January 22 Genealogy meeting

Join us this Tuesday as we welcome Howard Mathieson. He was a club member several years ago and spoke on a couple of occasions.

His main area of interest is England with particular emphasis on maps, family names, etc. This week's topic is called "Surnames of the Ancient Woodlands." If you've ever wondered about the origin of your ancestor's surname, it may be explained during Howard's presentation.

He tells me that "a surprisingly large number of English  surnames are derived from woods which were inhabited by the Saxons as early as the sixth century. As villages were established they would frequently take the names of the woods they replaced.  In the 13th and 14th centuries when surnames were being adopted, many individuals would take the names of the woodland villages they had inhabited."