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.
This page contains information about the society and its organisation.
- Our Groups
- Current projects
- Contact us
- Our Publications
- Fair Programme
- Elected Officers
- Coordinators for our projects
- Honorary Officers
- Trustees
- Privacy Policy
Our Groups
The Society has four groups, based in the major population centres in the County.
Monthly meetings are held in:
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 at the record offices uses transcribers and checkers where the original registers are available. For those working at home, copies of parish register pages on microfiche are provided .
Marriage Index
The project aims index all the marriages registered in the parish churches in the county. The registers are being transcribed in phases starting at the earliest and going back to the earlier ones. The first two phases, 1813-1837 and 1754 to 1812 has now been completed and are published and available for purchase . The third phase 1650 to 1753 is now under way with some indexes already published. To see what indexes are available and the information they contain see here. If you would like to help and want to know more please contact our Marriage Index Co-ordinator
Baptism Index
The project aims to index all the baptisms recorded in the parish registers in the county. The registers are being transcribed in phases starting at the latest and going back to the earlier ones. The first phase, 1813-1837 has now been completed and is published and available for purchase . The second phase 1754 to 1812 is now almost complete with some indexes already published and available for purchase. The third phase 1650 to 1753 has been stated again with some indexes available for purchase. To see what indexes are available and the information they contain see here. If you would like to help and want to know more please contact our Baptism Index Co-ordinator
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.
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.
Elected Officers
Chair |
Andy Kerridge |
Vice Chair | To be appointed |
Hon Secretary | Ken Finch 65 Churchill Avenue Ipswich Suffolk IP4 5DT secretary@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Hon. Treasurer | Carolyn Alderson 65 Churchill Avenue Ipswich Suffolk IP4 5DT treasurer@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Co-ordinators
Membership Secretary
[Changes to membership details should be sent here] |
David Horton 26 The Crescent Slough SL1 2LQ membership@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Publications Officer | Jean Licence publications@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Publicity officer | |
Roots Editor | Roots Editorial Team editor@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Baptism Index Search Service Provider | Arthur Bird baptismsearch@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Baptism Index Co-ordinator | Alan Bumpstead baptisms@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Baptism Index Co-ordinator (1650-1812 West of County) | Christine Palmer baptisms@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Baptism Index Co-ordinator (1650-1812 East of County) | Diane Kirby baptisms@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Marriage Index Search Service Provider & Co-ordinator | Arthur Bird marriages@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Burial Index Co-ordinator and Search Provider |
Arthur Bird |
Monumental Inscriptions Search Service Provider & Co-ordinator | Arthur Bird burials@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Librarian | Jean Licence publications@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Webeditor |
For all contributions and website content including problems on the website or shop webeditor@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Webmaster | webmaster@suffolkfhs.org.uk |
Honorary Officers
Patron |
|
Mr. Douglas Howlett | |
Honorary Life Members |
|
The Lord Tollemache KCVO | |
Sir Henry Paston-Bedingfeld Bt, Norroy and Ulster King of Arms | |
Mrs. Katherine Bardwell | |
Mrs Margaret Barfield | |
Mrs Pat King-Gardiner | |
Mr. Harry Chesney | |
Mrs. Elizabeth Arkieson | |
Mr. Michael J Durrant | |
Mr. Robert Brown | |
Mrs. Ann Youngs | |
Mr. Douglas Howlett | |
Mr. Alan Bumpstead | |
Mr. Derek Palgrave | |
Mrs. Pamela Palgrave | |
Mr. David Talmage | |
Mr. Derek Wright | |
Mr. Arthur Bird |
SOCIETY TRUSTEES
Andy Kerridge | chair@suffolkfhs.co.uk | |
Vice Chair to be appointed |
- | |
Ken Finch | treasurer@suffolkfhs.co.uk | |
Joan Horton | londontrustee@suffolkfhs.org.uk | |
Brian Thompson | brian@suffolkfhs.co.uk | |
David Horton | londontrustee@suffolkfhs.org.uk | |
Jean Licence | publications@suffolkfhs.org.uk | |
Sue Flockton | ||
Carolyn Alderson | ||
Kevin Pulford |