Here it is already mid-March. The W*GG* One Name Study is progressing steadily. Several new researchers have popped up in 2003.

In recent months I have been updating the W*GG* Family Trees on my website. Only one or two more to update before I start introducing new lines.

Several new county sites were made available on the internet in the past 12 months ie Staffordshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Kent and soon North Wales. All have proved extremely useful.

A new Internet service for Family History Researchers will go live on 1 April 2003.

The England & Wales G.R.O. Birth, Marriage & Death Indexes 1837 to 2001 will become available in digitised format for viewing on a Pay-to-view system. You will need to download a viewer programme to access the images. There is a sample Index page available to view on the website now.

Recently the 1906 Canadian Census of the North West Provinces became available    www.archives.ca/02/020153_e.html

The 1901 Canadian Census was released in 2002    www.archives.ca/02/02012202_e.html

Unfortunately there are no indexes available, and you need to know the place where your family lived.

Does anyone have any information on a book titled “The Wigg Family of Norfolk 1626-1750”, by Margaret Brett of Norwich, England. The author is believed to be quite elderly.

It is with great sadness that I learnt of the passing of Jane Elizabeth “Betty” Barton nee SMITH aged 105, the last surviving child of Fred SMITH and Mary Ann nee WIGG of Faversham, Kent, England.

Our sincere condolences go to her family.

[Editor’s Note: see WWW 4 “Our Centenarian Wigg Descendant”]

Ann Wegg married Thomas HEWETT on 7 Apr 1776 after Banns at Mundesley, Norfolk, England.

Thomas signed his name as “HUITT” in the Marriage Register, both were listed as “this parish”. Witnesses were Robert HUETT & Joseph NEWLAND.

In 1779 the family was in Gresham, and later moved to Roughton c1830.

Does anyone have any clues to the origins of either Ann or Thomas ?

Contributed by Kylie KOUVELAS (nee HUITT)

Born in England, and living in the States, I am one of the last disappearing WIGGs in our branch of the family - all my cousins are either female or have daughters. Still, there seem to be plenty more of you out there.

I became interested in our family by accident about a year ago. I was looking on the web for a relatively well known (in Norfolk) artist named Charles Mayes WIGG [Editor’s Note: see WWW 12 Notable W*GG*s], that I had been told was related to our family. I found instead an amazing amount of information about the WIGGs. I ended up building a family tree back from my father and a few hours later had traced the family back to my gg grandfather. Within a few days I had gone back to the early 1700s. Then I found Vivian’s web site and there was the whole Wright WIGG family from East Dereham, although there was no sign of Charles.

I left England in 1987 and now live in the Philadelphia area, working as an engineer and part owner of a boating supply company. It’s a little frustrating that I developed this interest in genealogy now that I am 3000 miles away from all the family records. Still, it could be worse, like Australia or New Zealand!

Here in the States my wife and I enjoy sailing on the Chesapeake and watching our grandchildren grow up. I also paint as a hobby, with a few portrait commissions thrown in. Hence the interest in Charles and now the interest in genealogy.

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