CALDERDALE FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY
Lying in the foothills of the Pennines in West Yorkshire, Calderdale covers some 140 square miles and is home to a population of approximately 200,000. If your ancestors were from this area, Calderdale FHS can provide plenty of help and inspiration
Your go-to society for help over 140 square miles of Yorkshire family history
Stretching from Todmorden in the west down the Calder Valley through Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge and Elland to Brighouse in the east, at the centre of the Calderdale district is the historic market, mill and minster town of Halifax.
Against the backdrop of a rich industrial and commercial heritage, the society was formed in 1985 and over the years has attracted a large number of active members, not only in the local area but throughout the UK and overseas from as far afield as the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The society is administered by an executive committee, whose officers are elected at the annual general meeting.
Society meetings
With the primary purpose of encouraging and supporting research into families with roots in the area, the society holds monthly meetings (virtual since July 2020 owing to Covid-19 restrictions) in Halifax, which are open to both members and non-members. These are held on the fourth Thursday of each month and at each meeting, a guest speaker presents topics relevant to family history researchers. Given the popularity of the virtual meetings, particularly with those ‘away’ members unable to attend in person, the society
plans to introduce a hybrid approach and stream meetings live over Zoom once government restrictions allow in-person gatherings.
Research help
A research room is available at Brighouse Library for those wishing to investigate their family histories in perhaps a little more detail. This facility is staffed by experienced volunteers who are happy to assist visitors – members or otherwise – with their research enquiries. For those unable to visit the research room, support is available either by email, telephone or virtually over Zoom.
In addition, the society publishes a members’ quarterly journal, The Scrivener, together with a monthly newsletter. Together, these offer a platform for sharing news, family history related articles and information amongst the membership, much of which is provided by the members themselves.
Society projects
The society is also active in transcribing and indexing original records, supported by a team of enthusiastic members. The records include BMDS, burials, monumental inscriptions, newspapers, school logs and admissions, which today total in excess of 2 million records (and still growing). While free searches of the entire transcription index are available to non-members on the society’s website www.cfhsweb.com, the members area of the site offers full and comprehensive searchable access to the society’s database.