OPEN DAY Gwent Family History Society

Gwent FHS - Open Day at Cwmbran 2006: 10th June: " Gwent (used to be Monmouthshire) Wales 25th years since the Society was founded, broke all records with OVER 50 STALLS, and over 100 volunteers manning them.


County Hall with the archives in the cellar to the left and the show in the Civic Suite to the right

signing in and selling raffle tickets for boxes of chocolates
Some 500 people normally sign in each year, in addition to quite a number who " slip through the net" at the busiest times. They come from all over the country (or countries, if you distinguish between Wales and England) some travelling over 100 miles specially to visit us. Pride of place in 2004 went to some special family historians with roots in Monmouthshire who had arranged their holidays around the 12th June and who had travelled literally from the other side of the world. They were Alan & Jan Spencer, from Wellington in New Zealand, but originally from Blaina, and also Kathleen Cox, from Perth in Australia, whose daughter Sheila Khan is from Torfaen

The numbers attending on 2006 were less than normal bit it was the hottest day of the year to date, and also the day on which England played their opening match in the World Cup!

family tree printer extraordinary RON and the little boy is his grandson other fairs to see them at Genealogy Printers

Bristol and Avon FHS and their site Bristol & Avon FHS
we reminisced about seeing the - Unreal Aircraft - Lost Classics - Bristol Brabazon

Cardiganshire FHS had a book I could not walk past without buying
Parish Registers of Wales
Williams and Watts-Williams
second edition 2000

- their site Cardiganshire FHS

military historian David Nicholas was selling his book They Fought with Pride - the Second battalion of the Monmouthshire Regiment 1914 to 1918 and his datbaseof 3000 names includes some of my Holmes Watkins cousins

Pat Hase Clutton Bunfighter Bristol & Avon FHS

Western super Mare and North Somerset FHS their site Weston super Mare FHS

Wyvern Midland Railway Index

and I could not face the stairs so I took the Lift Lifft up

Ann Macey adminstrator of the RootsWeb: Genealogy Mailing List: Wales : MONMOUTHSHIRE


about 734 hits from archiver.rootsweb.com for MONMOUTHSHIRE-L hugh watkins

I have been on the list from about August 2002 when Mike John was active too SEE:-

monfh : Monmouthshire Family History.

My name is Mike John, I am the group moderator, I live in Monmouthshire and have 15 years solid experience of researching and collecting information about hundreds of Monmouthshire families. My Family History Website. This site contains many Monmouthshire transcribed records. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~monfamilies/myfamily-history.htm

and Ann Macey's hat with the G for Gwent FHS badge

on the floor below
and on the balcony

Gwent FHS had eight stalls.

• Abergavenny/Monmouth Branch
• Blackwood Branch
• Chepstow Branch
• Ebbw Vale Branch
• Newport Branch
• Pontypool Branch
• Publications Sales
• Society Pedigrees

what a view - note the steeply terraced car park


Janet Patrick had my pedigree from 2002 on her table - when I was member number 3873 of Gwent FHS - and indexed as LAPHAM (my mother's maiden name) made it easy to find amongst all the JONES WATKINS MORGAN on the laptop.

Caroline ?Sands Clutton Bunfighter said, "Hello Hugh"

Gwent Record Office


David Rimmer archivist gave me a briefing on plans to scan and digitise Mommouthshire parish registers in Gwent Record Office
he is related to William Rimmer (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Rimmer (d. 1936) was a Lancashire composer and conductor of brass band music who was particularly well-known for his tuneful marches.

Monmouthshire Libraries and Information Service
had ancestrylibrary live online.

Newport Community Learning & Libraries are hoping for it soon

Aberwystwith

Hanes Teulu
Family History

the National Archives of Wales

Llyfrgell Prifysgol Cymru Llanbedr Pont Steffan

National Library of Wales
I was told that at the end of 2006 Welsh parish registers held at the National Archives will be moved to the appropriate county record office [WNA will retain fiche of course]

which means my newly aquired copy of :-
Parish Registers of Wales
Williams and Watts-Williams
second edition 2000 will be out of date by 2007

A magic moment was overhearing a question and answer entirely discussed in beautiful softly spoken welsh