Hutt Valley Branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists

News & Views August 2015 Issue 336

Evening Meeting: 7.30pm 2nd Thursday, February to DecemberDay Meeting: 10.00am 3rd Thursday, February to NovemberVenue: Petone Community Centre, 7-11 Britannia StreetPostal Address: PO Box 31-024, Lower Hutt 5040Website: www.huttvalleygenealogy.org.nz Convenor: Anita WestSecretary: Anne Martin HuttValley@genealogy.org.nz Editor: Helene Philpott bhdk.philpott@gmail.comEvening Meeting: Doors open 7pm. Notices begin 7.30pm. Speakers begin about 8pm (approx. 1 hour)Day Meeting: Doors open 9.30am. Notices begin 10am. Speaker begins about 10.30am (approx. 1 hour). Please note the library does not open until 10am

Genealogy/Family History Helpers Available AtPetone Library 10am -12pm

On duty for: August, September & October• Wednesday 2 September – Cheryl Dreaver & Avril Roberts• Saturday 5 September – Dawn Chambers & Lynly Yates• Wednesday 16 September – Marie Perham & Bob Vine• Saturday 3 October - Janet Ketchell & Anita West• Wednesday 7 October – Deb Beban & Lois Bartlett• Wednesday 21 October – Diane Stinson & Susan WilsonFor those new to genealogy and/or who want help knocking down those brick walls, this is an excellent time and place to have our experts help you. Our helpers can show you what is available in the library and how to go about finding what you are looking for.

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Branch Meeting Programme for August & September

Thursday 13August Evening Meeting –Helene Philpott and panel, Starting from SnippetsAs a variation on breaking brick walls, Helene Philpott will lead a panel discussing how to build on scant information, a picture of a person or persons using a variety of resources. The panel, Janet Ketchell, Terry Stock, Graeme McVerry & Warwick Johnston, will present some examples from their family history research, and then the floor will be open to the audience to seek suggestions/guidance on how to progress or confirm their family history.Thursday 20 August Morning Meeting – Lynly Yates and Dawn Chambers, Genealogy Road trips Dawn and Lynly will repeat last year’s presentation to the evening group about their experiences of attending genealogy conferences and visiting family history repositories around New Zealand. Come and pick up pointers from Dawn and Lynly’s vast knowledge of the sorts of places you can visit around the country to discover family history information.Thursday 10 September Evening Meeting –Adam Manterys - From Poland to PahiatuaA presentation on the epic story of how 733 mostly orphaned Polish children and their 105 adult caregivers ended up stranded on the other side of the world towards the end of World War II. They were part of the 1.5 million Poles who had been forcibly deported to Soviet forced-labour camps in 1940. Presented by Adam Manterys, whose father was one of those orphaned children.17 September Morning Meeting - Visit to Great War Exhibition Anita West, who is a guide for the Great War Exhibition at the Dominion Museum, will host the branch’s visit.Would those whose names are on the list please let Diane know whether you are taking your car and, if so, whether you are taking passengers or have room for a passenger(s). Also, please let her know whether you need a ride. Parking spaces are available but cost $4 an hour so it is suggested that car passengers help towards that cost. Our tour is booked to START at 10 am and will be for 45 minutes approximately. Details on how to get to the museum and also where the parks are situated will be in the September newsletter.

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August is Family History Month. Each week in Wellington there will be a number of events of interest to genealogists and others with an interest in New Zealand history and biography. For a full events programme see http://tinyurl.com/fhm2015Saturday 22 August Family History Open DayWhether you are experienced or just beginning your family history journey, there will be something at our Wellington Family History Month Open Day for you. Come along and hear one or more of our excellent speakers, who will be covering the basics along with some great tips and tricks to help you find those elusive ancestors.

