News about our Conference, Heraldic Study Day, New Branch Venues, A Festubert Exhibition, and a New Project in Blackpool

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The Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society Newsletter

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Sun 6 Sep 2015:
Society Lunch.
Please book early, 60 places maximum
Waddow Hall Waddington Road Clitheroe BB7 3LD

Sat 19 Sep 2015:
LFHHS Family History Fair 10:00am - 4:00pm
King George's Hall Northgate Blackburn BB2 1AA

Thu 1 Oct 2015:
Heraldry Study Day Hemsley House Masonic Hall The Crescent Salford M5 4PE

LATEST EVENTS
The LFHHS Conference and AGM

On Saturday 30th May we held our conference followed by our Annual General Meeting. Members made the most of this excellent opportunity to connect with other members, take an active role in the society and hear three excellent speakers.

Julia Beedon presented a talk on monasteries in Lancashire, a last minute change to the listed topic but one that brought to light many interesting insights into medieval Lancashire. Next, Peter Bamford spoke on '"Lest We Forget" Researching Great War Army Ancestry', a truly informative talk which provided many examples of little known resources and tips on how use more familiar resources in unexpected and innovative ways. Finally, Myko Clelland presented his talk on 'Getting the Best out of Findmypast'. Myko gave a lively and entertaining look at his own family history findings interspersed with introductions into Findmypast's more unusual collections as well as a look at the site's newest features.

The conference was followed by the society's Annual General Meeting, which was well attended and provided a centre point for members to look back at the past year and look forward to a successful next year of family history.

ANNUAL SOCIETY LUNCH 2015

Our Ribble Valley Branch will host the annual society lunch at Waddow Hall on Sunday 6th September 2015. It will be a wonderful chance to meet with fellow members in beautiful surroundings.

The afternoon will begin with a three course meal at the historic 17th Century Waddow Hall, followed by a guided tour of the hall or an opportunity to walk in the grounds by the River Ribble. The lunch will also feature guest speaker, Reverend Priestly Brook, who will give a talk entitled 'What the Vicar Never Told You', a humourous look at life through a vicar's eye. There is also a lounge and bar to relax in, and a Girl Guiding Heritage display to view.

Tickets are £21 and are limited availability so please book early to avoid disappointment.

For tickets, please send a cheque payable to LFHHS and the following information: Membership number, Name, Address, Telephone number, Email address, and whether a vegetarian option is required to: S Cheetham, 35 Bleasdale Avenue, Clitheroe, BB7 2PR by 16th August. For further information, please email cheethamtowers@hotmail.co.uk

HERALDIC STUDY DAY

The Lancashire Heraldry Group will host a Heraldic Study Day on Thursday 1st October 2015. Everyone with an interest in heraldry is welcome to attend to meet with other enthusiasts and hear some excellent speakers on the subject.

Event Schedule

10:50am: Chris Ward with his topic of 'The Heraldic ceiling at Holy Trinity Church, Blackburn.
12:00 noon: Stephen Tudsbery-Turner speaks on 'Heraldic Devices on Edwardian Picture Postcards'
2:00pm: Edward Mallinson’s subject is 'Photographing heraldry'
3:10pm: Jim Winstanley speaks on 'Early Knights of the Garter – Heraldry explained'

We hope to have some books on sale from our societies, and a friendly raffle
Please advise if you are able to put on a small display of heraldic or allied subjects.

The event will run from 10:00am to 4:30pm at Hemsley House Masonic Hall,
The Crescent, Salford. M5 4PE. Tickets are £18.50 including lunch and are available to buy here.

BRANCH NEWS

CHORLEY INVOLVEMENT WITH FESTUBERT EXHIBITION

From 13th to 28th June 2015 the LFHHS Chorley Family History Research Centre is offering its ground floor research room for Chorley Schools’ History Forum Festubert Exhibition. Our 1st floor rooms will still be available for research, but should anyone have a problem with the stairs we will accommodate them downstairs.

15th June 1915 saw the first day of the Battle of Festubert in northern France, during which many of D Company, 1st/4th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment suffered significant losses. Over 30 men from Chorley fell on that day.

