Reading Branch meeting 28th November 2019 Speaker: Antony Marr Speaking from a background of an ex Deputy Registrar he gave an interesting insight of what can be found on these certificates. The rules surrounding these certificates are covered by a 150-page instruction book. Original certificates will have original signatures; the GRO (General Register Office) version is a copy of a copy. Four checks are done on birth certificates (not telling the truth is purjury) 1. Live birth computer check with hospital/midwife (no still births) 2. Correct district 3. Within time limit (Registrar 12 months, parents 42 Days) 4. Not already registered. Informants a) Who signed? b) their qualification c) Address of the informant. Who can sign, i) Mother, ii) Father, if married (not unmarried fathers), iii) Occupiers of the premises where birth occurred, iv) Anyone present at birth, v) Person in charge of child. Childs surname is specified since 1969 and from 1950 put in capital letters. Today any surname is possible not…

Reading Branch meeting 31st October 2019 Speaker: Tony Keep from Thames Valley Police Museum  Tony started his research to commemorate what was thought to be 47 policemen lost in WW1, but actually turned out to be 49. At the time of WW1 eight forces existed covering the area now known as Thames Valley force. In his research he used Examination Registers which were kept manually, records from Berkshire and Buckinghamshire Records Offices, Chief Constables Reports, Standing Joint Committee Reports, Watch Committee minutes and books or newspaper reports. Additional material was gathered from the Thames Valley Museum, The National Archives and the Internet. The first Police Force was the Metropolitan founded in 1829 and following Acts of Parliament in 1835 and 1839 became a paid force. In 1856 National Government legislation saw a change in how the force was organised. County Police Forces controlled by Standing Joint Committees under a Chief Constable and Borough Police Forces under Watch Committees with Head Constables. In 1914…

Reading Branch meeting 26th Sept 2019 Speaker: John Leighfield John opened his talk with an anecdote about Einstein and his chauffeur which set the pace and delivery for the evening. He informed the gathering that the earliest maps were around 6000 BC from Turkey, then from 1400 BC Italian wall carving and then 6th century BC from a tablet found in Babylon. Important dates from Britain were 150AD Ptolemy, (1480 print shown) and Matthew Paris 1250. Richard Gough was a notable collector and writer who left a c1360 map to the Bodleian Library which he had purchased in 1774 for half a crown. The big changes came in the 16th century which were brought about by the revolutionary things of printing, military threat (Spanish), the development of surveying as a profession (Henry VIII and Elizabeth I). Christopher Saxton from Leeds in Yorkshire deserves greater recognition. In 1570 he was granted a monopoly by the Elizabethan Court for 10 years on map production. By 1574…