Ref. 30195-62ORGANISERS of a gathering at a Purton hotel later this month should not have any trouble remembering anyone's name.

For the 40 people expected to show up are all called Goddard.

The Goddard Association of Europe, which exists to further research into the family name, claims to have about 300 members from as far away as Australia and Canada.

But its strongest ties are with Wiltshire. For centuries the Goddards owned most of Swindon. Their vast estate stretched from Aldbourne to way beyond Old Town.

The Wadards as they were spelled back in 1066 arrived in the county from France following William the Conqueror's invasion, and the name even gets a mention on the Bayeux tapestry. The French name itself originates in a place called Godoville translated as Place of the Gods.

The Association first met in Old Town's Goddard Arms Hotel in 1985, and has since held a family reunion every year. On Sunday, May 16, the Association is holding its annual general meeting at the Pear Tree Inn in Church End, Purton.

Philip Goddard, 57, a photographer from Old Town and association member, said: "I'm interested in my family history and the association brings everyone together. It's a name but it means much more to us. We're like one big family."

Andy Tate