If you’ve been researching your family history for years you probably know exactly what you want to get from your day at Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE but have a look at the show highlights and make sure you’re making the most of your day.

We’ve created a special ticket to supply you with targeted information on advanced subjects from esteemed speakers – why not buy one of the Conference Ticket for Sunday 27th February to take advantage of a networking lounge and three exclusive seminars as well as all the other show features and workshops.

The usual price is £30* but the Society of Genealogists is delighted to be able to offer a special price of £28* for anyone booking this conference. Book tickets directly on the Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE Website using the offer code CONFSOG

* £2 transaction fee applies.  Offer ends 25th February 2011. 

Technorati Tags: Family History News, genealogy, Society of Genealogists, Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2011

The Society of Genealogists Family History Show will again take place as part of the Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE National History Show – 25-27 February 2011.

The Society will be waiving its £10 joining/administration fee for anyone who joins the Society at Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE 2011. Come and find us at stand 1025.

BUY 2 FOR 1 TICKETS!

Tickets for Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE! 2011 are now on sale, starting the countdown to another packed weekend of inspiration for family historians around the country.

As well as the chance to get advice from experts, history societies and representatives from all the major online resources, famous faces from Who Do You Think You Are? will again be on hand to share their experiences of filming the TV show. As well as offering a great line-up of speakers and experts, this year’s event will be expanding into a new hall. We look forward to seeing you all there!

We’re giving you the chance to buy two adult tickets for £25 – that’s a saving of £22*! To claim this special offer and get your tickets to the country’s biggest and most comprehensive family history event, simply call 0844 873 7330 or visit the Who Do You Think You Are? Live website and quote SOG2425 today! Show tickets will also be available from the SoG bookshop as usual.

* £2 transaction fee applies. Usual ticket price £22. Two for £25 offer ends 19th February 2011.

(note this is not a BBC event)

The Society of Genealogists’ Family History Show began in 1993 at the Royal Horticultural Halls. Now in its 18th year and supported by TheGenealogist.co.uk, the Family History Show is a highlight of Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE and we are delighted to be back for our fifth year working together.

As the UK’s largest collection of family history societies and specialist exhibitors, the Society of Genealogists’ Family History Show is the perfect place to learn about local research resources and have your questions answered by local and regional experts. Also featuring will be specialist researchers and businesses that can provide expertise on a range of topics and products, helping to make the Family History Show a rich resource unlike any other.

The Society of Genealogists Workshop Programme will also once more be a major feature of the event. With over 100 workshops and seminars on a range of subjects, this is a feature that no family historian can afford to miss. Tickets are free at on the day but can be pre-booked to ensure you get your place at the workshop most relevant to your search: www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.co.uk

findmypast.co.uk, sponsor of the Society’s Centenary Year and now host of the SoG’s online data is one of the top family history websites, offering an extensive collection of census transcripts and images, parish and nonconformist records and a selection of unique search tools to maximise your experience using this site. Visit the team on stand 825 to find out more.

Ask the Experts – get a 20 minute one-to-one session with an expert. Ever felt like you wanted to speak to someone face to face who could help you with a problem? A visit to this area of the show is a must for anyone who is stuck and needs help or is a beginner looking to start their family history research.

The Military Pavilion will be making a welcome return to Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE. Countless family historians will have discovered military ancestors and, if you’re one of them, you can’t afford to miss it.

As well as a host of specialist exhibitors, be sure to visit the DNA Workshop, supported by Family Tree DNA, which will feature renowned international expert speakers to help you to use the latest advances in genetics to further your research.?

If you are further along with your research you could really benefit from the Who Do You Think You Are? Live Conference Ticket available on Sunday 27 February. It includes entry to three exclusive lecures and a networking longe where you will be welcomed as a Conference Ticket Holder. The exclusive lectures are:
            12.00 How to make Google Work Harder for Your Family HIstory With LIsa Cooke
            13.00 Surnames, DNA and Family History with Dr Turi King
            14.00 Are YOur Ancestors Frozen in Time with Claire V Brisson Banks

One Day Conference Ticket holders can also benefit from a complimentary “My Ancestors” Publication if you join the Society of Genealogists at the show.

