GENERAL   QUESTIONS
 
 
 
Is it true that the RAYMENTS are descended from the Huguenots?
 

A number of possible links with the Huguenots have been discovered so far, but none of these have yet been proven.   However, since we know from the surviving records that there were many RAYMENT and RAYMOND families living in England long before the arrival of the Huguenots, the odds are heavily against any living RAYMENT in general being of Huguenot descent.

 
 
 
Does a RAYMENT family crest or coat of arms exist?
 
There are a number of companies, mostly American, who offer to supply versions of a RAYMENT coat of arms, but the authenticity of these is open to serious doubt.   As far as the Society is aware, none of our members have yet carried out any detailed research in this field, although approximately half-a-dozen examples of Rayment and Raymond crests are currently held in the database.

If anyone would care to investigate the matter further, the Society would certainly be very interested in the results.   The best place to start might be at The Heraldic Society, 44 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY, or at The College of Arms, 128 Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4BT.
 
 
 
Who actually started the Society and what is its history?
 

The Society was founded in 1991 by Roy Rayment, following more than 15 years work on a One-Name Study by himself and several others.   For anyone interested in the details, a short history has been prepared and is available elsewhere on this web-site.

 
 
 
Do the Society’s Officers have any qualifications?
 
Assuming that the question relates only to genealogy or family history, the simple answer is no.   All of the Society’s officers are just very enthusiastic amateur family historians who share a common interest in researching the RAYMENT name and its variants.
 
 
 
Is the Society a member of any regulating body?
 
Through it’s Chairman, the Society is a full (category A) member of the Guild of One Name Studies, who lay down a code of practice by which all of their members must agree to abide.   The Society’s registration number is 1424.
 
 
 

Does the Rayment Society belong to the Federation of Family History Societies?

 

No, not at the moment, but the possibilty of joining The Federation has not been completely ruled out.

 
 
 
Why are the majority of the Society’s meetings held in Essex, rather than London?
 
There are several reasons, notably, the cost of hiring premises in which to hold meetings is generally much higher in London, coupled with the fact that statistics clearly show there to be more RAYMENT families resident in the county of Essex than in any other area of the world.
 
 
 
The Society has been very helpful to me; can I offer my assistance to the Society in any way?
 
The Society is always very grateful for offers of assistance, irrespective of whether in financial terms, materials or research time.   In a Society such as ours, which is run entirely by unpaid volunteers, one of the biggest problems is the time and cost involved in obtaining photocopies of documents from Record Offices, other archives and personal collections etc.   In the past, much of this cost has been met from the committee’s own pockets, but it would be of immense assistance if anyone is able to help with obtaining documents and photocopies for the Society.

The Society is particularly anxious to receive copies of any old documents, photographs, family bibles, provincial telephone directories, old family history magazines, old ordnance survey maps and any other Rayment (and variant surname) related material.   In this connection, please remember that one of the Society's flagship projects is its collection of Wills and Letters of Administration dating from the 13th century right up to the present day.   Consequently, anyone bearing the surname Rayment (or a variant) is invited to consider making a mention of the Society in their Will.   This need not be in monetary terms but simply a permission for the Society to photocopy their documents and papers after their decease.

Anyone able to help in any way is urged to contact the Secretary or the Chairman, either of whom will be delighted to hear from them.
 
 
 
On behalf of several members who, like myself, don’t live in the South East of England, I’d like to ask if it would be possible to hold future meetings of the Society in a location more accessible to the long distance traveller who uses public transport?   Places that spring to mind are the SOG, FRC and LMA for example.
 
We’ve already looked into the feasibility of using either the SOG or the FRC as a possible venue for meetings, but these were ruled out on cost grounds alone.   Whilst sympathising with the members who have to travel long distances in order to attend the Society’s meetings, it has to be said that the position appears unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, unless our treasurer manages to preside over some sort of financial coup!
 
 
 
I have been thinking about researching my Rayment ancestors, but have no real idea where to start.   What would you suggest that I should do first?
 
As you might expect, the best suggestion that I can make is for you to apply to join the Rayment Society, from which you will be able to obtain a wealth of advice.
 
 
 
[ This page last updated on 24th January 2016 ]
 
 
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