Birmingham: The Mourning Brooch
2024-11-02 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Birmingham & Midland Institute – Kingsley Norris Room, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 3BS, United Kingdom
The Mourning Brooch
Speaker: Jean Renwick
Jean Renwick’s talk reveals years of research behind her family saga, The Mourning Brooch, based upon the lives of real Yorkshire people who lived in the second half of the 19th and first half of the 20th century. After inheriting a mourning brooch, Jean was intrigued to know who was Elizabeth Addy commemorated in the brooch, and what happened to the two little girls she left behind. The novels reveal how the sisters’ lives took them in very different directions.
Using newspaper archives, Jean discovered scandals, adding drama to the tale, and research in England and the USA revealed much about the personalities of the characters. And the story moves to London, Liverpool, Philadelphia – even Constantinople – all based on fact. Finally, she will explain how she handles the gaps in knowledge and will report on progress in writing the last part of the saga.
Do you have a piece of mourning jewellery? Bring it to the meeting and share what you know of its history.
Jean Renwick was brought up in the West Midlands and went to school in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton. After retirement, she achieved a Masters in History of Art at the University of Warwick and then embarked upon a second career as a novelist.

North Staffs Branch - Talk
2024-11-04 19:30 - 21:30 | St. John’s Centre, St. John’s Centre, 122 Newcastle Rd. Trent Vale, Stoke on Trent, ST4 6QD, United Kingdom
Talk “Etruria Bone Mill” Speaker Bernard Lovatt

Kenilworth: Researching Irish Ancestry (LIVE)
2024-11-13 19:30 - 21:00 | Kenilworth Centre, Abbey End, Kenilworth, Cv8 1QJ, Abbey End, Kenilworth, CV8 1QJ, United Kingdom
Speaker: Paul Wilkins
Paul is the founder of The Family Tree Tracers,Dorector of Family History Detectives and delivers family history courses at WCRO as well as giving talks and teaching genealogy, and writing for WDYTYA? Magazine

Stourbridge Group - Social Evening with refreshments
2024-11-19 19:30 - 21:00 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
Social Evening with refreshments
This the final event of the year for Midland Ancestors members only.

Wolverhampton: 12 Days of Christmas again!
2024-11-27 19:30 - 21:00 | Wolverhampton, The Terry Harding Room, Perton Civic Centre, Church Road, Perton,, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV6 7PD, United Kingdom
This is the last meeting of 2024 for the Wolverhampton group so will have a Christmas theme with seasonal nibbles (bring your own soft drink – it will not be checked!)
At the moment the current plan is that Penny will provide a presentation of websites that you may wish to explore over the festive season all designed to help you explore new records from the comfort of your own home. For Wolverhampton regulars this is not a repeat of either of the last two years but will include completely new websites that are useful for family history research. Please check back nearer the time in case there is a change to this plan.
We will also be revealing the Wolverhampton group programme for 2025
Doors open at 7.15 p.m. for a 7.30 p.m. meeting start

North Staffs Branch - Social / help evening
2024-12-02 19:30 - 21:30 | St. John’s Centre, St. John’s Centre, 122 Newcastle Rd. Trent Vale, Stoke on Trent, ST4 6QD, United Kingdom
Social / help evening with mincepies and tea or coffee

Birmingham: The Rise and Fall of the World's Mightiest Glassmakers
2024-12-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Birmingham & Midland Institute – Kingsley Norris Room, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 3BS, United Kingdom
The Rise and Fall of the World’s Mightiest Glassmakers
Speaker: Henry Chance
Chance Brothers & Co Ltd was at one time the greatest glassmaker in the world, and one of Smethwick’s foremost employers, providing the glass for the Crystal Palace, the Palace of Westminster and more than half the lighthouse lenses worldwide. It was particularly known for the way its workers were cared for, and for the philanthropy of the firm and the directors.
Henry Chance is descended from both brothers who founded the famous Smethwick firm, and is the grandson of Sir Hugh Chance the last family chairman.

