Sunday, 11 September 2022

32 Ancestors Challenge - Week 31 - Help

 

We can always do with some help when we are researching our family trees.  Help can come from a variety of different sources - from your family members, staff in record offices and also from Family History Society members.  You can’t do it all online!

Family History Societies in the UK are usually centered on a specific area or county in the country with a membership of people who have ancestors from that area and also people who live in the area and are researching their families.

One Family History Society that I have been involved with for many years is the Hertfordshire Family History Society.  I joined way back in the 1980s and now serve on the Committee and edit their journal, Hertfordshire People.

The Society was founded in 1977 and is a member of the Family History Federation and a registered charity.   The Society has played an important role in family history research in the county of Hertfordshire.  We have regular meetings, now with a hybrid talks programme.  The Society tries to strike a balance between talks for the experienced researcher and the complete beginner.  Membership is worldwide.  Over lockdown we welcomed r members to online talks, which we are continuing now that we are resuming in person meetings with our talks being delivered in a hybrid way.   

In person meetings, at Woolmer Green Village Hall, include the talk as well as research help from our knowledgeable members and a bookstall.

Our award-winning journal, Hertfordshire People, is sent to members in either printed or digital format.  The Society has undertaken major projects, such as indexing the Hertfordshire Militia Ballot Lists, as close as we can get to a type of census of men between the years of 1758 and 1786, of which Hertfordshire has an almost complete set.  We have also published useful books on the Poor Law records and also the ongoing recording of monumental inscriptions in Hertfordshire churchyards, before they become unreadable.

For more information check out our website – www.hertsfhs.org.uk – and our social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter which are engaging new audiences and existing members alike.

Other Family History Societies offer a similar range of useful talks, transcripts and publications – check out the Family History Federation website - https://www.familyhistoryfederation.com/

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