26/09/2025
September this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Borders Family History Society (BFHS), a thriving organisation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of family history in the Scottish Borders and beyond.
BFHS will be holding an Open Day at their Headquarters in 52 Overhaugh Street, Galashiels, on Saturday 27th September to mark this milestone. Free 30 minute family tree research sessions will be available.
The Society was founded in 1985 following a letter to a local newspaper, which sparked a public meeting at Old Gala House, Galashiels, on 27th June that year. From this, a Steering Committee was formed, with Peter Elliot as Chairman. The Society’s inaugural lecture, delivered by Donald Whyte of the Scottish Genealogy Society, set the tone for decades of scholarly dedication and community engagement.
BFHS began with just 47 members—five of whom are still active today—and its very first newsletter editor was Col. Winston H. Oliver of Blainslie. By its first AGM in 1986, membership had grown to 106; today, the Society proudly serves over 700 members worldwide.
Over the years, BFHS has expanded both its scope and resources. Key milestones include:
• 1988: Launch of public talks at the Ormiston Institute, Melrose.
• 1991: Publication of the first in a long-running series of monumental inscription (MI) records.
• 1998: Establishment of a dedicated resource room in Old Gala House.
• 2013: Purchase and customisation of the Society’s permanent home at 52 Overhaugh Street, Galashiels—once home to Robert Coltart of “Coulter’s Candy” fame.
The Society’s headquarters now house a well-equipped Research Room, a large Library with around 3000 publications, and a Meeting Room featuring a permanent display of documents and photographs from Peel Hospital, former SWRI branches, and WWI artefacts.
The research facilities offer access to valuable offline and online resources including census records, prison registers, monumental inscriptions, and premium subscriptions to major genealogy websites such as Ancestry and Find My Past. The Borders Family History Society Research Centre recently became a Family Search Affiliate Library, giving visitors access to Family Search digital genealogical collections.
Our dedicated team of expert volunteer researchers, with a wealth of local knowledge, are passionate about helping members uncover their family histories and connect with their ancestral roots.
As digital research grows, BFHS remains a vital physical archive with several hundred unique, donated family trees unavailable online.
The Society is affiliated with the Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) and has hosted several of its annual conferences. BFHS’s Newsletter, first published in 1985, has evolved into a well-regarded Magazine issued three times annually, now also available in digital format.
BFHS has embraced technology with the launch of its first website in 2003, the introduction of email contacts in 2002, and a growing presence on Facebook. A new and improved website is in development.
The Society continues to foster public engagement through beginner courses, group visits, and new partnerships—including a collaboration with HARP Archaeology, providing short genealogy courses as part of their “Romans, Reivers and the Rough Wooing” tours in the Borders.
As BFHS celebrates four decades of connecting people with their roots, it remains committed to its founding mission: to research, preserve, and share the rich family histories of the Scottish Borders.
