Annual General Meeting and Family History Day at Dartford Branch Venue

The AGM combined Notice, programme and booking form was enclosed in the June Journal.

If you are coming please book so we know how many chairs to put out. If you want lunch, booking is essential. Please either hand the booking form in at Dartford or Sevenoaks Branch meetings, or post to the address on the form, by 18 October latest.

9.45am Registration, tea/coffee, buy raffle tickets

10.15 Welcome

10.30 AGM

11.15 Comfort Break

11.30 Talk by Ian Waller on 'Sold, Separated and Divorced'.

Ian is a retired professional genealogist and highly respected teacher of family history. He is a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists and has written several books in their "My Ancestor" series.

Most of our ancestors were married only once, until death, but we all have discovered individuals whose lives did not fit that pattern. At a time when relationships outside marriage were unacceptable, what did they do when their marriages broke down and divorce was not an option?  Ian will explain that there are records recording desertion, wife sales, separation and even divorce which needed an Act of Parliament.

12.30 Comfort break, look at books for sale, raffle prizes

1pm Buffet lunch if booked (you are welcome to bring your own lunch)

2.15pm Talk by David Annal on 'Lying Bastards'; exploring the impact of illegitimacy on family history research.

Our second speaker of the day is the well known David Annal, an experienced lecturer and author who has been involved in family history for over 40 years and was the principal family history specialist at The National Archives.  He is a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists and now runs his own research business and has a YouTube channel.

David will examine the social stigma that has been associated with illegitimacy until fairly recently and reveal how these unfortunate children and their parents went about concealing it in official documents, or just being economical with the truth, forcing us to take their information with a pinch of salt.

3.30pm End of AGM Day