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Research Room
Meetings & Events
January 6, 2026

Researching convicts transported to Australia

Next Monday, 12 January 2026, there will be a Bristol Group meeting and talk entitled “Researching convicts transported to Australia” presented by Andrew Redfern. Have you discovered a convict ancestor and wonder how to research their life story? Then this talk is for you. Starting with an overview of the transportation era, our speaker will navigate through the complex layers of historical records that shed light on a convict’s journey from trial to freedom.
December 10, 2025

A large collection of Secondhand Books

We have added a lovely collection of secondhand books to our webshop. They include pictorial books by Reece Winstone and the Bygone Bristol series by Janet and Derek Fisher. There are also some postcard books by Ian Bishop. These books are nolonger in print and consequently they always sell very quickly. The books are available from our webshop: https://bafhs.org.uk/shop
December 1, 2025

Coming Here: Records of Immigrants & Immigration to England C13-C20

Next Monday, 8 December, there will be a Bristol Group meeting and talk entitled “Coming Here: Records of Immigrants & Immigration to England C13-C20” presented by Janet Few. This presentation looks at the background history to immigration into England over 700 years. General records of immigration are considered, as well as a more detailed look at the immigration of the Roma and Traveller Communities, those of the Jewish faith and Huguenots. Sources available to trace these groups will also be discussed.

Family history for Bath, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire

About BAFHS

Founded in 1975, we are a well established Family History Society focussing our activities on Bath, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (the former county of Avon 1974 to 1996) and its constituent predecessor and successor counties. We are also frequently referred to by our initials - BAFHS. The hub of our activities is our Research Room where enthusiastic volunteers give their time for the benefit of the Society.

What we do:

  • Encourage the public study of family history with reference to the historic county of Avon and its successor counties.
  • Publish a quarterly Members' Magazine (available in digital or paper format).
  • Transcribe and publish source material of interest to family historians.
  • Hold regular in-person and online meetings with a programme of illustrated talks and lectures.
  • Operate a Research Room where advice and resources are freely available.
  • Operate this website which is dedicated to family history.
  • Organise outings to places of interest.

Members:

Members are at the heart of our Society. By becoming a member, you will be joining a like-minded group of people who support our work. There is also the opportunity to become actively involved with a wide range of activities - you'd be surprised what it takes to run a modern family history society. It is quick and convenient to join online.