Names Archive > Thake > Jemma Thake
From New Zealand to Norway via Haverhill
Jemma Thake - a Thake star!!
Well done Jemma Thake! It is wonderful to see the grand, old name of Thake hitting the sporting headlines. There have been Thakes living in Haverhill since 1779,playing an important role in the business, academic and church life in the town and now a very promising athlete.
My grandfather, Herbert Thake, of Lindsell, Essex once rumbled out in his deep Thake voice that there weren't many Thakes around in the world nowadays and I have been spending the last twenty five years trying to prove that grandfather was incorrect, in any case, as far as the Thakes were concerned. The vast majority of the 2,000 or so Thakes born/baptised since the time of Elizabeth 1st can trace their family lines to the villages of north-west Essex and the parishes on the other side of the county boundaries in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. The first reference to the surname of Thake at Haverhill was the marriage of William Thake and Elizabeth Pamment in 1779 and from this marriage most of the Thakes of Haverhill can be traced.
In the 1990s a number of Thakes from Haverhill attended Thake Family Gatherings in the Henham Village Hall and over 200 Thakes met, some to say hello to cousins they had not seen for years others to meet distant relatives from all parts of the UK as well as Australia and USA. And then in HAVERHILL UK - 16.09.1999 - appeared an article by Ken Bailey, "Memories of Haverhill", the author mentioning his near family links with the name of Thake. I sent an e-mail to Ken and within an hour I received a reply. Since then we have enjoyed writing to each other - from New Zealand to Norway via Haverhill. Ken's family knowledge has enabled me to piece together the more recent additions to the existing 19th century based family tree and full details are available to Haverhill-UK readers from; Derek Murphy, Elgstien 34, 4637, Kristiansand, Norway or derek.murphy@c2i.net
The autumn and early winter days were wet, mild and windy in the South of Norway. There was a white Christmas Eve and a grey rainy Boxing Day. The NEW YEAR is again mild and grey, wet and misty. No matter the weather - here comes BEST WISHES for a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all Thake readers and all the best to the Thake Sports Star -Jemma!!
Email Dated : 07/01/2001
Author : Derek Murphy derek.murphy@c2i.net |
