HAVERHILL GROUP
INTRODUCTION
A market town for almost 1000 years, Haverhill still hosts a provisions market each Friday and Saturday throughout the year. The town is a popular shopping centre, with a combination of national and local retailers lining its streets. Haverhill was recorded in the Domesday survey in 1086, but even before the English and Normans came archaeological evidence shows that both Stone Age man and later the Romans thought this valley a good place to settle. The town thrived through its textile industry notably in the 19th century when it became a significant centre for the making of "drabbet" smocks for the agricultural workers. In 1856, D Gurteen & Sons built a factory with 32 power looms driven by steam. Although they had been in the town since the 1780s, the new factory brought expansion and the town became prosperous. It almost doubled in size between 1851 and 1901, bringing new houses, factories, schools, churches and public buildings to make it a complete Victorian town. In the late 1940s, Haverhill was named an "expansion town" by the then Haverhill Urban District Council and Greater London Council. The population quadrupled between 1951 and the present time and Haverhill continues to grow, with new facilities and new housing. It is a forward looking town with a strong sense of community and an active Town Council. (Taken from the 'Welcome to Haverhill' Brochure, available from the Haverhill Library.)
CONTACT
Chairman: Alan Bumpstead
Contact by
Email
PROGRAMME
The Haverhill group of the Suffolk Family History Society meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month in School Hall, Old Independent Church, Hamlet Road, Haverhill. Meetings start at 7.30pm. In addition to the monthly meetings there are several coach visits a year organised to major record offices such as the London Metropolitan Archives/Society of Genealogists and the National Archives at Kew.
| 2010 | Title | Speaker |
| 23rd January (SATURDAY) | More About Family History (A talk followed by research) at Haverhill Library 11am – 4pm.) |
Sheila Reed |
| 11th February | A Military Evening (Bring along your photos, medals & badges for identification) |
The British Legion |
| 11th March | Love & the Law (Arresting tales of law & order) |
Fred Feather |
| 8th April | Was your Ancestor a Gardener? (It’s spring & time to sow a few seeds of times past) |
Twigs Way |
| 13th May | AGM + F/H through Electoral Registers (More about this under-used resource) |
Eric Probert |
| 10th June | An Open Evening (Help to get you started or if you’ve hit that ‘brick wall’. Research facilities available plus Internet access.) |
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| 1st July (NOTE DATE) |
A Guided Walk around Hundon - Chris Edwards £3.00/£3.50 including refreshments - Starts 7.00pm (Booking Essential) |
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| August | NO MEETING | |
| 9th September | More Family History on the Web (To be held in the computer suite at Parkway Middle School) |
Peter Twitchett |
| 14th October | Prisons in Suffolk (Tough times for minor crimes! Joint meeting with Haverhill Local History Group) |
Anthony Breen |
| 29th October & 30th October (Friday & Saturday) |
Remembrance Display - by local groups & schools (With financial help from Haverhill Town Council - Arts Centre) |
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| 11th November | Victorian Christmas (See how your ancestors celebrated the festive season.) |
Clive Paine |
| 9th December | Christmas Quiz (A light-hearted social evening with wine and nibbles) |
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COACH TRIPS (Depart 8.00am Haverhill Bus Station, via Clare & Sudbury - Max. Fare £20.00)
| 20th March (Saturday) | Kew Gardens / The National Archive | |
| 24th April (Saturday) | London Metropolitan Archive / Greenwich Maritime Museum | |
| 19th October (Tuesday) | National Newspaper Library / RAF Museum Hendon | |
| 16th November (Tuesday) | London Metropolitan Archive / Imperial War Museum, Lambeth | |
LINKS
Haverhill UK - A joint project produced by Haverhill-UK and the Haverhill Group of the Suffolk Family History Society, which contains census, burials and other information for the Haverhill area.
Suffolk County Council - Information on present-day Suffolk that may be of use to our overseas members.
