"MURDER, RESEARCH and FAMILY HISTORY" Paul will present a number of historical murder investigations from the early part of the twentieth century. He will demonstrate how stories can be unravelled using primary source material found in local record offices, national records held by the National Archives in London, as well as using traditional family history sources. Paul Stickler is a retired detective turned criminologist and historian, and explores some of the detail behind some of the most fascinating cases in…

Les shows how searching for Dora was the type of puzzle we all experience in our family tree. He explains how falsehoods threw him off the scent and how he finally found Dora after more red herrings than a murder mystery! Les returns to us once more with another intriguing and informative talk using his extensive knowledge. Les, after a naval career, became a professionally qualified genealogist, a course Tutor with the IHGS and has been appointed their Director of…

Simon returns to us to hopefully help with one of the frustrating things in genealogy, not being able to find an ancestor's marriage. What can you do if  there seems to be no Parish or civil record of a wedding? Simon Wills is a history journalist and genealogist and author of ten books. Many of you may have seen him on the November tv programme of Who Do You Think You Are? featuring Liz Carr (Silent Witness) He is an…

"Searching for Irish Ancestors"  - This talk will look at current and historical maps of Ireland. Since the early 17th century there have been four Provinces of Ireland: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, means 'fifth part' and indicates that there were once five; however, in the medieval period there were more. There are thirty two counties in Ireland (twenty six in the Republic of Ireland and six in Northern Ireland). Many people,…

"FINDING TREASURE IN NEWSPAPERS" An insight into the wealth of information that is available within newspapers, including the British Newspaper Archive and The Gazette, as well as hints and tips for getting more out of searching and finding useful articles within the newspapers. Mia )Amelia) has been researching her family history for over 25 years, and been a Trustee of the Society of Genealogists for over 5, and is also an Associate of AGRA. She has carried out DNA analysis…

"POSTED IN THE PAST" Following on from her book of the same name, Helen uses genealogical skills to reveal the true stories behind post cards sent in the early years of the 20th century, and shares these tales with an illustrated talk. A 10 year old servant living in Bath, a soldier who died in the First World War, and even a man who helped prepare Lord Kitchener's last meal are all connected through postcards. Helen is a freelance writer…

"LAWRENCE - BEFORE AND AFTER ARABIA" The legend of Lawrence of Arabia is well documented in books and films, but, what of his life before and after the Desert War? With a strong association to Dorset, he was described as one of the most influential Englishmen of the 20th century - but he wasn't English! There are many myths, but the truth  is far more fascinating. A man of many lives --- Colin is an established and well known artist…