The Chorley Schools and LFHHS Chorley Family History Research Centre are collaborating to mount an exhibition commemorating these men. Chorley Heritage Centre Support group are also taking part in the exhibition. LFHHS Chorley Family Research Centre volunteers have been visiting local schools and welcoming the children to the Research Centre to help them research these Chorley men.

The team at the Chorley Family History Research Centre will be contributing to the exhibition by the production of research material containing information additional to that already carried out by the schools, with the aim of painting a fuller picture of the individual soldiers and their families. This will be made available at the exhibition.

For several years LFHHS Chorley Branch have been involved in searching through the Chorley Guardian newspapers for any, and all, mention of the Chorley men and women who served in the military to build up a database of articles. Those relevant to Festubert will be extracted and made available at the exhibition.

The exhibition will be open 12 noon to 3.30pm in the Farmhouse Gallery and Chorley Family History Research Centre on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday and Friday between the 13th and 28th June.

BURY BRANCH VISIT TO WHITWORTH HERITAGE MUSEUM

The Bury Branch will be visiting the Whitworth Heritage Museum on Wednesday 10th June 2015 at 7.30pm. The museum has many exhibits and an extensive library of documents relating to the local area, giving a valuable insight into the historical life of Rossendale.

If you wish to join the group then please email Tony Foster at ga.foster@btopenworld.com

FYLDE BRANCH MEETINGS

Fylde branch holds meetings which include visiting speakers who cover topics related to family or local history plus open meetings where we offer help and opportunities to ask questions. We have been established 31 years and we aim to offer help to all.

Our area includes anywhere between the river Ribble and the river Wyre; names of places include Blackpool, Bryning with Kellamergh, Carleton, Clifton with Salwick, Elswick, Fleetwood, Freckleton, Greenhalgh with Thistleton, Hardhorn with Newton, Kirkham, Little Eccleston, Larbreck, Lytham, Medlar with Wesham, Newton with Scales, Poulton le Fylde, Ribby with Wrea, St. Annes on Sea, Singleton, Thornton Cleveleys, Treales, Roseacre, Wharles, Warton, Weeton and Preese, Westby with Plumpton and more.

The branch has an extensive library of books, CDs and fiche, all available on free loan to members. Everything is catalogued. Ask for a copy! We also have our own branch list of surname interests. Contact the branch through the link shown on the website.

CHANGE OF VENUE FOR LANCASTER AND MORECAMBE BRANCH

The Lancaster and Morecambe Branch are moving. After holding our monthly meetings at The Church Hall, Church of the Good Shepherd, Torrisholme, Morecambe for some time we have decided to move to a more central Morecambe location.

As from our meeting on 16th July, we will be meeting at The Lothersdale Hotel, 320 Marine Road Central, Morecambe. This is a more convenient location, being a hotel with all its facilities including Wi-Fi, bar, tea & coffee, and free car parking after 6:00pm across the road in a Council run car park. Busses from Carnforth, Heysham and Lancaster past the front door at regular intervals so public transport is not a problem. Attendance at Torrisholm has been falling for some time and so the move to The Lothersdale is being seen as a new location and a new start.

The meeting on 16th July will be a Chairman`s & Members Evening at which it is hoped that members will bring items on family history to share and this will be the first of an increased number of 'workshop' based type of meeting as opposed to having guest speakers. It is also hoped that the Chairman of LFHHS, Mr Mike Coyle, will be in attendance.This will be followed on 17th September, when Tony Consadine will be speaking on "Basic Heraldry".

It is really hoped that this will be a new start for the Lancaster and Morecambe branch and we look forward to the return of members and also to welcoming an influx of new members of the Society.

The drop-in at Morecambe Library which has proved to be very successful on the first and third Monday afternoon from 2.00 to 4.00pm will continue keeping alive the interest in family history in the Lancaster and Morecambe area.

CHORLEY BRANCH MEETINGS

Our summer meeting is traditionally held in the wonderful Astley Hall but due to extensive on-going repairs our venue will now be the adjacent Coach House.

