Year: 2021
* ARCHIVE * HGS / HRO celebration!
December 19, 2021
On Wednesday 8th December, at Hampshire Record Office in Winchester, Record Office staff and Hampshire Genealogical Society volunteers came together to celebrate their recent partnership. To kick off the evening, Emma Noyce, Assistant Director – Culture and Information Services [Hampshire County Council]; Caroline Edwards, the previous Chief Archivist at HRO and HGS Chairman, Paul Pinhorne, […] – read more…
NEW! A National Group for the Hampshire Genealogical Society
December 15, 2021
Following on from this year’s success of the International Group we wanted to establish a similar group for our members who do not live in Hampshire. We felt this was particularly important as many of our Area Groups are returning to face-to-face meetings and it would mean that many of our members who do […] – read more…
Ancestry® to digitise Hampshire RO archives!
December 12, 2021
County Council agreement with Ancestry® set to make 500+ years of historic records available online Anyone with Hampshire roots anywhere in the world will be able to learn more about their ancestors thanks to an agreement between Hampshire County Council and Ancestry®, a global leader in family history. Read the official announcement here. As part of […] – read more…
*ARCHIVE* 1921 Census Presentation! Tues 1st Feb 2022
December 4, 2021
Special Announcement Tuesday, 1st February 2022, is a date for your diary! We’re delighted and very excited to tell you that HGS shall be hosting a special Zoom presentation entitled, “Introducing the 1921 Census of England & Wales”. Paul Nixon, from FindMyPast, will be telling us all about the newly launched 1921 Census and how […] – read more…
War Horses
November 15, 2021
This is a photograph of the war horse statue in Romsey, Hampshire, where there was a Remount Depot during WW1 for the training and conditioning of horses for use in battle. In nearby Southampton, the Swaythling Depot sent horses direct to France. The Army required huge numbers of horses and thousands were requisitioned for army […] – read more…
HGS Facebook page
November 9, 2021
Our Facebook page can be found here……. https://www.facebook.com/HGSfamilyhistory We know we’re not the only Family History Society to have a Facebook page but we’re quite proud of ours! At least one item is posted every single day; sometimes more. If you ‘follow’ us, these regular posts will pop up on your own newsfeed. There are […] – read more…
* ARCHIVE * Handwriting classes in November at HRO
November 5, 2021
Do you struggle to read old handwriting – especially in wills, probate inventories and manorial documents? If so, Hampshire Records Office is offering classes to help you. There are two classes left, and we would like to encourage more bookings. read old handwriting, Book here Our events, including free onsite exhibitions, are also listed at […] – read more…
Update on HGS move
November 5, 2021
During the summer we were busily organising our move from our former location in Cosham [near Portsmouth] to Hampshire Record Office in Winchester where we have been welcomed with open arms. We ‘opened for business’ on Tuesday 3rd August and we now have a regular presence every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am till 4.00 pm. […] – read more…
Are you telling half the story?
November 4, 2021
Charts displaying names, dates and places will not absorb or intrigue your family or your descendants but a written account of your family, with social history, stories and archival images mixed in probably will! Writing a book may seem daunting for some but, by splitting it up into smaller chunks, the task can become far […] – read more…
Marriage record problems
October 23, 2021
The records are not always correct! Whilst doing a bit of checking on entries in the Hampshire Allegations for Marriage Licenses 1689-1837 I decided to do some checks with the HGS Marriage Index and found a few interesting variances. Very rarely is the marriage date the same as the license date but in most cases […] – read more…
* ARCHIVE * Free LPSS Zoom conference – Sat 9th October
September 28, 2021
Local Population Studies Society, Free Conference, The British Diaspora Due to the ongoing pandemic the Local Population Studies Society (LPSS) has aNewgain decided to hold its Autumn conference online. This conference takes the theme of ‘The British Diaspora’ and has papers which examine the impact of British migration; it is a topic which may be of […] – read more…
*ARCHIVE* Sat 18th Sept – Heritage Fayre, Bitterne
August 29, 2021
After a very challenging couple of years the Pear Tree 400 programme is drawing to a close – a year later than anticipated but with the same packed programme reflecting the 400 years of history of Peartree Church, Bitterne. We would like to thank all our friends, partners, supporters and attenders, and of course the […] – read more…
*ARCHIVE* 30 free webinars in September
August 29, 2021
I wanted to be sure you know about Legacy’s new initiative, Webtember: All Genealogy. All September Long. We are sponsoring this fun (and FREE!) online genealogy conference which takes place on Fridays throughout the month of September. There will be 30 live and pre-recorded webinars in all. People can join live for all four Fridays or […] – read more…
East Meon booklet correction
August 29, 2021
It has been brought to my attention that the village booklet for East Meon (VB003) has two websites listed that are no longer active. The defunct ones are http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/eastmean/register.html and www.lesleeztreez.com/east_meon_index.htm They have been replaced by www.eastmeonhistory.org.uk/content/catalogue_item/architecture-2/records-registers/registers-baptisms-marriages-deaths Roy Montgomery – read more…
HGS/HRO Joint Press Release
August 6, 2021
New one-stop-shop for family historians as Hampshire Genealogical Society creates new base in county Record Office Finding out more about your ancestors is set to get easier as Hampshire Record Office in Winchester becomes the new home of the Hampshire Genealogical Society – with the Society’s volunteers and Record Office staff together offering a one-stop-shop […] – read more…
