Berwick 900 Family History Festival, 11am to 4pm, 3 to 4 October, Berwick-Upon-Tweed

The Family History Festival runs from 11am to 4pm in Berwick Town Hall, Marygate, Berwick-Upon-Tweed,TD15 1BN and admission is free. Map.

• Berwick 900
• Berwick Record Office
• Borders Family History Society
• Eyemouth Museum
• Northumberland & Durham Family History Society
• Northumberland Archives
• The Great Performing Rope
• The Scottish Genealogy Society

will be there to help you research and understand your family history and record your family stories.

There’s an interesting programme of talks throughout both days:

There’ll be an opportunity to ask questions after each talk.

Look at the displays on local families, the last 2 Scottish governors of Berwick Castle, cross-Border marriages, the former Peel Hospital near Galashiels and the Eyemouth fishing disaster.

There is a giant family tree associated with the Greenses starting with John Burgon who was married to Catherine Whillis (both were born in 1730) and their descendants to the present day. Can you help us add to this tree, please ?

We’re also trying to find stories and information on people who lived in the Greenses and Ravensdowne.  Come and see what we have already and add to it.  We need your stories and help. 

There will be activities for children: colouring in and upstairs in the old prison area on Saturday, there’ll be workshops for all to help create sections of a 900 metre-long sculptural rope that will be woven around the town at the end of October. 

While we’re keen to hear or receive more family stories of people associated with Berwick, we’re even keener to help you start your family history, help you solve a family mystery or suggest how you can get more information. Therefore we’re offering one-to-one family history 20 minute sessions with local experts in English and Scottish family history between 11.30 am and 3pm each day.
Booking is essential in advance for a family history session.

To book,send an email and tell us whether you need help with English or Scottish family history.

 There are still some slots which can be booked.

If you are interested in family history or just want to know how to get started, come along and meet people who will be able to help you.

Family History Festival, Town Hall, Berwick-upon-Tweed on 3 & 4 October

Advance notice of our Family History Festival which will be held in the Town Hall, Berwick-upon-Tweed on 3 & 4 October, from 11am to 4pm.

Come along and find out about tracing your family history in England and Scotland.

Meet local family history societies and record offices; so far confirmed are Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office, Borders Family History Society, Northumberland & Durham Family History Society, Scottish Genealogy Society.

There'll be a program of talks from 12 to 3pm each day.

We'll also be holding family history surgeries at 11.30 am, 12 noon, 12.30, 1pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.30pm and 3pm each day with local experts, to help you start your family history, identify records for you to look at, help you scale that brick wall or solve a knotty family history problem.
Booking for these surgery slots is essential (first come, first served), please email us at the address below stating which day and time you prefer and if possible, whether your query is about Scottish or English family history.

There will be family history displays on local families, the former Peel Hospital near Galashiels, the last 2 Scottish governors of Berwick.

Bring along your local family trees and help us extend the Burgon family tree and add to our knowledge of families in the Greenses and Ravensdowne.

We'll also have activities for children and there'll be Great Performing Rope workshops for all in the prison area, upstairs on Saturday.

As always, we want to hear your family stories, too.

Update: Download next 2 month's programme of Berwick 900 events.