Good Morning List, Please respond to Carol (carol@crystalclear.it) or the list with your ideas. Regards, Dave Carlsen davidcarlsen@charter.net P.O. Box 446, Harlem, GA 30814-0446 USA http://webpages.charter.net/dcarlsen/genuki/BKM/bucksurname.html Begin forwarded message: > Can anyone help?  > >   > > My father, Leslie Harris, went to a technical college in > Wolverhampton, I believe, in the late 1920s and received some kind of > diploma or certificate for industrial chemistry.  At least I think he > did as his first job was for Bells Asbestos in Harefield when he > married my mother in 1930.  Subsequently he went to work for Bergers > Paints in Hackney in 1933 as an industrial/analytical chemist.  > >   > > Unfortunately, as is so often the case, I never asked him about his > life in the late 1920s and I wonder if there is some way I can check > on what kind of diploma or certificate he received and whether, in > fact, I’m correct in surmising it was at a college in Wolverhampton.  > I know wherever he went was on a motorbike from Harlesden in London at > the time.  > >   > > Eve – as the fount of so much wisdom – let alone others of you – if > you can give me some suggestions for following up this faint trail I > should be very much obliged. > >   > > In passing, my grandfather Eli Harris came from Coleshill near > Amersham and migrated to London in the late 1800s.   Don’t see many > south Bucks ancestors mentioned except for Richard Ayres’ relatives > but I keep hoping for a good lead on the Harris front. > >   > >   > > Regards, > > CAROL LEE

>  >> >> My father, Leslie Harris, went to a technical college in >> Wolverhampton, I believe, in the late 1920s and received some kind of >> diploma or certificate for industrial chemistry.  There were limited establishments where specialised scientific/engineering training at an academic level could be given then. Mostly, young men were sent on 'sandwich' courses, part shop floor experience, part academic work. The Techs have mostly been upgraded in the last few years to University status, so it is quite feasible that Wolverhampton Tech is still around as the University of South Staffordshire, or whatever. Some of these are referred to as 'Mickey Mouse' Universities/ However, if he was at Harefield, then maybe he attended Brunel Tech, which is now Brunel University and really well thought of as a provider of scientific education over a long period. If you Google for Brunel, you may find which section to contact. If this doesn;t work, come back and I will contact a former senior lecturer at Brunel. >  Subsequently he went to work for Bergers >> Paints in Hackney well known, and fairly picky about the staff they employed, so he was doing well. >> In passing, my grandfather Eli Harris came from Coleshill near >> Amersham and migrated to London in the late 1800s.   Don’t see many >> south Bucks ancestors mentioned except for Richard Ayres’ relatives >> but I keep hoping for a good lead on the Harris front. A lot of Bucks men found it a good idea to migrate to London - if they wanted to do luxurious things like eating. -- Eve McLaughlin Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society