The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.48 No.1 | June 2021

Local Group Programmes

Some professions do not have a central archive collection or location and these include those men in the merchant marines and mining. Records for farmers will be found locally in estate documents, tithe maps, farm accounts, land taxes and local histories. Farm workers’ records are harder to find. There are many locations around the UK that house employment records and artefacts. For example, the National Trust has photographic collections of servants; the National Railway museum in York has records, trades union records are held at Warwick and Wales universities. The Post Office Museum, at Mount Pleasant in London has pension and promotion records. Other online resources mentioned by Colin included the Directory of National Biography for biographies, Victoria County Histories, The ‘London Gazette for MOD records and the Old Bailey trials. There are many modern books and publications available which can be about specific occupations. Newspaper archives provide good descriptions of some less well known or extinct professions – for example, nail makers. Newspapers also include job adverts – especially for household servants and staff – which describe the necessary requirements. (April) DNA and other stories – Members’ Zoom Evening A speaker postponement meant a change in meeting plans. The Andover membership is always ready to participate and did so again, via Zoom, with seven ‘in-house’ speakers presenting a range of interesting topics. Wendy had found an old newspaper article from 1846 about an ancestor farmer, surname Dowling. The article stated that he was not a ‘skinflint’ employer unlike many others of the time. Wendy sent this to one of our previous speakers - Elaine Boyes - who is researching the Swing Riots. By a strange coincidence a lady who Elaine has been caring for is interested in family history and has Dowling ancestors in her tree. They hope to be able to exchange useful information. Margaret gave us an update on her recent research into her father’s family from Czechoslovakia. She has contacted a young man there whose grandmother is currently living in the old family house in which her father was born. Margaret and the grandmother are descendants of two brothers and are first cousins once removed. This could prove very fruitful but plans to visit have been put on hold until next year. Janice had found a wedding invitation from 1957 that she attended. It was for her mother’s cousin. Janice was recently contacted by the grandson of this couple to exchange information, but Janice had to tactfully correct several errors in his research. These involved some interesting and sensitive issues regarding countries of birth, marriages, duplicated children’s names and incorrect ages for military service. Knowing what to publish on your family tree can be problematic! Alan told us about his grandparents, Arthur and Mary. Mary was born in an Amport in 1884 but sadly her father, James, died of TB in the Andover workhouse when she was just five months old. Years later, Mary met future husband Arthur who had decided to join the navy as a submariner just before the start of the First World War. He was assigned to the ‘E7’ submarine which carried out daring actions in the Dardanelles. Arthur carried a gold sovereign

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