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

Local Group Programmes

Basingstoke Meetings normally commence at 7. 30 p.m. and are held on the fourth Wednesday every month (except August and December) at St Michael’s Church Cottage Hall, Church Street. Contact: Email: Notes by Elaine Bye (January) Sarah Wells: “The Worst Housekeeper” – Bob France

basingstoke@hgs-online.org.uk

For our January meeting, on Zoom, we were pleased to invite as our speaker Bob France with his presentation on Sarah Wells: “The Worst Housekeeper.” Throughout the talk the members were invited to participate in quizzes to see how much they knew about Sarah and her famous son, the author H. G. Wells. Bob told how Sarah, born in Chichester in 1822, became a lady’s maid at Uppark near Petersfield until she left to run a china and sporting goods shop. When the business failed to succeed Sarah was, once again, employed at Uppark this time as housekeeper (1880-1893). During this time Wells referred to his mother as ‘the worst housekeeper.” Whether this was true or not is debatable however Sarah was sacked in 1893 and died in 1905. A very informative talk it was very much enjoyed by all those members present. Forthcoming Meetings:

Moving Forward: How to bring your research up to date Antony Marr Members’ Presentation Queries on a birth/marriage/death certificates

23rd June 28th July

A chance to discuss them with the rest of the group. 25th August 22nd September Dad’s Army Fact and Fiction

Summer Function - A walking tour of Alton with Jane Hurst

Steve Roberts

Contact: Keith Turner Email: fairoak@hgs-online.org.uk

Fair Oak

Meetings are normally held at 8pm on the second Tuesday monthly at St Thomas’ Church Hall (attached

to the church) Mortimers Lane. Doors open approx 7.30pm (January) My Ancestor was an Immigrant’ – Sue Gibbons Another well attended Zoom meeting. Sue’s grandparents were German.

Why did people move in the past? The reasons were numerous – religious and economic freedom, war, politics, young men moved to avoid conscription, the result of bad harvests, and in some cases, simply adventure and ambition. Tracing ancestors who immigrated to this country can be difficult. Many of them had 2 or 3

36