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 Geoff Johnson 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 Brierley Business Centre is situated on Mirion Street, with free on-site parking and some disabled parking spaces. The Research Centre occupies Units 3 and 4 on the ground floor. Press the doorbell button for FHSC on the left-hand side of the main entrance doorway, one of our volunteers will come to the door and let you in, or you may be simply 'buzzed' in. 

FREE access to Ancestry, FindMyPast, British Newspaper Archive and The Genealogist

An extensive library of books and the Crewe Collection (formerly Crewe and District Local History Archives)

We would normally ask that you book if you are travelling any distance so that we can be sure that you have the equipment, resources and volunteer available to you. Please contact Margaret Spate with requests for either day on   adding "Research Centre" in the subject line.

For full details of our holdings, please see the Crewe Research Centre Library Holdings lists in the Public Library.

We look forward to welcoming both current and new members to the Crewe Research Centre, not forgetting any new volunteers.

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 Brierley Business Centre is situated on Mirion Street, with free on-site parking and some disabled parking spaces. The Research Centre occupies Units 3 and 4 on the ground floor. Press the doorbell button for FHSC on the left-hand side of the main entrance doorway, one of our volunteers will come to the door and let you in, or you may be simply 'buzzed' in. 

FREE access to Ancestry, FindMyPast, British Newspaper Archive and The Genealogist

An extensive library of books and the Crewe Collection (formerly Crewe and District Local History Archives)

We would normally ask that you book if you are travelling any distance so that we can be sure that you have the equipment, resources and volunteer available to you. Please contact Margaret Spate with requests for either day on   adding "Research Centre" in the subject line.

For full details of our holdings, please see the Crewe Research Centre Library Holdings lists in the Public Library.

We look forward to welcoming both current and new members to the Crewe Research Centre, not forgetting any new volunteers.

Macclesfield Group: Grave Matters: Using Burial Records and Memorial Inscriptions

by Liz DeMercado

Admission: £2 members | £3 visitors (includes refreshments)

All Welcome!

For details: 

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 Brierley Business Centre is situated on Mirion Street, with free on-site parking and some disabled parking spaces. The Research Centre occupies Units 3 and 4 on the ground floor. Press the doorbell button for FHSC on the left-hand side of the main entrance doorway, one of our volunteers will come to the door and let you in, or you may be simply 'buzzed' in. 

FREE access to Ancestry, FindMyPast, British Newspaper Archive and The Genealogist

An extensive library of books and the Crewe Collection (formerly Crewe and District Local History Archives)

We would normally ask that you book if you are travelling any distance so that we can be sure that you have the equipment, resources and volunteer available to you. Please contact Margaret Spate with requests for either day on   adding "Research Centre" in the subject line.

For full details of our holdings, please see the Crewe Research Centre Library Holdings lists in the Public Library.

We look forward to welcoming both current and new members to the Crewe Research Centre, not forgetting any new volunteers.