 1.1 million marriages. We have 169 active websites for members at one-name.net Today, the global nature of the internet has made it simple to acquire data from across the world and see scans of original records, largely obviating the need to visit churches for parish registers. Larger studies can operate with teams across multiple countries. And we have seen recent growth in surnames under study from outside the British Isles, now about 70. DNA adds to the fun for surname studies! see https://guild-dev.org/dna-introduction/ for an easy-to-read tutorial. The two really precious things about the Guild are the collaboration between members and the diversity of our studies. We can learn from each other because we are all trying different things. Think the Guild is for others? Think again! Check https://guild-dev.org to see if one of your surnames is being studied. If you find one, use the email button to contact the member. Perhaps you can help them or they you. If the surname is not being studied, what are you waiting for – it’s time to start your surname study.” If your interest has been whetted, but you are not sure where to start why not explore the Starting Your One-Name Study pages. The next Introduction to One-Name Studies taught by Pharos Tutoring and Teaching begins in February 2018
Accidents Will Happen Seminar Posted 17 November 2017 by Alan MoorhouseAccidents Will Happen Seminar Abberley Village Hall, Clows Top Road, Abberley, Worcestershire WR6 6AZ 09:30am for 10:00am on Saturday 24th February 2018 Accident records and reports are a good source for discovering names and background material for a person in your one-name study. We have gathered some specialists around this field to talk about various useful sources. Twitter #GuildAccidents Programme 09:30 – 10:00 Arrival: Registration and Coffee 10:00 – 10:10 Welcome to the Seminar – Jackie Depelle 10:10 – 11:05 Health, Safety and Welfare in the early 20th Century Work Place – Helen Ford, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick 11:05 – 11:15 Comfort Break 11:15 – 12:10 Shipwrecked! Ancestors Lost at Sea – Dr Simon Willis 12:10- 13.10 Lunch Break 13:10 – 14.05 Coroner’s Records – Dr Kathleen Chater 14:05 – 14:15 Comfort Break 14:15 – 15:10 Railway Work, Life and Death: a new resource for family historians – Dr Mike Esbester, University of Portsmouth and National Railway Museum 15:10 – 15:35 Tea Break 15:35 – 16:30 How DNA ruined my family tree – Dr Geoff Swinfield 16.30 – 16.35 Close of Seminar Applications to attend are welcome from Guild members, family historians, genealogists, and members of the general public having an interest in the subject matter. The seminar cost including refreshments and buffet lunch is £19.00. Abberley is 12 miles north-west of Worcester and easily reached from M5 junction 5 (13.8 miles) or junction 6 (14.2 miles). If you will be travelling by train there are two stations in Worcester, Shrub Hill and Foregate Street; there are direct trains to Shrub Hill from London Paddington, Bristol Temple Meads, Reading, Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Moor Street, with additional services involving a change at Cheltenham Spa or Droitwich Spa. Please contact us for help in finding a lift from Worcester Shrub Hill (only) station; for those staying at the Premier Inn Worcester M5 there is a bus every 30 minutes from Shrub Hill to the hotel (please see the accommodation listing and additional travel guidance for further details). We would like to ensure that any delegate with a disability can participate fully in this event. Anyone with any special requirements should telephone the Guild Help Desk on 0800 011 2182 or email seminar-booking@guild-dev.org. An accommodation listing is available here. A number of delegates and members of the organising committee will be staying Friday night at the Premier Inn Worcester M5 j6 and will meet for dinner at the adjacent Three Pears Beefeater restaurant. Full joining instructions are available here. What delegates said particularly impressed them about the most recent Guild seminar at Teignmouth on November 11th 2017: Very interesting location; great venue, easy to find and easy registration Linking subjects The content of the presentations was excellent and very relevant The depth of knowledge and quality of the excellent speakers;superb All speakers clear and informed on their subjects Meeting other Guild members Very professionally organised, good AV Good to have a seminar that isn’t in the Midlands Regional focus interesting and much appreciated Everything! Booking To book on this seminar, you can use our our online form¹ in any of three ways: Book online and pay online via PayPal or credit card; For Guild members, book online and pay by direct bank transfer through your bank, quoting the reference number on the form (this is the method which represents the least cost to the Guild); Fill in the booking form online, then print it and send it through the post with your cheque. Alternatively, you can download our booking form flyer, which can be printed, filled-in, and posted, with a cheque to: Alan Moorhouse, [Seminar Bookings], 8 Strachans Close, STROUD, Gloucestershire, GL5 3EB. Bookings close on 11th February 2018 **we still have some places available so have extended the closing date to February 17th**. All bookings will be confirmed by email, with full joining instructions, on or shortly after this date; if you don’t then receive that email please email to check that your booking has been received. Further information may be obtained by telephoning the Guild HelpDesk on 0800 011 2182, or by email from seminar-booking@guild-dev.org. ¹Please note, when booking on a seminar either by post or online, the Guild’s “Distance Selling” terms and conditions. Other events For details of other events organised by the Guild, go to the Events Calendar.
