SOLDIERS OF EMPIRE

During the 1900s and 1910s large numbers of young men emigrated from the slums of English cities to start new lives in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

When in 1914, War broke out, these men enlisted with their local regiments, and returned to Europe to fight for King and Country.

While 2/3 of the WW1 army service records of English regiments were destroyed in the blitz in WW2. The service records of Australian, Canadian and New Zealand regiments have survived complete and intact, and have now been digitised online, where they are free to view.

The website Canadian Great War Project provides a wealth of sources on all soldiers who served with Canadian regiments. Both those who died, and those who survived.

The National Archives of Australia have released all their regimental records on their website.

The New Zealand National Archives have also produced all regimental records on their website

Great Harwood Catholic Registers

The Lancashire Catholic parish of St Hubert, Great Harwood have transcribed and published their sacramental registers on their website. The parish began in 1857.

The work has been undertaken by parishioner Maureen Barton.

See the church website for more information.

County Offaly Online

The historic archives of Co Offaly are being digitised and published online to make them widely available across the world.

It is hoped that when the project is completed, people with ancestry in this Irish Midlands County will be able to easily trace their history.

See the website ‘Discovering Offaly’ for more information.

Irish BMDs Online

The website irishgeneaology.ie are about to publish free online the fully digitised Irish BMD indexes.

The new database which will include all births over 100 years ago, marriages over 75 years ago, and deaths over 50 is to be launched later today.

See their website for more information.

 

Society Conference Programme

Catholic Family History Society

Conference with AGM 1st October 2016

The Priory Rooms Conference Centre

40 Bull Street

Birmingham B4 6AF

PROGRAMME

10.00 – 10.30 am Registration and coffee

11.00 am Maggie Loughran, professional genealogy speaker and writer

Wills before 1858, especially those of Roman Catholics.

Bring your own interests in wills for discussion.

12.30pm Buffet lunch

2pm AGM

2.30pm Dr Nick Baker, archivist at Princethorpe College, Warwickshire

Locating the archives of religious orders, followed by your

questions and contributions.

4.00pm Tea

Full access for people with restricted mobility and also parking
Family History Help Desk available: bring your research enquiries
Opportunity to meet other members and friends
Opportunity to talk to the speakers
Material for family or local history
Travel, local parking, hotel and local studies information on request
For details about the venue see theprioryrooms.co.uk
Tickets: £15, to include lunch and all refreshments, from jeansmith1934@talktalk.net

Website: http://www.catholicfhs.co.uk

A member of the Federation of Family History SocietiesSociety