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Powditch eNewsletter
December 2006-January 2007
Issue Nos. 41-42
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ou are here: home > News > Powditch eNewsletter -
December 2006 - January 2007 Issue Nos. 41-42
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Topics this issue include;
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1. 2006 Christmas Card and my apologies
Although I did advise in my October/November eNewsletter, that I regretted that I wouldn't be producing
a Powditch Christmas card for 2006 (for the reasons stated at the time) - such 'break with tradition'
meaning that since I first began sending them out in c1985, 2006 was to be the first year in an
unbroken run of 20 years, that I wouldn't have produced a Powditch card, I would like to thank each
and every family member not only for your understanding, but also for your very kind messages and
cards. Hopefully things will have improved by Christmas 2007, and I'll be able to resume some form
of 'normality'!
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2. Sad News
I'm sorry to begin this eNewsletter with very sad news concerning the deaths of 4 Powditch-family
members, but I am sure that all would wish to join me in sending condolences to Bronwen Powditch
and Pamela V Powditch (both of South Wales) in their recent loss of a much loved husband, father and
brother, following the untimely death of Derek Powditch of Cowbridge, South Wales, who passed
away on 16 December 2006 after a short illness, at the youngish age of 69.
Derek was the much loved brother of Pamela V Powditch (who all those who attended will remember
from the 2004 and 2006 Powditch Gatherings), and although I had been in contact with Derek on and
off over the years, it was only in more recent months that I had had more contact with him. In August
he was most apologetic that he couldn't make it to the September (Powditch) Family Gathering as he
was, at that time, about to go abroad, although he had wished that the Gathering would be a great
success, and hoped that he would be able to make it to the next one.
Unfortunately I also had a phone call a couple of weeks ago from Carol Stone, who was most
distressed to not only advise me that her late father's remaining sister, Mary nee Powditch, had died
on 13 December 2006, only days before her 88th birthday, but also to tell me the more distressing
news that Carol's own (and only) sister, Barbara Spall (nee Powditch), had died on Tuesday
16 January.
Barbara and I had only had contact from about mid-2006 following her having included details about
herself and her husband on the GenesReunited website, and we had corresponded on and off
afterwards. Although she wasn't able to come to last year's Gathering, she, together with her
husband, Melvyn, had travelled over to the Wells-next-the-Sea area for a short holiday, and to visit
many of the Powditch villages, Churches etc on their own. Not long after they'd returned, I heard how
very much they'd enjoyed themselves. Indeed, I thought that I would include Barbara's 21 Aug 06 email
to me, in which she wrote (and her enthusiasm shone throughout it);-
"Just thought I would drop you a line to tell you about our visit to " Powditch " Country last weekend.
We stayed in Sheringham - just down the road from Morston. We first visited Morston Quay and then moved on to the
Church where we saw the gravestone in the Church and then went and had a drink in the Anchor Inn! We then moved on
to North Creake and the Church, where I met a lady (arranging flowers in the Church),whose dad had farmed the Creake
Abbey Farm (he would probably be around 80 now). She was very interested in what we had to say and I was even more
impressed with the Church and my connections there; we were unable to see the Bells. It was proving to be a very lovely
day, the sun was shining, and somehow I felt nearer to my ancestors in some strange way. After visiting the Church we
went to the Abbey and Farm - we were unable to visit the house as obviously this is hidden by trees and is private
property but we saw the Abbey ruins and had our lunch in the Creake Abbey Cafe - what a lovely place they have made
there. with little craft shops in the old barns and what history too! I had a word with the owner, who was very busy in her
Cafe. The local Glass Company - Langham Crystals have produced a piece of glassware to celebrate the 800 centenary
of the Abbey and this is on sale in the Cafe , needless to say I had to buy one!!
We also visited Wells, and the Church - I'd been there before though, and walked around Cley-next-to-the-sea but just
passed through Brancaster, Blakeney and Salthouse. We had a short visit to Bale Church also.
