Bristol & Avon
Family History Society

Next Monday’s Bath Group meeting is a talk from our President Colin Chapman about “Manor Court Rolls & Genealogical Research”. The manorial system was based on feudal allegiance by which tenants could be sure of certain rights (e.g. a secure tenancy) in return for regular service (e.g. payment of rent, by tilling fields, or serving in a military force). In this illustrated lecture Colin describes how the system was managed, from before 1066 until 1926, through a series of Courts at which tenants’ names and activities were recorded, traditionally on rolls – ideal for genealogical research. Colin Chapman is, of course, President of BAFHS. He is also an international speaker and author of 15 books relating to British local, social and family history and heraldry. This talk (Monday 20 May) is online and begins at 7.30pm and is available to members only (joining details sent by email).

Our next Bristol Group meeting is next Monday 13 May when Debbie Bradley will be discussing this fascinating subject. Our ancestors moved and sometimes great distances. This is a practical talk about things you need to think about to find your ancestors if they moved around the country. Debbie is an experienced professional genealogist and family history researcher, based in north Norfolk. She is an Associate Member of AGRA and an administrator for the Family History Federation. The talk is online and begins at 7.30pm and is available to members only (joining details sent by email).

Please join us for our next Bath Group meeting on Monday 29 April when Dr Jessamy Carlson will introduce some of the resources available at The National Archives for local and family historians and how to find them using Discovery. Dr Carlson will also talk about some of the resources from the collection that are available through commercial partners, and answer questions about the collections. The meeting is on Zoom starting at 7.30pm – joining instructions sent to members by email. We look forward to seeing you!

The Working party at Ridgeway Cemetery was very successful despite a short rain storm in the middle of the morning. A good number of volunteers, both locals and from BAFHS, attended...