Branch Meetings

Six branches across 'pre-1974 Berkshire' offer you a key resource for your research

Bracknell & Wokingham Branch

Computer Branch (at Woodley)

Newbury Branch

Reading Branch

Vale of the White Horse Branch (at Abingdon)

Windsor, Slough & Maidenhead Branch (at Windsor)

Branches meet monthly (not in August) and you will find details of meetings and other events under

What's On this month or by using the menu on the left

Branch meetings give you a chance to meet and socialise with other people who share your interest in family history. Their research interests are wide-ranging - right across the UK and even worldwide. It is not just about Berkshire. You can get advice and share information on questions and topics often quite unrelated to Berkshire family history.

At most meetings there is an illustrated talk on a subject of general interest to all family historians, and given by an expert in the field. Topics are carefully chosen to be relevant to your research in most parts of the country - wherever your ancestros came from. Computer related issues are usually covered (but not exclusively) at the society's Woodley meetings.

You can also pick up your copy of the monthly newsletter produced by the branch. Society members can borrow items from a range of family and local history books on one-month loan from branch libraries. The latest society publications are on sale each month at several branch meetings and there is an exchange magazine service for local members too (with magazines from around 80 other family history societies available for loan).

You are always welcome to come as a visitor to any branch meeting. And, if you wish to, you can join the society while you are there.

Jeanne Bunting explaining census search techniques

Events

Events and Open Days

Come and meet Berkshire Family History Society at a number of Open Days and Events held during the year in central southern England.

These range from national shows like Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE and family history fairs to the open days and workshops staged by individual family history societies and local authorities.

At events like these you can purchase CDs from the society's growing range of indexed records and transcriptions of Berkshire Parish Registers, memorial inscriptions and other items of interest to family and local historians - from maps and directories to electoral rolls and an index of coroners' records. If you have Berkshire ancestors, the Berkshire Burial Index (containing more than 670,000 entries) should be one of your key finding aids. See  Shop for details of current society publications and how to obtain them.

An extensive Berkshire Name Search Database is available to search at most of the bigger events too.

Drop-in advice sessions

And look out for regular drop-in advice sessions offered by society members at some of Berkshire’s libraries throughout the year. Here you can call in and talk to local society members for some help and advice with your research - wherever your ancestors came from.

 Always check date, time and detail of an event before you go, in case of any late changes in arrangements.