It was indeed a memorable weekend, and I would like to thank you for making it possible with the hard work you have
put into researching the Powditch history and without which it would have been really quite impossible to know all the
details etc. It is a shame that we never took my Dad to these places - he would have been very interested."
I'm just so glad that Barbara was able to make that trip, and that she was, in her own words, 'able to
feel nearer to her ancestors' when she was at North Creake.
You may remember that in eNewsletter No.38 (September 2006) I advised of the sudden and untimely
death of Jean Parsons (nee Powditch) - who was the sister of Pat Saye - but now, just 5 months after
Jean's death, her husband - Denis - has also died.
Indeed, the week after I'd heard of the death of Barbara Spall, I had a phone call from Pat Saye, who
rang to let me know that her brother-in-law (Denis Parsons) had also died on Tuesday 16 January.
Apparently, although Denis had been ill prior to Jean's death, he had deteriorated quite quickly
afterwards.
I'm sure that you would wish to know that I have written to Bronwen Powditch and her family as well as
to Pamela Powditch, Carol Stone, Melvyn Spall, and Malcolm Parsons with our thoughts and prayers
in their very sad loss.
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3. Sad News of a different nature
Although I realise that it might be a little late, Ang and I hope that you and your family had a Happy
Christmas and we wish you a very happy, healthy and peaceful 2007.
Well no, by itself that's not 'sad' to wish you all a good 2007, but when I add that due to my ongoing
(and worsening in some instances) health problems, that I will have to either drastically reduce the
number of eNewsletters or stop them altogether (for the time being) I hope that you'll agree that that is
indeed, 'sad' news.
The decision to do either of the latter has not been taken without much concern from my point of view,
as I have enjoyed updating everyone with family information, pages from the website which have been
amended or added, welcoming both 'new' and 'old' family members, providing news not only about
various aspects of Powditch history, but also about including snippets of information I believe/d would
be of specific and general interest, and I would still like to return at some time in the more healthy
future, to once again, writing the eNewsletter.
In the meantime, I want to thank you for the past 3 years and 7 months of your receiving and reading
the monthly eNewsletters (even though on 8 occasions; 9 if you include this issue!) I've had to write a
bi-monthly issue. During that period (May 2003 to January 2007) there have been 36 issues, and I
have enjoyed not only really excellent feedback from my 200 recipients (and only one of dissent
throughout the period), but I have also been very pleased that the topics I've included have been of
interest to all.
I do apologise for the current state of affairs, although health (or rather, good health) is not something
that can be switched on and off at a moment's notice (even though I, as well as many others, would,
I'm sure, like to have a 'good-health switch'!)
Thank you for being so wonderful.
P.S. The website will continue and will be updated, amended etc as regularly as I'm able to so do.
Indeed, if you read topics 6 and 7 below, you'll see that I have set myself targets (keep your fingers
crossed that i achieve them!) I will also be keeping in touch with both new and old family members
and continuing to help those wanting to know more about their Powditch ancestry. Remember, it's the
eNewsletter that is having to give way for the moment, and not my Powditch-ing!
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4. Wanted - someone to take over the Powditch eNewsletter!
Of course, just because my present health situation doesn't allow me to continue with the eNewsletter
for the time being, doesn't mean that the issues have to stop completely if there's some willing and
enthusiastic family member who might be willing to take over the Powditch eNewsletter, either
completely, or until things vastly improve!
As I'm sure that I will still receive news from old and new family members, by email, snail-mail and
phone, and that I will be updating/amending etc the Powditch website from time to time (see item '6'
below), as well as coming across items of interest etc, I will be able to provide such information to the
'willing and enthusiastic family member'.
From a 'concern' point of view re the actual database I hold re names and email addresses (and my
previous statements re same), I should advise that in return for the whole eNewsletter to be written by
someone else, that if the latter - once completed - were to be then sent to me, I would then email them
to everyone; such arrangement hopefully being acceptable to all recipients.
All of the above depends on there being that 'willing and enthusiastic family member', so I look forward
to all replies to the above!
