Author: Jane Painter

March 23, 2023

On Saturday February 25th, the HGS Bookstall paraphernalia was dusted off, loaded into the car and taken to the Old Town Hall in Havant where The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre is situated. This was our first ‘live’ show this year and, in fact, our first ‘live’ show since September 2022. That February Saturday was […] – read more…

January 16, 2023

This ‘pop-up’ exhibition, located in the foyer, marks the start of the 50th year since the foundation of Hampshire Genealogical Society (HGS) in 1974. The purpose is to provide awareness of what HGS is, what it does, and what it has to offer to anyone interested in Hampshire-based family history. The exhibition highlights the work […] – read more…

September 29, 2022

Wickham History Society is holding their much delayed 60th anniversary celebration (they are now 63!) on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October, from 11.00-4.00 each day at Wickham Community Centre, Mill Lane, Wickham PO17 5AL. The exhibition has displays on archaeology, farming, Wickham Fair, the ‘Beverley Babes’, mills and water meadows and much more. You […] – read more…

December 15, 2021

Following on from this year’s success of the International Group we wanted to establish a similar group for our members who do not live in Hampshire.   We felt this was particularly important as many of our Area Groups are returning to face-to-face meetings and it would mean that many of our members who do […] – read more…

January 14, 2021

We are very excited to share some good news. Having turned to Zoom to hold Group meetings and our AGM last year, we have reached not just our out-of-county members but also members from as far afield as Australasia and North America who have managed to attend regardless of the time differences!   We are […] – read more…

August 12, 2020

The Findmypast collection of Hampshire records is growing with the addition of over 50,000 records for various parishes in the north east of the county. These records have been released in conjunction with Surrey County Council. Parish records pre-date the introduction of civil registration in 1837 and are a vital source of information. Details of […] – read more…

May 7, 2020

On Tuesday 10 March, Fair Oak Group were joined by the HGS Secretary, Gwen Newland, and Bookstall Manager, Elaine Boyes, who have been visiting all the Society’s groups to demonstrate the revamped website. The only date available was the slot scheduled for a members’ evening … and the only problem was that this is Elaine’s […] – read more…

January 2, 2019

Knowle Hospital was open in 1852 as the Hampshire County Lunatic Asylum. The asylum was renamed Knowle Mental Hospital in c.1923 and following the 1948 introduction of the National Health Service Act, became Knowle Hospital. At the beginning of the 20th century, Knowle Hospital was home to over 1000 patients and staff and was a self […] – read more…

November 11, 2017

Whilst sorting through some old books from my parent’s house, a newspaper cutting fell out.  The cutting was undated but by using the British Newspaper Archive I have determined that it dates from the First World War when my grandfather William Guy CLARK had lost his brother Frederick Charles CLARK, serving in the Hampshire regiment, […] – read more…

June 6, 2017

Beverley Babes The Royal Naval and Royal Marine Maternity Home As Britain prepared for the possibility of going to war with Germany, the Southsea based Royal Naval and Royal Marine Maternity Home, known as Bowland, made plans to evacuate their premises, with patients and staff to be taken to Beverley House, Wickham. On the 1st […] – read more…