24 July 2024 - Hybrid Meeting (Exeter Hall and Zoom) - In this talk Mark Davies looks at the life of the Oxford hot-air balloon pioneer James Sadler (1753-1828), the ‘King of all Balloons’ first Englishman to fly?
This is a Zoom Meeting on 13 May 2024 with the talk starting at 8pm. Speaker John Vigar - This lecture looks at the burial places of the famous and infamous and uses their gravestones or memorials as a starting place for an investigation into their lives. Subjects range from Florence Nightingale to Jerome K Jerome and all sorts in between, including some John feels need to be better known.
This talk, given on 24 January 2022, examined how in the mid nineteenth century changes in employment practices and rising real wages meant that ordinary working people found themselves, usually for the first time, with leisure time and with spare money to spend on recreation. This talk describes where and how Oxford citizens spent their free time, and how the middle classes attempted to impose ‘rational recreation’ on their working-class contemporaries.
On Monday 26 October 2020, John Titterton discussed wills and associated documents, the meaning of their contents and how they can help build family trees using case studies from the Titterton family of Staffordshire and Derbyshire. A write-up of the talk and the Titterton will documents are available to view here.
This was a Hybrid meeting on the 22 April 2024. Speaker: Dr Sophie Kay. Focusing on her Outlier Method and Ancestral Walks techniques, Sophie will show how by uniting historical maps with historical records you may spot research errors, separate out namesakes, understand our ancestors & bring their worlds to life, all using freely available, historical Ordnance Survey maps. Examples will focus on U.K. towns for the period 1800-1950, but these methods can be applied to any place or era where suitable maps and address data are available.
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This is Zoom meeting given to the society on 11 March 2024, speaker Debbie Bradley. A practical talk about things you need to think about to find your ancestors if they moved around the country.
On Monday 11 September 2023 over Zoom: John will take us beyong the peace and serenity offered by our parish churches and look at some of the countless images of Murder, Sex and Mayhem that he has come across in his travels. From medieval murals and stained glass depict the martyrdom of saints from home and abroad, and the grisliest of dooms. At a lower level may be found misericords showing whippings, wife beatings, and brawls. Finally there are many monuments and memorials that show scenes of murder and mayhem in goodly measure including stagecoach crashes, bridge collapses, falling trees, falling bridges, falling chimneys, shootings, stabbings, mine collapses, shipwrecks and explosions.
Railways were one of the largest employers and many companies left a legacy of staff records. In this talk, given on 12 April 2021, Ian Waller examined how those records help piece together the career of a railway worker up to nationalisation in 1948.
This talk, given on 24 May 2021, concerns establishing the truth of a WWI friendship between two Wiltshire farmers' sons, and why one's marriage to the sister of the other, led to the unexpected discovery of an 18th Century Grant of Arms, several 18th Century family trees, crested china and a signet ring. Also an 18th Century print of the College of Arms where a family namesake was Richmond Herald. The story of the fortunes of this family of farmers descended from Merchant Mariner adventurers provides a fascinating insight into the 18thC and their descendant families are searched for the linkage that would show why that cache of 18th Century material descended to its present owners.
On 5 October 2020 Phil Isherwood explained what Evernote is, how it works and showed practical examples of how he has used it to transform the organisation of his genealogy projects.
22 May 2023 - Hybrid Meeting: This talk explored the little-known story of the Ascott Martyrs and their contribution to the campaign being mounted by the National Agricultural Labourers Union led by Joseph Arch to improve the wages of the agricultural labourer. In May 1873, 16 women from Ascott-under-Wychwood, some with babes in their arms, were sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour in Oxford Gaol, for what on the face of it, amounted to little more than a peaceful demonstration in support of a strike for a living wage by some agricultural labourers in the village.
In this hybrid meeting Kim Davies, Engagement officer at the Soldier's of Oxfordshire (SOFO) museum talked about Oxfordshire's Military Heritage using a number of objects form the SOFO museum's collection.
A talk by Ian Waller, by Zoom, to Oxfordshire FHS on 27 July 2020
On Monday 12 June 2023 via Zoom: What better way to attract people to you and the data that you have than creating your own website. However, many are put off by the thoughts of the technical problems. This lecture looks at some of the alternatives there are and some of the questions that you need to answer on the way.
Recording available - Talk given On 14 November 2022 via Zoom: It would be unusual if your ancestor did not appear in Quarter Session records. Besides petty crime the Quarter Sessions administered many local government functions including licensing, local taxes, market and fairs. The records are perhaps the most comprehensive of any English Court and this talk on 14 November 2022 examines their value to family historians and guides you through the content of the records.
The presentation on 28 June 2021 showcased the use of a large number of datasets made available online by Oxfordshire Libraries for the benefit of library members. These datasets can be used at home by anybody that has an Oxfordshire Library Card and without charge.
9 September 2024 - Based on his own research Andrew will tell the story of the Midlands’ industrial work on the ship and the fate of the local passengers. A dramatic presentation delivered in full White Star Line Uniform, using images, audio and numerous props. Climb aboard and experience the voyage of your life.
On 13 November 2023 over Zoom, Ian Waller will take us into the world of Royal Navy records a most comprehensive series of records outlining the service. The Admiralty was extremely meticulous at keeping records of operations, procedures and personnel and this talk provides an overview about such records.
Hybrid Meeting: On 24 April 2023 Malcolm talked about school log books and how they can be used to flesh out the bones of your family history. A recording of the talk is available to view.
On 22 February 2021 Simon traced the development of Salter's Steamers showing how it grew from a leading racing-boat constructor in Wandsworth to become one of the largest inland boat-builders and passenger boat operators in the country. he aslo described many of the famous names associated with the business, including Lewis Carroll, William Morris, Edward VII, Jerome K. Jerome, T. E. Lawrence and C. S. Lewis. The talk was given on 22 February 2021.
On Monday 26 June 2023 Oxfordshire FHS held its AGM at Exeter Hall, Kidlington and over Zoom. The AGM was followed by a talk by Mark Davies entitled "Some Binsey Whimsey".
This talk, on 28 March 2022, introduced us to the different types of records that can help you trace people who spent time in South Africa, and the many websites and resources that are available.
The 1921 Census of England and Wales is here. In this talk, given on 14 January 2022, join Findmypast for an unmissable exploration of the biggest new arrival in family history. After years spent digitising and transcribing this unique snapshot of our recent history, discover the stories and secrets contained within.