All Events
Next Upcoming Event
15
May
2026
After the Great War: History in the 1921 census
EVENT DETAIL-
00
days
-
00
hours
-
00
minutes
-
00
seconds
May 2026
After the Great War: History in the 1921 census
The 1921 census was the first to be collected after the Great War of 1914-1918, and for family history researchers it contains a great deal of useful information.Â
Online Family History Advice Clinic Booking closed
Are you just getting started in family history and wanting guidance as to how to proceed? Or are you stuck at a particular "brick wall" and need some help?
“The Road to Peace is Paved with Headstones”, stories behind the names on Abingdon War Memorial
Discover the moving stories of local families and the streets of Abingdon forever changed by the World Wars.
Tour of the Former Fair Mile Hospital, Cholsey Sold Out
The Fair Mile Hospital (before 1948 known by a succession of different names) was until relatively recently Berkshire’s county lunatic asylum. Ian Wheeler will take us around the site with a site plan to help visualise the hospital as it once was.
Lady Hawk
Join us as we follow the life of Fanny Ann Vickers—later Annie Copperthwaite—beginning with her birth in the Newbury Workhouse, and tracing her journey through hardship, resilience, and survival in Victorian England via Henley and Reading. The talk brings to life familiar Newbury locations, including the family’s shop in Bartholomew Street, daughter Ellen’s birth nearby, […]
Why names are a nuisance
How names change over time, and by being misheard, misspelt, misread and mistranslated.
The Silk Industry in Reading
The silk industry existed in Reading for over 200 years, and employed over 500 people in the early 19th century. Yet nowadays few have heard of it. David will describe the different processes involved in silk production, how the industry in Reading was run, some of the firms involved, and whereabouts they operated.
Drop In Advice Session
Bring your questions, problems and ‘brickwalls’ … and get some new ideas and advice from members of the Berkshire Family History Society.
Forget the Family Tree! Tend Your Family Ivy
Looking beyond your direct ancestors is the key to many brick walls and this talk answers the question of how our ancestors’ spouses can help us do that!
Postcards from a different Front Line
Illustrated with postcards sent during the First World War, this talk shares the stories of air raids, lost love and how our ancestors faced the challenge of surviving the war and beyond.
Family History – the dark side
Everyone has a rogue or two among their ancestors, discover how to find out more about them.
June 2026
Face-to-Face Family History Advice Clinic
Just beginning your family history research and need some advice? Banging your head against a brick wall? Or struggling with some other issues? In this one-to-one session, one of our seasoned advisors will help you make some progress
June Natter Group
Informal discussion group for members of Berks FHS, facilitated by Chad Hanna and Gillian Stevens. Topics are chosen by the group on a monthly basis. End time varies. Free to attend, but pre-booking required.Â
How Do You Talk to Ghosts?
What would the countryside look like today, if we hadn’t shut the farmgate on women after WWII? And how exactly do you talk to ‘ghosts’? Nicola’s second book, Ghosts of the Farm, is a true story of two women who both wanted to be farmers, in the same village in West Berkshire, 60-80 years apart. […]
Drop In Advice Session
Bring your questions, problems and ‘brickwalls’ … and get some new ideas and advice from members of the Berkshire Family History Society.
No event found!