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5. Welcome
Well, after all of the above, it might seem rather strange for me to provide a welcome to the monthly
eNewsletters, but as I'm hoping that some kind person will take over from me and that the eNewsletters
will continue in some form or another, the least I can do is to welcome on board all those with whom
I've made contact over the last couple of months, and to advise how they connect with the Powditch
family.
a. Darren Clements (contacted through GenesReunited).
Darren is connected to the branch of the Powditch family who lived in Guernsey, an ancestor of whom married into the
Le-Huray family, and he allowed me access to his family tree showing all the descendants from same. In early January,
Darren's mother came to visit him for the weekend and brought with her, not only Family photos back to the early
1900`s which included pictures of Wells Urban Kendle Powditch with Amy and their first born son, and of Amy
Gertrude's brothers, but also photos of JHM Le-Huray, and the sort of item we all love to have or see, the family bible
with Wells Urban Kendle Powditch mentioned.
Darren has promised to scan the above and send copies over to me, so I look forward to seeing them.
Following contact through GenesReunited with both Susan Button (in Canada) and Mike Woolnough
(UK?) I received an email from
b. Pat Button (in Adelaide, Australia) in which she wrote;
"Susan Button has forwarded your email to her. My late husband was a grandson of William's brother, John Button,
who married Elizabeth Crouch.
William Married Amelia Powditch at St Andrew Church, Redhill, South Australia on the 26th March 1890. His brother
John, my husband's ancestor, married Elizabeth Crouch at Merriton in March 1894 - 'just up the road' from Redhill.
I have not added your information re Amelia yet but am attaching what I have on William Bly Button and his children."
- which is what Pat so kindly did.
Welcome aboard, Darren and Pat, and I hope that you've already found much to interest and fascinate
you on the Powditch website.
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6. At long last!
After months of promises, I have finally added 2 (of the 3.5 days) write-ups of the 2006 Powditch
Family Gathering! the days being both Thursday 14 and Friday 15 September.
I do apologise for the delay in actually adding the details to the Powditch website, but regrettably (as
you will have read, in part, above) I haven't been too well since September 06 (and I wasn't tip-top
before then, either) and although I was able to write up (on separate sheets) some of the 'what-
happened' information (supplemented by Ang's viewpoint), I hadn't been able to expand it to be of
great interest for prospective readers!
Although my health is still giving me problems (I saw someone a couple of weeks ago and have had
to go for tests and possibly additional medication!) I was able to sit down and write something more
meaningful a afterwards, following which, I designed the webpages to include photographs, drawings,
links and many other items and topics which I hope you will find most interesting.
The 'upside' of this, is that as at Wednesday 17 January, I uploaded 3 new sections to the website,
and have also provided a link from the main page of the site to the former. The 'downside' being that
I've yet to complete the last 2 sections, although I am still working on those, and I will finalise and
upload them as soon as I'm able to.
The URLs for the new sections are as follows;-
Thursday 14 September 2006 (including an Overview, the Preparation and what happened on the day) is accessible either from;-
Friday 15 September 2006 (including everything that happened on that day) is accessible either from;-
As you probably can imagine from the above, when the details for the Saturday and Sunday are
added, their URLs will be as for the Thursday, other than they'll end /Saturday16Sept2006/index.htm
and /Sunday17September2006/index.htm respectively. Hopefully that last sentence makes sense (!?)
links to all the PFG06 pages.
I do hope that you will have a look at the above details re the PFG06, and that you'll find it interesting
and informative; moreover, I hope that you'll let me know your views and whether you have any
problems in accessing any pages etc. Thanks
P.S. If you are one of the lucky family members who attended the 2006 Gathering, and you would like
to have your own comments/memories written either within the pages I've already completed (I can
always further amend them), or indeed, want to provide your own comments/memories for the
Saturday and Sunday events, please contact me and together we can work out what can be done
(photos would also be appreciated)
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7. New Year Resolution
At the moment I only have two.
