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Page 2 of 4
This is a letter that Pop wrote in 1989 telling of their trip to
England,
The 1989 Runyard Reunion in Wareham, & of early
Runyard History.
( Good Stuff ! )
| DECEMBER., 1989
Page II While in Puddletown and Piddlehinton, Len took us to the churches there that were built in the 1100-1200 era. He pointed out various effigies of our more famous ancestors foot bearing the Runyard name, but direct or indirect ancestors) who were 'Interred within the church. I wish that I had taker, my tape recorder in order to tell you who they were. We just saw so much, and Len told us so much history of the family that I could not, retain it all. Len also took us to Lymington, Bucklers Hard, and Christchurch, to name a few. Time and space does not permit me to relate the significance of these places but we had a wonderful time and learned so much. At the end of our stay with Len, another Runyard, John from Weymouth came by and led us to his house in Weymouth, where were spent the night. I had met John's father, Ernest, on my first, visit to England in 1969. We have to go back to 1752 to find a common ancestor with John. From Weymouth we went north to Yeovil in Sommerset to spend the night with Mildred Runyard (actually John's Aunt) whom we had also met in 1969. Leaving Yeovil we went north again, visiting a number of Gwen's relatives, on up to the Lake District, on to Scotland, and down the eastern part of England for 3 days in London. From there we drove over to Wareham; which is where the reunion was to be held, Len had arranged a bed and breakfast home for us to stay while in that area, and a. very rice one it was too. The owner was a nuclear scientist and his wife a nurse. Wonderful people they were too. We arrived in Wareham on the Friday before the Sunday reunion. We contacted Wilson Runyard (from Wisconsin) who was staying over in the village of Corfe Castle, and arranged to pick him up on Saturday to help set up the Purbeck School for the Reunion. Len, his sisters and some of the other Runyards were there and together we put up balloons, moved chairs and tables, and put up on the walls approximately 100 Runyard family pedigrees and other charts. Most of these were ones that Len had prepared, but I had prepared charts for each of the original Runyard families that had come to America in 1857. 1 also had photos of my early family as well as photos that others sent to me.. Among the many charts of Len's were ones showing the Royalty to whom were are related, others showing the murderers that we are also related to. Another showed the ancestors we have in common with George Washington. These charts and pictures covered the walls of three large rooms. Saturday evening, Len and members of his family, Wilson Runyard, and Gwen and I had dinner at a pub that was once owned by a Runyard. Sunday morning we arrived early at Purbeck school for the last minute work of putting table clothes on the tables, arranging flowers for each table, and helping In the kitchen. Dot Runyard is the school cafeteria manager, and I don't know how we would have managed without her and her husband Bill. Bill being one of Len's many cousins. |