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Founded in 1975, we work to meet the needs of those researching their ancestry across the UK and overseas – as well as those looking for former relatives in historic Berkshire. A registered charity, Berkshire Family History Society exists to help you in your research … WHEREVER your ancestors came from… and you do not need to be a member to benefit.
Our volunteers will be providing several breakout rooms and our and BLHA’s webmasters will be running the technical side.
We hope you enjoy your visit!
We specialise in the industrial heritage of Berkshire, encouraging its study, preservation and appreciation. Industrial archaeology covers many areas; transport, mills, machinery, waterways, factories, quarries, industrial buildings, power generation and much more. Mainly focussed on the 1700s onwards, recent topics we’ve covered are Miles Aircraft in Woodley, Hedges ironworks in Bucklebury and the tin makers Huntley, Boorne, Stevens of Reading. We would love to share our expertise on topics that interest you and also learn from you and your family’s history. We have access to colleagues and resources we can consult if we can’t answer your questions straight away.
We aim to encourage interest in local history in Berkshire, before and after the 1974 boundary changes. This includes education and training, research, and publication. It provides a meeting-ground for individual members, local history societies within the county, and professionals working in archives, museums, and education.
We maintain links with:
We have been researching family history & local history in the Historic County of Bucks including parishes now in Windsor & Maidenhead and Slough Councils. If your family have been in Colnbrook, Datchet, Dorney, Eton, Eton Wick, Slough, Upton-cum-Chalvey, Horton, Langley & Wraysbury we may be able to help.
Berkshire & Buckinghamshire have a shared boundary between Henley on Thames & Staines on Thames, including Marlow, Bourne End & Taplow. Many of our ancestors crossed between the counties over the years. We hope that we can help with your research.
Graham Turner
In early 2017 I created the Facebook website History and Events of Coley Reading to give factual information and detailed images of Coley Reading and the surrounding area. The photos and information have been supplied by myself and our members, as well as Reading Library and dates from early times up to the 1970’s when the I.D.R was constructed.
We also have a number of historians we can ask for more detailed answers and an extensive photo and video archive, which members can access . It is my intention that this website will help people trace their family history and the environment they lived in, and bring old friends together.
The page also accommodates up to date articles on Coley, with advertising from other groups centred around the history and conservation of Reading.
The Guild of One-Name Studies is the worldwide centre of excellence in one-name studies and promotes the interests of both the individuals and groups who are engaged in them. Those with names registered with the Guild aim to research every occurrence of the name. We can show you whether there is an existing one-name study for your ancestor’s name, whether focussed on Berkshire or beyond. If you are carrying out a one-name study, do come and talk to us about joining the Guild. Our website is https://one-name.org/
Hampshire Genealogical Society covers all the parishes within Hampshire.
Thanks to over 45 years of research, we have transcribed nearly 500 years of parish records, together with Monumental Inscriptions from throughout Hampshire. Our advisers will have access to these records so please come to our stall and ask us about your Hampshire Ancestors.
We also publish a series of Village Booklets which are a one stop guide to many Hampshire parishes and their associated records. These booklets, together with CDs of all our transcriptions, can be purchased via our website.
Richard Marks is a freelance historian who provides specialist expertise on the history of manufacturing including the Industrial Revolution, railway history, aviation and military history to museums, archives, production companies, publishers, businesses, societies and individuals. He also provides research services to family historians and authors and runs a broad selection of talks on local history. He is a regular speaker at family history societies, local history groups and groups such as WI, U3A, Probus, Rotary, Tangent and heritage organisations.
Richard is also an author and lecturer. His next book on the history of British Rail Engineering Limited is due to be published at the end of March and he is working on new books about the Wantage Tramway, the Sopwith Aircraft Company, and Hawker Siddeley Engineering.
The aim of Maidenhead Archaeological and Historical Society is to explore, interpret, preserve and share as much historical and archaeological evidence as we can about the area in which we live, and beyond.
The Society runs a lively series of lectures at 8.00pm on the last Wednesday of each month on a wide range of historical and archaeological topics. Our talks are given live at our meeting place, the United Reformed Church, West Street, Maidenhead, and are also live-streamed via Zoom. Visitors are warmly welcome.
Oxfordshire Family History Society has a range of records that our advisors will be able to access. These cover BMD’s of the majority of the parishes in Oxfordshire, including those that were originally in the County of Berkshire.
Access will also be available to the 53 transcription sets of burials at various churchyards which in many cases will include pictures of the gravestones. If you have an elusive Oxfordshire ancestor or want general advice, please pay us a visit.
We have over 40 years research experience on Purley and its people and an extensive archive including articles, press cuttings, memorabilia, documents and images. Our archive is largely indexed. Purley’s main employers were Menpes Fruit Farm, Trentham’s Engineering, its local farms and large houses, and various smaller businesses. We have also transcribed and photographed Purley St Mary’s memorials. We are happy to give free lookups, answer questions – if possible, give advice, take queries away and come back to you later, and generally talk about all things Purley, Sulham and Tidmarsh.
The History of Reading Society encourages the study of our town, which has an abbey over 900 years old. Our three hosts share a passion for and extensive knowledge of the development of Reading since pre- Saxon times. John has a particular expertise in churches, literary associations, politics, breweries and pubs, Caroline has a special interest in rural affairs and likes a research challenge, and before retirement David was local studies manager for the Borough Council. We also have access to colleagues and many publications, if you would like to learn more about our wonderful town and its former inhabitants. Alternatively, we would love to hear from you about your interest in Reading.
The library’s social media tags are:
X/Twitter: @readinglibrary
Facebook :@readinglibraries
Reading Library has a Berkshire-wide collection of local history resources including maps, photos and prints, books, newspapers and ephemera. The collection started in the 1880s.
