IHGS: The School of Family History

09/04/2026

Interpreting Historical Documents Online Talks Caroline Adams
This short course is designed for anyone interested in learning how to understand some of the most valuable historical documents
https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/live-tutorials-and-workshops-7
https://mailchi.mp/ihgs/interpreting

The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies                       Terms and Conditions 80-82 Northgate Canterbury Kent, CT1 1BA UK Tel: +44 (0)1227 768664

01/04/2026

View our IHGS April Newsletter - Find out about our new courses, upcoming Tutorials and more

Writing a Professional Research Report   with Elizabeth Yule 22nd April 12pm This tutorial provides hints and tips on how to put together and write a professional genealogical research report. This zoom session will cover structure, what to include in the narrative, referencing and much more, led ...

01/04/2026

Street addresses found in a banns register!

After Hardwicke's Marriage Act passed in 1753, pre-printed marriage registers were introduced into Anglican churches from 1754 onwards. As well as this, every marriage was required to take place after the calling of the banns in each party's home parish for three weeks prior to the wedding, or by ob...

23/03/2026

Join us this Wednesday 25th March 6.30 for Advanced Pedigree Construction Zoom Tutorial with Ann Ballard - https://mailchi.mp/ihgs/advancedpedigrees-15697191 https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/live-tutorials-and-workshops-7

How to Draw Pedigrees Using PowerPoint: Advanced Zoom Tutorial with Ann Ballard Wednesday 25th March 6.30pm This popular and practical Tutorial will include guidance on displaying your research on a pedigree tree -including different ways to compile complex charts, multiple marriages and extended ...

18/03/2026

Double Dating in registers after 1752? Apparently the clerks of this Yorkshire parish continued using it up until 1811! https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/double-dating-after-1752-2902

16/03/2026

Researching Ancestors in Kent with Elizabeth Yule 18th March 12pm

This Tutorial will focus on undertaking family history research in Kent, and will cover sources including parish registers, wills, poor law records and much more.

Whilst focussing on Kent case studies the Tutorial will cover sources found elsewhere in England and Wales and practical methodology for anyone interested in family history research. https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/live-tutorials-and-workshops-7 https://mailchi.mp/ihgs/marchnewsletter2026-15697143

The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies                       Terms and Conditions 80-82 Northgate Canterbury Kent, CT1 1BA UK Tel: +44 (0)1227 768664

10/03/2026

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW COURSE
Starting Your Scottish Ancestry Journey: Foundations for Family History

“Starting Your Scottish Ancestry Journey” is designed for beginners who want to uncover their family history in Scotland. You’ll learn how to navigate key Scottish records, understand the rich historical context behind them, and discover practical techniques to trace your ancestors with confidence.

This is a Tutor Assessed course. The assignments accompanying each lecture will enable students to put theory and methodology into practice.

It is self paced and flexible - study at your own pace.

What You Will Learn

• Where to find the most useful Scottish records
• How to use ScotlandsPeople
• Practical tips for navigating major archives and online resources
• How to record your results

Statutory Registration
Scotland’s system of statutory (civil) registration began in 1855 and provides some of the most detailed records in the UK. You will learn how to use:
• Birth records
• Marriage records
• Death records

We explain what information each type contains, how it has changed over time, and how to locate entries using official resources.

Census Records
Census returns offer a snapshot of families at ten‑year intervals. This course covers:
• Census years available for Scotland
• Key details recorded about individuals
• How to track family members across multiple decades
• How to interpret occupations, addresses, and household structures
• How to How to link Statutory Registration and Census Returns

Valuation Rolls
Valuation rolls list property occupants and owners from the mid‑19th century onwards. They are invaluable for filling gaps between census years. You will learn:
• What valuation rolls record
• How they differ from other sources
• Ways to use them to trace movement, property history, and changing family circumstances

Old Parish Registers (OPRs)
Before statutory registration, Church of Scotland parish records are the main source for births, baptisms, banns, and marriages. This section explores:
• What survives and where to find it
• Gaps and inconsistencies in the registers

By the end of the course, you will have the confidence to begin researching your own Scottish ancestors using the core records essential to family history.

“Starting Your Scottish Ancestry Journey” is designed for beginners who want to uncover their family history in Scotland. You’ll learn how to navigate key Scottish records, understand the rich historical context behind them, and discover practical techniques to trace your ancestors with confid...

04/03/2026

History of Parish Registers in England and Wales: From the Restoration to Civil Registration

by John Wintrip published by the Lutterworth Press 26th March 2026

We are pleased to highlight the forthcoming publication by IHGS Graduate John Wintrip.

