u3a

Yate & Sodbury District

Family History

Status:Active, full but can join waiting list
Leader:
Leader:
When: Monthly on Monday afternoons 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
3rd Monday of the month, upstairs in the cinema. Please arrive from 13:50 to sign-in and order refreshments so that we can start promptly at 14:00.
Venue: Armadillo Yate

The group engages internal and external speakers covering a varied programme of topics to meet members interests. We also hold practical sessions where members can bring along their 'brick walls' to see if the collective knowledge of the membership can help them move forward with their research.

The Family History Group is currently meeting once a month on the 3rd Monday of each month, in the afternoon 2-4pm.

There is a small charge to cover the room hire and there are facilities to purchase refreshments. Our members list is full at the moment and we have a waiting list. Please contact Brian Thomas or Claire Garston for the latest status and more information by clicking on their name at the top of this page.

Forthcoming events

15th June 2026
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Peter Bryant will be talking to us about a famous engineer in his family. Richard Trevithick lived during the era of the Industrial Revolution and was working st the cutting […]
Cost: £2 pp + Refreshments (£2.20 pp)
20th July 2026
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
One of our members, Robert Allebon, will be talking to us about how he used DNA to help find his fathers family tree.
Cost: £2 pp + Refreshments (£2.20 pp)
16th November 2026
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Elizabeth Gillespie from our group, will be providing Novembers talk (appropriately themed for November and Remembrance Sunday), about her two grandfathers in WW1.
Cost: £2pp + Refreshments (£2.20 pp)

Family History Topics covered in 2025:

  • Death Certificates
  • 'Family Historian' - genealogy software package.
  • DNA - Solving crimes and finding ancestors (Townhall talk)
  • Visited the Midlands Family History Fair in Malvern
  • Wills & Probates.
  • Tracing the history of your house
  • Adventures of a Cornish Mining Consultant
  • Researching your WW2 Military Ancestors
  • Memorabilia week