The first is to be as well as possible, as soon as possible (which to date has been a failure!) whilst the
second is to concentrate on putting all my William Powditch material onto the website - which I've yet
to start!
As you are aware, there is a specific section relating to William Powditch (1795-1872) on the site
undertook both prior to 1992, and in 1992 itself when I went to both Australia and New Zealand to
uncover as much material there as was possible to find in just 6 weeks. Suffice it to say that when I
left the UK I already had nearly 500 documents relating to William and his UK family, but by the time I
returned home, I had researched and acquired nearly 5 times that amount!
Having been taken ill in 1994, my original intention of writing a book on William's life, came to an
abrupt halt, only resurfacing in part when I created the Powditch website in 2001 (and then going 'live'
on the web with it, in 2003).
Although since then I have added a few details about William, the bulk of my research of him, still sits
here in about 15 Foolscap Lever-arch (bulging) files, and I think that (especially in view of the great
historical interest in him and his influence on both early Australia and New Zealand, that I urgently
need to add the contents (in precis form) of those files to the William Powditch section (besides
which, I have promised Peter Oldham in NZ that I will so do!) - so watch this space (and the
additions will depend upon 'circumstances' although as I've made a promise, I will endeavour to do
as much as I can.
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8. PFG2008; 18-21 September 2008.
Further to my last eNewsletter, and mention of the 2008 Powditch Family Gathering, as you probably
could see from what I wrote, there will be one less Coach trip, and the trip we will have will not be
going so far (which will also allow everyone to spend far longer in Wells), whilst the ability of individuals
to 'do-their-own-thing' on the Saturday (driving to local Powditch places of interest; maps and various
tours etc will be provided) will allow for longer or shorter times to be spent in places of interest.
Although we will be having a speaker on a local topic (t.b.a.) the consensus at our farewell family
meeting last September, was to have an evening where family members could share memories, show
off their talents (whether singing, dancing, etc etc - well, that let's me out, for I can't sing and if you saw
my dancing.........!!!) etc.
I am still waiting to hear what is happening to 'The Anchor', as that would be very close to the Village
Hall at Morston, and would allow the majority to stroll to our Meals etc. Hopefully the Anchor will be
rebuilt and back in business by next year.
Whatever happens however, I will let everyone know, both by email and snail-mail towards the end of
this year, what the arrangements will be.
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9. Website updates
Since the last eNewsletter (Nos. 39/40, for October/November 2006), amended, updated and new
pages on the website include the following;-
New pages include;-
Details of the 2006 Powditch Family Gathering for the following days;-
Thursday 14 September 2006 (including an Overview, the Preparation and what happened on the day) is accessible either from;-
Friday 15 September 2006 (including everything that happened on that day) is accessible either from;-
Pages/details for the Saturday and Sunday will be added as soon as possible.
Updated pages include;-
entries for family members etc whose email and/or snail-mail addresses have changed and for whom I haven't been advised of same, have been added to the page (www.powditch.plus.com/Missing/index.htm)
Amended pages include;-
Wills (pre- and post-1858) www.powditch.plus.com/Wills/ have been amended to include a 'Please click here to support this website through a purchase or donation' link within each page's header, whilst a few new pages have also been included to show what 'terms' to look for.
All of the 2006PowditchGathering pages have been amended, some of which have also been changed to provide internal links to replacement pages (see item '6. At long last!' above which provides more details)
the home page (www.powditch.plus.com/) has been updated and amended several times. Those who visit often will have noted that the PFG2004 links are further down the page, whilst other sections have been moved to new positions, and some of the boxes have changed colour!
Should there be any page(s) you feel need to be updated or amended in any way, please do contact
me with the information etc, and I'll attend to same.
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10. Family Recipe Book
Something I have thought about in the past, and which has raised its head at our last two Family
Gatherings, is the creation of a 'Family Recipe Book', to include not only 'inherited' (or 'handed-down')
recipes for main meals, cakes, biscuits, desserts, drinks, cures, etc, but into which, photographs,
drawings and family memories could be incorporated.
