40th ANIVERSARY

The Society has its foundation in Lowestoft in 1975. If you were an early or perhaps even a founding member, we would love to hear what you recall of those early days.

Did you play a role in the subsequent establishment of the Regional Groups - or have you a story to tell about more recent years? And in this ever- changing world of on-line data access how would you like to see the Society tackle the next 40 years. Whether amusing or annoying; of friendships or frustration; about the past, the present or the future we'd love to hear from you.

Suffolk Roots editor Geoff Dennish is co-ordinating this work and would love to hear from you: by post: at 12 Hall Road, Stowmarket, IP14 1TN or Email
(added 29 Jan 2015)

SUFFOLK ROOTS

Contributions to the Journal are always welcomed. Copy deadline for the March issue has now passed, but contributions to subsequent issues are invited. The Theme for the next issue (June) is "Waterloo - How the great battle affected your family and your county." Deadline for receipt of copy is April 20th.
(See our 'Roots' page for a full listing of Themes)
(added 29 Jan 2015)

RONALD GREENSLADE

It was with great sadness I have been informed of the sad death of Ron Greenslade, one of our Honorary Life Members. Ron was a well loved and respected member of our Society who together with his late wife Jean, was an active member of the Bury St Edmunds group and a member of their committee for many years. Without doubt his greatest achievement for the Society was managing the transcribing and indexing of the Suffolk Burial Index burials 1538-1900. Ron was a lovely man who will be greatly missed by all his colleagues at the Society and everybody who knew him.

Douglas A Howlett, Chairman
(added 27 Jan 2015)

NEW SHOP

We are pleased to announce that our new shop is now open! We are now using a more powerful program to run the shop and we hope that customers will find this easy to use. You still have a choice of paying either by Credit Card or PayPal.
(added 13 Jan 2015)

NEW BAPTISM CD

We're pleased to announce the latest CD in our Baptism Index Series:

Sudbury Deanery (East) 1813*-1900* [BPI-04/P1] covering 34 Anglican parishes between Sudbury and Hadleigh. Full details of parishes, including years*, in our listings: Suffolk Parishes.

Special thanks to our members involved as they’ve now completed all Anglican baptisms from 1754-1900* in the Deaneries along the south of the county.
(added 13 Jan 2015)

BURY GROUP

Please note that Bury St Edmunds Group are changing the venue of their monthly meetings. As from 21 January 2015, meetings will be held at: Hyndman Centre, Hospital Road, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3JT
(added 10th Jan 2015)

NEW YEARS HONOURS

Our Society would like to extend our congratulations to Lord Tollemache one of our Honorary Life Members who has been made Knight Commander of The Royal Victorian Order in the Queen's New Year's Honours.

Lord Tollemache, who lives at Helmingham Hall has recently retired from his role as the Queen’s representative in Suffolk, a position he had held since 2003. During that time he played a key role in many Royal visits, presenting medals and honours, liaising with Suffolk’s military and visiting schools.

Douglas A Howlett, Chairman
(added 2 Jan 2015)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It’s the Society’s 40th Anniversary year and we wish all our members and visitors an especially happy and successful 2015.

We’ll be bringing you new resources, help and much more including our ‘Suffolk Roots’ Journal, Search Services and Events too.
(added 1 Jan 2015)

NEWCOMERS TAKE SHIELD

The Jean Evan’s Memorial Shield was again keenly contested at the Haverhill Christmas Quiz with the ‘Far and Wide’ team of Sylvia, Lyndesay, Maria & Carol receiving the honours from Committee member Wilma Power.
(added 1 Jan 2015)

QUIZ HITS FESTIVE NOTE

It’s the Society’s 40th Anniversary year and we wish all our members and visitors an especially happy and successful 2015.
(added 27 Nov 2014)

SOLDIER’S GRAVE MARKED

Haverhill group’s WW1 & WW2 exhibition finished on a high when members heard their request for a CWGC memorial on the previously unknown grave of soldier buried in their cemetery had been agreed. The discovery of Pte Stephen Webb’s grave was made by Secretary Charmian Thompson, pictured far right with other members, who had all contributed to the town’s Roll of Honour.
(added 1 Dec 2014)

MANORIAL DOCUMENTS REGISTER

The Suffolk Record Office announced the launch of the Suffolk Manorial Documents Register at The Gosnold Suite at Otley Hall on Saturday 22 November.

