The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.48 No.3 | December 2021

Local Group Programmes

and Prinz Eugin at Gotenhafen in Poland waiting to break out into the North Sea. This they attempted on 19th May 1941 and were spotted by a Swedish cruiser on 20th May 1941. The British home fleet were based at Scarpa Flow and there was then a race to the Denmark Straits to stop Bismark getting into the Atlantic where she would be able to sink British merchant ships. 24th May saw the first encounter when Bismark sunk the Hood. Bismark then tried to get to Brest for repairs. A game of cat and mouse followed which culminated on 26th May when she was spotted by RAF planes. Fifteen swordfish planes in waves of three attacked Bismark. Her steering gear was damaged and she headed north harried by British ships. The Bismark was eventually sunk on 27th May 1941. Of her 2,300 crew only 115 were rescued. A very interesting and detailed talk. Forthcoming meetings:

15th December 3pm Members' Evening - Christmas Festivities 19th January My family and other Smugglers

Roger Gutteridge Michael Hobbs

Four Merchant seamen from Southampton Female Inebriates in Victorian England

16th February

16th March 19th April

Jane Fox

Henry Smith A most notorious, naughty, false, lying fellow, a global black sheep or a maligned character? Sue Paul

Contact: Kay Lovell Email: romsey@hgs-online.org.uk Tel: 01794 515316

Romsey Meetings normally take place on the first Monday of the month (except Bank Holidays) at Crosfield Hall, Romsey, at 7.30 p.m. Newcomers are welcome. All meetings for the foreseeable future will by Zoom.

Ros Boon reports: (October) Surprises, Shocks and Revelation – Members’ Evening.

We were a small select group, but this didn’t preclude a most entertaining evening. Judy kicked us off with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation – after bribing her dog to be quiet with a treat – and told us about her ancestor whose wife ran away with the lodger, who was convicted of manslaughter (not of the aforementioned folk) and ended up in Broadmoor. We then heard about a lady who ‘lived and died in Swaye’ according to family lore, except her descendant found that she had seven siblings who between them had six widely diverging places of birth and she only came to Swaye aged 18. We heard of a marriage year being altered because a child was born perilously close to her parent’s wedding, and Gerry’s ancestor who was a trainer at Stockbridge race course. He was apparently the first to drive a horsebox to a race (in Leeds) and his horse won on account of not having travelled up on its own four hooves. Finally Kay rounded off the evening with a tale of Mormon folk who, thankfully for us, feel that recording family history is a requirement for getting into heaven.

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