Robert Bell from Wisbech Museum

The speaker for our first meeting for 2008 was Robert Bell from the Wisbech Museum. Many of our members have already used the museum to look up the local Parish Registers for their family B. M.D’s, and Robert was able to tell us what else was available.
There were many early maps on display, of Wisbech & the surrounding areas, which in some cases also showed who owned the land. Books such as Council Minutes, sanitation inspector’s reports, early Kellys trade directories & old newspapers were also shown as were copies of Bastardy orders settlements & removal papers, old sale notices & much more to help us to fill in our family history.
Robert said that the museum is hoping to get an online catalogue of what is available at the museum in the future but advised that if anyone wanted to look at large documents, an appointment needs to be made to enable the museum staff to allocate adequate space.
After a question & answer session, the donation of the 100-year-old wedding dress, first seen at our ‘Weddings evening’ in November, was made to the Museum. The 23-year-old bride was Edith Letitia Spanton of Cambridge, daughter of Emery Spanton a Baptist Minister & her groom also 23 years was John Dickens Groome, son of Charles Groome, a farmer in Wellingborough, Northants. The wedding took place in the September quarter of 1903 in Cambridge. J.R. Glass. Milliner Draper & Ladies Outfitter of Wisbech supplied the material for the bride’s gown & was made locally.
Mentioned also were the generous donations made to the Society by members, Barbara Bullen, of stationary items, Kevin Rogers for his work on the MI’s at the Octagon Church cemetery Wisbech & Heather Stanbury’s gift of CD’s.
[Barbara Holmes]