Richard H. Haviland, 2002

Dick is my 6th cousin twice removed, a direct descendant of Benjamin Haviland and Charity Farrington via their son Isaac "Tuck" Haviland and Elizabeth Bates.

He was one of the earliest online researchers I met, in 1995, before Ancestry.com, Genealogy.com and the other web-based genealogy sites were around. In those days I was sharing my GEDCOM file over email, and it had grown quite large. Dick and I exchanged information and stayed in contact over the years.

Just the year before we met, Dick toured England. "We visited Salisbury in April of 1994," he wrote, "having previously corresponded with the mayor's office to obtain documentation of James' mayoral tenure there.  This information was obligningly sent along with a recommendation as to where to stay during our visit.  Upon arriving at the charming 'New Inn' (built in the mid-1500's) we were told by the excited propietor that the Mayor himself phoned to invite us (an her) to a wine reception in our honor at this Guild Hall office the next day.  Would it be convenient?  Of course, it was. After spending a delightful day at nearby Stonehenge, we were warmly received by Mayor Peter Chubb and his lady, the Mayoress, both wearing  their official Chaltries, a magnificent necklace of gold medallions worth, we were quietly informed by an aide, several million pounds each. The mayor presented us with an official Salisbury City Charter, a copy of the original granted to the city by King Henry III in 1227. We were interviewed by the Salisbury Amesby Journal. Article and photo later sent to us by the mayor's office.  (The English know how to treat important guests). We returned to the cozy pub at the New Inn where we were 'rung up' by the BBC.  Would we consent to radio interview?  It was well past our bedtime and we were quite tired but--one must do one's duty.  Noblisse oblige. My Ruth says that by the time the BBC interview ended, I sounded more British than the interviewer."