The occasion marked the conclusion of a four year project to update the Suffolk Manorial Documents Register and make it easier for researchers to find information on what records are available and where they can be found. The records of a manor may stretch from the 19th back to the 14th century. They contain a wealth of information useful for genealogy as they may give family names and relationships for two centuries before parish registers begin.

The Register was complied by a team of volunteers led by Gemma Field, Suffolk Manorial Documents Register Project Archivist. Kevin Pulford a member of the Bury St Edmunds Group was very active collating the data and developing the structure the data base.

Access to the register can be made via the TNA website.
(added 24 Nov 2014)

MORE FUN AT THE SFHS FAIR

Members and visitors alike received a warm welcome to the Fair, held in new Ipswich UCS waterfront venue.
Pictured: Howard King and Amanda Straderick on the door.

On offer were a tempting mix of stalls, popular talks and a research room staffed by members from the Society’s groups.
Pictured: Ann Youngs & Jeanie Smith helping members Raymond & Shirley Beaumont from Nuneaton.
(added 23 Oct 2014)

SUFFOLK RECORD OFFICE

Announce new opening hours from Wed 1st Oct 2014, at all three branches:- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9.30-16.30.

SRO will be closed to the public on Wednesdays and Sundays, but offer a full archive production service on Saturdays.
(added 30 Sep 2014)

NEW BAPTISM CD

We're pleased to announce the release of the latest CD in our Baptism Index Series:

Fordham Deanery area 1754-1812* [BPI-09/P2] covering 18 Anglican parishes in the north west corner of the county, from Newmarket to Brandon. Suffolk Parishes.

Special thanks to our team involved as they’ve now completed all 1754-1812 Anglican baptisms in the west of the county but won’t be resting on their laurels!
(added 18 Sep 2014)

WW2 SUFFOLK ROLL OF HONOUR

The Roll lists all names on town and village war memorials in Suffolk and was created by SFHS Trustee Gwyn Thomas

To find out more and search the database click here.
(added 7 Sep 2014)

SUFFOLK COUSINS – 2

Members David & Dianne Passier from Queensland, Australia, recently retraced their CHAPMAN ‘roots’ back to Little Thurlow and were given a guided tour of the village by churchwarden, Iris Eley who found they were related!

Our Members Interests now include David & Dianne’s details so perhaps you have connections there too?
(added 28 Jul 2014)

SUFFOLK COUSINS – 1

Australian Judy Brodie has a keen interest in her Suffolk ancestors and would welcome anyone else whose relatives left Suffolk for Australia, to view her Family Tree web site: Suffolk Cousins

Names included are shown but if want to see more then you need to contact Judy by email and explain your connection, after which you'll be sent an access code to enable you to view more details and share your research to help grow the tree.
(added 28 Jul 2014)

CATHEDRAL CONNECTIONS?

St Edmundsbury Cathedral celebrates it's centenary this year and to mark the occasion baptism entries from the former church of St James, between 1914 and 1918, have been placed on line.

A few of the families from that time who the Cathedral still have connections with are featured in their Centenary Treasury Exhibition and they hope others whose ancestors were baptised there will come forward with photos/memories, etc.

Details here
(added 8 Jul 2014)

MAGNA CARTA & BURY

It is believed the Barons of England met in the Abbey Church of Bury St Edmunds in 1214 and swore to force King John to accept the Charter of Liberties … more from local Solicitors Greene & Green and Magna Carta 800th Anniversary website.

WORLD WAR ONE

The BBC with partners IWM (Imperial War Museum) chose the Suffolk Show at Ipswich to launch their WW1 Live Events and members of SFHS were proud to be part of it.

Visitors were greeted and guided to a variety of attractions: Recruitment Office, Pals Activity Tent, Briefing Room, BBC's WW1 at Home and the IWM's Lives of the First World War research trailer.

There was also a chance to promote the Society and welcome new members and existing members alike.

Pictured are Judith Rye (Group Liason Trustee) & Geoffrey Dennish ('Roots' Editor) talking to newcomer Penny Power (left).

