Thursday 20 October 2011

How it all started

All this reseach of mine has been going on for nearly 10 yrs now, I have been researching every branch that is connected to my childrens line. 

This book I am compiling in around June this year.  I got a visit form my local cousin Helen, we had first met with her husband Don just over a year ago previous.  Anyway helen came around to visit and told me about a Family Reunion that involved the Alfuth (Alford) line and those that married into it in the original generation.  Rildley, Taylor and Bond. 

Helen had been talking to Noela (this was the first time I heard her name).  Apparently Noela and a few other cousins and siblings were orgainising this Reunion for 2012 and they wanted to do an information booklet for people about there ancestors and where they came from. 

Silly me.............lol.  Helen knew I had a lot of information already, I said no worries I will do a book.  Things just took off.  I was instantly interested in the Ridley line with this been one of my childrens main lines.  Helen said she would get back to me with news from Noela, via phone calls, apparently Noela doesn't like email.  With in the first week I had found another link to our William Ridley, his older sister Charlotte Norris Pollington nee Ridley came over to Napier, New Zealand a month before William and Eliza left England. 

Charlotte came over  with her husband John and their children, though they lost one son aged 2yrs on the voyage over.  I have all the shipping details and so far not much else.

I got an email from Helen "Can Noela visit on Monday"  yes that is fine, I don't go far on Mondays.  In the end I first met Noela on Wednesday.  Well what a livewire she is!!  She gave me alsorts of information, including a list of other siblings and cousins for me to email and get their family lines.  They included Brenda, Anne, Marlene, Frances.  There were others, though I can't remember the names off top of my head....sorry.

I emailed everyone on the list, saying who I was and asking for family information and research that they may all have, and would like to see in the reunion book.  This was for all lines now.  Some research and notes came through the post, other via email.  I will have to look through my emails to see whow as the first to respond.  I do know that Brenda was the first to snail mail me.  What a lot of information, photos, family bible, news clippings, certificates and all the names I could imagine for the Bond family line.  Lots of data to put in my tree, lots of reading to do and I still have to scan photos to use in the book.

I think it was Marlene who got back to me first via email.  What a lovely lady she is, funny, most certainly, lots of info..........fantastic.  We have had a good laugh so far, Skyping and emailing, I even got to meet Marlene about a month ago when she was up with way with one of her sons and family.  This grandson of her's is gorjus...............and really active.  The family were having time out from the Christchurch quakes, which are still very much ongoing.  Marlene and family thank you for letting me visit and a big happy birthday to the little one next month.

Now where was I.........lol. Got carried away then.  needless to say Marlene has done heaps of research for me, about Taranaki and gathering other research from family, gossiping about memories which I also hope to include in the book. 

Helen, the lady who started me on this journey, THANKS, it has been fun so far.  I still remember the day that everyone visited Noela, Francis and Ann, who jsut happened to bang into Helen and brought her along too, I think my poor husband was a bit shell shocked to meet so many new cousins at once.  Laughter filled the air, with family stories, my favortie one been about the Dressing Gown Lady (Marlene).  Very funny, I dont think all the nuttiness comes through my line anymore, I'm going to blame those Ridley, Bond and Taylor lines.

Helen has also done a heap of research for me as well as emailing other family to get information,  for me, Helen also found Nicole for me too.    Nicole is an impressive researcher today, her Family report was huge, I still need to ask her to contact the other researchers mentioned in the report.  Starting to think that this reunion is going to be huge.

I have to re write the Ridley story coz my historical research is......blah date wise, the other stories also have to be worked on, though I think they may stay a bit more factual. 

Well this is how it all sorted, the story is a bit messy.......however I dont care at this stage, if you do tough.  There are a lot of other people to thank for infomation yet, including Bruce and Marie, who's sister in law I still have to ring.  Wish she had an email instead.........lol.

Well see you horrible lot next blog, keep up the good work and thanks for everything.

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