A warm welcome and a helping hand to anyone researching their roots in Suffolk, land of the southern folk.
News
Coronavirus Emergency
Posted by K Pulford on Sun, 21st Jun 2020
The following lists gives the status of talks and meetings held by the Groups. The emergency may continue for some time and may involve further cancellations. Please check back to see updates of the programmes.
Bury St Edmunds
The Hyndman centre has said they are closed until further notice so our meetings will cancelled until further notice. We belive that the social distancing needs to be relaxed or removed before we can start agin. Since we will not be able to hold our AGM as planned the Chairman's and Treasures report has been put on the Bury group's news page for you to down load.
Sudbury Group
March and April meetings postponed.
Haverhill Group
April, May and June meetings have been cancelled.
Lowestoft Group
It has been decided to cancel the Family History Drop-Session at the Heritage Centre on Wednesday 18 March and the monthly meeting at the United Reform Church, London Road North, Lowestoft on 7 April due to the above.
Ipswich Group
March and April meeting are cancelled. The coach trip to Family Tree Live has been cancelled.
SFHS Online Shop
The shop is operating as normal and we are delivering orders via mail as usual. You can use this as a way of doing some extra research whilst at home.
Suffolk Archives
All branches of Suffolk Archives will be closed until further notice.
To keep you busy during self-isolation finish your family tree using this free starter chart
Latest Marriage Index
Posted by Webmaster on Sat, 13th Jun 2020
We are pleased to bring you our latest CD of early (1650-1753) Suffolk Marriages, this one for Thedwastre & Stow deaneries, which complements our recent Baptisms CD for the same area and years.
Located in the centre of the county it covers 40 parishes: from those neighbouring Bury St Edmunds, in the west, to those around Stowmarket, in the east.
Names of all parishes covered, and the available years*, can be found in our Suffolk Parishes listings and also in our Shop where the CD is now available, price £10.00 + p&p.
Our thanks for this CD to our dedicated helpers working from original registers held at Bury & Ipswich Record Offices. For details of all deanery areas completed and those in progress please see Current Projects.
Study History at West Suffolk Colledge
Posted by K Pulford on Fri, 12th Jun 2020
‘Study history, study history’ (Winston Churchill)
Come to the West Suffolk College and change your life.
History is important and in the present times, we know we are living in a moment that will be of historic signifcance.
Here at the West Suffolk Campus, Bury St Edmunds, we provide two courses that reach out to the historian in you.
The Access to History, English and Sociology: is the ideal course to get back into learning. It will introduce you to new and exciting opportunities. No previous qualifications are necessary. You will be exposed to challenging and thought provoking discussions, which will open up your mind to new concepts and ways of engaging, not only with academic subjects, but also with the world outside.
As well as providing a recognised route to Higher Education (degree programmes), it is designed to meet the needs of adult learners with child-friendly timetables and plenty of support. It is also a great way of building up confidence and meeting new people, all with a common goal.
The course is nationally recognised qualification for entry by all British universities. The Access to History, English and Sociology Course at the West Suffolk College enjoys a high success rate with the majority of our students going on to degree study. While many of our students have progressed to the BA (Hons) degree programmes at University of Suffolk here at Bury St Edmunds, others have gone on to study on a wide range of degree course in the humanities and social sciences nationally and an internationally.
History and English BA (hons) Degree Programme
Here at the West Suffolk College we offer the exciting combination of History and Literature. Both subjects explore similar issues and examine how, by knowing and exploring the past, we are more aware of the present and the future. Over the degree your will explore how we have been shaped as individuals and as a nation from ancient Greece, through early modern society, Victorian endeavour and on to the turbulent twentieth century.
For more information on these courses contact Dr Virginia Geraghty and Dr Radojka Startup.
Start a new history today.
SUFFOLK ROOTS - Editor & Page Make-up
Posted by Webmaster on Sun, 31st May 2020
Our editor for the past six years, Geoff. Dennish, is retiring due to health problems which he assures us are age, not job, related!
We are thus seeking a volunteer, or volunteers, who are willing to take over from him.
As members will be aware, our professionally printed journal is published in March, June, September and December each year and mainly comprises articles contributed by society members.
Each issue also includes an individual ‘theme’ which attracts related stories from readers’ own research or experiences.
Editing prepares the text material received from contributors for publication;
This is then followed by:-
Page make-up when the article and any accompanying illustrations are formatted, together with any accompanying illustrations, into our standard journal layout for the Printer.
These functions can either be carried out separately or they can be combined, as is the case at present.
Experienced Family historians with some knowledge of Word Processing - or Desk Top Publishing – and working from home are sure to find these voluntary tasks both interesting and satisfying.
Our friendly, helpful Printers have produced both Suffolk Roots and several similar publications for many years and can provide production advice.
They operate internationally and are thus well-used to working with customers at a distance so it is not necessary that our journal be compiled in Suffolk - or even in the UK!
All reasonable expenses incurred in the course of these editorial and pre-production processes will be reimbursed promptly and in full by the society.
To learn more about this essential and valued work, please contact the society through the following e-mail address: applications@suffolkfhs.org.uk
Doug Howlett
Patron
Latest Baptism Index CD
Posted by Webmaster on Sat, 16th May 2020
This new CD, for Bosmere and Claydon Deanery areas, is a welcome addition to our growing collection of early (1650-1753) Anglican baptisms and links the already completed deanery areas in the west with those in the east of the county.
