Dear Hugh,
I had a slow start getting the CD on the holder but did not click it on firmly enough. It is fascinating. What a great job Jonathan did. I notice some of the names are in our Brind family like John, Hilda and Charles. Could be coincidence. I am sure Uncle Basil met Sir Patrick Brind, who was in charge of the British forces in the Pacific. When I visited Eve Brind she told me Uncle Basil was mentioned in a book she had. It was about his exploits in the 2nd world war in the Pacific around New Guinea. He was a Captain of course and Eve said he was adored by his men. I wish I had asked her for the title of the book. So sad John committed suicide in Kings Park in his car. It over looked the Swann River and Yarra Bridge in Perth. The most beautiful spot. His German wife was mentally sick and extremely difficult to deal with.

Did you tell Jonathan Uncle Boy had a daughter by his first wife Christine? We called her Bunty. She was a lovely girl and looked liked Mummy. She was trained at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and was nursing in one of the London hospitals when she died. She married a gynaecologist when she was about 27 years. He had been asking her to marry him for quite a while before they actually married. Then she continued working during her pregnancy and picked up a brain infection which killed her. I think the hospital might have been St Thomas'. You may know more. Was Bunty named after her mother? Nuala would know more about Bunty as she used to stay with Bee at Newport.

Another sad loss of course was Bobby (Eve) Brind. Lesley's daughter. I was very fond of Bobby as I stayed with her when we both had some childhood disease at the same time. She also went to Carisbrook Convent until she passed her 11+ and then went to Newport Secondary School. She was bright. I heard she married and went to live in South Africa and died having her first baby. She loved spaniels and one was called Bella but they had no road sense and kept getting run over. Poor Bobby would break her heart but Goo would get her another one and the same thing would happen. I guess I remember Uncle Lesley's love of fish ponds. He had heaps when they lived in Ryde, was it West Hill Road? Then he made more in the garden at Newport.

Jonathan has a good sense of humour and I like his approach. He has collected some wonderful stories about individuals. At last Jonathan's address. I will send him a NZ calendar straight away as nearly three months of the year has gone.

My visitors have just left to go back to Tekapo. We had some marvelous Chinese meals and ate far too much. It was about 25 degrees Celsius today a strong dry nor'west wind blowing. I have a deep freeze full of salmon and trout. Thye brought up some smoked salmon, he smokes it himself. Delicious.

Must to bed.I spoke to young Michael Kennelly on the phone the other day and he is so excited about going on an airplane on holiday. He will be four on 23rd March and coming out of that terrible 2 to 3 stage. Sophia is so relieved she is getting a new member of staff in the reception area. She is a Nepalese Doctor who can't practice in HK until she passes certain examinations, so it will be a 12 month fill in job for her. A relief for Sophia who has had the most incompetent receptionists and more or less had to pick up the pieces and miistakes they made. (Kim says in HK people talk about Dr.'s on the internet and Sophia's name is being talked about and recommended highly by net users. Keep that bit to yourself, unless they mention it.)

Good night

Love Gay

Gay

Dear Jonathan,

At last I got the CD firmly placed in the holder and I am now mesmerized by the information I am reading. I have big black rings under my eyes, where I have stayed up until the early hours of the morning studying it. You have done a wonderful job.

I love the story about William Darby Brind. To think he was present at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. What a colourful character he was. I can see where Uncle Hugh got some of his traits from!

Your family pictures are lovely. I used to do the same thing with my two children, get their photo taken on a regular basis to send to the relatives in the UK. They were both born here of course.

My Uncle Basil sailed the Pacific as a Captain first in the British Navy during the 2nd World War and then for the Blue Funnel Line, head Office Liverpool. He plyed from Perth to Singapore. He lived in Perth. His wife was born in Kalgoorlie where the gold is mined. I am sure he knew nothing of William Darby Brind. I seem to remember him meeting Sir Patrick Brind, who I think was in charge of the British forces in the Pacific during the war. He was very generous to his sisters and a very nice man. He returned to the UK every five years to report to his head office in Liverpool. He died of lung cancer. I remember him smoking heavily. Must not waffle on.

Thank you for all your hard work and effort you put into the research. I will go to the library and see what else I can find out about W.D. Brind.

