For family historians who live in Berkshire... and those researching Berkshire ancestors
page updated Sunday, 25th January 2015
This new CD, launched on 25th January, provides a unique and fully searchable Berkshire perspective on the First World War — at home and overseas. It holds some 12,000 names (officers, other ranks and civilians ), 3,000 locations and 700 organisations, with images and text, and is extensively indexed and bookmarked. More details
Join now and enjoy membership to 30th June 2016
Help with your family history research
WHEREVER they came from...find them at the society's Research Centre in Reading —Berkshire's foremost facility for family history research. Open to everyone and with KEY ONLINE RESOURCES and help in how to use them.
Is your surname listed here? Benefits of membership
Join the society Start your research
Explore the Royal County of Berkshire
Tuesday, 27th January — drop in advice at Wokingham library
Tuesday, 3rd February — Discussion Group - Parish Registers
In Abingdon, Bracknell, Newbury, Reading, Windsor and Woodley. Visitors always welcome January's meeting programme
Windsor meeting 27th January Enquire within - advice evening
Reading meeting 29th January Merchant Navy ancestors
What happened in January between 1901 and 1930?
See the printed conference programme in the Members' Area.
"Thank you for a fascinating day of lectures, lecturers, and everything else that made up an excellent day."
"I really enjoyed my time at the Berks FHS conference - I thought it was brilliantly organised."
"Thank you for such a well organised, comprehensive and interesting day. I left feeling that I had not wasted a minute and had enjoyed them all."
Register for Members' Area Have you looked lately to see what's there?
December's Berkshire Family Historian carries a short Conference report. The full 36-page Conference Programme is in the Members' Area, with synopses, further reading and recommended websites.
WHEREVER they came from...find them at the society's Research Centre in Reading —Berkshire's foremost facility for family history research. Open to everyone and with KEY ONLINE RESOURCES and help in how to use them.
The Genealogist — NEW — with unique online resources and options, including First World War casualty lists
findmypast — NEW — birth, marriage and death records of the Channel Islands and Isle of Man — findmypast contains many Berkshire Baptisms, Marriages and Burials transcriptions too
British Newspaper Archive - 9.8 million pages, 355 old UK newspaper titles, among them Berkshire papers. LATEST ADDITIONS include pages from Windsor & Eton Express and the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette
Ancestry search WORLDWIDE resources—not just UK
The Centre is in Reading, next to Berkshire Record Office—home of original records of the pre-1974 Royal County—including those of Vale of the White Horse and North Berkshire. FREE on-site parking
Tuesday, 3rd February — Discussion Group at Research Centre This month the group focuses on parish registers and how to use them. Open to all.
Browse library catalogue Search the catalogue
Berkshire Baptisms CD ◊ Details of content and coverage
NEW Berkshire Marriages Third Edition CD ◊ Places and dates
Berkshire Burials CD ◊ Places and dates
Berkshire Maps CD OS 1881-1887 ◊ 51 maps, gazetteer and index
NEW Berkshire and the War Second Edition ◊ More
NEW Berkshire War Memorials CD ◊ Details
Berkshire Probate Index CD 1480-1857 ◊ What wills can tell you
An Historical Atlas of Berkshire ◊ read a review
NEW Wokingham St Sebastian Monumental Inscriptions
On sale at the Research Centre during opening hours (or buy online)
Join in with society volunteers to make records of the pre-1974 Royal County of Berkshire more accessible. Here's what is going on at present.
Quality is key. Who wants unreliable information? Or details that can't be searched intelligently and easily?
Berkshire Family History Society does not publish unchecked material. Almost all Berkshire FHS CDs are fully browsable and searchable, unlike those from some other societies. The projects team needs more people willing to check transcriptions against original records which are held at Berkshire Record Office in Reading. And it would be good to hear from anyone who has experience in assembling and building data CDs too.
page updated Sunday, 25th January 2015
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