   Welcome to the August edition of
   the FFHS Ezine

supported by
Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine.

The publication and distribution of books was an important and profitable venture for the FFHS for over 30 years. Recently the demand for books has slowed with many people now doing their research on the Internet. As a result FFHS Publications Ltd, book distribution depot at Bury is being closed.

FamilyHistoryOnline and Genfair will continue, under working partnerships with key players from the family history world. We are presently evaluating partnerships with publishers and distributors, to allow the Federation to produce Family History books well into the future.

We have therefore announced a major sale to the general public. Discounts of 50%, or even better, can be found on the Federation stall on Genfair at www.genfair.com/shop/pages/fed/index.html. Some titles are already selling out, so visit the site as soon as possible.

Ron Eyre, Publications Manager. Top of page

National Burial Index Project
(NBI) - An Appeal

We are sure that you are being asked quite frequently when the next edition of the NBI will appear.

Want to know more
about war memorials?

War memorials hold a wealth of information for family historians and since 1989 the UK National Inventory of War Memorials has been recording these details. Our free database of over 55,000 records can be found at www.ukniwm.org.uk

The UKNIWM has launched a new blog to keep you up to date with war memorial news and events and to provide an insight into the diverse range of memorials in the UK and the events they commemorate. Discover more about the fascinating and moving stories behind the names, who erected them and how you can use memorials in your research.

Read the blog >

Family Records Centre facilities will now start to close in October but online indexes postponed !

Ground floor utilities
will now start to close in October – and online
Indexes are postponed

GRO ANNOUNCEMENTS ON JULY 25th

July 25th 2007 was a watershed as far as Civil Registration facilities are concerned. On that day, the General Register Office (GRO) dropped the following bombshells:-

during October 2007, the paper indexes will start to be removed from the ground floor search room at the Family Records Centre (FRC) and go into storage.
the search room will close from November 2007.
until the move to Kew by April 2008, facilities to access the GRO indexes will be provided instead on the first floor of the FRC, but only on microfiche.
over-the-counter ordering and collection services will cease from November 2007.

This brings forward by up to 5 months their previous plans, and gives less than 3 months notice before the changes start to affect users.

find out more > Top of page

Dockyard 800

Saturday 15^th & Sunday 16^th
September 2007

10.30am – 4.30pm

Celebrate the 800 year history of the people who lived and worked in the Dockyard as a cast of over 250 re-enactors come to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard’s brand new event, Dockyard 800 on Saturday 15^th and Sunday 16^th September 2007.

Dockyard 800 offers the chance to meet the people who may have wandered through the Royal Dockyard. The weekend will include displays of drills, arms and armour, cannon and musket firing, music and naval rope-making.

Highlights will include:

A special visit from King Henry VIII himself with his six wives
8 man gun crew manning and firing HMS Victory’s 12 pounder cannon.
A gruesome display from a Victorian surgeon on board HMS Warrior 1860.
Music from the 1940s with singing group The Spitfires.
M33, WW1 Monitor brought to life by the Bluejackets.
Military vehicles from WWII on display.
Have-a-go archery, help with rope making and children’s naval cutlass drill.

A television company is Looking for stories about people working in department stores in the 1950s for a social history programme. What were the dos and don’ts, the rewards and reprimands? Do you remember particular characters that epitomised the time.

If anyone would like to contribute please email Michelle.Cowley

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER

Subscribe from issue 1 of the NEW BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine today and SAVE 30% on the shop price

The first issue of this exciting new magazine will be on sale on 25 September 2007.

read more >

You can SAVE 30% on the shop price when you pre-order your subscription today at just £17.85 every 6 issues by Direct Debit. That’s a saving of over £15 throughout the year and you’ll ensure you never miss an issue.

Your GREAT subscription deal:

Ø       SAVE 30% on the shop price when you pay by Direct Debit– SAVING £15 over
           the year
Ø       Start your collection of this excellent new family history magazine from issue 1
Ø       FREE Who Do You Think You Are? DVD with issue 1
Ø       FREE UK delivery direct to your door
Ø       Never miss a sell out issue

subscribe online >

Education Seminars for Society Officers and Society Members.

The FFHS Education Sub-committee starts to take ‘Education’ forward by organising a series of seminars for society officers and society members

read more >

FHS Diary Dates

Education Seminar
Date: Sat 10 November 2007

Webmaster’s Seminar
Date: Sat 23 February 2008

more details >

AGM 2008 hosted by Devon FHS & Cornwall FHS in Plymouth at their family history fair on 29th March 2008

more about this event & to book a table >

This Months Competition

To win one of 5 copies of the National Burial Index (RRP £45) – Second Edition simply answer the following question.

How many burials does the second edition of the national Burial Index contain?

(a) 2 million
(b) 5 million
(c) 13 Million
(d) 25 million

Send your answer in the Subject Line of your email to competition@ffhs.org.uk by 5th September 2007.

Wedding Dresses
Help Needed

The Victoria and Albert Museum is developing a database of photographs of wedding dresses for its website. The museum will concentrate on documented dresses where the name of the bride and groom and the date and place of the wedding are known. They will include pictures of actual dresses from their collection as well as photographs from the Lafayette Studios.

The Lafayette Studios were founded in Dublin in the 1880s, expanding to Glasgow, Manchester, Belfast and London and continued until 1952. They were at their fashionable height in the 1890s and early twentieth century, photographing royalty and famous and influential people. The museum has an archive of about 3,500 negatives which includes a group of wedding photographs. The picture of Hazel Cox who married Captain Ronald Lambert in 1920 is a good example of their style.
The V&A intends to create a database of photographs for every year from 1840 to the present and once the system has been tested it will be opened for anyone to contribute pictures. The museum is currently looking for three or four family history societies to help test this new website.

Is your society into the web? Does your society have some members who have digital photographs of weddings current and past? Would they be prepared to help the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, set up a new website?

more information
about this project >

FFHS Seeks Volunteers

The Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS) is seeking four new officers (Trustees) to join their Executive Committee.
The successful candidates will be at the forefront of family history and instrumental in taking the FFHS and its member societies into the future.

The posts are:

Assistant Education Officer

Assistant Projects Officer

Officer 1 without portfolio

Officer 2 without portfolio

The first two posts are self-explanatory; the posts without portfolio allow the officers to take responsibility for special activities and projects arising in this fast changing world of family history.

Skills should include a moderate level of computer literacy and ability to communicate at all levels.

If you think you can help improve the family history world, and would like to be a member of our team please contact Maggie Loughran, FFHS Administrator, by email or Tel 07041 492032.for further information.

for more information about the Federation of Family History Societies >

Family History Podcasts

The National Archives are now making some of their most popular talks available online as Podcasts. Audrey Collins’ talk Tracing your Irish Ancestors at the National Archives and Dave Annal’s recent talk on Wills for Family Historians are both available online with more talks to follow over the next few months.

go to the podcasts >

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If you require a printed copy of the FFHS Ezine please contact:
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