John obtained a DipGen in 2008 and LHG in 2019. Several chapters of his new book are based on his Licentiateship dissertation.

John described his new book below:

I am pleased to announce the publication of my new book: A History of Parish Registers in England and Wales: From the Restoration to Civil Registration on 26 March 2026 by Lutterworth Press.

Early parish registers piqued the interest of several nineteenth-century antiquarian authors, but those of the long eighteenth century, usually the first and sometimes the only parish registers encountered by family historians today, received far less attention. During many years of personal and professional research, I became increasingly aware of features and idiosyncrasies in the registers of this period for which I could find little or no explanation in genealogy manuals. This prompted me to explore their history as a personal project after retiring from professional practice, involving both reviewing the published literature and conducting original research on aspects that had previously been overlooked.

My initial focus was the motivation for the introduction of detailed baptism and burial registers in several dioceses and a few parishes elsewhere towards the end of the eighteenth century. After being awarded an IHGS Licentiateship for my dissertation on this topic in 2019, I continued to investigate other aspects of parish registers that had received little previous attention, including earlier initiatives for their improvement, and the marriage registers introduced following Hardwicke’s Marriage Act of 1753.

The most recent book to cover the history of parish registers in any detail was published in 1968,1 since when a significant amount of new research has been carried out, initially by archivists, historical demographers and local historians, and more recently by me. While my own research was drawing to a close, I began to think about writing a book to synthesise what is now known about the history of these fundamental records into a coherent narrative. As little can be added to what has already been written about the earliest registers, which for many parishes no longer survive, I decided to concentrate on the period after 1660. I was very fortunate in finding a publisher who was sufficiently interested in my proposal to offer me a contract.

This book is intended as a history of the parish registers of the Church of England and is not a practical guide to their use. However, by illuminating the nuanced development of these records, it seeks to lay the foundation for more informed and productive research.

03/03/2026

Sojourner in the parish.

[originally post by Elizabeth Yule https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/researching-migrant-ancestors-2891]

It is a myth that our ancestors stayed in one place - anyone who conducts genealogical research on their family history will realise this straight away! Even in the period before the coming of the railway, the industrial age and an era of more accessible travel, our ancestors are often to be found to be mobile. This could be within a county, within a country, or even further afield.

Terminology will be found within historical documents denoting those who moved around. It could be implied from their occupation such as a 'traveller' which usually referred to a travelling salesman, or commercial traveller. Other terminology could be used here, such as hawker.

Parish register entries can also simply state where an individual or family was from, such as this example from the burial registers of Dover which recorded a German man who lived in Amsterdam, and who had recently travelled from Guinea.

Other words can also be used within historical records to denote migratory status, such as 'sojourner.' An example comes from a Devon burial register of 1813 and reads 'a sojourner in this Parish a Papermaker by trade.'

A 'sojourner' referred to an individual who was only staying somewhere temporarily. In this case, the individual worked as a papermaker, and it was likely that it was through his occupation that he had come to be away from his home parish. Papermaking was an important industry within Devon and elsewhere in the south of England in the early 19th century, and many people moved to be where the work was present, thus leaving their counties of origin.

If you have any elusive ancestors that are difficult to find, contact our professional team of genealogists today for a free quote for undertaking family history research.

It is a myth that our ancestors stayed in one place - anyone who conducts genealogical research on their family history will realise this straight away! Even in the period before the coming of the railway, the industrial age and an era of more accessible travel, our ancestors are often to be found t...

03/03/2026

An English Village: How to Find Out About a Place a great Zoom talk this Thursday with IHGS Tutor Judith Batchelor - https://mailchi.mp/ihgs/anenglishvillage https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/live-tutorials-and-workshops-7

It is not uncommon to find that we have ancestors who in years gone by, lived in rural villages that are totally unfamiliar to us today. In this tutorial, we will be looking at how you can learn about a place and its history. Discover more about the records and sources that can provide you with info...

02/03/2026

IHGS March Newsletter -

Sarah Cook is now a Qualified Ambassador for IHGS. Sarah recently achieved the Diploma in Genealogy with IHGS and she is currently working as a freelance genealogist and researcher. Her interest in genealogy began in the early 1980s when her grandad told her about his Romany gypsy family. She i...

22/02/2026

Join Ann Ballard this Wednesday for her great Tutorial on How to Draw Pedigrees Using PowerPoint - https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/2843 https://mailchi.mp/ihgs/howtodrawpedigrees-15697002

In this practical tutorial, tutor Ann Ballard will discuss the essential elements to include in a chart, then demonstrate and discuss building a pedigree using PowerPoint including many hints, tips and shortcuts. It will include how to use it via Windows and Mac.