About Us

Founded at Lowestoft in 1975, we are a group of keen amateur genealogists whose objectives are to promote and encourage the study of family history, genealogy, heraldry and local history with particular reference to Suffolk; and to promote the preservation, security and accessibility of archive material.

The Society is a registered charitable company, run by its elected Trustees and Elected Officers with the support of Honorary Members and other volunteers and is a member of the Federation of Family History Societies.  Our registered office in Crowfield is purely a postal address.  We do not have any premises for you to visit.

 

Our Groups

The Society has five groups, based in the major population centres in the County.

Monthly meetings are held in:

• Bury St Edmunds
• Haverhill
• Ipswich
• Lowestoft
• Sudbury

 

A warm welcome awaits you at any of our group meetings. Each group organises its own programme of talks, walks, open days and events. Advice is always available for those just starting their family tree, or those who are looking for a missing 'branch.' For more information click on the required Group name above.

The Society has a comprehensive programme to publish local material including indexes and transcripts of records. Members are encouraged to take part in projects such as recording gravestone inscriptions, indexing and transcribing parish and other archives.

 

Current Projects

The society organises a number of projects to collect and index information relevant to family history and makes this available for purchase via our online shop.  The work can take place in situ at Suffolk Archives in Ipswich, or remotely enabling people to contribute wherever they live.

Alphabetical Index of Parishes

These files show the progress of the transcriptions and are updated as we issue new indexes.  So you can see what parishes are covered by each deanery index, but also for each parish which years are covered

Parishes sorted by deanery
Parishes sorted by parish

 

Baptism Index

We aim to transcribe and index all the baptisms recorded in the Anglican parish registers in the county.  The first and second phases, 1813-1900 and 1754-1812 are complete and available for purchase. The third phase 1650-1753 is nearing completion with almost all the indexes by deanery area available for purchase. The fourth phase 1538-1649 is underway. Baptisms from a number of Non Conformist church registers across the county have also been transcribed and indexed and are available for purchase. To see what indexes are available and the information they contain download this file. If you would like to help and want to know more please contact our Baptism Index Co-ordinator.

Marriage Index

We aim to transcribe and index all the marriages registered in the Anglican parish churches in the county. The first two phases, 1813-1837 and 1754 to 1812 are complete and available for purchase. The third phase 1650-1753 is nearing completion with almost all the indexes by deanery area available for purchase. The fourth phase 1538-1649 is well under way with some indexes already available for purchase. To see what indexes are available and the information they contain down load this file. If you would like to help and want to know more please contact our Marriage Index Co-ordinator.

Wills Beneficiaries

Wills can be a tremendous name-rich source. The testator of course, then the witnesses and executor(s), but there can be a significant number of beneficiaries, naming children, nephews, nieces, neighbours and so on. Current on-line sources tend just to list the testator. Please contact chair@suffolkfhs.org.uk if interested in participating in this project which can be done remotely.

Vaccination Returns for Ipswich (1872-1910)

The vaccination returns are copies of the registers of births for the town, plus the deaths of any infants who died before vaccination. Suffolk Archives also hold copies of the vaccination infant death registers for Ipswich. These were used to identify infants which had died & therefore no longer needed vaccinating. Vaccination was supposed to be performed within the first 4 months of life so we do not usually see deaths after 4 months. In Ipswich however a copy of the entire death register (so all deaths) was made and are believed to be the only ones to exist in England & Wales.  Essentially a free alternative to death certificates for the population of Ipswich at that time.

Early in the 2000s, a project transcribed the vaccination birth and death registers for Ipswich from 1872-1910. The data were transcribed by volunteers – some of whom were Suffolk FHS members.  We are now involved in a project to extend the date coverage up to at least 1926, working with Cambridge and Suffolk Universities as well as a team in Denmark.

The data up to 1910 is within the Search Index on this site - go to the Resources Tab and click the link to SNAPPI at the top of the page. It is open access, you do not have to be a member to search the Vaccinations registers.  As we get the updated information we will update the index.

 

BMD Certificates

We have come into the possession of a large number of BMD certificates and are now making an index to go onto SNAPPI.  At the moment we would welcome  photos/scans of death certificates relevant to Suffolk  So an event in Suffolk or of someone with a strong Suffolk connection but who died anywhere in the world - we have death certs from Malta and New Zealand already.   If you are interested in contributing, please email chair@suffolkfhs.org.uk 

Publications

We publish the results of our indexing and they are available to buy to support your research. We also publish a quarterly journal, Suffolk Roots, which is provided as part of membership. See publications page.

 

Donations of Material

You have spent a lot of time and effort on family history research, and you should consider what happens when you are gone. If you are lucky and can pass it on to a family member excellent, take time to talk through it with them so they understand your process ( and also any passwords necessary). However if there is no-one to pass it onto, then Suffolk FHS may be interested. We have developed a short guide on what we can accept and what we cannot. Please click on this link - Donating Research to SFHS.

 

Fairs

We send representatives of the society to family history fairs outside the county where, if you don't live in the county is an opportunity to meet the society or possibly examine and purchase the societies products.

The society also holds its own Family History fair where there are many family history stalls, and lectures. Many of the society's officers will also be there so it will be an opportunity to meet them.

The fairs visit programme is here and the programme for our fair is here.