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Tuesday
13th September 2005
Following the Sea Britain events commemorating the 200th
anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, our usual beginners' session
was put on hold and our speaker this month was Lt. Col. Mike Martin, who
gave us an interesting, informative and entertaining talk about Admiral Lord
Nelson and the British Navy.
Col. Martin began by introducing himself and explaining how an
officer from the Royal Hampshire Regiment came to be talking about
the Navy. He then went on to talk about life and conditions in
18th century England. Next, he explained the naval origins of
some common expressions and spoke about the Navy and life on board
ship, including the Press Gangs and Recruiting Officers, and the
"Ticket Men" used to take the place of sailors seconded into the
Service. Finally, Col. Martin gave us a potted version of the
Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Nelson.
We have already booked Col. Martin to give us another talk next
year.
Tuesday 11th October 2005
It was with great pleasure that we welcomed
back Miss Anne Carter (Great Exhibition, May 2004), who regaled us with the life of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Miss Carter gave us a whole new view of the French dictator, from
his birth in Ajaccio in 1769 to his death on St Helena in 1821.
Napoleon was the son of Charles-Marie Bonaparte, lawyer to the
Superior Council of Corsica, and Maria Letizia Ramolino.
He married twice: the first time to Marie-Joseph-Rose Tascher de la
Pagerie, known as Joséphine; the second time to Marie Louise
Archduchess of Austria, who was the mother of Napoleon II.
Miss Carter's talk concentrated on the man and his family, rather
than the popular stories of revolution and war, revealing a totally
different side of the man who changed the face of the south coast of
England
Tuesday 8th November 2005
Our speaker this month was another returnee, Mr Roy Ingleton (Policing
in Kent, January 2004). His subject this month was Policing
in Kent during WW2.
Tuesday 13th December 2005
Branch Christmas Party. Your webmaster opened the
proceedings with a short, thought-provoking talk about some of the
problems found on a day at the FRC. The tale revolved around a
couple who gave their middle names when registering the birth of
their child in the mid-1800s.
The talk had the desired effect of getting members talking about
their own experiences and problems.
Free festive refreshments were provided by members of the Branch
Committee.
Tuesday 10th January 2006
January saw the return of yet another of out previous speakers:
Mr Martin Lloyd (Without Let or Hindrance, February 2003).
This time his talk was again about passports, looking at particular
cases where events have caused changes to the ways in which
passports were issued.
The terrorist was the Italian patriot, Felice Orsini, who tried
to assassinate Napoleon III outside the Opera in Paris in 1858.
This changed forever the way that passports were issued in England.
The traitor was William Joyce, who broadcast propaganda from
Germany during WW2 under the name of Lord Haw-Haw. Despite
being born in America and having a German passport he was tried for
treason in an English court and executed in the Tower of London.
The spy was a German who had been married to an American woman
and lived in the USA. At the beginning of WW1 he was given the
passport of an American citizen which had been stolen when the owner
applied for an exit visa to return home at the outbreak of war.
He was then sent to England to spy for the Germans. This led
to countries around the world putting photographs in passports
for the first time.
Tuesday 14th February 2006
Valentine's day brought us a speaker new to the Deal Branch:
Mr. Chris McCooey. His highly entertaining talk was entitled "Kent
Characters, Wacky, Weird and Wonderful."
Saints and sinners, rogues and rascals, cons and icons; 36
memorable people, including the inventor of the bathing machine and
the helicopter, the famous painter who murdered his father,
adventurers, a journalist, the 18th century entrepreneur who started
the first mail order business, a cricketer, a dandy, a miser, an
ornithologist and spy.
Tuesday 14th March 2006
Our speaker this month was Dr. F. Andrews, who gave us a very
interesting and informative talk about the development of railways in Kent.
Tuesday 11th April 2006
Local journalist and historian Bob Hollingsbee (Memories - Dover
Express) gave us a fascinating talk about old Dover, illustrated
with many photographs from his own personal collection, recalling
many memories of youth for members like your webmaster who spent
their early lives in the town.
Tuesday 9th May 2006
The May meeting was a departure from the norm for us here in
Deal; your chairman organised a family history quiz night, with
questions designed to get the teams talking amongst themselves to
share knowledge. Each team was arranged to have at least one
experienced member as well as one or more beginners.
Tuesday 13th June 2006
This year's AGM was held in June (normally April). KFHS
Chairman Alan Makey took charge of the proceedings and the
committee
was re-elected to serve for the coming year. Thanks are due to Mr Jim Cairns, who stepped down at the AGM to be replaced by Mr
Trevor Isaacs.
Our speaker this month was Mrs Meryl Catty, who returned to Deal
to give us an illustrated talk entitled "License to Marry".
Tuesday 11th July 2006
Our final speaker for this season was Mrs. L Oakley, who gave an
interesting illustrated about the history and restoraton of Wallett's Court, the early 17th
century manor house at Westcliffe, near Dover.
Special
Events
Wednesday21 September 2005
National Archives, Kew. Cancelled due to
lack of support!
Tuesday 21 March 2006
Family Record Centre, Myddleton Street. A well-attended and
successful trip.
Thursday 22 June 2006
Family Record Centre, Myddleton Street.
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Kent Family
History Society