Technorati Tags: Family History News, Society of Genealogists, Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2011

Following the launch of the Society of Genealogists’ Online collection of family history records on Findmypast.co.uk the Society is pleased to announce free access to the full Findmypast website at the Society of Genealogists’ Library. This includes full free access to the 1911 and other census indexes and images, military and migration indexes as well as birth, marriages and deaths, parish records and specialist records – an excellent resource for any genealogist.

Among the first tranche of  9 million Society of Genealogists’ Records published online online  are:

• Boyd’s Marriage Index containing over 7 million names from 1538 to 1840
• Boyd’s London Burials 1538-1872 containing 240,000 names
• Faculty Office Marriage Licence Allegations 1701-1850
• St Andrew’s Holborn Marriage Index 1754-1812     
• Vicar-General Marriage Licences Allegations 1694-1850
• St Leonard Shoreditch Burials 1805-1858 and Workhouse Deaths 1820-1828, online for the first time
• Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills Index 1750-1800

The Society of Genealogists is delighted that its online collections are now available on Findmypast – the sponsors of the SoG Centenary Year. This gives us the opportunity in the future to enhance existing indexes such as the Bank of England Wills and Civil Servants Evidences of Age with images of the original documents to accompany the indexes. These images should be available later in the year and other datasets such as the Trinity House Petitions Index and Teachers Registration Council Registers will be published throughout 2011.  The online collections exemplify the variety of records that the Society of Genealogists has preserved and made available over the years that otherwise would not have been retained for family historians. The indexes launched today include some of the invaluable works of Percival Boyd such as Boyd’s Marriage Index which is still one of the largest and most comprehensive indexes of marriages of its kind.

Searchable family history indexes and transcripts have been added to the Findmypast website, and customers will be able to order copies of the originals for some of the records from the Society of Genealogists.

In the coming weeks further records will be added to the website including Bank of England Wills Extracts containing 60,500 names, including images of the documents, and Apprentices of Great Britain containing 350,000 names.

Findmypast.co.uk has been working in partnership with the Society of Genealogists for a number of years to make the Society’s family history collection available to a wider, international audience. Earlier projects were Civil Service Evidence of Age and Great Western Railway Shareholder records.

Anyone with a full subscription to findmypast.co.uk will be able to access all the records within their existing package. Otherwise they can be viewed with PayAsYouGo credits. The full Findmypast website, including access to 1911 census, military and migration indexes is  also available free to view at the Society of Genealogists’ Library.

Members of the Society of Genealogists will be able to view the records for free online via on the Society of Genealogist’s own Members Area at www.sog.org.uk .  The records will be added gradually during 2011.  Until the records move over to the SoG site, members will be able to continue their free access to this data on the British Origins website after logging into that site with their existing passwords as usual.

Technorati Tags: Family History News, Find My Past, genealogy

Download the free information leaflet with all the links to sources and sites to help you Start Your Family History with the Society of Genealogists

Check out the great prizes from the Society of Genealogists and the Start Your Family Tree Partners

Participants include:

Genesreunited http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/static.page/syftw

findmypast http://www.findmypast.co.uk/content/start-your-family-tree-week/index

Eneclann – www.startyourfamilytree.ie

Scotlands People www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Society of Genealogists www.societyofgenealogists.com

 My History www.my-history.co.uk

Race Online www.raceonline2012.org

Technorati Tags: family history, Family History News, genealogy, Society of Genealogists, Start Your Family Tree

Yet agan local intermittent power supply problems have resulted in power problems in the Society of Genealogists’ Library (Wednesday 8 December) This means that the Middle and Lower Libraries at the SoG currently have no lights or computers and are temporaily closed until further notice. If the situation cntinues the Society will close at 4pm.

The Society of Genealpgists is very sorry for the inconvenience caused and we hope the problem is rectified as soon as possible. Anyone travelling to the Society is recommended to telephone reception 020 7251 8799 to establish the latest situation as we know it.  (updated 13.00 pm Wednesday 8 December)

Technorati Tags: family history, Family History News, Society of Genealogists