Hello Pam and all I have been steadily uploading files to FreeREG in the last 3 weeks or so. These include Southam Marriages to 1920 and baptisms for surnames A to L up to 1920. More will be put online as the Southam Baptism files are completed. (the transcriptions go up to 2006 so I can send info if contacted off list) I have taken on a caretaker's role as the Coordinator for Warwickshire while Dave Newbury is ill. I am working on the parish pages so they show the true status of the Warwickshire files. They have not been updated since I resigned as Coordinator approx 18months ago (due to health and family problems) so there is quite a lot of work to do to get everything up to date. The next database upload will be in approx 4 weeks so I hope by then you will see the latest records online on the Warwickshire parish pages. You may be interested to hear that FreeREG has over 10 Million records online and more have been added since the update last Friday. Warwickshire had 138672 records online at the end of February These consisted of Baptisms 23206 Marriages 62541 Burials 52925 This is a magnificent effort by the handful of volunteers who have worked and are working for Warwickshire. Much of the data available is due to the fantasic efforts of Carole Eales who works on regardless of any problems thrown at her. Thank you #4 ! We believe that the information in the PRs should be available to all without cost and the FreeREG vision is that we shall have all extant registers transcribed and online eventually. So anyone who has transcriptions to donate can contact me and be sure I will upload the files asap . Good hunting everyone. Wendy Boland FreeREG Coordinator for Warwickshrie and answering emails from potential volunteers. [email protected] http://www.freereg.org.uk/search/index.htm I've just noticed that Southam Marriages are now available on FreeREG, although the latest update does not show this. Pam T

I realize this is a pretty localized question to be raising on this List, but "Banburyshire" did stray over the border a bit. So what I'm wondering is this; does anyone know of any strong links between the early Huguenot immigrants and the Banburyshire area ? I'm aware that the Banbury MP, at the time of Elizabeth I, raised funds to support the Huguenots and that a good deal of the town's plush was exported to France - but these are somewhat tenuous links. What I'm looking for, is any link between the Banbury surname PLESTER and the Huguenots. At the time of the 1841 census, Banbury accounted for 31% of the PLESTER records and a massive 75% of all Plesters lived within a 20 mile radius of the town. London accounted for just 10% - and they were Huguenot (the French Hospital has a number of Plester records). But what I've never managed to do, is establish a link (other than the plush trade to France via London) between the two groups. I realize that the two groups could have different origins for the surname - but the earliest references I've found for the name are both dated 1613 - one in London and one in Banburyshire ! And I'm inclined to the view that a simultaneous creation of a new and enduring surname (or new and enduring spelling of an older name) in both places is a little unlikely - not impossible, but unlikely given that it's a rare name occurring only six times per million of the population (in 1841). Any thoughts would be welcome. Best wishes, John Plester (www.plesterfamilyhistory.org) _________________________________________________________________ Tell us your greatest, weirdest and funniest Hotmail stories http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/195013117/direct/01/

Dear John Is it possible that Plester is an occupational surname associated with plush? Plush-maker, plush-dealer, or something like that might perhaps have mutated into Plester. Sean ________________________________ From: John Plester <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, March 19, 2010 7:05:07 AM Subject: [WAR] Is there a Huguenot link to Banburyshire ? I realize this is a pretty localized question to be raising on this List, but "Banburyshire" did stray over the border a bit. So what I'm wondering is this; does anyone know of any strong links between the early Huguenot immigrants and the Banburyshire area ? I'm aware that the Banbury MP, at the time of Elizabeth I, raised funds to support the Huguenots and that a good deal of the town's plush was exported to France - but these are somewhat tenuous links. What I'm looking for, is any link between the Banbury surname PLESTER and the Huguenots. At the time of the 1841 census, Banbury accounted for 31% of the PLESTER records and a massive 75% of all Plesters lived within a 20 mile radius of the town. London accounted for just 10% - and they were Huguenot (the French Hospital has a number of Plester records). But what I've never managed to do, is establish a link (other than the plush trade to France via London) between the two groups. I realize that the two groups could have different origins for the surname - but the earliest references I've found for the name are both dated 1613 - one in London and one in Banburyshire ! And I'm inclined to the view that a simultaneous creation of a new and enduring surname (or new and enduring spelling of an older name) in both places is a little unlikely - not impossible, but unlikely given that it's a rare name occurring only six times per million of the population (in 1841). Any thoughts would be welcome. Best wishes, John Plester (www.plesterfamilyhistory.org) _________________________________________________________________ Tell us your greatest, weirdest and funniest Hotmail stories http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/195013117/direct/01/ List archives are at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index/WARWICK ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

That's a very good point, especially with the 'er' ending - often a pointer to an occupational name. And I suppose I could live with a plush weaving background. Best wishes, John Plester > Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:27:49 -0700 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [WAR] Is there a Huguenot link to Banburyshire ? > > Dear John > > Is it possible that Plester is an occupational surname associated with plush? Plush-maker, plush-dealer, or something like that might perhaps have mutated into Plester. > > Sean > > > > ________________________________ > From: John Plester <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Fri, March 19, 2010 7:05:07 AM > Subject: [WAR] Is there a Huguenot link to Banburyshire ? > > > I realize this is a pretty localized question to be raising on this List, but "Banburyshire" did stray over the border a bit. > > > So what I'm wondering is this; does anyone know of any strong links between the early Huguenot immigrants and the Banburyshire area ? > > > I'm aware that the Banbury MP, at the time of Elizabeth I, raised funds to support the Huguenots and that a good deal of the town's plush was exported to France - but these are somewhat tenuous links. > > What I'm looking for, is any link between the Banbury surname PLESTER and the Huguenots. > > At the time of the 1841 census, Banbury accounted for 31% of the PLESTER records and a massive 75% of all Plesters lived within a 20 mile radius of the town. > > London accounted for just 10% - and they were Huguenot (the French Hospital has a number of Plester records). > > But what I've never managed to do, is establish a link (other than the plush trade to France via London) between the two groups. > > I realize that the two groups could have different origins for the surname - but the earliest references I've found for the name are both dated 1613 - one in London and one in Banburyshire ! And I'm inclined to the view that a simultaneous creation of a new and enduring surname (or new and enduring spelling of an older name) in both places is a little unlikely - not impossible, but unlikely given that it's a rare name occurring only six times per million of the population (in 1841). > > Any thoughts would be welcome. > > Best wishes, > > John Plester (www.plesterfamilyhistory.org) > > _________________________________________________________________ > Tell us your greatest, weirdest and funniest Hotmail stories > http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/195013117/direct/01/ > List archives are at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index/WARWICK > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > List archives are at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index/WARWICK > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ Do you have a story that started on Hotmail? Tell us now http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/195013117/direct/01/