Steve started the evening with an interesting talk on the poor folk of the village. From the settlement certificates to the lists of those receiving parochial relief, then the history of the workhouse, its occupants and benefactors.

Moira's slide show of 'Granny's Photos' followed. Although not from a Sussex family, the information Moira shared with us regarding costumes, poses, and types of photographs was very informative and entertaining. More information regarding the Haarnack family of harpmakers is available on Moira's website

During the coffee break we were able to examine the various documents on display, including the 1841 - 1891 census returns which Alan brought from Henfield Museum. As a result of the previous meeting, Mrs. Samuels had brought her research on the Goffe family of Henfield, who were believed to be involved in the tanning industry. The information included archive material, together with interesting articles on Wantley Manor and Backsettown.

Julia's display of the Muzzall/Muzzell family of Sussex (Henfield, Ashurst, Hurstpierpoint, Horsham) concentrated on the techniques and sources used in family history research. Examples of wills and inventories, the IGI, archive material, tithe payments, lists of Henfield churchwardens and plan of pews, together with items from the Internet, were all on display. More information on Julia's research is available on her website

The evening finished with another very popular slide show from Alan, concentrating on the old families of the village. Tom Page appeared in several photographs, and others mentioned included the Morey, Woolgar, Skilton, Sawyer and Vinall families.

Chris Howkins is an Ethnobotonist, who researches, writes and publishes books on the history of plants, and how we use them in our lives to answer our every day needs. His obvious enthusiam for the subject was certainly infectious, and his anecdotes were also very well received.

He started by giving the Euro definition of a tree, that is a plant with a single woody stem which is at least 5 cm dbh - diameter at breast height - with 'breast height' being standardised as one metre off the ground!

A thousand years ago the treescape would have been very different, and a large number of trees were revered at that time. Saxon England was still Pagan, and trees would have held a very important place in the Pagan rituals, most of which were unfortunately written out of the Christian calendar some centuries later. The early Spring fertility ritual of Plough Monday involved the gathering of samples from every tree in the area (but for some reason excluding the Hornbeam and Burdock).

The Saxons believed a Norse version of the creation myth which offered two primevil figures in the Ash (male), and the Elm (female). The relevance of these figures is still evident in surviving place names, such as Ashurst, Ashington, Esher, Elmbridge.

The Saxon Moot Court met under Hawthorn trees, and promises made there were always obeyed. The Hawthorn is still very much respected, and even now there are some people who will raise their hat on passing a hawthorn. There were no known Courts in Sussex, but such Hawthorns existed over the Surrey border at Copthorne and Spelthorne; both trees were destroyed by redevelopment in the 1960s.

The Rowan tree was connected with death and burial rituals, which are believed to be of Celtic origin. In some parts of the country it is still traditional for Rowan twigs to be placed in coffins, and for Rowan trees to be planted on graves.

The Elder is named after the esteemed Germanic goddess of creation, Ellen, who looked after her people. Being an antibiotic, it has very important medicinal qualities, and was also used to make musical instruments because it is the only wood which is hollow. Elder was worshipped as a mother figure, which continued until the Puritan times, when those who worshipped it and used its medicinal qualities were seen as witches. Even today, some contractors will not cut down an Elder without an "asking ritual", or they will have an exclusion clause in their contract.

A single evening was clearly insufficient time to cover in depth this very interesting subject, but none of us will look at a tree in the same way again after hearing from this very entertaining speaker.