Home » Groups

We meet monthly to discuss the opportunity to share, learn, exchange ideas and information, as well as to help us each further explore our family history projects. Why not come along and see for yourself? 

• You can attend meetings of any of our 13 active groups. All groups meet in the evening with the exception of the Afternoon Group – see page via Groups Menu for details.
• Visit their pages via the Groups Menu to see their monthly programme of talks, news and articles.  Contact a Group Organiser using the form at the bottom of each Group’s page.
• Come and meet like-minded people. HGS Group Meetings are free to members and prospective members.
• They are a good way to gain some new insights on how to further explore your family history.
• Whether you are a beginner or an expert, with a family from within or outside of Hampshire, you will always be welcome and find someone who has something new and interesting to share.

Why go to a HGS Group meeting?

If you are curious, then check out this article https://www.hgs-familyhistory.com/2018/03/why-go-to-an-hgs-group-meeting/

HGS Group Locations

Click on a pin for the address and directions.

 

HGS Family History Group and Society Events for the next 3 months

• February 18, 2019 - Southampton Group: World War II Secrets of Eastleigh Carriage Works - Chris Humby
• February 20, 2019 - Ringwood Group: School Records - George Yalden
• February 27, 2019 - Basingstoke Group: 100 Years of My Family - Rex Barham
• February 28, 2019 - Fareham Group: Winchester: Bishops, buildings and bones Part 2 - Andrew Negus

  The second in a 4-part series of talks on Winchester covering the period 1100 - 1600.

• March 4, 2019 - Portsmouth Group: The Colours of Heraldry: Basic Heraldry - Les Mitchinson

  This talk describes the basic rules to Heraldry; the colours and how pedigrees are displayed. Look around and you will see heraldry everywhere.

• March 4, 2019 - Romsey Group: Missing Deaths – Simon Wills
• March 8, 2019 - New Milton & Christchurch Group: Dad’s Army: Fact or fiction - Steve Roberts

  Probably a bit of both.

• March 11, 2019 - Alton Group: Searching for Ancestors when you’re Adopted - Dr Penny Walker
• March 12, 2019 - Fair Oak Group: Tracing Your London Ancestors - Jane Fox
• March 13, 2019 - Gosport Group: History of Hampshire in 10 Objects - Tony Cross
• March 14, 2019 - Andover Group: Tracing Your London Ancestors - Jane Fox
• March 14, 2019 - Fleet & Farnborough Group: A Hampshire house and a lost village - Rosemary & Graham Mist with Romaine Locke

  Exploring varied and changing inhabitants of a single house through time and revealing its history through modern techniques including dendrochronology.

• March 18, 2019 - Southampton Group: Women, Work & Wool: The Women of Tudor Southampton - Cheryl Butler
• March 20, 2019 - Afternoon Group: The History and Mystery of Maps - Tony Painter
• March 20, 2019 - Ringwood Group: Hidden Depths: The work of Women in the RNLI - Sue Hennessy
• March 27, 2019 - Basingstoke Group: Members’ Workshop Transcribing records for HGS
• March 28, 2019 - Fareham Group: Paupers, Peasants & Proletariats – Elaine Boyes, plus HGS Pop-up Bookstall

  A comparative study of Winchester's rural parishes 1825-1830.

• April 1, 2019 - Portsmouth Group: Winchester: Bishops, buildings and bones 1100-1600 - Andrew Negus

  We will find Winchester involved in national events which brought wealth and prestige but sometimes extreme violence and destruction . We shall meet several rich and crafty bishops and look at the magnificent buildings and institutions they created. We shall see what a profitable businesses they promoted with Winchester’s collection of noble bones. However there will be rats to deal with in Winchester’s streets ‘strewn with donge and other filthy things’ . These rats bring devastation to the city but also help create one of England’s most famous schools!

• April 1, 2019 - Romsey Group: How to Write Your Family History: Session 1 – Chris Lightfoot
• April 8, 2019 - Alton Group: Members’ Evening - Peter's Choice!
• April 9, 2019 - Fair Oak Group: Shipwrecks in World War I - Simon Wills
• April 10, 2019 - Gosport Group: Village life in the 40’s and 50’s - John Pitman
• April 11, 2019 - Andover Group: Drovers: how they shaped our landscape - Maggie Eltham
• April 11, 2019 - Fleet & Farnborough Group: AGM and Members’ Talks
• April 12, 2019 - New Milton & Christchurch Group: The Hampshire Regiment: VC’s of WW1 - Nick Saunders

  The ultimate acts of bravery.

• April 15, 2019 - Southampton Group: To the End of their Days - Tony Cross
• April 17, 2019 - Afternoon Group: Who the hell is Arthur? - Neil Littleales

  An investigative approach to genealogy told through a personal and fascinating account of the search for my father’s parentage. The journey takes the audience on a countrywide tour, exposing lies, deceit, discovery and deception in a tale that didn’t want to be told. Delivering traditional family history techniques but with a modern twist.

• April 25, 2019 - Fareham Group: A Day to Remember – Jane Fox
• May 7, 2019 - Portsmouth Group: Members' Evening - What were your ancestors doing in 1819/1919?’ (Please note the meeting is on Tuesday.)

  Bring along your research, stories, family trees, mementoes, photos (for 1919) and we will discuss how the history of the day may have influenced our ancestors lives.

• May 7, 2019 - Romsey Group: Members’ Evening –The HGS Website, HGS Facebook Page [Please note this is Tuesday]

  A look at HGS online plus + other websites, if time.

• May 8, 2019 - Gosport Group: Anne’s Hill Cemetery - Dave Stubbington
• May 9, 2019 - Andover Group: Causes of Death - Simon Wills
• May 9, 2019 - Fleet & Farnborough Group: Portsmouth - Harlots, Dung and Glory - Andrew Negus

  Our third instalment of a history of the Port from early times to Nelson’s times.

• May 10, 2019 - New Milton & Christchurch Group: Tracing my German Ancestors – Paul Pinhorne

  The presentation explains why Paul reignited his interest in his mother's ancestors. He will show and explain the type of records he was able to locate and will run through the information presented, and their sources. The presentation also shows many photographs of relatives and locations, and includes a short transcribing exercise.

• May 13, 2019 - Alton Group: A Grandmother’s Legacy - Jenny Mallin