Whilst such books are often produced to raise funds for local Churches, organisations etc, my thought
on the subject was not so much to create a book for 'outside' use, but more of a book to be used within
the Family (especially if family memories, photos etc are included).
I wouldn't envisage that creation and production of such a book would be a short-term project, but if I
aimed for a 'publication date' of say June 2008, not only would it provide a good long while to receive
and put together such a work, but it could also be available for those who attend the 2008 Powditch
Family Gathering, as well as after the event.
Anyway, please let me know what you think about the idea (for that is all that it is at the moment). I
certainly look forward to hearing your views (and also whether you do have any 'handed-down'
recipes, etc.
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11. Salthouse Parish Register (the latest)
As everyone who attended last September's Family Gathering, and who listened to the excellent
Presentation by Norfolk Record Office on the Friday evening will probably remember, we were treated
to a most fascinating account of what happened to the c1538 to c1713 Parish Register of nearby
Salthouse (Norfolk).
To recap on that talk, and also to provide details for those not able to attend, I thought that you might
like to know not only the story behind the Register, but what has happened subsequently, as well as to
what is the current situation.
Salthouse, which lies just along the North-east coast of Norfolk, close to Blakeney and Cley-next-the-
Sea, was the village where, when the threat of invasion during the Second World War (1939-1945)
seemed imminent, the then Vicar of Salthouse took the decision to hide the earliest early Salthouse
Parish Register from possible harm 'somewhere underground in the churchyard', and then he,
together with his Churchwarden, buried the Registers in what has since been said to have been a
'mis-guided effort'.
Whilst the original intention had been to preserve them from enemy action, in reality by the time the
Registers were remembered and dug up after the war, they had been considerably damaged by
mould, dirt and damp, with pages stuck together, some pages had completely disintegrated, whilst
others were in such a parlous state that the Register was put into storage (c1963); it being believed
at that time that no action could be taken to make the pages readable.
Over the past 43 years, many new technologies have been introduced to Archivists, and indeed
within the last few years a new process had been installed at the Norfolk Record Office, and this,
together with the abilities of Antoinette Curtis, Conservator at the NRO, led to the possibility of the
Salthouse (buried) Parish Register to be meticulously restored. The main stumbling block to the latter
being the cost involved in such conservation.
To the rescue rode Salthouse resident, Val Fiddian, who not only set up the Salthouse History 'society',
but who also, through sheer determination and much more, not only wrote an excellent book
"Salthouse: The story of a Norfolk village", but also managed to get Lottery Funding for its production;
the sales of the book, plus funds from the funding going towards the Salthouse Parish Register's
conservation.
Thanks to excellent and meticulous work by Antoinette Curtis, Conservator at the NRO, the Register
has been conserved to such a condition that, although the original pages themselves will not be
available to researchers, each and every page has been colour photographed. Besides the latter,
Val Fiddian has also taken it upon herself to create a CD-ROM of not only the photos of those pages,
but thanks to excellent transcribing by Jean Jeggo, a database (by others) of all names etc, and a
layout format never before presented to Family or Local Historians (but which has been welcomed
by the County Archivist of NRO as being the new standard by which future transcripts of Parish
Registers etc will be produced; an accolade indeed), the CD-ROM will be ready for publication within
the next few weeks, and all for the inexpensive price of £10-00 per copy (plus £0.50p P+P each).
Further details re the above are available from specific pages on the Salthouse History's own website
Other details such as where and how to purchase a copy of the CD-ROM are included within my own
page relating to the talk we had at last year's Gathering, and now online at
- which also shows extracts (in colour) from the conserved Register and other information.
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12. Purchases and Donations
As you probably will recall from the last couple of issues of the eNewsletter, I had introduced a new
funds (through your and others' purchases from recognised Companies) as well as through your and
others' Donations for both Powditch research and the ongoingness (if there's such a word!) of the
Powditch website.
