Berkshire Family History Society

When: Thursday 27 August 2026 At first sight, you might have thought that I was claiming to have the film star in my tree, especially as she’s connected to a Robert TAYLOR, too, but that would be entirely in keeping with Eliza’s wish to make herself seem more interesting and socially acceptable than the accurate truth would make her. My investigation into Eliza(beth) TAYLOR started quite early in my research experience and certainly taught me to be wary of accepting records, even official ones, at face value. Along with my research into my (apparently horrendous) paternal grandfather (who never troubled the records of Berkshire), those researches informed one of the tips in a document I felt driven to create after seeing the same queries repeated in different genealogy forums: Remember that the INFORMATION on a certificate (or in a census) is ONLY AS RELIABLE AS THE PERSON supplying or recording it:  Did they understand the question?  Did they really know the answer?  Was there a...

When: Friday 14 August 2026 Now available as a downloadable PDF – instantly available when you complete your purchase Whether you’re in Windsor, England; Windsor Canada; Windsor, USA; Windsor, Australia; or Windsor, New Zealand, this handy little book can be in your hands within a few minutes – direct from the publisher Have you ever tried to read a will or a parish register from the 16th, 17th or early 18th century? If the handwriting looked genuinely impenetrable, you’ve met “secretary hand.” Clerks, vicars and lawyers used this everyday script across England for two hundred years. It looks nothing like modern handwriting. A long s resembles an f. A “th” appears as a single stroke, and the numbers look quite unlike our own. Once you know the alphabet, though, it stops being a mystery and becomes simply another skill to learn. A Secretary Hand ABC Book closes that gap. Genealogy courses recommend it as reading and one makes it mandat...

When: Wednesday 23 September 2026, 14:00 - 16:00 Where: West Berkshire Museum, Newbury We all use online services: Ancestry, Find My Past, The Genealogist, MyHeritage and others but are we making best use of them? They all have their common record sets but each one has their own specific area of family history records.  Join the Newbury Team for this advice session to share experiences of researching family history using these online services, good and less so. It is also a chance to ask us for assistance with your family research. So bring along your queries and that troublesome ‘brickwall’. A laptop will be available to share information on screen. A free guide to show which services are available at the Family Research Centre in Reading, will be available for attendees. This Advice Session is a free to all event, no need to book a place, just come and see us on the day. Please note that the museum was not available to us to hold our usual second Wednesday of the mon...

When: Wednesday 5 August 2026 Have you ever tried to read a will or a parish register from the 16th, 17th or early 18th century? If the handwriting looked genuinely impenetrable, you’ve met “secretary hand.” Clerks, vicars and lawyers used this everyday script across England for two hundred years. It looks nothing like modern handwriting. A long s resembles an f. A “th” appears as a single stroke, and the numbers look quite unlike our own. Once you know the alphabet, though, it stops being a mystery and becomes simply another skill to learn. A Secretary Hand ABC Book closes that gap. Genealogy courses recommend it as reading and one makes it mandatory reading – it isn’t just something we sell ourselves. Our own former chairman, Alf Ison, wrote it over forty years ago. The Society has reprinted it many times since. It takes you through the alphabet letter by letter, exactly as secretary hand actually wrote it. Real wills of the period supply t...

When: Tuesday 4 August 2026 John Weston Jr. was christened on 23rd January 1603 at Nantwich, Cheshire, England 23 to Dr. John Weston, Doctor of Civil Law (DCL), Prebendary and Treasurer of Christ Church, Oxford, and Anne Freeman Weston.  Dr. John Weston was born during 1552 in Oxfordshire. 1,2&3 John Weston Jr.’s grandparents were, Robert Weston, Legum Doctor (Doctor of Law or LL.D), Fellow of All Souls of Oxford, Dean of Arches, Dean of St. Patrick’s, Dublin, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and Alice Jenyngs Weston of Weeford, Staffordshire. Robert Weston, was born by 1515 in Weeford, Staffordshire and passed away on 30th May 1573 in Cork, Ireland. He was buried on 18th July 1573 in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, Leinster, Ireland. 8&9 John Weston Jr. was documented as “an only son” of Dr. John Weston and Anne Freeman Weston. The adolescent life of John Weston Jr. (henceforth called John Weston), being “the only son” of his family with three older sisters, was mo...

When: Tuesday 29 September 2026, 19:30 - 21:30 Where: Windsor Team Webinar ‘Poor Fallen Women’: Rehabilitation and ‘salvation’ of women and girls admitted to Clewer House of Mercy between 1850 and 1899 by Dr Alison Pedley, University of Roehampton This talk explores the work of the Sisters of the Community of St John Baptist at Clewer, near Windsor. Popularly known collectively as the Sisters of Mercy, there were several separately founded communities of Anglican nuns in nineteenth-century England. The various communities had established and managed orphanages, schools, convalescent hospitals, a church needlework business and homes for ‘fallen women and girls’ throughout Victorian England. The ‘rescue homes’ were designed to rehabilitate ‘fallen women’, a term which not only encompassed sexual outlaws or victims of violence but also alcoholics, female prison-leavers, sexually violated women and others incarcerated for attempted suicide. The Clewer House of Mercy, near Windsor, was ...

When: Tuesday 24 November 2026, 19:30 - 21:30 Where: Windsor Team Webinar The development and meaning behind the names we are so very familiar with and plenty of opportunity to ask specific questions. To join in this branch meeting, you will need a computer device which has a microphone and speakers. Ideally, also a webcam. You also need to be able to access emails from this device. First time users will be asked to download a small piece of software to join the meeting.  The meeting link will be emailed to you in advance. Technical help is available for those who need further assistance, please contact booking@berksfhs.org.uk .   Full event details and booking

When: Monday 3 August 2026 Is it safe?  The truth about social media for family historians You may have seen the headlines. “Facebook sells your data.” “Scammers target older users online.” “Identity theft is on the rise.” If stories like these have put you off joining any social media platform, you are certainly not alone – and your caution is not unreasonable. But there is a strong case that for family historians in particular, the benefits of getting online are substantial, and the risks – if you follow a few straightforward guidelines – are very manageable. There are strong social benefits from these platforms too because they allow you to engage with others who share your interests, from the comfort of your home.  This is a real bonus if the passage of time has left you with some mobility issues. This article is the first in a short series about how social media can really help your family history research. Before we get to t...