Katie Amos is the Local Studies Lead and can provide information and guidance to source materials.
The Royal Berkshire Archives holds the archives of the Royal County of Berkshire and we look after nearly 900 years of history. Established in 1948, we are run as joint service for the six local authorities in Berkshire. We store the records of public authorities, local societies, clubs, estates, Church of England Berkshire parishes and more. Whether it is family or local history, we hope to be able to answer your questions, point you in the right direction or suggest that you contact us with your query. Lisa Spurrier and Ruth King will be staffing this event for us this year.
The Trust’s focus is the heritage of the Thames Valley and Great Western bus services which connected people and places around Berkshire for decades.
Our archive holds records of the bus services and vehicles in the form of photographs, maps, ephemera like timetables and tickets, company and research records, statutory documents, and artefacts such as ticket machines and uniforms.. The Trust also cares for a number of vintage buses which formerly operated in the area.
The Collection can be visited by appointment. We welcome pre-arranged group visits and offer a range of talks for transport and local history groups. Our bus interests extend to counties west of Berkshire as far as Cornwall, through which the Great Western Railway tracked.
The RIFLES (Berkshire and Wiltshire) museum is located in the Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire and has been since the late 1980s. Prior to that date the Royal Berkshire Regiment was located in Brock Barracks, Oxford Road, Reading but due to Army cutbacks it was decided to merge it with the Wiltshire Regiment museum and relocate both collections in the building known as ‘The Wardrobe’ which became the new home for the Regimental collection.
The museum apart from being a normal museum open to the public holds the records for the 49th and 66th Regiments of Foot and those of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire). [Please note that like all records of this type they are incomplete]. In addition, the museum holds an extensive photographic collection which is viewable on the museum website, The Regiments concerned are now part of the RIFLES.
Audrey Curtis is President, of the Society which was founded in 1977 and meets on the second Monday of the month in the Library of the Piggott Academy in the Twyford Road at 7.30pm. We have a summer lunch in July and a Christmas party each year. Our talks cover a range of subjects based on the history of the area and we make visits each year to places of interest like National Trust properties.
Each month we publish a newsletter and a journal twice yearly. We also have a collection of pamphlets on topics like the railways, and well known people who lived in the village and a history of Twyford and Ruscombe. Our Archives include a collection of maps and photographs. Above all our members are friendly and welcoming to newcomers…
Wargrave Local History Society specialises in the history of the parish of Wargrave. This includes the settlements of Crazies Hill, Hare Hatch and Kiln Green. Over the past 40 years it has created an archive of photographs, documents, maps and other items relating to this area. We can share this information with enquirers, either directly, or by delving into the records we hold, or by suggesting where else to look. Our material includes items not available elsewhere, such as the Piggott School photographic collection from 1939 – 1994, a complete run of the Wargrave News (from 1978 to the present).
We are a smallish family history society with about 250 members, most of whom do not live in Middlesex. Our area runs north to Uxbridge, south to Teddington, and east to Kensington. We hold monthly meetings in Isleworth which include a talk, and may be attended by Zoom. No charge for any of this, visitors are welcome. We maintain an active website designed to help family history research on West Middlesex parishes. We issue a quarterly journal in full colour, available printed or as a PDF. Membership costs £15, but we have discounts, including 15% off any Find My Past subscription.
Barbara Taylor is the chairman of the Thames Valley Branch of the Western Front Association and has been in this role since 2012, but been a member of the WFA almost since its inception in 1980. The WFA is the leading organisation in the UK and worldwide for Remembrance and education in Great War matters.
Trevor Hancock is a volunteer historian at the Vale and Downland Museum in Wantage and member of the Western Front Association. He will be part of the team from the Thames Valley Branch of the Western Front Association answering queries regarding servicemen from the Great War 1914-1918 but if anyone arrives with ancestors from the town of Wantage from any period would be willing to help.
Wiltshire Family History Society – the focus for people worldwide with Wiltshire ancestors and all local family historians. Over forty years-worth of knowledge and information available via publications, CDs, Genfair downloads, WFHS website and FindMyPast. Visit our breakout room – morning or afternoon – for a chat, advice or information about our products.
Website: www.wiltshirefhs.co.uk.
Email: publicity@wiltshirefhs.co.uk
Windsor Local History Group was formed in 1975 and has published several local history books, and the Windlesora magazine. Our web site windsorlocalhistorygroup.org gives more detail.
One of our members started the Royal Windsor website thamesweb.co.uk in 1999, with the associated Royal Windsor Forum RWWS forum which contain a vast amount of searchable local history knowledge.
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noreply@berksfhs.org.uk and berksfhs@berksfhs.org.uk
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Berkshire Family History Society works to meet the needs of those researching their ancestry across the UK and overseas – as well as those looking for former relatives in historic Berkshire. You do not need to be a member to benefit.
The society offers:
Research Zone in central Reading that is free to use and open to all
Free access at The Centre for Heritage and Family History to online resources like FindMyPast, the 1939 Register, The Genealogist, the British Newspaper Archive and Ancestry (the worldwide edition)
Regular free help and advice sessions
Meetings in Abingdon, Bracknell, Newbury, Reading and Windsor; and a virtual Computer Branch which meets online. All meetings are open to everyone
Community forum – informed answers to research queries and advice from experienced researchers
Members’ Area with data and other information not readily accessible elsewhere
Indexes and transcriptions of Berkshire’s historic records on CD — parish registers, probate documents, monumental inscriptions, maps, First World War history and more
Quarterly magazine, the Berkshire Family Historian, for members
a chance to join in project work, recording, transcribing and helping to preserve records
Links to the research experience, advice and support of members worldwide