• 10:15am – Getting started on your family history & an introduction to Ancestry.com.au, with New Zealand Genealogist Christine Clement• 11:30am – Using the free website FamilySearch.org to research and build your family tree, with Garry Howard from FamilySearch• 1:00pm – 4 “lightning talks” to help you add detail, collaborate with others and self-publish your family story• 2:30pm – Digging deeper into New Zealand immigration and other records, with Christine Clement.Throughout the day there will be specialists in New Zealand, Maori, Pacific Islands, Australian, English, Irish and Scottish family history on hand to provide guidance and answer questions.Experienced staff from NZSG, Kiwi Collection, Hutt City Libraries, National and Alexander Turnbull Libraries, Archives New Zealand, Births, Deaths and Marriages, and New Zealand Defence Force Archives and Medals will also be there to help.Venue: Hutt Bowling Club, 6 Myrtle Street, Lower Hutt. Look for the sign opposite the end of Huia Street – free parking down the driveTime: Saturday 22 August, between 10am and 4pmEntry: $5

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Family History Open Day

Saturday 22 August 201510am – 4pm

Hutt Bowling Club 6 Myrtle St, Lower Hutt

To make the day a success we need your help

Reception: 10 to 12 midday - 2 people to do 1 or 2hour shifts then 1 person per hour from 12 midday to 4pm when it’s quieterRaffles: Suzanne will be there to start but volunteers are needed so that she can have a break.Phone: Helene Philpott or email bhdk.philpott@gmail.com Kitchen: Diane needs one more person to assist with making tea & coffeeIt will not be an all-day job as it is planned to have two helpers in the morning from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and two in the afternoon from 12.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. There will be no dishwashing as we will have the use of a dishwashing machine.If you can help please contact Diane Stinson.There will still be plenty of time during the day to do some of your own research or listen to one of the guest speakers.

The Ted Gilberd Literary Trust First World War Essay CompetitionThe Trust is pleased to provide this opportunity for NZSG members to turn their research and writing skills into a permanent record of their family and events surrounding World War One.The purpose of the competition is to encourage the recording of New Zealand family histories, improving the standard of research of family history, adding it to a national collection and achieve these aims through readable interesting narrative. Download the Rules and Conditions of Entry from the NZSG website.Entries must be received no later than 31st December 2016. Late entries cannot be accepted.

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RAFFLE1 ticket for $2 or 3 tickets for $5

Prizes

1st Prize: Twelve month subscription to Ancestry.com.au’s World Heritage Package, valued at approx. $3402nd Prize: An A3 digital print (or smaller if preferred) of your choice from the digitised collection of the Alexander Turnbull Library. Up to the value of $49.50.

3rd Prize: 1 year subscription to an NZSG Branch (to the value of $30) Drawn on Saturday 22nd August 2015 at NZSG Open Day Hutt Bowling Club, Lower Hutt

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Thursday 9 July Evening Meeting: Tracing Your London AncestorsA presentation from Ann Ball from the Greater London Interest Group, that included showing how historical maps can assist in family history research.Website listNZSGNew Zealand Society of Genealogists www.genealogy.org.nzRepositories/ArchivesThe National Archive UK) (some pay per view) http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/General Record Office (GRO) (Certificates) http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/National Principal Registry http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1226.htmSociety of Genealogists http://www.societyofgenealogists.com/London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Records_and_archives/City Ark (Medway Ancestors) http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/Tower Hamlets (Bancroft Library) http://www.ideastore.co.uk/Specialising in LondonLondon lives http://www.londonlives.org/London Central Criminal Court “Old Bailey” http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/Victorian London http://www.victorianlondon.org/Lost London street names - not complete http://web.archive.org/web/20050811073441/http://members.aol.com/WHall95037/london.htmlMapsCharles Booth Poverty Maps http://booth.lse.ac.uk/FamilySearch Historical maps http://maps.familysearch.org/#searchAgas Map https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/map.htmJohn Strype’s Survey of London (1720) http://www.hrionline.ac.uk/strype/Bomb sight www.b ombsight.org

