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Yearly Monthly Weekly Daily List
December 2020
December Natter Group – Online
Informal discussion group, topics discussed are chosen by the attendees monthly. New attendees always welcomed. ...
January 2021
A Potpourri of Social History Talks Series
This all series ticket covers all five talks in the Winter "Potpourri of Social History" talks series , for the discounted price of four. You may also book each talk individually - see each separate event page. ...
Healthcare in a Georgian Town
Join us for a fascinating insight into Georgian Berkshire, when Penny Stokes considers your chances of surviving a healthcare crisis. Penny will look at medical practitioners, mortality and causes of death, and the remedies which the Georgians trusted for cures. Specific examples will be from Newbury. ...
DNA Special Interest Group – Online
Online Special Interest DNA Group facilitated by international DNA expert Debbie Kennett. ...
The Old Poor Law Workshop
Many family historians have ancestors whose lives were touched at some point by poverty. The Old Poor Law (1597-1834) was a system of poor relief devised by Tudor politicians which was still in use until the eve of Queen Victoria’s reign. This workshop will explain how the system worked and evolved over the centuries, and discuss the records such as settlement examinations and bastardy bonds which it created and their usefulness for researchers. ...
‘King of all Balloons’: James Sadler
James Sadler was an Oxford pastry chef and yet became England's first aeronaut. His fascinating story has a number of Berkshire connections. He and his son Windham set numerous records while ascending from some 40 British towns and cities. Many being the first ever from those places. Yet despite a lifetime of achievement, which brought him into contact with some of the most significant names in Georgian Britain, Sadler ended his days in impoverished obscurity. ...
February 2021
February Natter Group
Informal discussion group, topics are chosen by the group on a monthly basis. New attendees always welcome. ...
Railways Records for Family Historians Workshop
Did your Ancestors work on the railways? In this online workshop, we will unravel the history of the railway companies, from British Railways in the 1980s back to the first railway companies in the Victorian period. We will work through some sample railway documents to decipher what the railway language used within them means, and how they can be used by family historians to build their family histories. We will conclude by looking at where railway archives can be found and how they can be accessed. ...
The Upper Thames Patrol
It was the responsibility of the Upper Thames Patrol to blow up the Thames’ bridges and locks if the enemy was seen approaching. With 135 miles to cover from Teddington Lock to Lechlade, including 35 road bridges, 7 rail bridges and 42 locks, this often forgotten unit had their work cut out. This talk tells the story of the Upper Thames Patrol, their organisation, their experiences and the men who served in it. ...
Reading c.1740 – c.1800: commerce, culture and chapel
Discover mid-Georgian Reading as it cements its role as an inland port and distribution centre, a magnet for the aficionados of balls and race meetings; and a welcome home for serious-minded Christian worshippers. One not to be missed! ...
March 2021
March Natter Group
Informal discussion group, topics are chosen by the group on a monthly basis. New attendees always welcome. ...
The arrival of the railways in Reading
Brunel's Great Western Railway arrived in Reading on the 30th March 1840. In this talk, historian Richard Marks, will look at the impact the railway had on the town when it arrived, and how this compared to other places. We will also look at how the first train service compared to the service Reading enjoys today. ...
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Branch Events are open to all, no matter where you live
Yearly Monthly Weekly Daily List
December 2020
Short talks and quiz
Join us for an informal evening of entertainment, personal stories and a quiz to test those brain cells. Branch members will be sharing their stories of personal triumphs and tribulations and introducing us to some of their ancestors ...
Christmas Crackers
Join us for a Social Evening with family history quizzes ...
Christmas Family History Quiz
Who will win the coveted title of 'Abingdon (Vale) Branch Christmas Quiz Champion 2020'? ...
Windsor Christmas Genealogical Quiz
Ken Houghton - our very own Bamber Gascoigne – will be reading the questions.
Bonus points for bringing your own leftover sprouts, but it is all for fun!
Drop us a line at windsor@berksfhs.org.uk if you intend to join us. ...
January 2021
Monumental Inscriptions
The talk will look at the value of inscriptions to ...
Sir Edward Leader Williams 19th Century Engineer
This talk will tell us the details of the life ...
Humour in Genealogy
As the title suggests, Chris Broom's talk "Humour in Genealogy" ...
February 2021
Women & the Victorian Army
Queen Victoria's Army served all over the world. But what did their wives do? Did their role change during the 19th Century? Dan Allen of the Victorian Military Society gives us an insight into life for soldiers’ wives & children in Victorian times at home & abroad. ...
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