| The Van Praagh Family
Story... 1700 - 1998 Foreword |
| This is the story of the Van Praagh family
over the last 300 years. I have written this account with the full agreement
of Gordon, John, Peggy (MA) and Selma. They have all seen each chapter as it was drafted
and I have taken account of their comments and criticisms (usually minor ones) in the
final version. Over the years 1983 to 1988, we collected a large amount of
information about the Van Praagh family in Holland, in England, in South Africa, in New
Zealand, in Canada and in the USA. Selma did most of the research into the Dutch official
archives, I did most of the research into the English official archives in London. John
did all the research into the Jewish cemeteries in England and he kept in touch with the
Van Praagh family around the world. Gordon, as a result of his visit in 1984 to a Dutch
friend and his consequent introduction to Mrs Van Praagh of Utrecht, enabled Selma to get
in touch with us in England and so opened the way to our discovery of the early history of
the Van Praagh family, originating in Moravia and settling in Holland in the 18th
century. One of the most delightful parts of this research has been
our meetings with Selma, first in Amsterdam, then in London and then visiting each others
homes in England and Holland. Se we reunited the Dutch and English Van Praagh families who
had lost touch with each other about 100 years ago. Rodney Silverman St Albans, England April 1990. |