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Genealogy

There has been an enormous increase in family history research in recent years. As people have moved further away from their roots, so their interest in those roots has increased. It has become a positive growth industry and the number of genealogists, both amateur and professional, has expanded enormously. Interest in the United Kingdom has been created by TV programmes, education classes, as well as by the publication of many popular books on the subject.

Genealogy was once a rather stuffy pursuit, limited to ancient families and royalty, but the recent expansion of interest has shown that much can be found out about even very humble ancestors living 300 years ago. Each English county now has its own family history society to channel information to members, to encourage them to undertake local research and to assist newcomers in what can seem a confusing activity at first.

About the Society

The Hertfordshire Family History Society (a member of the Federation of Family History Societies) was founded in 1977 and is a registered charity (Registered Charity No. 285008). The Society has already played an important role in family history research in the county. We hold regular meetings and try to strike a balance between talks for the experienced family researcher and sessions for complete beginners who do not know where to start.

Membership entitles you to attend meetings, submit your research interests for inclusion in our Members' Interest Index, receive the quarterly Society Journal and generally join in the activities of the Society.

Society Journal

Members receive four times a year a journal entitled "Hertfordshire People"which, besides articles, gives details of who is working on which names in towns and villages in particular counties. Because we receive journals from other family history societies, both from home and abroad, a library of considerable value for the budding genealogist has been created which is available to members.

Members' Interests

Since the Society was formed, members have been sending us the names and localities of surnames they are researching. From this an index of surnames, expressing members' interests, has been formed which has proved to be a valuable clearing house for those who want to know what others are doing.

Search Facilities

The Society has accumulated a number of valuable research tools available to members at Society meetings, both on fiche and Cd-Rom. These include the International Genealogical Index (I.G.I) for the whole of the United Kingdom, the records of soldiers killed in World Wars One and Two and various census records. Some of these records are available for search, as well as Hertfordshire records compiled by the Society itself, for those unable to attend the meetings.

Projects

The Society has an ongoing project to record the Monumental Inscriptions extant in Hertfordshire churchyards. The Society has also recorded all the Militia Ballot Lists for Hertfordshire, few other counties having such a complete and valuable set. Completed are our projects on the Poor Law, recording all settlement certificates, removal orders and examinations as to settlement still extant in the county archives. A further project is to record bastardy records and indentures. See our projects and publications pages via the menu for more details.

Whether or not you live in Hertfordshire, it is possible to share in the work and benefits of the Society. It is very much a "do-it-yourself" activity as we believe that this is the way to gain maximum satisfaction and benefit from an absorbing and rewarding pastime.

The Society does not act as a genealogical research agent nor does it create family trees for members.

Joining the Society

If you wish to join our Society, please complete the application form available on our Membership page and return it to our Membership Secretary at the address shown.