To see if the there's a WW1 At Home Event near you click here, or for more about the IWM project click here.
(added 2 June 2014)

NEW BAPTISM CD

We're pleased to announce the release of the latest CD in our Baptism Index Series:
Hartismere Deanery area 1754-1812* [BPI-010/P2]

This covers 31 Anglican parishes to the north of Stowmarket, from Bacton in the east to Wethingsett in the west and up to the Norfolk border. For a complete listing of all parishes covered see our Suffolk Parishes.

This time our thanks to all the members of the east of county team, including Co-ordinator Diane Kirby based, along with some colleagues, at the Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich. Work is already well underway on their next deanery area Hoxne which will further extend our coverage of parishes bordering Norfolk.
(added 17 May 2014)

SUFFOLK FHS WEBSITE

We've begun a series of changes to our website to make the site easier to use and keep updated and also to enable new features to be added.

Helping us to develop the site is a young Suffolk lad Matthew Ball whose credits you will now find on the Members Interest pages - the first of the changes.

Matthew is assisted by our webmaster, David Talmage. David created our website over 10 years ago and the shop four years ago. These are now showing their age and Matthew is modernising the site. Matthew and David are pictured at a recent meeting, to discuss plans for our new Shop - so watch these pages!
(added 27 March 2014)

SOCIETIES DAY

Suffolk Local History Council recently held their annual gathering of L/H Societies and their members at Elmswell. A wide range of interesting talks were staged together with a number of displays.

SFHS were represented by Jan Harger, Chairman of Bury Group, who was pleased to welcome new member Jill Scarff. (pictured left).

Jill is the Local History Recorder for Combs and the SLHC, which runs the Scheme, is having a recruitment drive. If you are interested contact Secretary, Janette Robinson by Email
(added 27 March 2014 - Name corrected 12th Nov 2014)

WDYTYA? LIVE 2014

Another successful Fair was held at London Olympia with lots of faces, new and familiar, greeted over the three days on the SFHS Stand.

Helping stalwarts Arthur Bird and David Daldry this year, and very much appreciated too, was member Jean Parkinson.

Details of future fairs to be attended by SFHS can be found on our 'Come and Meet Us' page.
(added 27 March 2014)

SUFFOLK SURNAMES

Charlie Haylock drew a large audience to the Bury Group meeting who were kept amused during his talk on Surnames by his Suffolk wit & charm and all delivered in a Suffolk dialect!

If you couldn't make it there's a glimpse of what you missed on his website http://charliehaylock.com/
(added 14 Feb 2014)

SUFFOLK ROOTS - EDITOR DESIGNATE

I am pleased to announce that following my recent request for editorial assistance after Trish Marshall and Adrian Pye relinquish their posts with the June 2014 edition of Suffolk Roots, Geoffrey Dennish has agreed to take on the role of Editor.

At a recent Group Coordinating Meeting Adrian (left) symbolically handed to Geoffrey a copy of the latest edition of the journal.

I would like to thank Trish, Adrian and the rest of the editorial team for producing a journal we can all be proud of.
(added 2 Jan 2014)

LATEST MARRIAGES CD

We're pleased to announce our Marriage Index CD covering Dunwich and Lothingland Deanery areas from 1754 to 1812 is now available.

For a complete listing of all the parishes see Suffolk Parishes

This CD completes the transcribing of all Suffolk Marriages for 1754-1837 and is a milestone for the dedicated work of our Marriage Index Co-ordinator Pamela Palgrave (pictured with the new CD) and her small team of helpers who should be justly proud of their achievement.

Work is already progressing on the final phase, 1538 to 1753, and if you're willing to help at one of the Suffolk Record Offices with these difficult to read early registers do please contact Pamela.
(added 20 Nov 2013)

NEW BURIAL INDEX CO-ORDINATOR

The Society is pleased to announce that one of its members, and long-time helper with the Baptism Index, Mrs Yvonne Hesketh, has kindly offered to help complete the work on this important project.

Since all the earlier excellent good work by Ron Mitson, and his successor Ron Greenslade, several registers have now been deposited at Suffolk Record Offices containing entries that were not previously available on microfiche.

Yvonne is pictured at Bury Record Office, with Trustee Arthur Bird, working on the first part of this final stage of the project to record entries for all burial places up to 1900.

Yvonne can be contacted at Email or by post (see Contact Us).
(added 21 Aug 2013)