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CataloguesAccess2Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/AIM25 http://www.aim25.ac.uk/GeneralFlickr Flickr.comGoogle www.google.comGoogle Streetview go to Google and then click on maps tabFreeBMD http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints www.familysearch.orgWills available at Record copy wills for the Principal Registry, 1858-1925 (search for probate)UKBMD http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/GENUKI http://www.genuki.org.uk/Historical Directories http://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/cdm/landingpage/collection/p16445coll4Workhouses http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Gendocs http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hitch/gendocs/index.htmlLondon Gazette http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/Greater London Interest Group (Wellington Sub branch)Meets on 4th Saturday of the monthSt Lukes, Lower Church Hall, Wadestown (Anglican Church on brow of hill, down driveway to Lower Hall)2pm to 4pm. Cost $2 or $3 depending on how many people attend.Contact: Ann Ball 479 6718 ball@xtra.co.nzMembers are welcome to contribute to the News & Views, genealogy research, family history stories, 'how to tips', interesting websites, or information sharing. The first weekend of each month is the deadline for the next month’s issue. Email to Helene Philpott bhdk.philpott@gmail.com

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Thursday 16 July Morning Meeting: Tips for Dating and Caring for Old Photographs. A presentation by Natalie Marshall, Curator of Photographic Archives, Alexander Turnbull Library, and Assistant Curator, Kirsty Willis.Below is a list of the sources that Kirsty and Natalie mentioned in their talk.Online Resources for Dating Photographs:

• History of New Zealand photography timeline http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/nz-photography/timeline • Image Permanence Institute’s Graphics Atlas for identifying photographic pro-cesses http://www.graphicsatlas.org/ and weekly email http://www.graphic-satlas.org/pictureoftheweek/ • Dating soldiers’ photographs http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzlscant/soldiers_photos.htm • Vehicle license plates http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/jpglps/PA_NZEA_GI1.jpg• Dating houses https://researcharchive.lincoln.ac.nz/handle/10182/6496• Alexander Turnbull Library’s catalogue for unpublished collections TAPUHI http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz• Auckland Libraries’ photographers database http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/photographers/basic_search.htm • Early New Zealand photographers blog http://canterburyphotography.blog-spot.co.nz/ • Papers Past http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast• Te Ara biographies of photographers http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/search/bios?keys=photographers+ Resources for dating photographs, not on the internet:

• Wise’s Post Office directories• Hardwicke Knight’s book Photography in New Zealand: A social and technical

history

• Australians Behind the Camera: Directory of Early Australian Photographers, 1841-1945 http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22021191

• A Directory of London Photographers 1841-1908 http://natlib.govt.nz/records/21694095

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• Walter Cook’s blog on dating photographs using women’s clothing http://nat-lib.govt.nz/blog/posts/bustles-bodices-and-broad-brimmed-hats Online resources for the care of photographs:

• National Preservation Office http://natlib.govt.nz/collections/caring-for-your-collections• Caring for digital photographs http://natlib.govt.nz/collections/caring-for-your-collections/digital-images• Caring for photographs http://natlib.govt.nz/collections/caring-for-your-col-lections/photographs • Links for enclosures and other assistance http://natlib.govt.nz/collections/caring-for-your-collections/help-from-the-national-preservation-office • Primary Causes of Deterioration:

• Physical or mechanical damage (all materials)• Moisture (promotes biological attack and catalyzes chemical reactions)• Heat catalyzes chemical reactions (esp. dyes, plastics) • Biological contamination (fungi, insects, rodents, people)• Light (especially colorants)• Chemical contamination (office stationery, magnetic albums, PVC, glassine, sticky dots, poor quality glues)Creating a safe environment:

• All photographs should be kept cool and dry• Basements: cool, too humid• Attic: risk of water, too hot in summer• Some photographers freeze their colour photographs• Keep prints flat, in boxes• Individual chemically stable enclosures ideal• Keep negatives separate, upright• Internal cupboard or wardrobe may be idealIn terms of creating a good environment, the order of importance is:

1. Dry 2. Cool 3. Constant conditions 4. Acid free enclosures9

New Committee Member Profile:

