The Golden Anniversary Talk: Reflections of a Genealogist by Peter Ewart
Peter Ewart, President of Kent FHS started by saying that it was an honour and privilege for him to be asked to give the Golden Anniversary talk on the exact date and time that the inaugural meeting of the Society took place 50 years ago. Reaching this anniversary was an amazing achievement for all involved with KFHS over the past 50 years.
Peter began his talk by telling us how he got into family research at a much earlier time in life than most of us do. It all started when he was in his early 20s. Although, not exactly a recluse, he picked up a library book, Trace Your Ancestors by L. G. Pine and was hooked from the moment he opened it! It was like a detective story and a jigsaw all at the same time! Tracing your family seemed such a novel idea to him as he had never met anyone else doing it and even his siblings thought it was strange.
Indeed, he was some years researching during which time he rarely if ever met or talked to anyone else undertaking family research! He even came across people who seemed disturbed that anyone would be researching ancestors. His first encounters with Archives was the East Sussex Records Office then at Pelham House Lewes, where one of the associate’s opinion was to “Let them lie in peace!” Why would anyone object? Although, there were only a few family historians about at that time, so maybe it was ‘we’ who were disturbed?
Peter found the (SoG) Society of Genealogists which was as you would imagine an Old-Fashioned London Club, with wood panelled rooms and large Victorian desks, and “... apparently, they dealt with ‘disturbed’ people like me!” The delight of handling the Registers Peter said was like a drug and had him returning again and again. In those days SoG was at 37, Harrington Gardens Kensington and the building was full of lovely paintings. Peter popped in whenever he was in London and on one occasion had an ‘encounter’ with the Patrons, the newly married Prince & Princess Michael of Kent, a story best told by Peter first hand. Peter continued with examples of his and his wife Lynne’s family research of ancestors from Rye, E Sussex.
Peter ended by saying that family history is the most popular holiday in the English-speaking world. Over the years he and Lynne have had some amazing holidays in the vicinity of Record Offices. The fascination of the discovery of ancestors should never be underestimated. Did our founding fathers ever know this on this very night 50 years ago?
Report by – Tricia Baxter