Genealogy Chat

Hi Everyone

I am thinking of starting up a genealogy group in my local area and was wondering if anyone has any tips?

I have contacted our local history dept in our local library who say we can use the computers to access Ancestry but apart from that I don't know how to organise the group.

Has anyone else set up their own genalogy group and could they give me some pointers as to what to do?

Many thanks

Diana

Hi Diana,

Thats exactley what I had in mind to do. Again, the local library is prepared to let us use the computer.

As I live in a village, I thought of putting a small add in the village monthly newsletter to test the water, so to speak.

I can only "teach" the route I went down which was....try, try, try.......

Kathlyn

Hi Kathlyn

Thank you for the reply. I and a friend would like to meet up with other folk interested in family history but were't sure how to go about it.

We were thinking of having a drop in session and if anyone has any problems with their tree see if we can help in any way.

I have approached the library but there might be a health and safety issue if we were to meet in one of the rooms but I am going to see if it can be done. It also depends on how much they would charge for the room too.

We are sure there are a lot of people interested in family history in our area. I have spoken to professional genealogists locally to ask if there was a group but all they want to do is get you to do their courses.

I think we will have to think about this carefully. We just don't know how to organise it.

Thank you for replying. It is interesting to hear other people's ideas.

Diana

Perhaps as a kind of project (apologies if this is the equivalent of trying to run before you're walking) if enough people are interested, you could each volunteer to, say, transcribe gravestones in a local churchyard to build up a bank of local burials.

There are a lot of websites where you can get free webspace (I have a family history site like this that's really easy to edit and where other users can contribute by leaving messages etc) so perhaps you could put your findings together on the web?

And maybe if you got meetings together, you could have a kind of "surgery" time in each meeting where people share their brick walls and maybe other members each volunteer to solve another's puzzle.

Hi Kate

Thank you for that advice. It has given me food for thought. At present there are some volunteers who are trying to index certain records( I think at present it is burgess rolls) ( I live in Scotland) and I am going to meet them next week to find out more. so maybe they will have some ideas too.

I am afraid I am not a leader but a follower but in this instance I am taking the bull by the horns so to speak as I would like to get this idea off the ground.

I am already involved with a very good website (Scotlandsfamilytree forum) and try to help people online with stuff they can't get because they do not live in this area.

Thank you again for the advice. It is much appreciated and all helps us to find a way forward.

Diana

You're welcome, Diana. The reason I set my "do-it-yourself" one up was quite straightforward. First, I had done a uni project on building your own website and knew that the technical skills were completely beyond me. Secondly, I wanted something easy to use - basically with mine, you add the pictures and write in the text. (And, third, it is free on the site I'm using.)

What I didn't realise - which has turned out to be a real benefit - is that people can leave messages for you, a bit like starting a thread on here. It's easy to edit too, and the changes on the page are immediate.

Hi Kate

As a long term project the idea of a website sounds really good although I am not great with technology! For anyone who was computer literate it would be really useful to keep in touch on the website and discuss the findings.

To start with I think if I find a suitable meeting room locally it will mean I can meet people in person which was the main point of the exercise. I love doing my family history on the computer but would just like to make some contact in person with other like minded people.

Many thanks again

Diana

nudge

If there is a local branch of the Family History Society wouldn't you be better joining the ready made one?

I belong to the Somerset and Dorset Family History group and they hold branch meetings all over the county.

I also run Yahoo groups for three branches of my tree. I've found people who share one of my rare names and we are helping each other. We've got nearly 70 of us in that group now.

Good luck and good hunting whatever you decide to do.

Sue
x

Hi Sue

Thank you for replying to my post.

My FHS group is quite far away from where I live and I really wanted to start something up locally. I think I shall look into helping out at our local Archives which is in its infancy and go from there.

It is lovely to hear what other people do re. meeting like minded people.

Your advice is very much appreciated.

Many thanks

Diana

Hi Diana,

I´m glad you´ve posted this. I live in Spain and feel very much I would like to start a group locally. There are a lot of expats here and there are groups about virtually every topic under the sun, except gen. I´m sure you will be able to get one going Diana. If you live in a village maybe you could put an ad in the newsagents (do you still do that in UK?) or in the parish mag. I´m sure there are lots of people nearby you who would enjoy meeting up.
Good luck.

Diana I helped set up a local family history group that has now been running for nearly 2 years. There are things you do have to do depending on how you are going to run it. We also have a room in the local library and have to pay rent for the use of the room, if you have to do this then you have to sort out some sort of funding.

What we do is people pay a small payment every week to pay the rent on the room, we also have a yearly membership which people do not have to pay but members have a say in how the group is run and have priority use of computers. With any funds we have we have trips to Archives, and fairs.

I can give you a lot more information and help if you would like it.

Christine

Hi M.
If you were to join the FHS for your area you may find that there are other members living quite near to you who may be interested in a smaller group as well - and may know other locals who have shown some interest.
My wife and I belong to the local branch of the NZ Gen. Soc. A number of members have an afternoon meeting in people's homes one a month, where they discuss their brickwalls or tell of successes and offer help.
Don't know if a years sub would be worth it?
B

Don't write off your local family History Society just bacause they meet too far away, as Bernie says, there may be members who would like to form a smaller group nearer you.

There are benefits in being part of an established society, you can get help with the cost involved in running an efficient group, such as the hire of a meeting place and the cost of engaging speakers, to name just two.

I belong to six societies as well as an independant local group, I know what a struggle it is for the local group to fund their activities.

Jennifer

Hi Everyone

I'm sorry I did not get back in touch last night but I decided to have an early night.

Thank you all very much for your advice. It really helped hearing all the different points of view.

I take on board that there might be others in the local Family History society who would be interested in a smaller group.I live in a small village I am sure I would get lots of folk interested but did not want it to be too big to start with. I am going to contact our library again re. what the cost would be to hire a room. Unfortunately they are not able to supply a computer linked to the Internet (which would be good as they have Ancestry) in the local history room which would be ideal as a meeting place. I am looking at other options at present.

I shall update you all on how I get on as I get this sorted out.

Many thanks again for your input. It is much appreciated.

Diana

Best of luck with your venture Diana.

I wish you lived nearer to me so I could join!!

Best wishes

Maria

Hi Maria

Thanks for the good luck wishes. I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew!

Watch this space!

Diana