With help from Bill Nanny and Ancestry we have identified (as far as we can) the name of that famous sitter - Charles John Cunningham Minney. Much more information available on this page.
I updated several pages with useful information from the January newsletter.
I have added a photo of Charles Minney born 1834 Scotland (or New Jersey), and his daughter Grace Ethel, kindly supplied by Jeanette Reiter.
I have added some photos of the Minney's in Plymouth, kindly supplied by Patrick Weir.
I have added some photos kindly supplied by Diane Harriman. I have also added some bits and pieces to R J Minney page.
I have been updating and tweaking a few pages. Added a few lines to the History page on Scotland and India. Also added Grayson Minney to the Famous page.
I have finally tracked down a piece of cheap (free actually!) software that enabled me to convert the Word document newsletters into pdf format. You will have to visit the page to see what I have had to omit.
For some years I was aware of a Minney connection to the tragic Aberfan disaster where a landslip killed 116 children and 28 adults. This year I was visiting friends in Brecon and took the opportunity to visit Aberfan in South Wales. It doesnt take too long to find the Memorial Garden on the school site and the graves at the local cemetery. There I found the memorials to Bobby and Barbara Minney aged 10 and 9.
I have added more old photographs to add to this page. Joseph and Rose Minney of Cardington, Beds. Thanks to Tina Mason.
I have added a new page using the Daily Mirror story on 23 January 2006 concerning the reunion of the descendants of Edward Minney. Many thanks to Ann Archer for putting this together.
I have added to the R J Minney page a short biography and photo from the recent auction catalogue of the contents of Hook House.
In Minney Newsletters page I have added a short newsletter featuring some recent emails from fellow Minney researchers.
I have added some more details to Fr Brendan Minney, Frank Minney and a new entry for George and Tabitha Minney, USA pioneers.
On the Memorials page I have added the memorial to Solomon Rueben Minny, Shanghai.
See R J Minney Page for some minor updates.
In Famous Minneys page I have added a few more names, including Chris (updated), John and Kevin Minney, musicians in two rock bands (Razorwire and DirtyMac) and Safia Minney a successful business woman getting quite a bit of press coverage in the UK.
On the Memorials page I have added new links to the Great Barford Roll of Honour for Arthur Joseph Minney and Reginald Percy Minney.
In Minney Newsletters page I have added a recent request for help on the Minney/Minny line that appears in India, Baghdad and China.
On the Home page I have added an advert from Sarah Minney , a professional researcher based in London. Sarah has, over the years, given a massive amount of material for the index and newsletters. She is offering discount for Minney families, whether or not the research is on your Minney line.
And finally, I have had problems recently uploading pages onto the website. Sometimes only a few amendments are showing or it takes a few days! I have reported this to Virgin.net so please bear with me.
See R J Minney Page for two new pictures, a photo of R J and Shirley MacLaine and a portrait of his wife, Hetty as well as details from his time at Gainsborough Pictures.
Places page updated with details of the Minney name linked to a Celtic religous settlement, near Penzance, Cornwall.
In Famous Minneys page, J H Minney's details as a cricketer have been expanded with a date and place of birth.
See Archive Newsletters Page for a link to the latest newsletter
I have made some minor 'tweaks' to this page; added a paragraph on a possible link to Mildenhall, Wiltshire (Minall/Minnell) and added R J Minney's name to the India section.
I have also updated the Photo Album and Contacts Wanted pages.
I have added a photo of Father Brendan Minney and a link to Belmont Abbey where a whole page is dedicated to him, with examples of his drawings. Information and link supplied by Olwen Minney.
I have added more old photographs to add to this page.
Reggie Minnie from Norman Mailer's book, "Harlot's Lot".
Most of you will be aware of this haunting involving Johnnie Minney at his sister Margaret's farmhouse in Waresley, Cambridgeshire in the mid 1960s. I have managed to track down the original book featuring the story in full. It is a tragic read.