ANSTEY: Our True Surname Origin and Shared Medieval Ancestry by Gary Anstey Posted 8 November 2017 by Departed MemberThe Anstey One-Name study was started in about 1905 by my great granduncle Thomas John Edmund Anstey (known as Tom). He produced copious quantities of high quality ‘Anstey’ surname research and we are very fortunate that much of it has survived and remains in the family today, providing an excellent foundation on which to build. In 2014, Gary Anstey, a Guild member, took up the challenge of continuing and expanding his work in the internet age, which had already been advanced by other researchers interested in the Anstey surname in the interim. The surname Anstey was registered with the Guild of One-Name Studies in 2015 and Tom has been posthumously awarded the title of Honorary President of this particular study in recognition of his work. In 2016 I began to collate my research and merge it with that of Tom’s and in March 2017 we together published a book on some of our Anstey findings; all net proceeds of which are being donated to the Guild of One-Name Studies charity. This book is entitled: ‘ANSTEY: Our True Surname Origin and Shared Medieval Ancestry’. and it is available for purchase on Amazon UK and Amazon USA The book description is as follows: Surprising as it may sound, all Ansteys alive today are connected to each other, sharing a common Anstey ancestor who originated the Anstey surname in the 12th century! This is proved beyond doubt by authors G.M. Anstey and T.J. Anstey in the authoritative and comprehensive: “ANSTEY: Our True Surname Origin and Shared Medieval Ancestry” together with its sister publication “ANSTEY: We Are One Family. The Proof!”. This first book lays the groundwork for the authors’ proof, documenting the true origin of Anstey as a surname and telling for the first time the complete and fascinating story of the medieval Ansteys from their 12th century origin to the end of the 14th century. The ancestors whose stories are told in this book are shared not only by all Ansteys alive today, but by anybody who has an Anstey appear anywhere in their family tree. Designed to appeal to both casual reader and ardent genealogical enthusiast alike, two alternative titles could plausibly be: “Your ‘great x 30’ Grandfather Owned a Medieval Castle” (if an Anstey appears anywhere in your family tree) or “Researching in Medieval Times: Focusing (far too much) on ANSTEY as a Case Study” (if you are interested in what can be learnt about medieval ancestors from the extraordinary array of available medieval documentation). A two page book review appeared in the July-September 2017 issue of the ‘Journal of One-Name Studies’ (Volume 12 Issue 11). The sister book, ‘ANSTEY: We Are One Family. The Proof!’, is a mammoth undertaking; research is currently well under way and this book should be available for sale in about a year. Once again, all net proceeds will be donated to the Guild of One-Name Studies charity. You can connect with Gary by the link on the Anstey One-Name Study profile
Publication of One Family, Six Names by John & Ann Hercus Posted 7 November 2017 by Departed MemberFirst, may we introduce ourselves; John and Ann Hercus, Goons members of Christchurch, New Zealand. We have spent the last 30 years, on and off, researching different aspects of our family history. We have earlier self-published two books. The first, in 2000, was “Isabella Hercus, the Sixth Ship”, the story of the 6th ship which helped bring the first ship loads of settlers to Christchurch in 1850-51. This ship was owned by John’s great-great- great uncle, a Scottish shipping merchant. Our second book, published in 2004, was called “Orkney to Otago”, the journey of John’s direct family line from Scotland to New Zealand, as far back as we could trace it to the early 1700s. Both books have sold out. We have spent the last 10 years researching our rare family surname and its medieval origins (and exploring other similar names to see if we were one family or not). We have now published “ONE FAMILY, SIX NAMES: the story of the name and medieval origins of the Scottish family of Hercus, Herkes, Harcus, Harkes, Harkess and Arcus”. The book is full of fascinating stories and discoveries and explores many topics including: * How we became family history detectives * Where do UK surnames come from? * What is a “rare” surname? And a “single origin” surname? * Why are there multiple spellings of some surnames? * Did the medieval knights in our family carry coats of arms? * The way we discovered the meaning of our name * How 21st century DNA testing helps answer key questions about our family. It is written in part as a resource book, to help others explore the origins of their own family surname. The book is A4 size, with 144 pages, written with easy-to-read print size and lots of illustrations. It has been professionally typeset and designed and printed by Caxton Press. It is a “limited edition” book; we have printed only 1000 copies, each hand-numbered and hand signed by us both. We want to offer the book to you, as fellow Goons members. We are selling the book “at cost” plus packaging and postage. The cost to all purchasers in New Zealand is $28 plus packaging and postage of $3 [total per book $31]. We have had very positive feedback from purchasers. Comments include “A true labour of love and skill in the depth of its research and detail and the elegant writing” ….”Your book and the investigations that underlie it are brilliant”….”Priceless information and easy to understand”…. Very impressed, well researched, thank you”. All purchase enquiries welcome. Please contact Dame Ann Hercus