Reading Branch meeting 24th September 2020, conducted via Zoom Speaker: Margaret Crook Margaret explained that her research into her husband’s family tree started before the internet and the computers had become the tool of choice it is today. From a family bible handed down by her father-in-law dated 1896 it gave her a start into the Crook dynasty. Margaret’s started collecting names of Crooks from the Berkshire Record Office, at that time in Shire Hall, checking parish records of churches in Wallingford, Cholsey, Britwell Salome etc. She adopted the method of collecting all names and references to relationships in the records to build seven Crook families and from there make the connections between them using probate and wills. She purchased the 1881 census on 25 C.D’s in 1998. Margaret had developed flesh on the bones by using newspaper archives particularly the Abingdon Herald. With the coming of the internet she made contact with an Australian historian who had a relative who had been…

Reading Branch meeting 25th June 2020, conducted on Zoom Speaker: Mark Bowman This presentation was a display of how much can be achieved for free in a short space of time. Mark showed that starting only with a name (albeit an unusual one) and a rough date of birth, you can, using free, online resources, construct a pedigree going back 250 years, all in a few hours. As usual, Mark’s talk was engaging and generated quite a discussion afterwards.

Reading Branch meeting 28th May 2020, conducted on Zoom Speaker: Joy Pibworth Joy outlined the family background of Jane’s life and the places where those people lived. She painted a picture of her parent’s lives and those of her close relatives. They involved places as far away as America, Russia as well as Oxford, Tonbridge and Bristol in the U.K. There were stories of Fishing Fleet (female passage to India to seek marriage) and the scandal of trials for stealing lace which resulted in acquittal.  One of her ancestors, Sir Thomas White, who was born in Reading in 1492 was a clothier and educated at Reading School, he served an apprenticeship to a wool merchant and went on to found St John ’s Baptists College. Jane’s father George was raised by his uncle Francis, and her mother Cassandra (nee Leigh) was the daughter of a Rector. They were married in 1764 in Bath and raised eight children including Jane who was the second…