Topics we have studied have been very varied - ranging from the history of Spaldington, the work of Howden artist Frances Hutchinson to the history of the fire brigades in Goole. There is a syllabus but often a chance comment leads the subject down more interesting paths!!!
I have more time too to continue cataloguing my old photos of the area - I keep collecting them onto my computer but am now trying to organise them with a view to updating my Howdenshire history website.
I receive e mails from many people about their family history and try to help them. Families I have been looking at include one of the Connor families of Howden who came in the mid nineteenth century from Ireland via Ashton under Lyne. But try as I can I cannot find anything about their Irish origins.
Another family were the Scotts who were farm workers around Howden. The lady who contacted me from Australia could not sort out which of the three William Scotts in the Howden area at the same time and of similar age was her ancestor. But with the aid of the Find my Past website where the parish registers are available I found out which he was.
William Scott married Frances Smith on May 1st 1798 at Howden. Their first child was born at Belby and subsequent children at Thorpe Lidget [just outside Howden]. I think one of their sons, a Thomas Scott emigrated to USA and fought in the civil war there but as yet I cannot be certain.
Time now to appreciate the sunshine - and here are two pictures to welcome spring. The first is taken in the Howden tulip fields [really!!] and I leave it to you to identify the ladies and the location.
The second is taken in my garden a few minutes ago. I was pleased to discover a patch of violets under an apple tree. The chicken amongst them is one of a recently acquired 'rescue' hen from a local chicken farm - she and her companions are keeping us in eggs and we are very happy with them.
