Meopham Windmill will soon be opening for the Summer Season 1.30pm - 4.30pm on Sunday afternoons (entry is free).

Meopham Windmill meophamwindmill.org.uk

Lost_Hospitals_of_London The second convalescent home to be built in Swanley was the Hospital Convalescent Home (the first was the Kettlewell, for patients from St Bartholomew's Hospital).

22 April 7.30pm Zoom Talk with David Cufley: Parkwood Hall, Swanley
History of a manor house which was a WW1 convalescent home, now a school. ezitis.myzen.co.uk/parkwood.html

www.nwkfhs.org.uk/events/overv...
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

Lost_Hospitals_of_London The second convalescent home to be built in Swanley was the Hospital Convalescent Home (the first was the Kettlewell, for patients from St Bartholomew's Hospital).

22 April 7.30pm Zoom Talk with David Cufley: Parkwood Hall, Swanley
History of a manor house which was a WW1 convalescent home, now a school. ezitis.myzen.co.uk/parkwood.html

www.nwkfhs.org.uk/events/overv...
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

Image: a man operates a machine comprising large rollers at Sittingbourne Paper Mill (Bowaters), 26th November 1973. Following the success of our event last October aiming to enhance our cataloguing of the Sittingbourne Paper Mill collection, Kent Archives is returning to Sittingbourne Library on Friday 24th April, 11am - 4:30pm. Former employees and anyone interested in the history of the mill are warmly invited to join us and view a display of historical photographs and documents. Maybe you can identify members of staff, or recognise different types of machinery? Impart your knowledge to our team – we'd love to hear from you! We're also keen to capture your memories of the mill through oral history interviews, if you might like to take part. We might not have time or resources to interview you during the event but hope to come back at a later date to complete this. If you would like to give an interview, please email our engagement officer, Mark Bateson: mark.bateson@kent.gov.uk

Can you help us enhance our cataloguing of the Sittingbourne Paper Mill collection?

Former employees and anyone with an interest in the mill are invited to a special event at #Sittingbourne Library on Friday 24th April, 11am - 4:30pm

🏭 More info:
kentlra.qrplanet.com/fbarchivessittingbourne2026

About the talk: 'The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.' - L. P. Hartley After the dissolution of the monasteries, the UK gentry organised most schooling of reading and writing, to prepare children for 'that state of life, unto which it shall please God to call me' (Church of England catechism) – classical instruction for their own children and, from the Industrial Revolution, mechanical drills for children 'called to a mechanical state of life' – until the late nineteenth century. In this talk, Tony Fairman will examine four letters held by Kent Archives which demonstrate the consequences of two different educations and schoolings. Of the four letters, two were written by a labourer's son (aged 19-20, in the fourth and fifth years of his five-year apprenticeship to a watchmaker and silversmith) to his parish overseer, dated 1821-22; and two were written by a gentleman's son (aged 7-8, in his first two years at boarding school) to his parents, dated 1834-35.

In his lunchtime talk yesterday, Tony Fairman examined four letters held by Kent Archives which demonstrate the consequences of the different educations received by a labourer's son and gentleman's son in the early 19th century.

Thank you for an insightful presentation, Tony! ✍️

15 April 10.30am Zoom DNA Discussion Group with Laura Lincoln
www.nwkfhs.org.uk/events/overv...
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

Sevenoaks Branch Talk 11 April Dr Geoff Doyle on Outside the Law:
Kent Poachers, Smugglers and Highwaymen
Meeting starts 11am
An exploration of the anti-heroes in Kent traditional culture, such as outlaws, smugglers and highwaymen.
#NWKFHS
No booking.

Discover how to use maps as a key part of your family history research to plot where your ancestors lived and worked, to discover crucial clues and to make so much more sense of your family history findings. https://f.mtr.cool/whrgnukzzv

Join us 18:30pm tonight (GMT) as Chris Paton show us how to dig deeper into your family history in Ireland, using knowledge about the lay of the land and the historic records. This webinar is available as a part of your FamilyTree Plus membership

Have you got your ticket yet? All AGRA Members and Associates can book via the Eventbrite link in the email.

We have a great lineup of speakers including: @davelifelines.bsky.social, Gill Blanchard, @chronicology.bsky.social, and the team from Cambridgeshire Archives.

See you there.
#Genealogy

Getting to know Your Military Ancestors from the 1850s to the 1920s with speaker Graham Bandy - Zoom Talk: 9 April 7.30pm

Graham will show you how to use your military family photos and memorabilia to enhance your family tree.
#NWKFHS

To Get the Zoom Link

8 April 7.30pm Zoom Discussion Group with Laura Lincoln: Let's Talk Family History
www.nwkfhs.org.uk/events/overv...
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

8 April 10.30am Library DNA & General Family History Discussion Group with Pam Goddard
www.nwkfhs.org.uk/events/overv...
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

Take a look at our website to see our extensive programme of events - dozens of in-person and Zoom talks, discussion groups, and workshops running through to the end of 2026. www.nwkfhs.org.uk/events/overv...
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

Dartford Branch Talk 4 April Dartford Rural Rides, Part 2, West Kingsdown to Southfleet with Christoph Bull
Doors open 9.45am meeting starts at 10.30am
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

No booking, just turn up.

Who Do You Think You Are? celebrities revealed for Spring 2026 The much-loved genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? is set to return to BBC this spring with a brand-new line-up of well-known faces ready to explore their family histories, including Adeel Akhtar, Amy Dowden, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Ruth Madeley, Toby Jones, and Zoe Ball.