Also, I have added the Mayor of Swansea to the famous page, Counc. W. Harry Minney. If any one has a photo of him I would be obliged for a copy.
I have a number of old photographs to add to this page so it will grow but I want more, so please send yours to me! I can accept scanned photos in any format or you can post photocopies to me. Email me for my address. This should be a very useful and interesting archive. I am particularly interested in photos taken before 1945, although there will be exceptions such as reunions etc.
Virgin.net, who host this site have failed to respond to my numerous requests for them to look at the guestbook problem. So, I have now added a new guestbook to the Home Page, hosted by HTMLGears (the world's largest guestbook hosting service apparently!). Please use it often! The old guestbook is still available for viewing. I've also carried out some minor updates to the Famous page as well.
I understand there are problems with the Guestbook. I have reported this to my ISP who provide the service. I may have caused the problem whilst deleting a particularly abusive and nasty message a little while ago. It will be back soon, one way or another!
The Mind It page monitoring service was withdrawn earlier this year. I have now added WatchThatPage which I have been using on another website and it appears to work ok. I have begun work on the next newsletter and have added a couple of entries to the Famous Page; Bob Minney, Irvin and J H Minney.
Have finally managed to send out my first email newsletter which replaces the sadly defunct Minney Newsletter. See Archive Newsletters Page for a link to the latest newsletter plus details on the previous 26 issues.
Have run a broken link report and removed nine urls, mostly from the Useful page . Have also added a colour (!) photo to Mr Minney of London page. It's a bit blurred and not really suitable for printing but it's an improvement on the old photocopy I scanned.
Incidentally, to those of you who have registered for the new newsletter please note that I haven't forgotten! A lot of the information I have is still inaccessible to me and will be until I move again, probably around December. In the meantime I will probably put out a short newsletter on information I have to hand. If you have anything for inclusion (and I mean anything) then let me know. Email address is on the Home page.
And finally, I have added another 'hit' counter to show me the popularity, or otherwise of parts of this site. Unfortunately to use this 'free' but useful information I have had to display a banner ad. If this gets annoying let me know. I'm not being paid for it!
I have added a mailing list facility to replace the newsletter (yes, I know it wont be the same!) but I do intend one day to put the newsletters on line for viewing. I also intend to expand the pictures held on this site as a compensation, so please email me any scanned photos of your ancestors or places of interest you have with a brief description. Please go to the Home page to enlist. I have taken the liberty of adding some email addresses that I already have. Please unsubscribe if you don't want to be on the mailing list. The providers of this mailing list wwww.yourmailinglistprovider.com finance this purely out of the initial adverts you see when first subscribing. Finding a decent host has not been easy.
I am now back on line in my new home. Over the coming weeks I will be brushing down the cobwebs from this site and updating the pages as I go. I am a bit rusty (is it really a year?) so bear with me. Alas, the newsletter will not be restarted because I intend everything to go out via the web. I hope to start a mailing list up soon so please email me your email addresses. The mailing list will replace the newsletter so important finds, stories etc will still get circulated. The database will also be restarted but this may be some months off yet. Watch this space (use NetMind). Thanks for your patience. Barrie
More useful web sites added; Topozone (USA Interactive maps) and New England Ancestry Online.
Examples of Bruce Minney's art and picture of Abe the Aviator added (see Cliff Minney).
The Minney Bed and Breakfast, Penzance, Georgina 'Minney' Seymour, and Minney sounding words from New Websters International Dictionary added.
More information wanted on George Minney, English league footballer for Derby County in 1921.
Contents of Summer 2000 newsletter added, issue 26.
Some more details added including link to a location map.
More useful web sites added, including; The Feudal Herald, Jewish Genealogy (simply amazing list of links), UK Genealogy portal site, Everton Helper site, Access Genealogy site, and Eastman's On-line Genealogy Newsletter (probably the best around and it's free!).
Some broken links removed.
Photo of Minney Row (Willoughby Cottages) Great Barford added.
