Tonight is Quiz Night!

Valerie and I have devised two quizes. One is designed for beginners (those who have been in the society for less than 4 years) although everyone is welcome to take part. The other has been compiled to test the knowledge of those of you who have been members for quite a while. We have tried to make the questions of a practical nature, in the hope that you will all learn something that will be helpful in your researches. We were asked to make the questions easy, but a quiz where everyone knows all the answers would not be interesting, also after so many years in genealogical circles, we have no real idea of what is easy. However, we can promise you that there are no questions on computer programmes or the internet.

Projects.

I am pleased to say that at least two of our members (Pauline Holt and Mrs. Cross) have been into Rawtenstall library to check the register transcripts compiled by Wilf Day. Dennis Nuttall one of our regular transcribers at Rawtenstall has been ill but Keith Burrows, the Reference Librarian hopes that he will soon be able to return to his work on the 1891 census index for Haslingden.

Haslingden Roots....

Some of you may have seen mention in the Rossendale Free Press of this Group.

Several volunteers mainly from this Society are meeting once a fortnight principally to index the records of Haslingden St James (Parish) Church. All the details have not been finalized but you will be kept informed.

As part of the above initiative Jackie Ramsbottom has booked the exhibition hall at Haslingden library from April 2nd - April 30th. She is hoping to display material relating to Haslingden families.

Profile on.....Frank Hargreaves (No. 939)

Frank Hargreaves resigned as Project Organiser in April 1997. He had certainly done his stint for this group over many years. Frank was first introduced to project work when he spotted society members transcibing stones at Holcombe and came to investigate what was happening. He transcribed the stones outside this building, Longholme Methodists and single handedly worked on the stones at Bank Street Unitarian Church. He was also involved in the work done in transcribing the Unitarian graveyard at Newchurch and St. John’s in the Wilderness at Shuttleworth.

This latter churchyard was a joint project with the Bury Group. Frank also supervised a small group of volunteers who were responsible for all the transcript work done at the library.These transcripts are mostly to be found in the society’s library, either in hard copy or microfiche.

Frank is still frequently to be found in the library, he is now pursuing his own ancestors. His Hargreaves family originated in Barley in Pendle. They moved to Lumb Carr in Holcombe Brook in the late 1800s. His Gorge and Jolley families were amongst the large number of families who came to this area from East Anglia. The Gorge family were from Cambridgeshire and the Jolleys originated in Huntingdon. We all wish Frank "Good hunting".

Cemetery Burials in Rossendale.

Early in January I had a phone call from a lady in Essex who was trying to find information on a grave in Rawtenstall Cemetery. She said she had contacted the Town Hall and received no reply. Her ancestor James Kerr Hay had been Workhouse Master at Pike Law and he had died in 1905 at his residence Fairfield, Ewood Road, Haslingden. I had no idea where the registers were kept and I didn’t even know where Rawtenstall cemetery was situated.

I consulted Michael Hiluta who is currently working on the Haslingden Cemetery records. He told me to contact the Burial Registrar at the Tourist Office. 41-45 Kay Street, Rawtenstall, BB4 7LS. We went to the Office together where we able to check the index to graves. We found Mr. Hay’s burial date and grave number. The Registrar checked this number in the burial book, she was able to tell us who was in the grave and its location in Rawtenstall cemetery, which I am told is "behind the market". I haven’t been able to check the grave but Mr. Hay’s family will no doubt find it when they visit Rawtenstall in the summer.