Kenilworth: Christmas Social (LIVE)
2024-12-11 19:30 - 21:00 | Kenilworth, Kenilworth Centre, Abbey End,, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1QJ, United Kingdom
Further details to be confirmed

Bank Holiday
2024-12-25 | West Midlands
Bank Holiday
Christmas Day

Bank Holiday
2024-12-26 | West Midlands
Bank Holiday
Boxing Day

Bank Holiday
2025-01-01 | West Midlands
Bank Holiday
New Year’s Day

Kenilworth: Travels with my (Great Great) Aunt
2025-01-08 19:30 - 20:30 | Online Event Using Zoom
Via ZOOM
Speaker – Helen Baggott

London: “By the sweat of their brows”
2025-01-11 11:00 - 16:30 | London Family History Centre, 64-68 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2PA, United Kingdom
“By the sweat of their brows”
A talk by Sharon Hintze.
Sharon will be talking about industrial workers and their like in our area of interest in past times.
Meetings will be held at the LDS Hyde Park Family Search Centre, 64-68 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2PA. Doors open 10.30; talks start 11.00.
We will have the research facility largely to ourselves for the day of our meetings so will not be restricted on time. We will be able to take coffee and tea into our meetings as well as sandwiches.
If you download and install a Chrome extension on your laptop (which uses the building Wi-Fi), you can search records, use commercial websites for free and download images directly to your laptop after our meeting. In effect, with the Chrome extension, your laptop has the same premium access as the PCs in the FamilySearch Centre. This access only works, of course, if you are within the building on Exhibition Road since it is dependent on the building Wi-Fi address. Ask a member of staff about this if you are interested.
Underground stations: South Kensington (District and Circle Lines).
Buses: 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430, C1

Birmingham: Weeping Angels
2025-01-11 14:00 - 16:00 | Birmingham & Midland Institute – Kingsley Norris Room, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 3BS, United Kingdom
Weeping Angels – interpreting the symbolism of the Victorian cemetery
Speaker – David Moore
Symbols are a language that can help us understand our past. As the saying goes, “a picture paints a thousand words”: but which words? Understanding our past determines actively, our ability to understand the present. David will take a journey back in time to look at the Victorian symbolism to be found in cemeteries and try to understand what messages the living were being left, to tell the story of their dead loved ones.

Stourbridge Group - AGM and "Women in the Glass Industry"
2025-01-25 14:00 - 16:30 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
Talk – “Women in the Glass Industry”
Stourbridge Glass Museum is custodian of many thousands of pieces of glassware reflecting the skills and artistry of glassblowers, designers, and decorators from the Stourbridge area for over 400years. It reflects the industrial efforts from such world-renowned makers as Richardson’s, Stuart Crystal, Royal Brierley Crystal and Webb Corbett’s. Yet how many pieces in the collection have been produced solely by women?
Within those hot working factory conditions, it was said that the only limitation to the glass-blower’s art is ‘the strength in his arm’ and the hot shops were considered at be an all-male environment, women were not allowed. Archive sources and ladies who worked in the glass industry have helped me uncover a fascinating account of this ‘glass ceiling’. From the 1860’s to the present day. This is a revealing account of changing attitudes and the struggles between Unions, Management and workers to allow women to do ‘men’s work’.
Edith Shutt, Acid-dipping at Stuart Crystal, Red House Glass Cone
Speaker: Dr. Kate Round
Kate is an outreach presenter and tour guide for Dudley Museum Service.
Dr Kate Round
In the glass industry, her interests include the historical development of the industry in the Stourbridge district, how the geology and geography impacted on the wealth and sociology of the area, driven by the rivalries of our Glass Dynasties.In her my previous life,Kate was a research chemist and lecturer, so understand the chemistry of glass having worked on the synthesis of ‘zeolites’ (silica based materials) with my work published in International Journals.

Wolverhampton: Guidance from The Wise Woman!
2025-01-29 19:15 - 21:00 | Wolverhampton, The Terry Harding Room, Perton Civic Centre, Church Road, Perton,, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV6 7PD, United Kingdom
Join us for a talk on the naughtier side of Tudor and Medieval life, looking at sexual attitudes and beliefs, by the Wise Woman in full costume. Funny but graphic – not suitable for those of a sensitive disposition!
Our presenter, Pam Manning, a former nurse and midwife, tells us about the historical research she carried out for part of her further qualifications using the Bawdy Court records.

Doors open at 7.15 p.m. for a meeting start time of 7.30 p.m.

