Counties of Interest: Northumberland and Isle of Wight

Topic: Friendly Societies of the 18th to 20th Century and beyond

What was a friendly society and why were they formed? If you have found an ancestor who was a member of such a society, then you need to come along and learn a bit about friendly societies and what their ethos was for helping fellow members in time of need.

We will welcome Jane Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of the Oddfellows in England, to our meeting to hear about their history and what information might be found in their Archives.

One of our SAG members, Bev Collis-Bird, will give us background on the Ancient Order of Foresters, their history in England and their presence in Australia.

And Diana Pecar will give a brief outline of some other friendly societies - both fraternal and maternal - and what repositories/archives may have information such as their admission registers etc.

It will be a session for all levels of research and could provide additional places for you to discover more about your ancestors and enrich your family history.

Come along and join us as we research our English ancestors in a collaborative, friendly and engaging research group. Make sure you have your questions ready and also be ready to assist others if you are able to as this is the basis of what all SAG Groups are about - people helping other people with ideas and suggestions about their family research. 

This is an online session using the Zoom platform.

Convenors: Diana Pecar, Linda Radulovitch and Annesley Watson

Skill Level: All