On Tuesday 21st July at 7:30pm we welcome the return of Adrian Warrall and his entertaining talks, this time on Pirates, 'Who were the pirates and how did they live?'. Strawberries and cream will be served during the evening, and if the weather is kind to us we can make use of the wonderful outside space.

The LFHHS Chorley Family History Research Centre at Astley Hall Farmhouse is manned by knowledgeable, enthusiastic volunteer researchers who can provide all our visitors with help and guidance if required.

The Research Centre is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 10am to 4pm, Saturdays (2nd and 3rd in the month) 12pm to 4pm. For more details see our website: www.cfhrc.com
Appointments when open: 01257 231600, when Centre is closed: 01257 262028 www.lfhhschorleybranch.com

LONDON AND SOUTH BRANCH PROGRAMME 2015

Saturday 30th May: 'It’s a funny old genealogical world' by Roy Stockdill
Saturday 1st August: 'When Cotton Came to Lancashire' by Paul Cross
Saturday 3rd October: 'Folk Cures and Remedies' by Tom Doig
Saturday 5th December: Members meeting

All meetings are held at Brompton Library, 210 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 0BS. Meetings start at 2:00pm and finish about 4:30pm. Non-members welcome.

(The Library is on the Old Brompton road between the junctions of Earls Court Road and Bolton Gardens and is within comfortable walking distance of Earls Court tube station.)

PROJECTS

CAN YOU HELP?

The Society is transcribing the Military Tribunal records 1916-1918 for Burnley and we are looking for volunteers to help. You will be provided with images for you to work on at home so this would be an ideal project for our distant/overseas members. For more information contact Tony Foster on projects@lfhhs.org.uk

BLACKPOOL MUSEUM PROJECT

Blackpool Council, with the support of Heritage Lottery Funding, is currently developing a Museum to tell the story of the town as the first working class seaside holiday resort in the world, capturing the entertainment industry which made Blackpool so popular.

The Project Team say:-
'As well as telling the big stories about the Tower, Illuminations and its many theatres we would like to feature people’s stories about growing up in and coming to Blackpool on their holidays.

Have you ridden a rollercoaster, danced on the piers, eaten fish and chips on the promenade? The Museum project team want to collect your memories to help bring these stories to life and begin an archive of holidaymaker’s memories.

We want to find out how you travelled to Blackpool, where you stayed, and the things you did when you were there. We are interested in hearing from people who have visited Blackpool up until the 1990s, whether you visited every year or have only been once.'

Email your memories to museumproject@blackpool.gov.uk F.A.O Rachel

FFHS SEMINAR: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ROLES AND SUCCESSION PLANNING

The Federation of Family History Societies have passed on this message:

'Every Family History Society needs an effective Executive Committee – AGREED!
But what is an effective Executive Committee? How to build one? How to keep it? Voluntary organisations are often messy and sometimes very difficult to manage. Get it right and the rewards are great. Get it wrong and the organisation risks falling into decline.

FFHS is here to help with a FREE one-day seminar entitled, ‘Executive Committee Roles and Succession Planning’. Are you a current or prospective Chairman, Vice-Chairman or Committee member? This seminar is for YOU.

Throughout the day, you can expect:

Short introductory presentations, each followed by practical workshop/discussion groups so you can get to grip with the material.
An opportunity to talk with like-minded individuals from other Family History Societies.'

The Federation of Family History Societies will host this useful seminar on Saturday 11th July 2015 10.30am-4.00pm at Wesley's Chapel, 49 City Road, London, EC1Y 1AU

For further information please visit the Members Only area of the website and follow the 'Seminars' tab. To book your place please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ffhs-executive-committee-roles-and-succession-planning-seminar-tickets-16364056333

If you wish to submit a short article for the next newsletter, please email LFHHS Publicity Officer, Rowan Bridgwood at rowanon@hotmail.co.uk by 25th July 2015.

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LATEST EVENTS The LFHHS Conference and AGM

LATEST EVENTS
The LFHHS Conference and AGM