Birmingham: The Power of Balance - Kingsley Norris Memorial lecture
2025-02-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Birmingham & Midland Institute – Kingsley Norris Room, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 3BS, United Kingdom
The Power of Balance – W&T Avery in the First World War’
Presenter – Andrew Lound
It was a war that would forever change our view of humanity. A war that was driven by treaty and alliances. A war that would leave millions dead. The Great War started out as a great patriotic adventure and it would be over by Christmas (1914). The illusions of those heady days in August soon disappeared as a desperate struggle for survival began. This presentation looks at the war from the point of view of W & T Avery Limited at Soho Foundry. Many of its employees volunteered to fight, many were in reserved occupations as Avery’s produced vital materiel for war. With exclusive access to the Avery Archive it is a presentation that will shed a new light on the famous firm.
Andrew is well known local speaker, author and commentator and has appeared numerous times on radio and television both locally and internationally.
The Kingsley Norris Memorial Lecture is always by a society member.
It was from a germ of an idea of Dr. Stuart Kingsley Norris, retired surgeon at Birmingham Eye Hospital, that BMSGH now Midland Ancestors, was established in 1963. As its pioneering founder member, after his untimely death in 1972, this annual lecture was set up in his memory.

The history of Staffordshire Oatcakes by Steve Booth
2025-02-03 07:30 - 21:30 | St. John’s Centre, St. John’s Centre, 122 Newcastle Rd. Trent Vale, Stoke on Trent, ST4 6QD, United Kingdom
Oatcakes are sold through out North Staffordshire and are a form of pan cake made with yeast as a raising agent. Nowadays sold plain or with a variety of fillings

Kenilworth: The Cottage by the Well
2025-02-12 19:30 - 20:30 | Online Event Using Zoom
Via Zoom
Speaker – Mary Bodfish

Mary says “The world of the past has fascinated me from my earliest memories; and exploring it continues to absorb me in retirement. My working life was spent firstly in bookselling and then in university administration, but days off frequently found me rummaging happily in record offices and libraries. I began working over 50 years ago on the question of “How come I was landed with the name Bodfish?”
Mary was a founder member of Smethwick Local History Society, and is currently chairman. She has taught local history research and palaeography for theUniversity of Birmingham’s School of Continuing Studies.
Thetalk …
Between 1817 and 1865 the Cottage by the Well at Tadmarton was home to Mary’s 3xg-grandmother, her daughter and her grand daughter. The first two made the same mistake in life – not so the third! This is the story of how Mary discovered their trials, tribulations and eventually triumphant survival in a world that was often hard and unforgiving.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYldeyurTwtH9Lujm9kiI5-TdxlshkNynL5 Please email kenilworthfhs@gmail.com for further information.

Stourbridge Group - "The Black Country Miners. A Struggle for Justice 1850-1926" - CANCELLED
2025-02-22 14:30 - 16:30 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
CANCELLED
Cancelled due to Ill-Health

“The Black Country Miners. A Struggle for Justice 1850-1926”
The talk examines why Black Country miners suffered the highest death rate in the British coal industry. It also follows the attempts by the region’s miners to secure better pay and conditions as well as examining the experiences of many individual colliers.

The Speaker – Keith Robinson
Keith is currently the Vice Chair of the Black Country Society and has written a number of books on the area. He is responsible for the Society’s book store and sales. Keith grew up in Princes End and Wednesbury before his family moved out of the area. Having spent 4 years volunteering in village development work in India, teaching and then working for the National Trust in the Midlands he is now retired. Keith also volunteers at the Black Country Museum and is a regular speaker at many of the region’s local history societies. Keith has written a number of local history books,.

Wolverhampton: Members Evening
2025-02-26 19:15 - 21:00 | Wolverhampton, The Terry Harding Room, Perton Civic Centre, Church Road, Perton,, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV6 7PD, United Kingdom
We invite members of the group to consider sharing details of their own research. You may like to tell the group about your discoveries whether this is your own family history or a topic, or theme, you have researched. It’s also an opportunity to ask for suggestions about where next, or problems you have encountered, or for help generally. We all know two heads, or in this case many heads, are better than one and maybe someone in the group is also researching a particular area or has knowledge of websites or archives that may assist.
Nobody is expected to talk for longer than they feel comfortable with but it is a great opportunity to share your research with others who are genuinely interested!
Doors open at 7.15 p.m. for a meeting start time of 7.30.
Presenters: group members!

Birmingham: My Churchley family – a typical West Midlands family?
2025-03-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Birmingham & Midland Institute – Kingsley Norris Room, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 3BS, United Kingdom
My Churchley family – a typical West Midlands family ?
Presenter – Richard Churchley
In this talk our speaker will trace his family from early times through Worcestershire, Warwickshire and North Gloucestershire in the 17th and 18th centuries and into Birmingham in the 19th century and then back out to Worcestershire in the 20th century.
Richard has made use of various sources apart from the usual ones to try to put some substance on the bare bones of the family history. Although his surname is unusual, what happened to the family typifies the experiences of many West Midlands families.

