Berkshire Family History Society
Welcome to the Society Home Page
page last reviewed and revised 27 January 2012
If you are just starting your research, these articles will help you
Come and meet the society - follow links for more details
This Sunday 29 January BRACKNELL FAMILY HISTORY FAIR
10 am to 5 pm -admission £3 adults, accompanied children free
FREE talks arranged by the society feature old newspapers and other publications (at 10.45), the NEW British Library Newspaper Archive project and GenesReunited (at midday) and (at 1.15) revelations from the Broadmoor Archive, records of which are accessible at Berkshire Record Office.
The society - and lots of others, including the Society of Genealogists - will be there. Come to the Berkshire stand for advice on dating old photographs, on tracing your military ancestors, and for general research help. Search the databases, see the society publications - take up the special membership offer. Learn more
Tuesday 31 January - Drop in advice: Wokingham Library
Tuesday 14 February - Drop ins at Bracknell and Woodley
Wednesday 15 February - Drop in at Eton Wick Library
Wednesday 15 February - STARTING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY
7.30 - 9 pm - Research Centre in Reading. A short introduction to research. Just £5 - book your place now
Saturday 18 February - Family History Surgery - Abingdon
Friday 24 to Sunday 26 - Who Do You Think You Are? Live
Tuesday 28 February - Drop in advice: Wokingham Library
BERKSHIRE PARISH RECORDS
You can now search some transcriptions of parish register entries for Berkshire online (but not all of them yet!) in the Parish Records Collection of Findmypast . These are transcriptions that have been created - and checked - by the society and there are even more at the Research Centre. Original records of pre-1974 Berkshire (that includes the Vale of the White Horse and North Berkshire) are held at Berkshire Record Office in Reading.
Berkshire Burials CD - 773,000 transcriptions
On sale now. £20 (+ p and p for online/mail orders). Updates for 9th, 8th and 7th editions are available too. Fully searchable and browseable by name, place and date
Buy Berkshire Burials 10th Edition
Or collect a copy from the Research Centre during opening hours. Learn more about Berkshire Burials
8 February - Newbury - Researching pubs and publicans
15 February - Woodley - Five presentations (Computer Branch)
17 February - Bracknell - Early censuses - 1086 to 1841
20 February - Abingdon - Researching surnames
23 February - Reading - 19th century child labour
28 February - Windsor - Using your local studies library
Just added - summaries of recent meetings - for all current members
Recently added - a definitive gazetteer for Berkshire
DISCUSSION LIST - the best list for informed help and advice.Covering general research topics - as well as Berkshire issues. Brings you access to collective expertise of current members, whether you are new to family history or a research veteran. Only accessible by members.
Members' Surname Interests 9,500 surnames - Updated 20 July
Birth Briefs - nearly 35,000 names - Updated 3 September
Are your surnames here or your ancestors in these resources
Berkshire Family Historian - Find out more or read a copy (PDF copy in new window). Current members can read nearly all back issues in the Members' Area.
'Thank you for the very interesting December issue. I have already found a snippet about one of the branches of my family (in the London Gazette) using the search method suggested - something that had never turned up before!'
COMING SOON Special membership offer: from 29 January
Membership offers you many benefits, including four copies of the Berkshire Family Historian each year.
Berkshire Marriages Transcriptions with a pre-1837 focus, 346,000 names and 117,000 marriages from over 100 Berkshire parishes. Later entries with ages, status, occupations, residences, fathers' names and occupations, even witnesses. Breakdown 'brickwalls' with this CD Find out more
Berkshire Burials Over 773,000 transcriptions - many more than in NBI3 - from 235 places, and with many extra details too
COMING SOON - Berkshire Probate Index Berkshire Archdeaconry probate records (1480 to 1857)
Certificates cost £9.25 when ordered online from the General Register Office and £9.00 from a Local Register Office with a local reference or event date. Some companies and websites will charge you much more than this - Do not overpay for something that you can order for yourself at a fraction of their prices! Use Berkshire BMD to find local BMD references for Reading and Bradfield districts.
Do you use indexes and transcriptions?
Yes? Then why not help the society to make more transcriptions of pre-1974 Berkshire records more widely accessible?
JOIN THE PROJECTS TEAM. Some tasks can be done out of county - even out of country! But the essential checking of indexes and transcriptions against original records can only be done at Berkshire Record Office in Reading. Find out more
Maybe you work, maybe you are about to retire, maybe you are retired now. Whatever your background - your specialist skills and knowledge could make the difference.
Join the team - get in touch today
Here in Reading you can research your ancestors internationally, in the UK - and even in Berkshire. Search online using Findmypast and Ancestry (Library Edition - not UK), and check extensive datasets and resources in CD, microform and print formats.
Need some help to get started? Sign up for STARTING YOUR FAMILY HISTORYon Wednesday 15 February - 7.30 pm
Wherever your ancestors came from - America, Australia, Ireland, London, Yorkshire, even Berkshire - use the Research Centre and its resources to delve into your family history. A warm welcome awaits - with help and advice should you need it. Opening times - the Centre is next to Berkshire Record Office - home of original records for pre-1974 Berkshire. And parking is free.
Search Findmypast - (check the latest datasets), FreeBMD, Berkshire BMD and Ancestry Library Edition - explore births, marriages and deaths, census returns, parish records, military records, migration records and many other datasets.
Find key resources for other UK counties too - on CD, fiche and in print - or research them online. Find out more about the 7,000+ library items summarised here ~ for every Berkshire item there are four more linked to other UK and overseas locations.
Note: the Centre is not open on the second Sunday in April -Easter Sunday
page last reviewed and revised 27 January 2012
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