Whilst I did say that I didn't expect that much money would be raised from this source, but that it was
worth trying, I just want to thank all those who kindly made purchases (mostly from Amazon) from the
links on that page. Total revenue to date is just under £3.00 although judging from the number of
clicks that visitors to the Products page have been making to the Companies shown there, I'm
keeping my fingers crossed that clicks will eventually turn into finance for the research and website.
The Products page is currently being amended to make it a bit more user-friendly, and you might
notice (when it's finished) that a couple of Companies might have disappeared, and a couple of new
ones, introduced, so please do keep visiting that page and remember that any purchase made from
the links on that page (and only by using those links which include code to identify the Powditch
website) will definitely help to keep the website and Powditch research ongoing.
Thank you.
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13. Anniversaries and Birthdays (2007)
As you're aware, when I usually send out my annual Powditch Christmas Card and annual Newsletter
(by snail-mail) I always include a list of 'special' Anniversaries and Birthdays which will be occurring
during the coming year.
Because I didn't send any Powditch cards etc in 2006 (see topic 1 above), I feel that I should provide
details here re all the special dates etc, so at the expense of making this eNewsletter even longer!
here are the details;-
DATE
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ANNIVERSARY
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EVENT
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20 Feb
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Brian and Ann Powditch (Australia)
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25th
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9 Mar
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Jim and Evelyn Powditch (London)
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50th
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6 May
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Paul and Julie Pavlinovich (Australia)
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40th
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17 Jul
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Tracy and Eric Colwill (UK)
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25th
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12 Aug
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Bernard and Anne Powditch (UK)
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25th
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30 Sep
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Rhodri and Eliz Evans (UK)
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40th
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7 Oct
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Julie and Danny Harrison
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40th
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26 Oct
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Maggie and Ted Broadbent (Australia)
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50th
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EVENT+
DATE
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BIRTHDAY
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EVENT+
DATE
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BIRTHDAY
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50th B/days
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70th B/days
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2 Mar
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Deborah J Brown
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30 Aug
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Glynne Evans
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17 Apr
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Stephen Brown
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16 Oct
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Esme P King
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3 May
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Martyn King
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18 Jun
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Simon J Hayhow
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80th B/days
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6 Sep
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Stephen R Powditch
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1 Aug
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Eric J Powditch
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3 Dec
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Mark Powditch
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28 Aug
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Gillian Powditch
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8 Nov
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Margaret B Powditch
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60th B/days
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20 Nov
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Geoffrey B Linton
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10 Jan
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Carol Stone
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Jan
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Ron Stone
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90th B/days
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16 Jan
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Danny Harrison
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21 Jan
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John C Powditch
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11 Feb
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Geraldine Scott
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22 Feb
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John C Algar (ME !!!!!!!!)
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100th B/days
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Do you know of anyone?
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26 Feb
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Raymond A Powditch
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2 Jun
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Elizabeth W Evans
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28 Jun
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Christopher Travis
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4 Oct
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Pamela Ukovich
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2 Dec
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Elizabeth Snell
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Although I've already sent cards to Carol Stone and to John C Powditch on their respective
'achievements', I'm sure that you would want to wish all those with special 2007 events, either a
Very Happy Birthday, or Congratulations on their Anniversary. Hope you all have a really fantastic day
and year.
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14. ......and finally!
As ever, I do thank you ever so much for being a reader of this eNewsletter, and I look forward to
hearing from you sometime, especially if you have any news (either for the website or for the
Powditch and associated families' Archive).
I also want to confirm that whilst that this will be the last eNewsletter from me (for the forseeable future
and until my health greatly improves) the website, and anything else 'Powditch' will be continuing; after
all, if nothing else happens on the research front, I have several thousand sheets of paper and
documents relating to the family, to file; but then, I can do that when I have my 'good' days!
Thanks once again for your past and current support, and wishing you all the very best for the future,
John
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You are here: home > News > Powditch eNewsletter -
December 2006 - January 2007 Issue Nos. 41-42
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Powditch eNewsletter
December 2006-January 2007
Issue Nos. 41-42
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