Blog request of the Library - Request from Australia re Canterbury, Kent.

Query 4 May 2020

I have a strange request which I hope you may be able to help me with. I'm in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, looking for ancestors. I have an address which google earth isn't showing. Ancestry.com is too hard for me and I don't know how else to find information. I google mapped around Canterbury and came up with you.

Do you know of a Hammond Place Canterbury? The ancestor was enrolled in St John and All Saints School in 1901 so I wonder if that school was close to Hammond Place.

I was Tomlin ancestry, William Fryer Tomlin DOB 25.6.1898 enrolled at St and All Saints School 1901. 3 Hammond Place is the address I've been given for his home address.

If you could look and let me know I would be most grateful. I intend to come to UK when we can travel again, to look up some ancestry and will visit your establishment if you have any information.

Answer 4 May 2020

You have emailed the Library of North West Kent Family History Society.

At present the Library is closed and the Society has had to cancel all meetings due to the Coronavirus. Our volunteers who do the research at the Library cannot access the Society records until the Library opens.

However, you should be aware that Canterbury is not in North West Kent but is in the area of Kent covered by the Kent Family History Society who you can reach at https://www.kfhs.org.uk/.

As they are also under the shutdown so the following may help.

All Saints you can

View CT1 1PA in Google Maps.

St John's you can

View St John's Place in Google Maps.

VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS

Using these locations, you can view historic OS Maps for England at the National Library of Scotland which offers a free service.

I would suggest that this will allow you to find the Hammonds Place as it no longer exists but may be sited between these modern locations.

The alternative is to look in the directories of the period.

Lastly try going through the pages of the 1901 Census to see the order the enumerator walked and where he was in relationship to the map you download from NLS.

Trust that is of help.

If you wish to join the Society it is 'VERY GOOD VALUE' at £10 per year and we would love to welcome you at the Library when you come to the UK. You can join online at www.nwkfhs.org.uk in the eshop or give a donation.