Anne MARTIN nee OUVRIERI was born and brought up in Sydney and married David who is a kiwi. My great-great grandfather Jean Pierre OUVRIER came from France and settled in Windsor, near Sydney. He established a vineyard in 1850s. My other great- great grandparents on my father’s side came from Ireland to Sydney in 1830s/1840s. On my mother’s side my great Great-grandfather Peter Julius LINDORFF came from Denmark to the Victorian goldfields. Most of my ancestors from my maternal grandfather’s side come from England.I have had an interest in Family History since I was a child, but I started formally when my brother sent me my maternal grandmother’s marriage certificate and my mother’s birth certificate. I took a course at Wellington High and started researching David’s NZ ancestors, the MARTIN and WATTS from their arrival in Wellington in 1841 on the immigrant ships Arab and the Clifton.I am married to David and live in Petone. We have 4 children, the youngest is 20.My family names are: OUVRIER (France) MAGUIRE (Fermanagh) McMAHON, SULLIVAN (Limerick) LINDORFF (Denmark) BROWN (London) TORNEY (Portaferry co Down) SIMPSON (Liverpool)David’s family names: MARTIN (Cheltenham) WATTS (Norfolk) BLACK (Coleraine), SHAW (England) McDONALD (Edinburgh) HAMILTON (Tullylish) PHIPPARD (London) WELLS (Blantyre)165 years of Catholic EducationA celebration of 165 years of Catholic education in Thorndon is to be held at Guildford Terrace, Wellington over Labour Weekend 23- 26 October 2015. This event will bring together Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish and School, together with St Mary’s College, and those connected to the former Marist Brothers School, for a combined Jubilee.Class of 1960: If you attended Sacred Heart Convent School, Guildford Terrace in 1960 and were in Standard 4, 5, & 6 and would like to be part of a class reunion within the Parish celebrations, we would like to hear from you. Some former pupils from Sacred Heart Convent School in 1960 are planning to get together at the same time as the Parish Jubilee and form a social gathering within the celebrations organised by the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish.

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Should you be interested in being part of this Class Reunion, please register your interest by emailing classof1960@xtra.co.nzFull details of 165th celebrations programme are available to view online at www.mcshwellington.org What’s On at Your Local Branches?

Kilbirnie:Wednesday 2 September – John Boyd, Impact of UK Economic Change on Boyd Forbearers Time/Venue: 10am The Park Bowling Club, Kilbirnie Crescent, KilbirnieKapiti:Tuesday 25 August – Tales from the Trenches, Videos of Soldiers in WW1Time/Venue: 7pm Kapiti Community Centre, 15 Ngahina St, Paraparaumu.Wellington:Wednesday 26 August - Christine Clement, Help with brick WallsTime/Venue: 7.30pm Connolly Hall, Guildford Tce, ThorndonPorirua:Wednesday 12 August – Nina McGregor – Hoani and Makere Te Kuru – Publishing a Family History Time/Venue: 7.30pm Helen Smith Community Meeting Room, PatakaCnr Norrie & Parumoana Sts, Porirua

Latest additions to Papers Past (June 2015)Manawatu Standard (1916-1920) Manawatu Times (1916-1920)Mataura Ensign (1915-1920) Nelson Evening Mail (1919-1920)New Zealander (1853-1866) Patea Mail (1875-1903)Pukekohe & Waiuku Times (1921-1924) Southland Times (1906-1920)Waikato Argus (1896-1914)11

Family History Month:

Events that are coming up at the National Library in the next couple of weeks.

