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 transported, for what today would be a minor offence, robbing the Whitchuch Toll Booth.
Margaret made the connection with her tree and together with her husband visited his distant cousin in Australia some 169 years after the transportation of the Australian Crook.
This was a well documented and delivered presentation enjoyed by 30 members.
