This weekend is for anyone with an interest in the name ROWBERRY or one of its many variants found today or in the past. The theme of the weekend is "Memories" and was initially conceived as a tribute to Roy ROWBERRY who died in May 2006. However between the first ideas and the final plans two more of the researchers who helped with and inspired research for the One-Name Study have also sadly died, Bob Smith in July 2007 and Ted Rowbury in August 2007. And Harry Harrison who entertained us at RONS-2005 also died in August 2007. So over the weekend we will remember these, and others, who perhaps now know all the answers that we are still seeking! We have plenty of new information to share with you, so come along and learn more about your family's surname both past and present.

Participants will be welcome for all or any part(s) of the weekend and will be able to choose between staying at The Hundred House Hotel or making their own arrangements.

The Hundred House Hotel offers the very highest standards of accommodation and conference facilities, and serves a fine choice of locally produced food. All bedrooms have private bath/shower, remote colour TV, direct dial telephone, tea/coffee making facilities, etc.

It is situated on the A443 Worcester to Tenbury Wells road approximately 12 miles from Worcester, 20 miles from Stourbridge and 30 miles from Birmingham. It is set in rolling countryside in an exceptionally beautiful part of Worcestershire, lying in a fold between the Abberley and Woodbury Hills. It is an ideal setting for our purposes as it lies close to the very origins of the ROWBERRY family and thus facilitates the exploration of our roots during the weekend. It has proved a very popular choice with those who attended RONS-2000, RONS-2002 and RONS-2005, their praise for both the accommodation and food being lavish.

If you would like to view a location map for the hotel please click on the button. This is a large file and may take some time to download.

The Hundred House has a very interesting history of its own. To read about it click on this button.

Details of local Bed and Breakfast accommodation and of caravan and camping sites are available for those wishing to make their own accommodation arrangements.

Friday 18^th April afternoon:
2pm Visit to Royal Worcester Emanuel ROWBERRY, the great-grandfather of Roy ROWBERRY served an apprenticeship here as a china painter. Records show him there in 1857 and 1858. Please assemble at the entrance to the Visitor Centre at 2pm for a guided tour behind the scenes and a chance to watch the present-day China Painters at work. You can follow this with a visit to the Worcester Porcelain Museum or a browse around the Royal Worcester Shops before we meet in the café for a Cream Tea. Note that there is a charge of £3 for the car parking at Royal Worcester.

Friday 18^th April evening:
7.30pm for 8pm Black Country Evening at The Hundred House Hotel. By popular demand Tommy Mundon and friends will return to entertain us. The hard working conditions and often grim living conditions produced a very strong sense of humour in the Black Country, as well as preserving a very distinctive accent. It is this accent which caused the change from ROWBERRY to RUBERY as migrants from rural Herefordshire and Worcestershire moved into the area. Supper will be a traditional Black Country one - either faggots and peas or fish and chips. This is open to non-residents of the hotel as well as to residents.

Accommodation at The Hundred House Hotel.

Saturday 19^th April morning:
7.30-8.30pm Breakfast
9am on Registration
10-10.30am Welcome and introduction by Polly Rubery and Nicky Rowberry.
10.30am-5pm "Get-together", with displays of family trees and ROWBERRY One-Name Study research files and indexes. People will be welcome to come (and go) at any time. The theme will be "Memories" and we invite you to add yours to our collection. You will be able to meet up with other members of your extended families, there will be people to answer your questions about your family and hopefully you will be able to help us to fill in a few gaps in our research! Please bring any research that you have done, and any family photographs and documents that you have, so that you can share it with others. New information from the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses and other sources will be available. It is hoped that everyone who attends this session (and there is no requirement for you to join us for any others) will be able to receive an up-to-date family tree for their own branch of the family. We would also ask everyone coming to bring a small passport-sized photograph of themselves which can be added to the trees on display.

Saturday 19^th April evening:
8pm Banquet. This will be open to non-residents of the hotel as well as to residents, and will consist of traditional English dishes prepared from locally produced ingredients.

Accommodation at The Hundred House Hotel.

Sunday 20^th April morning:
7.30-9am Breakfast
9.30am Coach Trip to Hallow We will travel by way of Tenbury, which has been a home to the ROWBERRY family since the fourteenth century and where Emanuel was married in 1863, and Rowberry Court, Bodenham. Here we will see the "Rough Hill" which was the original source of the name. (For further details see Origins.) At Hallow, where Emanuel was born in 1840, there will be refreshments, a display showing the various ROWBERRRY connections to the area and a chance for a short walk around the village.

12.30-1.30 Sunday Lunch: We will return to The Hundred House for a traditional roast lunch.

Sunday 20^th April afternoon:
2pm Trip to Stourbridge. Depending on demand we will round off the weekend with a trip to Stourbridge to visit the Red House Glass Cone and the Broadfield House Glass Museum. Emanuel had moved to Stourbridge before the 1861 census and he worked in the glass industry there as a Glass Decorator for the rest of his life. His great-great-great-grandson Benjamin ROWBERRY was working in the Royal Brierley Glassworks at Stourbridge when they closed on 13th July 2007, and can be seen talking about it on this BBC news clip.

For further details, costs etc or to receive a booking form please contact
Polly Rubery

Or you can download a Booking Form (requires Acrobat Reader) to print out here.