Man about the Howes - October 2022

[mardler]

Well, we did it! Nearly 15 years of work and we cracked 200,000 people in our file! I actually still find it difficult to believe. It would not be right to let this moment pass by without mentioning those people who have made a special contribution to our efforts, going above and beyond. To Mike, Mike, Chris and Judith, Bob, Sue, Pedro, Steve and, most of all, Ian, thank you very much indeed. To those people who have made a financial contribution to help us buy certificates, and everyone else who has shared their Howes/House/Howse/etc family history with us, thank you too. We couldn't have done it without all of your contributions.

Our monthly progress
During the month, we added a spectacular 1,400 people as I started tidying up my incoming email. For someone who said that after we reached 200,000 people he would spend more time catching up on reading books I've not made a great start! I have played a few rounds of golf in the Florida
sunshine, walked nearly 200 miles during the month and given two presentations to local genealogy societies. (How do you do all this, Paul? I gave up TV nearly 15 years ago!)

Howes in the news
Someone else who probably doesn't watch a lot of TV is Skyler Howes, the US motorcycle cross-country racer. Remember, last year, he had been quote successful as an individual 'privateer" rider and then the motorcycle company Husqvarna gave him a contract. Turns out that was a good decision for all concerned! During the last month or so, he won not one but two endurance races: the Rallye du Maroc across the Moroccan desert in North Africa, and America's longest single day race: from Las Vegas to Reno crossing 500 miles of desert in a single day! If you want to read more and/or see exciting pictures, see: https://www.advpulse.com/adv-news/skyle ... road-race/ and https://www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com/e ... maroc.html.

Now, as I was writing this I just noticed that Skyler is not in our database. A little side-track for some research (of course) suggests to me that his parents actually met in a hot-air balloon! I'll have to do some more checking on that before being certain, but it does look like it.

Learning history from Family History
I had a note from Stephen House during the month about his great uncle who perished on 1 Nov 1914 at the battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile. Now I count myself fairly well educated, but I'd never heard of this battle and, having researched it a little, now I know why. It was a colossal disaster for the British who lost over 1,600 men in this first large naval engagement of the First World War and the first naval defeat for Britain for over 100 years. As described in this wikipedia article, the British got their revenge off the Falkland Islands just over a month later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Coronel

No fewer than four men in our database lost their lives in that one battle. Stephen's great-uncle was Robert John House went down on HMS Good Hope. The other three men were all serving on HMS Monmouth when she was sunk: Clifford Charles House, Frank Reginal House and Charles Edward Friend. If you want to follow up and read about any of these men, click on their names from the following list: https://howesfamilies.com/search.php?my ... hyear=1914

RootsTech 2023
After two years of being virtual, with over one million attendees, the good folks who organize RootsTech have announced that next year's conference will be BOTH virtual AND in person. Having been to Salt Lake City for past RootsTechs 6 or 7 times now, it's fully my intention to go again. Air tickets and lodgings are already arranged! Not only is it a great opportunity to meet others with similar interests and see the latest developments in software, DNA research and so on but being in Salt Lake affords an unparalleled opportunity to do research into genealogy AND, I admit, into the local brew pub scene once the Family History Library has closed. It might seem strange to find brew pubs in Salt Lake City, given mormon feelings about alcohol, but the city has been blessed with hard water, perfect for brewing! Anyone else fancy coming to visit?

For more information about RootsTech 2023 from March 2 - 4, please do go to https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroo ... ation-open and/or https://www.rootstech.org.

Please note that I will likely be running some kind of competition for a free on-site ticket. If by then you will have bought your own, I'm sure we can organize a refund. It has happened before!

Wedding photos
We had a nice response to my request for wedding photographs with 4 or 5 new ones now gracing our website, each one a period piece in a way. Correspondent Margaret Cowling sent in a couple, one of which is a mystery:
https://howesfamilies.com/showmedia.php ... nkID=13489
The photo clearly dates from the late 1920s. Anyone else got wedding photos with lit cigarettes?!

Anyway the mystery is that although we know three of the people: Mary Ann Helen Hill, her son George, and her granddaughter Helen Groves, nobody knows the identity of the bride and groom! Can anyone help?

Howes/Howse that for beautiful glass
A correspondent from New South Wales drew my attention to the work of Lee Howes, whose shop in Newcastle he had recently passed. Check out her fabulously creative work here: https://www.leehowesglass.com.au/.
It reminded me that we have another glass artist on our list of Howes/etc owned websites. Her name is Mel Howse. She seems to excel in ecclesiastical works. Religious or not, I'm sure your can see how inspirational her work is, at http://melhowse.com/.
Check out the full list of Howes sites at https://howesfamilies.com/histories/feature5.php. If you have any to add, let me know!

"Buddy, can you spare a dime?"
Finally, I just want to mention that our certificate buying fund is about to run dry. If you would be willing to help us, please do let me know. I will match your donation. Lots of different ways to organize it. i can give you my bank details (UK or US) or you can transfer using paypal or I can give you the details and you can order them for delivery to me, or you. Whatever method is easiest for you is best for me.

Thanks for listening, and your support
Paul

[peteringlis1]

Paul I am prepared to transfer £100 to your bank account in the UK to help in purchasing Certificates
Peter Inglis

[mardler]

Wow. Thank you
I will send you my details
Paul