The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that there has been no FHSC Newsletter this month.

Following on from our survey, we have taken member comments on board and are looking to revamp the newsletter.  The new version will be launched in the next month or two. In the meantime, all FHSC news and events will be in the Chair’s newsletter at the end of the month.

Thanks go to Gay Oliver who originally started publishing the newsletter  as the ‘Lockdown Newsletter’ at the start of the pandemic, how time flies, that seems a lifetime away now!  Thank you so much Gay for all your work.

The new version will be akin to the Federation newsletter with a lead article of between 1000-1500 words and then snippets from around the various Local and Discussion Groups, as well as news and events.  If you have  story you would like to tell or share some research tips etc please send them in to me at Chair@

Don't forget the Chester Festival of Ideas

Happening this week 3-6 July, lots of events, talks etc

Full details 👉 https://festivalofideas.chester.ac.uk/

1st of the month means my usual list of free online events.

As always the link below each event has more information and full registration details,

Enjoy and do report back on anything that you attended. 

Wed 2 July 2025 18:30 BST

Refugee World(s): a Twentieth-Century Retrospective

by Royal Historical Society

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/refugee-worlds-a-twentieth-century-retrospective-online-tickets-1349452240979

 

Wed 2 July 2025 19:30 BST

Spies, Secrets and Archives

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/spies-secrets-and-archives-tickets-1224848146779

 

Wed 9 July 2025 15:00 BST

Introduction to Family History

by National Library of Scotland

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-family-history-tickets-910360571977

 

Fri 11 July 2025 14:00 BST

Burgess and Maclean Disappear

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/burgess-and-maclean-disappear-tickets-1225218003029

 

Sat 12 July 2025 15:00 BST

The Archers of Ossett : A Family History talk.

by MLFHS, Oldham & District Branch

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mlfhs-oldham-district-branch-monthly-meeting-and-talk-tickets-1413837699619

 

Fri 18 July 2025 14:00 BST

The origins of the Met’s Detectives

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-origins-of-the-mets-detectives-tickets-1356162210679

 

Wed 16 July 2025 15:00 BST

Researching your House’s History

by National Library of Scotland

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/researching-your-houses-history-tickets-1304084524919

 

Wed 23 July 2025 19:30 BST

The Murder of Emily Kaye

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-murder-of-emily-kaye-tickets-1356207646579

 

Fri 25 July 2025 14:00 BST

The Great Train Robbery – a Forensic Journey

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-great-train-robbery-a-forensic-journey-tickets-1356211257379

FindMyPast and the British Newspaper Archive [also available via the newspapers at FindMyPast] have included a tranche of Cheshire content this week 🎉🎉🎉🎉

FindMyPast added the following records for the Diocese of Chester

272,555 baptisms, 211,575 marriages, and 215,879 burials

 

British Newspaper Archive have added the following Cheshire titles

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝: 1857-1866

𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐞 & 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐩 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝; 1889, 1897

𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫: 1836-1842

𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧; 1914-1918

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞; 1891-1892, 1894-1896, 1898-1906

𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫: 1969

Philomena Cunk actor Diane Morgan traced her family history in Bolton, Germany and Scotland

Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme

The Genealogist 👉

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/who-do-you-think-you-are/diane-morgan-8405/

 

Who Do You Think You Are Magazine 👉

https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tv-series/diane-morgan-who-do-you-think-you-are

 

Wall to Wall/ Stephen Perry via WDYTYA

Cheshire Archives have released an artist's impression of both the new centres at Crewe and Chester in the form of a virtual fly through 

Link to watch 👉 https://www.cheshirestoryshared.org/home/a-moving-story-take-a-virtual-tour-of-our-new-centres

 

A Second World War pilot, a colonial governor, and a medieval king are all all part of pop star Will Young’s remarkable family story.

Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme

The Genealogist 

👉 https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/who-do-you-think-you-are/will-young-8402/

 

WDYTYA Magazine

👉 https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tv-series/will-young-who-do-you-think-you-are

 

Wall to Wall/ Stephen Perry via WDYTYA

1st of the month means my usual list of free online events.

