Many people have participated in the collection of material for this Family History. No one person alone could have compiled the mass of family information presented here. Hundreds of people have supplied details of their own particular branch of the family tree, and the help of them all is acknowledged with thanks. A few people have done a monumental amount of work: they deserve special thanks for their contacting other branches of the family, for their own research, and for collating the information. These include: Colin and Mary Hollis [AH4144, WC4144], Clem Hill [AH415, WC415], Jack Hamer [AH455, WC455], Dorothy Bulloch [AH3443], Lorna O'Dea [AH367, AH391], Ellis Woolfe [AH673], Jessie Arthur [AH651] Beth Fry [AH6541], Doris Bowmaker [AH761], Tom Wallace [AH231], Ralph Hamer [AH474, WC474, WP694, SL194, JT1194], Ellis and Nancy Hamer [AH476, WC476, WP696, SL196, JT1196, WP1263]; Peter McMillan [AH3721], Robin Hill [AH4113]; Roger Hill [AH4195, WC4195], Beth Ayscough [MH971], Edith Hamer [JH12] (who sadly did not live to see the published results), Bert and Sadie Hamer [JH53], Lindsay Hamer [JH57]; Jack Hamer [JH531], Jill Anderson [JH532], Judy Ransley [JH411], Helen Clarke [WP2272], Alison McGregor [WP2311], Iris McDonald [WPK52], Lola Crofts [WP1131], Walter and Ettie Bennett [WP5L4], Vera Sloggett [WP832], Wal and Lorna Wilcox [WP834], Frances Bull [WP712, AH512], Lorna Cullen [WP2454], Leonora Cherrett [WP761, AH561], Ralph Peacock [WP277], Jean Stewart [WP7121] AH5121] (who went to Lancashire and Yorkshire and photographed family sites), Grace Short [WP2182] (who provided some photographs of family sites in Yorkshire), John Peacock [WP27224], Rodney Hornery [WP12154], Beverley Ratcliffe [WP15331], Ina Ward [WP2783], Bette Usher [WP1812]; Bob Loudon [SL144, JT1144, WP644], Chris Loudon [SL1J11, JT11J11, WP6J11], Chubb Loudon [SL1333, JT11333, WP6333], Ross Loudon [SL1J1, JT11J1, WP6J1], Irene Holden [SL173, JT1173, WP673], Pete Edwards [SL1362, JT11362, WP6362], Peter Buchanan [SL252, JT1252], Don Harris [JL5111], Shirley Lang [JL5112], Julie Knight [JL12231] Wal McKenzie [JT2313], Madge McKellar [JT2331], Lindsay McKellar [JT23311], Mark Gordon [JT233212], Barry Thompson [JT6151], John Thompson [JT6211, AH7311] and his late wife Valmai Thompson (another who did not live to see the results of her research in print), Graeme and Nancy Dixon [JT33111], Grace Clifton [JT352], Ian and Annette Woodley [JT3834], Helen Dent [WC1J21], Dell Cheney [WC912], Iris McAndrew [WC1111], Oscar Cheney [WC1114] (who videotaped the Family Reunion), Heather Cheney [WC6311], Jay Ryan [WC83412], Dinah Arnold [GD2121], Marcia Seymour [GD4421]; and scores of others. Graham Morris [AH59221, WP79221] deserves the highest thanks for creating the website and placing the Family History on the internet, and Chris Loudon [WP6J11, SL1J11, JT11J11] for editing and refining it.
Among these, the names of a few people stand out as deserving extra-special thanks for the volume of work they did. These names are highlighted in bold type in the above list. This family history is very much the fruit of their cultivation; but they can accept no blame for its blemishes or for the way it is set out, and no responsibility whatsoever for the interpretation of the material, which is entirely mine.
I also thank members of my own immediate family: my wife Joan who is a Hamer by marriage but never was a Peacock, Cheney, Thompson or Loudon, but has been very patient and supportive and has entertained every member of the extended family who has ventured across the Nullarbor; Angela Carr [AH4781, WC4781, SL1981, JT11981, WP6981] for help in checking material; and Dianne Hamer [AH4784, WC4784, SL1984, JT11984, WP6984] for some of the typing.
I am grateful for the work of people outside the family as well: Mrs Edith Norris and Mrs Eileen Fitchen for research in Bolton and district; Mr J J Francis for access to some of his historical research in Bradshaw; Mr J Cole, Local History Librarian, Rochdale; Mr B D Mills, Local Studies Librarian, Bolton Library, Miss Carol Greenwood, Local Studies Librarian, Bradford Central Library; Mrs Mary Blackwood, a Thompson descendant in Northern Ireland; Mr and Mrs Ian and Frankie Donaldson, who took my wife and me on a car tour of the Newtown Hamilton district and have done some research for us in Armagh; Mr Geoff Smith of Wimbledon, who allowed me to use some of his research on St John's Church, Georges Plains; Bill Gibson for research in Brisbane and Jondaryan; Mrs Bev Mitter and Mrs Helen Voight for patient typing; and Alan Mitter for his excellent draftsmanship in preparing maps.
I also thank the staff of the Mitchell Library, Sydney, the NSW Archives Authority, the Rev Eric Clancy, Archivist of the Uniting Church in Sydney; Trevor Stott, of the Stott Society, Nottingham, who identified Sarah Stott for me; and Mr Bill Lamble, of the Social Science Section of the Alexander Library, Perth (Western Australia), whose knowledge of family history research in the United Kingdom and detailed knowledge of United Kingdom maps is phenomenal.
I express my thanks to Professor Geoffrey Bolton, Professor of History at Edith Cowan University, Perth, for his generosity in writing the Foreword.
Clive Hamer