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The DNA Group focuses on the growing role of genetic testing in genealogy, allowing participants to exchange results, tips, and advice on interpreting DNA data.

The Group, led by Diane Kuster, meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 7:30pm.

Zooming in on Family History is a wide-ranging chatty session where members can come along to ask for help with their research, brickwall or questions relating to using the online databases such as Ancestry and FindMyPast. Discussions also cover research techniques and problem-solving strategies, an excellent place for newcomers to family history to ask questions and learn the basics of tracing their ancestry.  Maybe you live outside Cheshire and want to dive into the rich history of the county or explore how local events, records, and geographic changes could  inform their family research.  The Group, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of month at 7:30pm is led by Margaret Roberts and Sheila Jones.

The Family Tree Maker Users Discussion group meets on the fourth Thursday of every second month at 7:30pm via Zoom.

The group is led by Tony Cox and covers all aspects of using Family Tree Maker, so this is the place for asking any questions or sharing tips on how to use the programme

To be included in the emailing list to receive the zoom link for these meetings please return to the Homepage of the website, scroll down the left-hand menu and click on Discussion Groups, then click on 'Subscribe' for this or any other Discussion Group you would like to attend.

The May FHSC Cheshire Research Buddies topic of the month is the Wirral  - Do you have ancestors in the area, or are you researching a local family and want some help, perhaps on the other hand you live in the locality and could offer help with photographing gravestones or buildings. This is the chance for members to help each other, I'm sure there are many members out there with knowledge of the area that they could share. If you have a research question then please feel free to email me on   and I will circulate it among attendees beforehand.

You will need to register to attend, to do so please click on the 'Register [Individual]' button below on the left and process your registration, you will receive an email confirmation and the zoom links/meeting protocol will be forwarded the morning of the helpdesk meeting.

If you run into any difficulties with this then please contact Margaret Roberts on 

NOTE that registration closes at 10am on the morning of the meeting.and the zoom links will be forwarded once registration is close

The Historical Newspapers Group, which meets on the first Friday of the month at 2pm and is led by Margaret Roberts, explores the use of old newspapers in family history research. Hints and tips on using the newspapers online, how to get the best out of your searches and sharing stories of successes, and failures are a mainstay of the group.

A joint event with Shropshire Family History Society. 

This session will look at three practical mapping methods for family history:

Ancestral Walks

Concentric Survey

Outlier Method

plus practical tips for sourcing and using historical maps

It will last between 90-100 minutes, with a break and time for questions afterwards. 

A fantastic opportunity to learn more about maps and how to use them in your family history research

This event is for members only and registration is open, please click on the ‘Register [Individual]’ button above, you will receive an email confirmation. Registration will close on 11 June and the Zoom links will be forwarded on the morning of 12 June, the day before the session 

The MAC Users Discussion Group meets on the third Monday of the month at 2pm. The group is led by John Reed and is the perfect place to discuss any issues or share your hints and tips and learn from other members about all things MAC related. Thinking of swapping to a MAC  then there is no better way to find out more.

Linda Hammond is a professional genealogist and member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists. She has been active in genealogy for over 35 years as both a researcher and a lecturer. She is a member of the University of Strathclyde genealogy course faculty, where she works as a tutor for their Masters program.

How many of the “facts” in your family tree are truly proven - and how many are just educated guesses? In genealogy, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of assumptions: a family story that must be true, an “obvious” connection that fits neatly, or a record that seems reliable at first glance. But without careful evidence analysis, we risk building a house of cards.This talk introduces you to the tools and methods that turn uncertain clues into sound conclusions. You’ll learn the difference between information, evidence, and proof; how to distinguish direct, indirect, and even negative evidence; and why the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) is your best safeguard against errors. Through clear examples, we’ll explore how to handle conflicting sources, weigh reliability, and avoid common misconceptions about records. You’ll also discover practical tools - like evidence tables and research logs - that make analysis manageable and effective. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned researcher, this talk will sharpen your detective skills, boost your confidence, and help you move from “I think” to “I know” in your family history research.

This event is for members only and registration opens on 1st June, when the ‘Register [Individual]’ button will show on the bottom left of the Event details on the FHSC website for you to click and then process your registration, you will receive an email confirmation. Registration will close on 15th June

The zoom links/meeting protocol will be forwarded the day before the talk.  If you run into any difficulties with this, then please contact us on the dedicated seminar email address – . The Seminar series is co-ordinated by Margaret Spate, Jean Laidlaw and Margaret Roberts and ALL correspondence, queries etc should be sent to the dedicated email address.

PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT RECORD SEMINAR TALKS

The Family Historian Users Group provides support and tips for using Family Historian software. Led by Peter Rowley members are welcome to chat about their experiences of using the software and to discuss any problems etc that other members of the group may be able to help out with

Publishing your Family History Research Group, covers all aspects of publishing your research, whether you are considering writing a book, creating a website or blog, submitting an article to the Cheshire Ancestor, recording a podcast etc, then this group is the ideal place to discuss your ideas and concerns. Led by Victoria Doran, the group meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 2:30pm, with a break for the Summer.

The DNA Group focuses on the growing role of genetic testing in genealogy, allowing participants to exchange results, tips, and advice on interpreting DNA data.

The Group, led by Diane Kuster, meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 7:30pm.

Zooming in on Family History is a wide-ranging chatty session where members can come along to ask for help with their research, brickwall or questions relating to using the online databases such as Ancestry and FindMyPast. Discussions also cover research techniques and problem-solving strategies, an excellent place for newcomers to family history to ask questions and learn the basics of tracing their ancestry.  Maybe you live outside Cheshire and want to dive into the rich history of the county or explore how local events, records, and geographic changes could  inform their family research.  The Group, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of month at 7:30pm is led by Margaret Roberts and Sheila Jones.

The June FHSC Cheshire Research Buddies topic of the month is Malpas and area  - Do you have ancestors in the area, or are you researching a local family and want some help, perhaps on the other hand you live in the locality and could offer help with photographing gravestones or buildings. This is the chance for members to help each other, I'm sure there are many members out there with knowledge of the area that they could share. 

You will need to register to attend, to do so please click on the 'Register [Individual]' button below on the left and process your registration, you will receive an email confirmation and the zoom links/meeting protocol will be forwarded the morning of the helpdesk meeting.

If you run into any difficulties with this then please contact Margaret Roberts on 

NOTE that registration closes at 10am on the morning of the meeting.and the zoom links will be forwarded once registration is closed 

The Historical Newspapers Group, which meets on the first Friday of the month at 2pm and is led by Margaret Roberts, explores the use of old newspapers in family history research. Hints and tips on using the newspapers online, how to get the best out of your searches and sharing stories of successes, and failures are a mainstay of the group.

Together with Devon Family history Society, FHSC is delighted to welcome Professor Ronald Hutton to the Seminar Series. Prof Hutton has written over a dozen books and has appeared on numerous television and radio programmes from Ghosthunters and the Edward Farm to the Secrets of Great British Castles. Specialising in Early Modern Britain, Prof Hutton is an expert in historical paganism, folklore, and modern paganism and it is on that subject that he will be talking. Hutton will explore the history of British festivals from the earliest written records to the present day, covering a wide range of traditions including May Day, Midsummer, Hallowe'en, and the twelve days of Christmas. This is certain to be an excellent talk.

This event is for members only and registration opens on 1st July, when the ‘Register [Individual]’ button will show below the title of the event, click Register and you will receive an email confirmation. Registration will close on 13 July.

The zoom links/meeting protocol will be forwarded the day before the talk.  If you run into any difficulties with this, then please contact us on the dedicated seminar email address – . The Seminar series is co-ordinated by Margaret Spate, Jean Laidlaw and Margaret Roberts and ALL correspondence, queries etc should be sent to the dedicated email address.

PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT RECORD SEMINAR TALKS

The Family Historian Users Group provides support and tips for using Family Historian software. Led by Peter Rowley members are welcome to chat about their experiences of using the software and to discuss any problems etc that other members of the group may be able to help out with

The MAC Users Discussion Group meets on the third Monday of the month at 2pm. The group is led by John Reed and is the perfect place to discuss any issues or share your hints and tips and learn from other members about all things MAC related. Thinking of swapping to a MAC  then there is no better way to find out more.

Zooming in on Family History is a wide-ranging chatty session where members can come along to ask for help with their research, brickwall or questions relating to using the online databases such as Ancestry and FindMyPast. Discussions also cover research techniques and problem-solving strategies, an excellent place for newcomers to family history to ask questions and learn the basics of tracing their ancestry.  Maybe you live outside Cheshire and want to dive into the rich history of the county or explore how local events, records, and geographic changes could  inform their family research.  The Group, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of month at 7:30pm is led by Margaret Roberts and Sheila Jones.