News

New Year Resolution to start family history?

  • 8th January 2016

Is it your New Year Resolution to start or restart your family history? We’re the ideal place to come and begin your journey. We hold a large amount of information here. The archives and local studies library contains a vast amount of information for those with ancestors in Worcestershire, and via computer we can provide access to lots of free information for England and Wales.

We are used to people coming to us to get started, and we are used to guiding people. There are very few questions we haven’t been asked and we know the frustrations as well as joys of genealogy.

In the coming months we are running a number of  workshops aimed at helping you begin. These include a 1 hour tour of our resources, a two-part workshop, and sessions specifically on the Ancestry.co.uk website, so you can choose what is most useful to you. They are led by our knowledgeable staff, who have been helping family historians for many years and have been carrying out their own research into their own families so can empathise with you!

Starting Family History workshops

Wed 3 & 10 February 10am-12:30pm

£15

A two part workshop to help you begin tracing your ancestors and building your family tree? We will explain how to get started, key tips and the main sources you will need, including census, civil registration records, parish registers and wills.  At the end of each session we’ll go onto the computers so you have the opportunity to put of it into practice and have a go looking for information

Exploring Ancestry.co.uk

Wed 10 Feb 2-4pm

Wed 16 March 7-9pm (repeat)

£6

Ancestry is one of the best family history websites, but how do you get started on it, how do you make the most of it, and what information is available? Our workshops focus on researching family history using the website and there will be opportunity in the second half to get hands on and have a go on the computers to search the website so participants should already be familiar with computers and the internet.

What’s New on Ancestry.co.uk

Thu 21 Apr 10am-12pm

£6

Lots of new information is added to this website every year, but how do you keep track? In this workshop you can find out about what new sources are available and what’s been added over the last 2 years

First Steps in Family History

First Tuesday in Month 11:30am – 12 Jan, 2 Feb, 1 March, 5 April, 3 May, 7 June

These 1 hour introductions will guide you round the most useful family history resources we hold on the Explore the Past floor and give you some tips on getting started. The sessions take up to 5 people and are £5 per person.

These workshops need to be booked in advance, and be done so online at www.thehiveworcester.org/events. For more information you can phone us on 01905 766352 or email explorethepast@worcestershire.gov.uk.

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