Photos of William Minney's memorial at Canterbury Cathedral and Kenneth Minney's at Salcombe added.
Map of Minney Moor, Conisbrough, Yorkshire 1855 added.
Photo gallery added from his own books. He has the canny ability to add his own photographs into biographies.
I have added two more catagories for on-line searching. These are lists of maiden names and surnames of men marrying a Minney. The update report I receive from the search engine on this site indicates that these additional indexes would be useful
I have had a trawl through the newsletters and added some more names.
More useful web sites added, including; history of Gilmer County, West Virginia; PlacesNamed.com; Ancestry Corner; Bedfordshire Photos; Bedfordshire Museums and other sites; and Don Norman's web site.
Interesting book 'A Stag Party with Men Only' acquired by me. The book, published in 1955, gives the name of the editor of 'Men Only' as R J Minney - curious.
The newly added search facility also gives feedback to me on what is being looked for (but obviously not by whom). It appears that most people are searching for names that can really only be found on the Minney database. I have now added four simple indexes from the database which will allow a basic online search. If a search is positive then this indicates more information is available on the full database. An e-mail to me will elicit the full record.
You can now search this web site. This facility will become very useful once the newsletters are added.
A few more details added.
A few more details added to Sarah Minney's potted biography.
Have added links to the Domesday Book Online, Steve Lacey's Genealogy Gateway (a terrific resource site), and Daughters of the American Revolution.
Added links to Aunt Minney's Farm, West Virginia and to Michael and Leanne Minny's family history web page, Australia. This Minny family are related to R J Minney but the name changed to Minny some generations ago following a dispute.
A few more details added to Minney Row, Great Barford.
After much trials and tribulations I have now added a Guest Book facility. It still seems 'fragile' to me but please use it so I know it works! You can either use this link above, or the home page or the left hand menu to access it.
Added Pat Kilham's details who wishes to contact descendents of Nathan Minney of Yardley Hastings.
Link to Dianne Minney-Gammill's web page added.
Added (another) George Minney, who played for Derby County Football Club in 1920/21. Also, wonderful biographical details added to Bruce Minney, artist, supplied by his daughter, Carole Ziegler.
Added biographical detail to 'USA - Charles Minney - Scottish Origin?' section.
Site added: General Genealogy - IGI Batch numbering reference finder and lots of other useful pages.
Bob Minney, USA artist and sculpture.
Latest Winter edition details added.
Minney Street, Broadview, South Australia - details of why it was so named.
Sarah Minney, contemporary and experimental stage artist from Australia added.
Information on Minney Cemetery, new place on Isle of Man and some maps added.
Some collection sites added.
Sites added: UK -FreeREG, FRC, GenFair and Familia, USA - NARA, Tiger Maps, and Geographic Names Information System, Canada - National Archives, South Africa - Genealogical Society of South Africa.
Minney Cemetery and Minney Street added. Also many more links to the Useful Web Sites page added.
New links added to these web pages. Also amended the link (target tag) so that the requested site opens into a new browser window, keeping this window open. Also stops pages being squashed into my frames.
A list of family history and historical places web sites added.
Greater detail added and 'page jumps' inserted to make this, the largest page on this site, easier to navigate.
In depth information on the Scottish place names received from the Scottish Place Name Society.
New link added. Plus cosmetic changes to all pages now that Alta Vista search engine is directing traffic to all the pages and not just the main index page. The result of this is that the left hand frame (Menu) is not being displayed in some cases so I've moved the link to the Menu to the top of each page.
New page added showing details of forthcoming Millenium Re-union at Yardley Hastings.
Four new links to Minney web sites, including one in Japanese! One removed as link is broken.
New page added showing Minney entries (and Minnie) from around the world. Mostly from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
New page added showing recent amendments to web site.
New page added showing contents of latest newsletter, Summer 1999.
More biographical details added plus extracts from The Times newspapers.
New page added showing picture of Mr Minney from the Tate Gallery, plus contemporary reviews of this popular painting.