Dartford Branch Meetings

6 May would normally be the date for a Dartford Branch Talk.  But this has been brought forward to 29 April so as not to coincide with the Coronation.

Rod Shelton describes himself as an author, artist and model-maker. He has lived in Otford for 25 years and is active in village matters. He is the local historian and chairs the Otford Society.

Most of us have visited Lullingstone; and Josephine Birchenough's husband was involved in the excavation of the villa.

Rod has researched the story of the villa and will reveal how its fate lay in the violent machinations of the Roman Emperors and the lust to gain Imperial power.  Lullingstone, he suggests, was to become a pawn in this game of political ambitions.

Doors open 9.45am. The meeting / talk will start at 10.30am and end by 12.30pm. 

The Talk venue has a large, free car park but it is shared with other users and can be busy at times.

No booking, just turn up.

The Society is a registered charity and membership fees and donations are an important part of our income. The Talk is free to members but guests and visitors are asked to make a donation towards hall hire and speaker's fee. There will be a donations box at the venue.

(Please note this talk will be preceded by the Society AGM which is estimated to finish by 11.30am and will be followed by a comfort break with tea and coffee available before the speaker).

Please arrive from 10am for the AGM and from 11.30/45am for the speaker (if not attending the AGM).

Our speaker after the AGM is to be Michael Gandy, a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists and the Editor of their prestigious journal, the Genealogists' Magazine. 

Michael will be familiar to many of you as he has visited our Society several times in the past. He has been tracing his ancestry for 60 years, some of it  in North West Kent. He was brought up in Sydenham, his mother was born in Eltham, his grandmother in Bexleyheath and his family were at Upton in the 18th century.

Michael will be talking on a topic which is new to us but comes highly recommended, "Name Lists  1500-1800", a non-parochial subject which will include some familiar sources but will also introduce you to others which you may have overlooked as they have not yet been indexed. (Wish they were, says Michael.) The AGM will start at 10.30am and be followed by a short break and then the speaker at midday.

The venue has a large, free car park but it is shared with other users and can be busy at times.

No booking, just turn up.

The Society is a registered charity and membership fees and donations are an important part of our income. The Talk is free to members but guests and visitors are asked to make a donation towards hall hire and speaker's fee. There will be a donations box at the venue.