Lancashire Family History Society

Lancashire Family History Society
Name	Lancashire Family History Society
Formation	1964
Type	Society
Purpose	Family history, genealogy, archival research
Headquarters	Lancashire
Region served	Lancashire, England

Lancashire Family History Society is a regional genealogy organization founded to promote family history research in Lancashire and adjacent areas. The society supports researchers tracing lineages linked to cities, towns, parishes and industrial communities across Lancashire, offering resources that connect parish registers, census returns, probate records and local archives. It collaborates with archives, libraries and record offices to preserve and disseminate genealogical material for scholars and amateur historians.

History

The society was established in the 20th century amid a surge of interest in local history and genealogy associated with organizations such as Society of Genealogists, Family History Federation, Institute of Historical Research, County Record Offices and county-focused groups in Yorkshire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Merseyside and Greater Manchester. Early activities referenced parish registers held at institutions like Lancashire Archives, municipal collections from Lancaster and Preston, and national repositories including The National Archives (United Kingdom), British Library and National Records of Scotland. Founding members drew on methodologies advocated by figures such as Sir Anthony Wagner, networks like the Federation of Family History Societies and practices evident in publications by the Victorian Society, Royal Historical Society and Local History Societies.

Over subsequent decades the society adapted to developments exemplified by digitization projects at Findmypast, Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, and initiatives by National Archives of the UK and regional record offices. Collaborations with academic bodies such as University of Lancaster, University of Manchester, University of Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan University and heritage organizations including English Heritage expanded its outreach.

Organization and Membership

Governance follows models used by charitable and voluntary bodies such as Charity Commission for England and Wales-registered societies and local trusts linked to Lancashire County Council, District Councils in England and parish councils in places like Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Accrington and Ribble Valley. Officers typically include a chairman, secretary and treasurer, mirroring structures in the National Trust and regional cultural charities. Membership tiers resemble those of the Society of Genealogists, offering individual, joint and institutional subscriptions, with benefits aligned to publications, meetings and access to research rooms at repositories like Manchester Central Library and Lancashire Archives (Preston).

Members range from amateur genealogists influenced by guides from Institute of Genealogical Studies to professional researchers associated with firms listed in directories maintained by bodies such as Association of Genealogists & Researchers in Archives. Volunteer committees manage projects, indexing and digitization akin to community-led initiatives seen in Community Archives Network and local history forums in Bolton, Wigan and Southport.

Activities and Publications

The society organizes lectures, workshops and conferences featuring topics tied to parish history, occupational records, migration and urbanization, with speakers drawn from universities like University of Leeds, archival services at Lancashire Archives, and independent authors who have published with Boydell & Brewer, Pen and Sword and Shire Publications. Regular meetings occur in venues such as town halls and libraries in Preston, Lancaster and Chorley.

Its periodicals and journals follow models established by the Local History Review and include indexes, transcriptions and research notes comparable to outputs from the Guildhall Library and county historical journals like the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal and Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society. The society issues parish register transcriptions, monumental inscriptions and electoral roll indexes, paralleling projects carried out by FamilySearch affiliates and local record societies.

Records and Research Resources

Resources promoted include parish registers, bishop’s transcripts, civil registration entries, census schedules for 1841–1911, military service records from Imperial War Museum collections, and probate calendars held at The National Archives (United Kingdom). The society curates indexes to burial ground inscriptions, trade directories such as Kelly's Directory, poor law union records, apprenticeship registers and workhouse minutes preserved in record offices like Lancashire Archives, Blackburn with Darwen Register Office and municipal archives in Preston.

Research guidance references cataloguing systems used by The National Archives (United Kingdom), record search strategies advocated by Society of Genealogists tutors, and standards set by the Guild of One-Name Studies and Heritage Lottery Fund-supported digitization projects. Collaborative digitization has involved platforms similar to Ancestry.com, Findmypast and national portals.

Local Branches and Projects

Local branches reflect the geography of Lancashire, with activities in towns and boroughs including Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Preston, Lancaster, Chorley, Ormskirk, Skelmersdale, Rossendale and Hyde. Branch projects have produced parish transcriptions, cemetery surveys, electoral registers and themed studies on industrial sectors such as cotton milling in Burnley and shipbuilding related to Barrow-in-Furness and Fleetwood. Collaborative projects have linked with Museum of Lancashire, Lancashire County Council archives, university local history departments and national initiatives like the People’s History Museum.

Awards and Recognition

The society’s work has been acknowledged through local heritage awards administered by Lancashire County Council, commendations from the Federation of Family History Societies and recognition in regional cultural programmes supported by Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Individual members have received citations in county historical publications such as the Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society and awards from genealogical bodies including the British Association for Local History and the Society of Genealogists for excellence in indexing, transcribing and publishing archival material.

Category:Organisations based in Lancashire