As always the link below each event has more information and full registration details, Enjoy and do report back on anything that you attended.

Wed 4 June 2025 19:00 BST

A Very Expensive Poison

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-very-expensive-poison-tickets-1224825699639

 

Wed 4 June 2025 19:00 BST

The Weavers' Uprising of 1826

by Bolton FHS

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-weavers-uprising-of-1826-tickets-1128881066659  

 

Thu 12 June 2025 14:00 BST

Navigating the Maps Website

by National Library of Scotland

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/navigating-the-maps-website-tickets-884044299297

 

Fri 13 June 2025 14:00 BST

Researching your family history, 1837-1911

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/researching-your-family-history-1837-1911-tickets-1223446574639

 

Tue 17 June 2025 11:00 BST

Highlands and Islands family history

by National Library of Scotland

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/highlands-and-islands-family-history-tickets-1330124220349

 

Wed 18 June 2025 15:00 BST

Researching your house's history

by National Library of Scotland

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/researching-your-houses-history-tickets-1304084524919 

 

Fri 20 June 2025 14:00 BST

Family history: tracing your Irish ancestors

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/family-history-tracing-your-irish-ancestors-tickets-1223529432469

 

Mon 23 June 2025 10:00 BST

Reading from the Archives: All Creatures Great and Small

by Norfolk Records Office

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reading-from-the-archives-all-creatures-great-and-smallonline-tickets-1244647166179

 

Tue 24 June 2025 17:00 BST

Pipe Roll Society Annual Lecture: Magna Carta and its Medieval Legacy

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pipe-roll-society-annual-lecture-magna-carta-and-its-medieval-legacy-tickets-1230051279489

 

Events for the first week of July that might interest you

 

Wed 2 July  2025 18:30 BST

Refugee World(s): a Twentieth-Century Retrospective

by Royal Historical Society

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/refugee-worlds-a-twentieth-century-retrospective-online-tickets-1349452240979

 

Wed 2 July  2025 19:30 BST

Spies, Secrets and Archives

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/spies-secrets-and-archives-tickets-1224848146779

 

The latest edition of the FHSC Journal - The Cheshire Ancestor is now available to download from the website - simply click on the Cheshire Ancestor tap on the left hand side of this page and navigate to 'Cheshire Ancestor 2025' and then download the June edition. 

Printed editions will be dropping on doormats soon, if not already. 

Lots of interesting articles, Society news and a new feature, a quiz [Cryptic Cheshire] - enjoy! 

Thanks as always to our Editor Rosie Rowley and the rest of the Ancestor distribution team - Geoff Johnson and Angela Moore

TV personality Fred Sirieix learns all about his grandparents' extraordinary WW2 love story 

Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme

The Genealogist

👉 https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/who-do-you-think-you-are/fred-sirieix-8396/

WDYTYA Magazine 

👉 https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tv-series/fred-sirieix-who-do-you-think-you-are

 

Wall to Wall/ Stephen Perry via WDYTYA

Aisling Bea discovers the bold women and revolutionary men who shaped her family

Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme

The Genealogist

 https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/who-do-you-think-you-are/aisling-bea-8383/

Who Do You Think You Are magazine

https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tv-series/aisling-bea-who-do-you-think-you-are

Wall to Wall/ Stephen Perry via WDYTYA

Actor, singer and dancer Layton Williams. Born in Bury, Layton starred in Billy Elliot the Musical on London's West End and BBC Three's Bad Education from 2012 to 2014 and in 2023, he appeared on the twenty-first season of Strictly Come Dancing. 

Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme

The Genealogist 

 https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/who-do-you-think-you-are/layton-williams-8356/

Who Do You Think You Are magazine 

 https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tv-series/layton-williams-who-do-you-think-you-are

Wall to Wall/ Stephen Perry via WDYTYA

 

 

 

 

EastEnders actor Ross Kemp discoveres his great grandfather's adventures in the Merchant Navy

Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme

The Genealogist 

 https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/who-do-you-think-you-are/ross-kemp-8348/

Who Do You Think You Are magazine 

 https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tv-series/ross-kemp-who-do-you-think-you-are

Wall to Wall/ Stephen Perry via WDYTYA

We will be at the Family History Show at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday [tomorrow, 3rd May] talking all things Cheshire Ancestry.

