The Hampshire Family Historian | Volume 51 No.1 | June 2024

From our Archives

“From our Archives”, Foreword by current

The following reprinted article was written by Muriel Allen for inclusion in the December 2013 issue of our Journal, The Hampshire Family Historian, as part of the Society’s 40th Anniversary. Muriel was one of the founding members of the South East Hampshire Genealogical Society in April 1974, being member number 6, and she was involved in a vote to change that Society’s name at their second AGM - in 1975. She was subsequently voted in as Chair of what had, by then, become Hampshire Genealogical Society. I had the immense pleasure of meeting and speaking with Muriel in her home in March 2024 and she enlightened me further as to the Society’s original beginnings, telling me that the driving force then was Michael Walcot who, very sadly, is no longer with us. On checking our membership list, I discovered that several other members of the Society’s early days are still with us, as is evidenced by eight HGS members whose membership numbers are lower than 50. These long serving members include Muriel herself (Member 6), plus Alan Clive Colpus (Member 9) whom I have also met. Unfortunately, Member number 8, Peter Christie, whom I had hoped to include in this list, passed away only a few months ago. But his article from that journal also follows. I mention these eight surviving people to you because I genuinely feel it is perfectly fitting to formally recognise their achievement: not just in starting up our Society from scratch all those years ago, when Family History Research really was in its infancy, but to still be here and loyally supporting that same

Society after an amazing fifty years. Back in April this year, I was in the process of writing to all eight members about my plan to officially celebrate their loyal support at a special event in the coming Autumn. You will read about it, hopefully, in the December Issue – the final Issue of this our ‘golden’ fiftieth year. But, to understand how it all began for us, please read on …..” Memories of 40 years ago Back in November 1973 I was contacted by Michael Walcot: Would I be interested in meeting with likeminded people with the idea of forming a family history group covering the south-east of Hampshire? I suspect I was contacted because I was a member of the then rather austere Society of Genealogists, as it appeared was the case of the majority of others attending. From this initial meeting at Michael’s home in Purbrook, the South East Hampshire Genealogical Society was formed, covering 90 of the county's 330 parishes. Its first meeting was held at The Friends' Meeting House in Hilsea, Portsmouth, in January 1974, and it was agreed that a Steering Committee would guide the Society until the AGM, due to be held in April when the formal committee was appointed. The Committee comprised:

M Walcot (Acting Chairman/Organiser) G Wakelin (Secretary of Fieldwork/MI

Recording and Librarian) F Edwards (Treasurer) P Christie (Editor)

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