A reply to Arthur's message re Cawarden/C'arden and Joans information
treasure chest:
My mistake Arthur, the monk too was Cawarden - the fact that I typed an
extra r probably reflects daily writing and typing Car...... for well over
60 years on auto-pilot.
As for Joan's talk - I have to say it didn't really materialise. Her voice
was too frail at the time to carry
past the first few rows. She realised it, apologised and said she would
prefer to man an enquiry desk where everyone could talk with her and where
she had all her records for reference. And this she did so well that I
could not get a question in in the time remaining.
However, in conversation over the 'Carden Gathering' week-end I do believe
she argued that the name is found in SE England very soon after 1066 and
may well have come accross with the Normans in one form or another.
Certainly, as Tessa Hart has recorded, the family had manors near
Rochester, Kent by the 13th Century.
As mentioned, we do need to woo dear Joan. And I thought her recent
installation of a Fax might help. But having failed miserably to contact
her by Fax I have just written snail mail in which I sought a few infill
facts concerning Cardens of Thanet, Kent and invited Joan to Fax her
reply. I will let you know how I get on.
Incidentally, I do most of my research in Canterbury Cathedral archives and
with Kent census returns. If anybody out there does suspect that essential
data they seek resides in Canterbury I will happily do an occasional
'look-up' (horrible phrase!) The most obvious records there are parish
records from early 16th Century for the towns & villages of East Kent and
census returns for same area from 1837 - though overseas friends do need to
note that in UK generally data has to be 100 yrs old. That is, the latest
census we can explore is 1891.
Ron Carden - Ashford, Kent, England.