I never knew my grandfather as he died before I was born, which was always a little sad as I carry his surname. I knew that that surname, STARK, was Scottish, but apart from that, very little else. So over the years, a casual interest has become a little more obsessive and family history, namely my own family and their stories, has become a serious hobby.
The pages on this site are intended to be a growing array of surnames and stories about the people of my “tree” and will never stop growing as more stories and images come to light. I have many people to thank, my father and my mother for sharing their archives with me and to all the countless people along the way that have contributed either directly or indirectly.
I am indebted to both my parents who shared their family photos with me and also their thoughts about time and place. The regret for me is not having spoken more with the grandparent generation, but that’s OK too. At least the readers of this site can see those people in their ‘habitats’.
This site came to life when I sat back and realised I had a huge amount of material that was going to sit in a box and not be examined. Rather than letting the dust build up, I thought it would be more rewarding to actually put it out there for others to see.
The photo above is Troopship #38 – HMNZT “Tahiti” which my grandfather served on during WW1. In a way, this photo encapsulates the past as in the start, little is known and things are hidden until you begin to look deeper. This ship represents my ongoing journey, which started with who my grandfather was.
In the meantime, all feedback is welcome. Please leave a thought, if you would like to, in the CONTACT section.
Hugh