2 million name index

In a town near you, there’s likely an enthusiastic band of family historians  - your local family history society members. These hardworking volunteers run family history societies to help teach people about family history and work to preserve the historic records of the area for the future. The range of historic projects they are involved in is vast. Read on for an inspiring example…

Q What do you feel is unique about Calderdale Family History Society?

A (Peter Lord) With free access to an index of nearly 2 million names from our society's publications - via our website – we believe this offers the most comprehensive, free, society tool anywhere in the country. We have transcribed the BMDs for all the C of E churches in Calderdale which opened before 1837, also, we have transcribed the monumental inscriptions of 80 of our graveyards. Our current project is transcribing detail from 74 school logs from the period 1872-1917, which will provide a fascinating insight to education, as it developed, in the late 19th century. The names from all these projects, and others, are contained in our index – at www.cfhsweb.com – which is freely searchable by anyone, and members can request full detail of any entry to be emailed to them.

Also, we have an ‘internet membership’ – costing as little as £5.50 a year it gives full access to all our facilities, including the quarterly journal, which internet members read electronically.

Calderdale covers an area around Halifax in West Yorkshire, whose ancient parish is the largest, geographically, in England. The western part goes deep into the Pennines and there are numerous townships that represented a diverse population stretching back many centuries.

To find out more about family history societies, buy the Christmas issue of Family Tree, in the shops now, priced £5.99 and bagged with the Family History Handbook. The Handbook is packed with behind-the-scenes interviews with key family history society members and a directory of family history societies worldwide. Now SOLD OUT from the Family Tree website but still available from your newsagents or download the digital version here!