ERITH SURNAMES

Hello…. to everyone who’s interested in social and family history and are connected to the area of ERITH.

When surfing the Internet, I am amazed at the genealogists researching the area.

‘Family Strays’ who came to the area for many reasons, including employment & marriage, often settle, divide with many moving on, though still leaving their mark.

Knowing the social history of an area does help, but some of these researchers have no idea of the area, but thanks to cyberspace they learn and research their ancestors from thousands of miles away. A project, involving many generations & family branches.

Genealogy has become ‘Big Business’, and many travel to the area of their ancestors for research /holiday. Other, able to get help from family members still living locally, have a ‘foot in the door’, but many plod on, hitting brick walls, lost in cyberspace until some kind soul helps with a few clues.

ERITH has changed drastically over the last century, and many families are ‘NEW’ to the area. As the area changes, so will the lifestyles, or does it.

I decided to venture into the files I have stored away for later research, and what led me to the interest of family history in that area. Some researchers still hope to find living relatives, or an answer for their elders, not long in this life, and these I have included in the ‘BITS & PIECES’. Many stories are already researched for later Page’s.

If you can help, contact me or check the ‘Surname Index’ for a researcher seeking the information. I will update the Surname list as often as possible.

Brook Street (Cemetery)and St Paulinus at Crayford, would hold many clues, if they were fully indexed. A ground plan would be wonderful for researchers in cyberspace, but if you are visiting a local cemetery or family grave, perhaps you could have a quick look through the cemetery, just in case you could help someone on other side of the world. Maybe they can return the favour.

I have to admit, that here in the Far North of New Zealand where I live now, many pioneers are buried on private land, and although their deaths are recorded at the local council offices, often, no record exist of where the burial actual took place. Australia and the USA however, have wonderful files.

This private land in NZ is often on large farms, known sometimes as ‘Stations’, and farmers are not excited about ‘their’ cemetery being indexed, in case they have a flood of genealogists and tourists, tramping over land, getting hurt or lost as they seek the resting place of their ancestors.

In isolated areas, it was easier to bury close to where the death took place, and Maori Cemetery are usually for their ancestors only. Hukerenui, 30 minutes north of Whangarei on the borders of the Far North, have indexed their tiny cemetery, but mostly, the rural and isolated are un -charted. This index is online

Locally,we have many natives of ERITH . Kathy Lawson. ( June 2003).

A FAMILY HISTORIANS LAMENT.

I’ve been doing family history for nearly 30 years,

Diligently tracing my illustrious forebears,

From Pigeon Lake to Peterborough, Penrith to Penzance,

My merry band of ancestors has led me a merry dance.

There’s cooks from Kent, and guards from Gwent

And chimney sweeps from Chester.

There’s even one daft fisherman lived all his life in Leicester,

There’s no one rich or famous, no not one well- to- do,

There’s a second cousin twice removed, once played in goal for Crewe.

I’ve haunted record offices from Gillingham to Jarrow,

The little grey cells of my mind would humble Hercule Poirot.

I’ve deciphered bad handwriting that would shame a 3 year old,

And brought the black sheep of the family back into the fold.

My bride of just 3 minutes, I left standing in the church,

As I nipped in the graveyard for a spot of quick research

Eventually I found an uncle, sixty years deceased.

That was far more satisfying that some silly wedding feast,

After three weeks of wedded bliss, my wife became despondent

She named the PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE as the co-respondent

I didn’t even notice when she packed her bags and went

I was looking for great granddad’s will, who’d died in Stoke On Trent.

But now my 30 year obsession’s lying in the bin

Last Tuesday week, I heard some news that made me pack it all in.

T’was when my darling mother, who is not long for this earth, casually informed me they’d ADOPTED ME AT BIRTH.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN.

If you are researching your family history, and weren't adopted at birth, e.mail me with your contact details, and I will add them to the list below.

ERITH RELATED SURNAMES.

Over the next few months, more Names & contact details will be added.