Wednesday 12 August: 11am and 2pmDigitising Collection – Behind the scenes at the Alexander Turnbull LibraryThe Turnbull specialist imaging staff will talk about the process of digitising material in the collections and show you how this happens in the library.This is a free event but space is limited so please book. When you book, please indicate which of the two tours you wish to join.Venue: Meet in the Ground Floor Foyer. ATLOutreach@dia.govt.nzWednesday 19 August: 12.25 – 1pm Funny old sourcesJocelyn Chalmers, Manuscripts Specialist Librarian at the Alexander Turnbull Library, will explore some of those useful sources that may be forgotten now that everyone expects information to be found “on the web”. Free entryVenue: Tiakiwai, Lower Ground Floor, National Library of NZ, cnr Molesworth & Aitken Streets. www.natlib.govt.nz Wednesday 19 August: 1pm Conservation ClinicAt our bi-monthly conservation clinic, National Preservation Office Field Conservator, Vicki-Anne Heikell, will be available to offer you preservation advice on the care, handling and storage of your treasured family items. Please note that conservators are not able to provide valuations.This is a free event.Book your place by emailing preservation@dia.govt.nz Venue: Tiakiwai, Lower Ground Floor

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1917 Silvertown Explosion

“The whole heavens were lit in awful splendour. A fiery glow seemed to have come over the dark and miserable January evening.” - The Stratford Express

Brunner Mond's standby alkali factory, adapted for the purification of TNT in 1915, taken sometime before the Silvertown explosion on Jan 19th 1917. (http://www.newhamstory.com/node/702)On 19 January 1917, in the darkest days of the Great War, a massive explosion rocked London’s East End. Shockwaves could be felt in Essex, while the blast itself was heard as far away as Southampton and Norwich. But the firestorm wasn’t caused by the sinister German Zeppelins that were making increasingly frequent appearances on London’s skyline. In fact, the roots of capital’s biggest ever explosion were much closer to home: a TNT factory in Silvertown.From the outset, the management of the former Brunner, Mond and Co. chemical works expressed their concern about government plans to turn their plant over from the production of caustic soda to TNT for munitions. TNT is a highly unstable substance and the factory was in a crowded urban area. The Metropolitan Building Act of 1844 made it illegal to carry out ‘harmful trades’ inside the boundaries of London. But Silvertown was just outside this boundary, and its plentiful supply of labour and easy access to ports made it too good a location to overlook. In September 1915, the management caved to government pressure and the plant was soon making nine tons of TNT a day.Sadly, the management’s concerns were founded. The explosion that ripped through the factory on that fateful Friday evening instantly destroyed part of the factory and several nearby streets. It showered molten metal across several miles, starting wild fires that could be seen as far away as Kent and Surrey.

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More than 900 homes near the plant were destroyed or badly damaged in the disaster, leaving thousands of people homeless. Between 60,000 and 70,000 buildings were damaged to some extent, including a gasometer over the river in Greenwich which blew up, spewing 200,000 cubic metres of gas into the air in a massive fireball. Factories, docks and warehouses were also decimated. The eventual repair bill was around £250,000 – a staggering amount of money at the time.

Houses after the Silvertown explosion. (http://www.newhamstory.com/node/706)Even more serious was the human cost. Seventy three people died that day. More than 400 were injured, 94 of them seriously. One man lost his wife and four children, aged between 10 and 13. The dead also included many firemen from the local station, along with dock and factory workers and children, asleep in their beds. But the death toll could have been much worse: by a stroke of luck, the explosion happened at just before 7pm, after most people had left the factory for the day and before they had gone to bed (most of the damage to homes was to the upper floors).The precise cause of the explosion has never been found and rumours abounded of sabotage by a German spy or that the factory had been hit by a German bombing raid. The most likely explanation is much more mundane – that fire broke out in a melt-pot room and quickly spread to railway wagons where 50 tons of TNT was waiting to be moved. The inquiry found that the site was totally unsuitable and 14

that Brunner Mond had failed to look after the welfare of its staff. The government chose not to publish the findings until the 1950s.The government paid out £3m in compensation to the victims of the Silvertown TNT factory explosion in 1917 – about £40m in today’s money.

Inside the entrance to where the factory was on North Woolwich Road is a memorial to those who lost their lives in the First and Second World wars and also in the Silvertown Explosion. DLR (Dockland Light Rail) is above. (http://www.newhamstory.com/node/913)

Source: History of London http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-london/ww1-1917-silvertown-explosion

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