Drop by and sell hello,  we are always happy to meet members from near and far

Browse our bargain book box

Have a go at geting your name on our Leaderboard in our genealogical patience game, 'Branching Out'

Full detail of how to attend 👉 https://thefamilyhistoryshow.com/liverpool/

There is a special discount code on tickets for FHSC members, email me on  to find out more 

Happy May Day

 

1st of the month means my usual list of free online events.

As always the link below each event has more information and full registration details, Enjoy and do report back on anything that you attended.

Fri 2 May 2025 18:30 BST

‘Remembering Rebellion in the Tudor South West’, Online RHS Lecture

by Royal Historical Society

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/remembering-rebellion-in-the-tudor-south-west-online-rhs-lecture-tickets-1112873668099

 

Wed 7 May 2025 13:00 BST

VE Day 80: How we remember the Second World War

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ve-day-80-how-we-remember-the-second-world-war-hap-summer-seminar-tickets-1304185416689

 

Wed 7 May 2025 15:00 BST

Introduction to family history

by National Library of Scotland

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-family-history-tickets-910360571977

 

Wed 7 May 2025 19:30 BST

MI5 and 10 Downing Street: the first 100 year

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mi5-and-10-downing-street-the-first-100-years-tickets-1224779441279

 

Wed 21 May 2025 13:00 BST

Battlefield wills from the First World War, 1914-22

By Norfolk Record Office

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/battlefield-wills-from-the-first-world-war-1914-22-online-tickets-1249222571339

 

Wed 29 May 2025 18:00 BST

Hunger Strikes and Baby Units: Women and prison health

By Royal College of Nursing Library and Museum

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hunger-strikes-and-baby-units-women-and-prison-health-tickets-1290120237359

 

Events for the first week of June that might interest you

 

Wed 4 June 2025 19:00 BST

A Very Expensive Poison

by National Archives (Free to attend but donation suggested)

Link with more details and to register 👉  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-very-expensive-poison-tickets-1224825699639

 

Wed 4 June 2025 19:00 BST

The Weavers' Uprising of 1826

by Bolton FHS

Link with more details and to register 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-weavers-uprising-of-1826-tickets-1128881066659  

 

BBC news broadcaster Mishal Husain uncovered a wonderful story with some unexpected connections. 

Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme

The Genealogist 

  https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/who-do-you-think-you-are/mishal-husain-8346/

Who Do You Think You Are magazine 

 https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tv-series/mishal-husain-who-do-you-think-you-are

Wall to Wall/ Stephen Perry via WDYTYA

Series 22 opened with an interesting and emotional story with Andrew Garfield, best known for roles in Spider-Man, The Social Network, and Angels in America,

Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme

The Genealogist 

  https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/who-do-you-think-you-are/andrew-garfield-8342/

Who Do You Think You Are magazine 

  https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tv-series/andrew-garfield-episode-summary

Wall to Wall/ Stephen Perry via WDYTYA

Starting from the end of May, the current sub-groups of the Computer Club are being opened to the whole FHSC Membership as discussion groups. Additionally, we are launching our new 'Zooming in on Family History' chat session.

These groups are designed to allow members to chat about various topics with other members, building on the success of both the Computer Club and Research Buddies.

'Zooming in on Family History' – is a wide-ranging session whereby members can come along for help with their research, share success stories or just generally meet other members and chat about family history.

The theme of the Discussion groups, the current group leader and the meeting dates are:

If you are interested in being part of any of the groups, then initially email Margaret Roberts – to be put in touch with the Discussion Group Leader and added to the mailing list for that group.

Subscribe and save up to 50%

Offer from FindMyPast - expires on 22nd April

Link to find out more 👉 https://www.findmypast.co.uk/

Watch the T&Cs

Don’t miss free access to millions of family history records of Brits in the Second World War

Findmypast is offering free access to the 1939 Register for VE Day

Find out more   https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/free-access-1939-register-findmypast-ve-day

Watch the T&Cs