There are SIX branches across historic Berkshire ...

… providing friendly help and advice, key resources and information for your family history research — wherever in the world your ancestors came from

Meetings

Meetings usually take place monthly (except July and August)

Come to a meeting, join in and chat with other family historians. You will meet researchers of all ages – and at all stages — from newcomers to family history to the more experienced. Everyone is welcome — you do not have to be a society member to attend.

Each meeting features a topic likely to be of relevance and interest to all researchers. Speakers are experts in their respective fields.

Some branches are online only while others use a hybrid of face-to-face and online according to the season

Audience

This society and its Branches are not just about Berkshire.

The people you'll meet have research interests that range across the UK, even worldwide. Draw on their experience and advice, you'll be surprised at how much you can learn.

Drop-in advice sessions

Society volunteers run regular drop-in advice sessions at many of Berkshire’s libraries, including those at Abingdon, Bracknell, Cippenham, Mortimer, Newbury, Thatcham, Wantage and Wokingham

Details are given in the Events Programme

Collect your names. dates and questions, bring them with you, and get some friendly help and advice with your research and in breaking down those brickwalls - wherever your ancestors came from.

The society also hosts occasional open evenings at Royal Berkshire Archives in Reading, where you will find almost all of the surviving original records of the 'old' Royal County of Berkshire, including those for the parishes of the Vale of the White Horse, and Abingdon/North Berkshire.

Literature

  • Society branches often have a monthly newsletter.
  • Society members can borrow from a range of family and local history books from branches with their own libraries.
  • Some branches offer society publications for sale.

Events and Open Days

Meet society volunteers at outreach events held throughout the year in Berkshire and central southern England. See calendar for details.

The society usually supports regional shows like The Family History Show and family history fairs, open days and workshops staged by local organisations and nearby county family history societies.

An extensive Berkshire Search facility (including the publications mentioned above) is usually available on a PC at most outreach events too.

At these events, you can usually buy CDs and other items from the growing range of society publications, including:

  • indexes and transcriptions of original Berkshire Parish Registers
  • an index to Berkshire's probate records
  • full details, with photographs, of monumental inscriptions.
  • historic maps
  • directories
  • electoral rolls
  • calendarised Berkshire overseers’ papers
  • Berkshire coroners’ reports
  • Berkshire and the First World War
  • Berkshire War Memorials.

If you have ancestors in the historic 'old' county of Berkshire, transcriptions in the three Berkshire Baptisms, Berkshire Marriages, and Berkshire Burials CDs (containing some 2 million names in total) are essential finding aids. These CDs include parish records in North Berkshire and the Vale of the White Horse too.