*ARCHIVE* Free RQG 2021 conference – Zoom 25th Sept
July 27, 2021
The Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG) is pleased to announce that our 2021 conference “Genealogy and Social History: Know your Ancestors” will be held online via Zoom on 25th September 2021. You can now register for this free genealogy and family history conference! The main speakers include: Helen Johnson, Professor of Criminology at the University of […] – read more…
Devon Mayflower Conference
May 2, 2021
Devon FHS has decided that the August 2021 Mayflower Conference (held on the 28th) will have to be put online. http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/mayflower_conference.pdf Although large venues should be open by August, our target audience may still be worried about meeting face to face in large groups. We are fortunate that all our speakers have agreed to giving […] – read more…
*ARCHIVE* LPSS online conference – 17th April 2021
March 17, 2021
Wider still and wider … Local Population Studies in England and continental Europe The Local Population Studies Society (LPSS) is a charity devoted to promoting local history, social history, and historical demography in a local context. We publish the journal Local Population Studies, and other books and edited collections from time to time and welcome […] – read more…
Reading old documents
March 15, 2021
Has your research taken you back beyond 1837? Are you challenged by the writing you see when viewing original documents of yore? Are some of those documents written in Latin? Why not try some online tutorials to help you? Here are a few suggestions… The National Archives at https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/…/reading-old…/ Ancestry at https://support.ancestry.com/…/Tips-for-Reading-Old… FindMyPast at https://www.findmypast.com/blog/help/tips-for […] – read more…
Census jargon buster
March 15, 2021
Census returns were copied at speed. Hence they are full of abbreviations and symbols. Here are some of the most common… DITTO/DO/” You will quickly become familiar with the ‘ditto’ sign meaning ‘same as above. It is often denoted by ‘do’ or a ditto mark (“). You may find, for example, a head of household […] – read more…
* ARCHIVE * HGS is moving!
March 5, 2021
Chairman Paul Pinhorne is extremely pleased to announce that the HGS has agreed with Hampshire Archives and Local Studies to relocate its Research Centre to the Hampshire Record Office in Winchester. This will allow HGS members and others interested in family history to use both our resources and expertise whilst having convenient access to Hampshire […] – read more…
Genealogy templates
February 16, 2021
Do you want to display your family tree on a chart? Here are a variety of styles to choose from which you can draw up for yourself, in some cases download from the internet for free or, if you want a more professional look, purchase from genealogy suppliers. Click HERE for printable pdf file. See how […] – read more…
Hatches, Matches & Dispatches
February 14, 2021
You may find details of your ancestors in the Births, Marriages and Deaths sections of local newspapers: Births may just be an announcement of a new baby’s arrival but, if your ancestor was ‘of the middling sort’, there may be more detail about the baby’s parentage Sometimes there are detailed reports of weddings, including what […] – read more…
Did your ancestor fight in the Napoleonic wars?
February 14, 2021
Look for him in muster rolls but don’t always assume the first person you find with his name is actually him! Usually, however, if two soldiers in the regiment had the same name, the parish where each was born will be noted alongside his name which will help you identify your man. The General Service […] – read more…
Using directories to extend your research
February 14, 2021
In various formats, directories have been published for over 300 years and offer unrivalled information for both family and local historians. However, information gathering took some time. A directory dated 1871 was probably correct only in 1870 and even then should not be relied on too heavily as being precise, accurate or comprehensive. Ordinary working […] – read more…
Using the Census for Family History
February 1, 2021
What is the purpose of taking a census? It certainly was not originally intended to help would-be genealogists! Run by the Office of National Statistics [ONS] and completed every 10 years since 1801, this year it is on Sunday 21st March. They say they are making it easy for everyone to take part because you […] – read more…
Family History research project – Invitation to participate
January 25, 2021
Our research team at the University of Newcastle (Drs Shaw, Donnelly, Burke and Parkes from the School of Education) are conducting research into family history and DNA testing and its impacts on people’s understanding of themselves and their place in history, as well as some general demographic information. To this end, we are conducting an […] – read more…
*ARCHIVE* ‘Really Useful Family History Show’ – Saturday 10th April
January 22, 2021
Another “Really Useful Family History Show” is taking place on Saturday 10th April. Book your place for the price of £10. More than 20 inspiring speakers including Ian Waller, Penny Walters, Stephen Gill, and Janet Few. Recordings of talks will be available for seven days; there will be exhibitors; workshops and and online experts available. […] – read more…
*ARCHIVE* ‘The Family History Show Online’ – Saturday 20th February
January 21, 2021
‘The Family History Show Online’, sponsored by The Genealogist will take place on Saturday 20th February. Book your place for £8 now / on the day. You will also get a FREE virtual goody bag on entry worth over £8! Talk topics include Occupations, Tracing Rural Ancestors and Working with your Autosomal DNA Test. Speakers […] – read more…
NEW! An International Group at Hampshire Genealogical Society
January 14, 2021
We are very excited to share some good news. Having turned to Zoom to hold Group meetings and our AGM last year, we have reached not just our out-of-county members but also members from as far afield as Australasia and North America who have managed to attend regardless of the time differences! We are […] – read more…