Gabrielle

Gay

Dear Jonathan,

My sister Gay Kennelly forwarded your e-mail to me as I am the genealogy buff and possibly nearer to communicate with. I suspect you realise we hail from the Isle of Wight stemming from our Great Grand father Louis Brind, who was a stonemason originating from Highworth. Our father was Arthur Norman Wilson-Chalon,his father, Owen Andrew had added the "Wilson" fromhis Grand Mother, Sarah Wilson for oblique reasons. We trace back to Jan Chalon b. 1837 in Amsterdam of Dutch/French extraction, I am working quite well on the National Archive material, which is getting better by the day.

I was born in Ryde IoW on 19 January 1931, so have reached the 74 mark, we arecurrentlygetting our younger sister Caroline (b. 9 November 1944) up to speed on the genealogy records, just in case I depart without notice. We use the Genealogy .com/ Ancestry.com software Family Tree Maker 2005 and have at present over 300 branched ancestors on file. Not too enamoured with these companies or their so called family data packages, have decided that no way do we subscribe our family data to their archives for them to sell on to unsuspecting clients. Virtually nothing of the searching and purchase of data from them has added to our knowledge. Having said that the FTM 2005 s/w is good, easy to use and meets most storage and compilation requirements.

I worked in the Home Counties for most of my career as A Senior Air Traffic Engineerfor theCivil Aviation Authority, the last 23 years in Kingsway, London retiring in 1990, when we were living in East Grinstead. In 2001 my wife who hails from Moville Co. Donegal Republic of Ireland, took the step, sold up and moved back to her area of birth. We now reside in Greencastle just a mile or so from New Park the place of birth of Field Marshall Montgomery, Hugh George Brind was Civil Engineering Adjutant to him in Egypt, Italy and the replanning of D-Day.

Had intended to compile more into this e-mail, but lost a couple of hours getting my OCR up and working. The reason being in the attachment, thought this would titillate the taste buds. We have the family tree that Hugh George Brind(our Mother's brother) had compiled some 25 years ago. It starts with John Brind of Highworth buried 12 April 1824 who was married to Sarah Butcher of Highworth on 24 September 1781. Their Children were William b.31 October 1782, m. Elizabeth 13 March 1827, she m. 2nd. to William Horton 18 January 1842; John b.18 September 1874 m. Sarah Boulton 15 February 1817; Guries(not clear) b.2 February 1788; Edward b.26 July 1795 m. to Ann; Betty b. 10 April 1791 m. Robert Dixon; Fanny b. 13 May 1803. All available given your address

Haven't fully checked the attachment of errors, will advise if I find any later.

Best regards Hugh

Dear Jonathan,

Many thanks for you e-mail of 9 February, looking forward to viewing your Brind CD, and will copy it out to Gay in NZ and Caroline in the Isle of Wight. The County Press articles wereinserted by oureldest sister Joy who unfortunately passed away 3 years ago on 24 February 2002 aged 74 yrs. She was the main stay of our continued contact withour Mother's family.

Hugh George Brind had a very colourful life, having married four times, his third marriage to Pamela Mary Huttonproduced two children, John Alexander and Elizabeth Claire Rosabel. Hugh G Brind prior to his death disposited with his son John, two suitcases full of archival records.

The daughter Elizabeth Claire married Anthony John Relle on 14 December 1968 at Horsham, Sussex, I have haveher address which was valid in 1998, and could follow that up,if you wish to take it further.

We have the Brind Family Tree which Hugh G Brind had compiled in the 1980's but has not been updated since,I can forward this, if you provide your address and could possibly take onboard the task of bringing it up todate.

For now best regards,

Hugh

Dear Jonatham,

Received the Brind CD yesterday, great format, still finding my way round the family. I have extracted your address in readiness to send you the more interesting data, have copied the family tree of John Brind who was buried 12 April 1824 at Highworth who married Sarah Butcher on 24 September 1781 at Highworth, she was buried there 17 April 1830 aged 68. The tree decends down to my children's generation circa 1980. I was wrong regarding my Brind ancester from Highworth, the stonemason was Charles Brind b. 27 February 1826, bapt. 7 May folls, married Mary Baxter 26 November 1853 in the Parish Church at Highworth; d. Ryde IoW 16 December 1892. Credit for this goes to Hugh George Brind, as you know now deceased. I have other papers and photos of interest which I will collect and send you.

I am not putting on you to collate these into your records but just for a little relaxing break, it's nice to see an alternative view.

Thanks again for your great endeavours, just a pity my sister Joy hadn't lived to see your work

Best regards Hugh Chalon