Penshaw Monument, 2019 © Julie Goucher

Yesterday I watched a great series of presentations hosted by the Society of Genealogist in collaboration with the Northumberland and Durham Family History Society. The event was free to attend, and the recording is linked.

Firstly, we heard Else Churchill, Genealogist at the Society of Genealogists talk about materials held, both online and at the premises in Wharf Road, London.

This was followed by an informative section by Carolyn Ball, archivist at The Story. This is the new archive and resource centre for County Durham. Next it was Northumberland Archives, where we heard from Jo March about some of the collections at England’s most northerly archive.

We then heard from Joyce Jackman of Northumberland and Durham FHS who talked about the offerings of the society, including materials at the resource centre. Membership is £15 annually, and like many societies, is run solely by members who volunteer their time.

We then moved on to the Archives of Tyne and Wear, where we heard again from Carolyn Ball, who worked for 20 years at the archive. Carolyn stepped in as a replacement for her former colleague. We heard about some of the material held at Tyne and Wear on their twelve miles of shelf space!

Each of the archive services shared examples of their holdings, typically linked to heavy industry – rail, shipbuilding, mining, and much more.

In the final segment we heard from the Historic Town Trust and about the work they do on historical maps, The Victorian County History (VCH) and the Vision of Britain through Places.

I thoroughly recommend this collaborative presentation, even if you do not have ancestors involved in heavy industry, there were other records mentioned. Also mentioned was which archive covered what and where, essentially framing County Durham as the locale sandwiched between the River Tyne and River Tees, with some exceptions!

I am the Guild of One-Name Studies regional rep for Northumberland and Durham, where I write an occasional newsletter for Guild members, with the last issue (May 2024) available HERE as a download to everyone.