36 parishes in the centre of the county are covered in an area stretching between Stowmarket, Ipswich & Debenham to the north. Parish names and their available years*, can be found in our Suffolk Parishes listings and also in our Shop where the CD is now available, price £15.32 + p&p.
Our special thanks to our dedicated team of volunteers for this their last CD completed at the old Ipswich Branch of Suffolk Record Office, and we all look forward the opening of the new building, currently ‘On Hold’.
All published entries are also available from our Search Services and for details of all deanery areas completed, along with those in progress, please visit our Current Projects.
David Daldry
Posted by K Pulford on Tue, 28th Apr 2020
I am sure we are all saddened to hear of the loss of David Daldry on Wednesday 22nd April 2020. David helped to form the Sudbury Group some 25 years ago and was a great support to them.
He was a past Chairman and Vice Chairman of Suffolk Family History Society and also Membership Secretary. David was a stalwart member of the Family History Federation executive committee. He was the Federation's Liaison Officer and was often seen around the country at exhibitions. David was a larger than life character with a wonderful sense of humour. We will miss him greatly.
David's obituary will be published in the next edition of the SFHS's Suffolk Roots.
Latest Baptism Index CD
Posted by Webmaster on Tue, 14th Apr 2020
We are pleased to bring you a little good news in these different and difficult times – the release of our 40th CD of the project and the penultimate one to complete our countywide coverage of all Anglican baptisms for 1754-1900.
This one, for South Elmham & Wangford Deaneries, includes Beccles & Bungay(2) and 23 surrounding parishes in the NE of the county. Names of all parishes covered, and the available years* of each, can be found in our Suffolk Parishes listings and also in our Shop where the CD is now available, price £15.32 + p&p.
Our special thanks to all our dedicated volunteers who’ve helped with the project over the past 17, yes seventeen, years, including our present teams, some of whom are taking an enforced break with the closure of Suffolk Record Office branches, whilst our growing ‘Home’ team continue work apace, and now also on those early (1650-1753) baptisms.
All published entries are also available from our Search Services and for details of all deanery areas completed, along with those in progress, please visit our Current Projects.
We look forward to bringing you another CD very soon so watch this space! Meanwhile stay safe, at home, and perhaps researching your family history?
Latest Marriage Index CD
Posted by Webmaster on Tue, 17th Mar 2020
We are pleased to bring you our latest CD of early (1650-1753) Suffolk Marriages, this one for Ipswich deanery in the east of the county.
Ipswich comprises twelve large parishes – reflecting the town’s early importance & size and where all marriages, including those of non conformists, took place.
Names of all parishes covered, and the available years*, can be found in our Suffolk Parishes listings and also in our Shop where the CD is now available, price £10.00 + p&p.
Our thanks for this CD to our dedicated helpers working from original registers held at Ipswich Record Office. For details of all deanery areas completed and those in progress please see Current Projects.
Latest Baptism Index CD
Posted by Webmaster on Sat, 22nd Feb 2020
We are pleased to bring you our latest CD of early (1650-1753) Anglican baptisms, this one for Thingoe deanery in the centre of the western half of the county.
Thingoe comprises the two large parishes in Bury St Edmunds plus 17 others in villages to the west and south of the town and nicely fills the’ gap’ between four other deaneries already completed. Names of all parishes covered, and the available years*, can be found in our Suffolk Parishes listings and also in our Shop where the CD is now available, price £15.32 + p&p.
Our thanks for this CD to our dedicated team of helpers working from original registers held at Bury Record Office. For details of all deanery areas completed and those in progress please see Current Projects.
Suffolk Archive (Record Office) Closures
Posted by K Pulford on Thu, 9th Jan 2020
As part of the upgrade of the Suffolk Archive service there will be a number of closures across the county whilst improvements are made to the offices.
Busy St Edmunds
The Bury St Edmunds Archive building will temporarily close from Wednesday 15 to Wednesday 29 January inclusive, reopening on Thursday 30 January, to allow for much needed redecoration to be carried out at the Bury St Edmunds Archives.
Please note that all scheduled courses for week beginning 20 January will continue as expected, however the rest of the building will be unavailable for research purposes. If you have booked onto a course, please arrive at the entrance of the building as normal and you will be met by a member of staff.
Lowestoft
n February 2020 we will be upgrading the existing Searchroom in the Lowestoft Library building. This means that the first floor Searchroom will need to be temporarily closed between Monday 3 February and Monday 2 March 2020, to allow works to be carried out safely and efficiently. Customers can continue to access the rest of the Library building as normal.
As part of this work, we will be creating an audio/visual space where visitors will be able to view digital images of prints and engravings, glass plates and photographs, and online exhibitions. They will also be able to listen to oral history sound recordings.
Ipswich
On Monday 2 March, we will start the final preparations for moving archive material from Ipswich Archives to our new bespoke facilities at The Hold, located within Ipswich’s unique and regenerating Waterfront. This work involves securely packing and wrapping unique and irreplaceable items to protect them during the move.
This means the current Ipswich Archives building, located on Gatacre Road, Ipswich will close on Monday 2 March. The collections will be available to view in The Hold from Spring 2020.
For further information and any updates please visit https://www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/about-suffolk-archives/service-changes-at-suffolk-record-office/december-2019/
