Christmas emails were sent out to all contributors thanking them for their help and summarizing the work completed in each of the three main sections of the website. For the new year, improvements are desired in each of the main areas of the website as well as in operational functions. These include the following:
WICKENDEN HISTORY - Much progress was made this year in terms of Wicken and Wickenden history. Still there are many questions which need to be addressed:
- When did Wickendens begin to leave England, from which branch (and village or town) did they leave, and where did they go?
- What is the migration and development history of each of the countries where numerous Wickendens have settled. The United States and Australia are examples. This would give a demographic view of migration to supplement individual Pathways back to Cowden.
- The Pathways Project could be developed by the addition of possible pathways for different living Wickendens.
- Do we need a family motto to go with our Coat of Arms? If so, let's have a contest for suggestions. Also, what is the history of this Coat of Arms?
- There is also a crest that has been used as a seal for letters and other documents. What is the history of this seal?
THOMAS R WICKENDEN FAMILIES - All eight family pages now include a chapter from the Memoir book and a basic tree for that family that is part of the Wickenden Wikitree. Further development has begun on some of the family pages, but others are much in need of some basic pictures and text:
- Some development has begun on two pages: William E and Marion Lamb Wickenden, and Thomas H and Dee Shuman Wickenden. The subsidiary website linked to the latter page and structured to include picture albums and other visuals is in need of further development, especially the addition of film and videos.
- The other six pages are in need of a basic set of pictures and text.
OTHER WICKENDENS - Pages were added for each of Thomas Rogers and Ida Consaul Wickenden's parents and their siblings. However, much work remains to develop these and other pages.
- A link was established between the Wickenden Wikitree and a family tree including Susan Wickenden, a great grandaughter of James Wickenden, a brother of Thomas Rogers Wickenden. Little has been added, however, to these pages or to the pages of other relatives.
- Families of famous Wickendens could be added to this section. William Wickenden of Provincetown, Rhode Island, and Dan Wickenden, the writer whose daughter is Dorothy Wickenden, executive editor of The New Yorker magazine and author of Nothing Daunted, would be interesting additions. DONE!
OPERATIONAL FUNCTIONS - The website has made use of some of the basic functions, but more needs to be done.
- The Wickenden Wikitree needs to be developed, primarily by subscribing to Ancestry.com adding our information to that site, as well as to others, and using it to connect with other family trees and to add source information.
- The Email function could be utilized further once more Wickenden friends and family have subscribed to the website. This function is part of a three-fold communications plan that includes
- invitees
- subscribers
- contributors
- All social media could be explored further, including the use of the Facebook page for the website.
- Events could be scheduled and at least announced through the website. These could include family reunions in all countries and, at some point, for the World Wide Wickendens in Cowden, Kent.
I would love to work on all of these tasks, but I have to take a break for months while I work on other important projects. I plan to pick up work on the website again in June 2020. Also, my wife and I are celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary by taking a "Can't Believe You're Still With Me" Tour of the East and West Coast of the U.S.A. In the meantime, however, I will be available to add any materials that are contributed to the site, to respond to comments, and to answer questions about how to work on the site, so please let me know if you have an interest in one or more of these To Do Tasks. Thank you. Tom Wickenden