Have you seen the line-up for the forthcoming series of Who Do You Think You Are? Let us know what you think in the comments and read the full details over on the website:

About the talk: 'The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.' – L. P. Hartley, 1953 After the dissolution of the monasteries, the UK gentry organised most schooling of reading and writing, to prepare children for 'that state of life, unto which it shall please God to call me' (Church of England catechism) – classical instruction for their own children and, from the Industrial Revolution, mechanical drills for children 'called to a mechanical state of life' – until the late nineteenth century. By comparing four letters held by Kent Archives, which two boys wrote, we see some consequences of two different educations and schoolings: 1) the first and last of eight letters, which a labourer's son (aged 19-20, in the fourth and fifth years of his five-year apprenticeship to a watchmaker and silversmith) wrote to his parish overseer, dated 1821-22; and 2) the first and last of five letters, which a gentleman's son (aged 7-8, in his first two years at boarding school) wrote to his parents, dated 1834-35. Tony Fairman was trained in linguistics for teaching English as a second or foreign language, and taught for many years in Africa. For the past 20+ years he has researched and published on LALPs (Letters of Artisans and the Labouring Poor) applying to English parishes for poor relief, from 1750-1834. He is also interested in anything written by children during the same period.

Next lunchtime talk: Monday 13th April, 1-2pm

'"The past is a foreign country": schooling and writing in early nineteenth century Kent' presented by Tony Fairman – Independent scholar

Book your free seat today:
📧 archives@kent.gov.uk
☎️ 03000 420 673
#Education #History #Kent

The 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NORTH WEST KENT FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY will be held at DARTFORD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE, Heath Lane, Dartford, Kent DA1 2LY

ON SATURDAY 4TH JULY 2026 at 10:30

#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

North West Kent Family History Society Membership Membership is open to anyone, anywhere in the world and you will receive our quarterly journal mailed direct.

www.nwkfhs.org.uk/about/member...
Did you know you can join the North West Kent Family History Society for as little as £10 a year? Membership offers a wide range of benefits, including online and in-person talks and meetings, a quarterly journal, plus a whole lot more
#NWKFHS #Genealogy #Kent

1 April 10.30am Zoom Discussion Group with Ann Clarke: Names which made you wonder what inspired the parents to burden their children with such choices
www.nwkfhs.org.uk/events/overv...
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

Sevenoaks Branch Talk 28 March How to survive in Anglo Saxon England with Toni Mount
Doors open 10.45am meeting starts 11am - No booking, just turn up.
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

Can you help run our Society? We urgently need to fill a number of volunteer roles within the Society including a Chair, further details can be found on what’s involved below. Please feel free to contact the Society if you are able to help in any way #NWKFHS

Shown here is part of the will of John Hawke of Garlinge in the parish of Petham, made 1604 and proved 1606 [ref. PRC/32/41] The scribe used an ink made from the tannic acid of oak galls; growths formed by the tree in reaction to hosting the eggs of gall wasps. Combining tannic acid with iron salts and a binder creates a dark ink which, today, appears purple/brown-black in colour. Many pre‑20th century manuscripts held by Kent Archives are written in this ink – favoured by European scribes for its permanence, water resistance and ease of manufacture. However, iron gall ink becomes acidic over time and can oxidise due to excess iron in the ink formulation, causing weakening of the substrate upon which it has been used. At first, diffused halos develop around written text, followed by the ink striking through the document, leaving a shadowy impression on the verso. Eventually, the ink etches into the substrate to such an extent that material loss occurs, often referred to as lacing.

I is for… #IronGallInk

Made from oak gall tannic acid and iron salts, this ink was favoured by European scribes for over 1400 years owing to its permanence and ease of manufacture. Over time it can deteriorate, causing a type of substrate loss known as lacing.

#KAconservationAtoZ

Sevenoaks Branch Talk 28 March How to survive in Anglo Saxon England with Toni Mount
Doors open 10.45am meeting starts 11am - No booking, just turn up.
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

25 March10.30am Zoom Workshop - Education during the 19th and 20th centuries with Linda Crisp
www.nwkfhs.org.uk/events/overv...
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy

Norah Mary HANIGAN and the Drumcollogher, Limerick Cinema Fire of 1926
Can you help? We are in contact with someone who is researching a cinema fire in 1926 in Dromcollogher, Limerick which resulted in multiple deaths. Does anyone have any information about the location of the memorial? #NWKFHS

🌳🎧 On this week's podcast Nathan shares the research steps he’s taken to unearth the last surname he needed to finally complete his 3× great-grandparents. Also, Helen reminds us all about the Genealogical Proof Standard and talks about the benefits of GEDCOM files. 🔗👇

Join us 16 March and ensure you are best-prepared to make the most of the forthcoming 1926 Ireland Census. Available as a part of your Family Tree Plus membership, or sign up here https://f.mtr.cool/hmerisxgkv

Home | Tenterden History Society Home

The Tenterden & District Local History Society welcomes anyone interested in Tenterden’s past. We host coffee mornings, talks, newsletters, summer visits & maintain a research library at Tenterden Museum. Visitors welcome—join at an event or online: tenterdenhistory.co.uk #KASSpotlight #KentHistory

18 March 10.30am Zoom DNA Discussion Group with Laura Lincoln
www.nwkfhs.org.uk/events/overv...
#NWKFHS #Kent #Genealogy