Berkshire Family History Society

Informal discussion group, 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.  ...

Like every similar sized town across England, Reading suffered a large number of casualties as a result of the First World War. The talk will refer to Reading Old Cemetery's WW1 war graves and commemorations. Speaker, Liz Tait, will also make reference to the Alfred Sutton School War Memorial and the St. Luke’s Church War Memorial. ...

This workshop is designed for Family Historians who are researching their relatives who served in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Naval Division during World War One. WW1 saw a huge change in the Royal Navy with submarines and aircraft joining the fleet for the first time in a major conflict. We will look at some of these and what they meant to the men and women who served. We will look at the ranks and also the roles each rank undertook both onboard ship and ashore. Finally, we will unravel some of the terminology and jargon used. ...

Named after the Carpathian mountain range, RMS Carpathia was a Cunard line transatlantic passenger steamship. It is probably best known for rescuing survivors of the rival White Star Line's RMS Titanic, after the latter struck an iceberg and sank with the loss of between 1,490 and 1,635 people in the North Atlantic Ocean. In dangerous conditions, the Carpathia navigated the ice fields, managing to arrive two hours after the Titanic had sunk, and enabling the crew to rescue 705 survivors from the ship's lifeboats. In 1918, the Carpathia in turn sank after being torpedoed three times by a German submarine. Find out more in this fascinating talk by Paul Barnett. ...

Holy Trinity Church stands on the Oxford Road in Reading, about 500 metres west of the town centre.  It was built in 1826 as a proprietary chapel, to the designs of local architect Edward Garbett. It appears in one of the earliest photographs ever taken by Henry Fox Talbot, in 1840. The church is grade II listed, mainly because of its chancel rood screen designed by Augustus Pugin. However, the church is packed with other fine furnishings including a Queen Anne pulpit, from which both Wesley brothers have preached. Below, lies its crypt with burial vaults dating back to the earliest years of the building's use. Churchwarden Ron Cutting will lead this tour. He will explain the history of the church and some of its more prominent parishioners. The tour will include a visit to the very fine and atmospheric crypt, which, for many, will be the highlight of this special visit.  ...

The society's visits and walks are always very popular and this one takes us to St Mary’s (the Minster) Church, which has a rich history. It may date back as far as the 7th century when tradition has St Birinus forming a small chapel on the site. Enjoy a guided tour of this important building and learn about its history and the notable families of Reading associated with it. Don’t forget to check out the 150-year-old Indian Bean Tree in the churchyard, one of a number of significant trees planted there. The tour includes refreshments at St Mary’s. ...

This online course comprises a series of six workshops for those new to researching family history including where to start, how to progress and good research practice. Learn how to work with core records of civil registration, censuses, parish registers and modern wills. Discover the different genealogy websites, the content they offer and their strengths and limitations. This course also acts as a good refresher for those wanting to make sure they have covered all the bases. There are six sessions: March 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th and April 3rd & 17th.  All run from 7pm - 9.30pm.  ...

Informal discussion group, 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.  ...

An affecting account of railway activities in England and in France during the Great War. This second talk on railways during the war will include the transport and care of the wounded back to Blighty with some focus on South Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. Railways permitted the mass movements of munitions, equipment and men – and the harrowing resulting casualties, many of whom were taken through the Thames Valley. ...