Dear Members,
Another year safely almost tucked away, we will soon be starting on our sixth year of recording Sherington's history. We have now a recordable history of our own, it is kept in the form of Minutes and Newsletters, we have now become part of Sherington's history.
I have very little to tell you about the past month's activities, but before I go any further I will wish you all the VERY BEST for 2005 and a PEACEFUL NEW YEAR.
Due to Sheila's personal commitments, the committee have thought it wise and helpful to co-opt another member onto the committee as a help in the secretarial dept. Kay (612153) has most kindly volunteered for this post and has already attended her first committee meeting and fulfilled her first duties. The two ladies will run the secretarial duties between them for the foreseeable future. So if you wish to contact the secretary and one is out maybe the other will be available.
The 1841 census has now been completely transcribed and will be slotted into the appropriate web page as soon as Ian returns from New Zealand. This has been a difficult task as the ink of some of the pages has faded and is unreadable. But it is about 98% complete and we have photocopies of the complete census, should anyone like to do their own checking. (Which you should do anyway to check that the transcription has been correctly done.)
The sales of Christmas cards has exceeded all expectations, I failed to keep records but I seem to have printed at least 150 cards large and small. The profit on these has been fairly small, because I could not see a point in making too much profit, just enough to cover the costs and to cover any contingencies. If we do a similar project for next year hopefully it will be better organised, and better records can be kept. (This has helped restore my morale from the 2004 Calendar fiasco last year)
Kay and I have both received Christmas cards from Fred Niebel, who had been unwell towards the latter part of the year, this is why we had not heard from him. But hopefully he will come to see us again in 2005. When Fred was here, he tried to contact his friend Hubert Brown, but found that he had died 2 years previously. Later Hubert's son Mike found our E-mail address and from us and has been able to contact Fred, with, as described "a lovely letter". Consequently we have put two people in touch, who wanted very much to get together and Fred will visit him next year.
While we are on this subject, I had an enquiry from an E-mailer David/Paul asking about Beryl Keech, who became Beryl Kothe, who became Beryl Pixley. I was able to find a relative of Beryl who was most grateful for a contact with David/Paul. That was the last piece in a jig-saw for David. To join two lost families together has been reward enough.
After being severely told off last month here are the web-site "Stats" for October the number of "hits" was 9,589, an all time high, last year the number was 3,435. and we were third behind Hanslope. ( I have difficulty in interpreting initials) But I believe that Novembers Stats read - Sher HS.15,473, an even higher all time high, CNM 12,208, HDHS 8,550, TDLHS. 5,978. Which puts us at the top of the tree. Well done IAN.
But this does come at a time when the BBC were running their 'Who Do You Think You Are' series on the TV. I did attend the Local Studies Centre (wearing my Bucks FHS.hat) on Saturday 4th Dec. The BBC Three Counties sponsored a study day there and it was a very popular day. I had a very busy 2 hours. Family history has really taken off.
The proposed development at End Farm, Water Lane has been dropped. We do not know the reason for this, but keep an eye open for it to be re-submitted. These things have a peculiar way of re-surfacing in a changed form.
Sheila has had a member of the Griggs family come to visit and stay for coffee. We have been able to send her some data, but there are no Griggs in our churchyard with memorials. There is also more data now included in the 1841 census and that will be sent off to Alison Griggs later. The Griggs did farm in Sherington during the 1800s. some were born here some were married here and some died here, also the rest of them left here.
A, Ronald Hockley knocked on my front last week, his grand-parents were married in Sherington, he was a half brother to Peter a member of the Rainbow family. Now we know that Dianne Sutton is chasing Rainbows, (Ha ha ! ) and we also have Rainbows in our graveyard. So I have been able to put these folks in touch.
Our annual dinner will be at The Swan on Tuesday 18th January 2004. Kay our 50% General Secretary and 100% Social Secretary will be organising this. Kay would appreciate you contacting her, to let her know if you will be attending and to arrange your individual menu, well in advance of this date. Her number is 01908 612153
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 11th of January 2005 at 8 pm.