Wolverhampton Course: Introduction to Family History (Perton Library)
2025-03-03 14:15 - 16:45 | Perton Library, Severn Drive, Perton, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV6 7QU, United Kingdom
Week one of a five week course which is structured for beginners and those who have done a little reseach but do not know what to do next. Each week covers a different topic with the first three being the basic building blocks of family history research.
Find out how to ….

get started in researching your family history
learn about the records which will help you
find the records and interpret them
discover the heroes and rogues in your family
reveal the truth behind your family tales

Sessions are on five consecutive Monday afternoons.
Each session will last for between two and three hours and is completely free of charge. Lots of handouts and guidance. Always small friendly groups.
If you have to miss a session you will be able to catch up with that missing session on another course
To book a place please contact the library direct on 01902 506 050. Places are limited so if you book a place but later change your mind about attending, please notify the library to allow someone else to take up the place.
Further details are available from the organiser – contact detail below

Research Evening
2025-03-03 19:30 - 21:30 | St. John’s Centre, St. John’s Centre, 122 Newcastle Rd. Trent Vale, Stoke on Trent, ST4 6QD, United Kingdom
Informal help or research evening. Committee Members have access to numerous items in our digital library and to subscription websites.
Members free; we welcome visitors but ask for a donation of £1.50

Wolverhampton Course: Introduction to Family History (Codsall Library)
2025-03-04 13:30 - 16:30 | Codsall Library, South Staffs Council Offices, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton, WV8 1PX
Week one of a five week course which is structured for beginners and those who have done a little reseach but do not know what to do next. Each week covers a different topic with the first three being the basic building blocks of family history research.
Find out how to ….

get started in researching your family history
learn about the records which will help you
find the records and interpret them
discover the heroes and rogues in your family
reveal the truth behind your family tales

Sessions are on five consecutive Tuesday afternoons.
Each session will last for between two and three hours and is completely free of charge. Lots of handouts and guidance. Always small friendly groups.
If you have to miss a session you will be able to catch up with that missing session on another course
To book a place please contact the library direct on 01902 506 060. Places are limited so if you book a place but later change your mind about attending, please notify the library to allow someone else to take up the place.
For further details please contact the organiser – see details below

Kenilworth: Researching Irish Ancestors
2025-03-12 19:30 - 20:30 | Kenilworth Centre, Abbey End, Kenilworth, Cv8 1QJ, Abbey End, Kenilworth, CV8 1QJ, United Kingdom
Speaker – Paul Wilkins
Paul is the founder of The Family Tree Tracers, Director of Family History Detectives and delivers family history courses at WCRO as well as giving talks and teaching genealogy, and writing for WDYTYA? Magazine.

Fair at Malvern: The Family History Show
2025-03-15 10:00 - 16:00 | Malvern Three Counties Showground, WR13 6NW, United Kingdom
Three Counties Showground, Malvern on 15th March 2025
Midland Ancestors will be represented
Details and alternative costs available HERE

Stourbridge Group - "Titanic - The Midlands Connections"
2025-03-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
“Titanic – The Midlands Connections”

The Speaker – Andrew Lound

Andrew has been presenting public lectures and staging exhibitions for nearly 50 years and has participated in thousands of events. He regularly tours the UK with his Odyssey Dramatic Presentations® and Lectures® being invited back time and again due to popular demand, and now presents on-line.
A main area of interest of Andrew’s is the Titanic. After many years of dedicated research he is now recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject. His research into the Birmingham and Midlands’ connections of the Titanic has been extensive and led him to write, direct and produce a stage show ‘1912: A Titanic Odyssey: He has also written and performed a 10 and 12 part series about all aspects of the Titanic from its conception to its re-discovery. For the Titanic
Centenary Commemoration he staged a large multi-media exhibition tracing the history of the ship with emphasis on its Midlands’ connections.
Andrew has been researching the history of the ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic for over 45 years with particular emphasis on the Midlands’ connections. Andrew alsoI wrote a biography of William E. Hipkins, who was a first class passenger from Birmingham.

Wolverhampton: John Wilkinson - part one
2025-03-26 19:15 - 21:00 | Wolverhampton, The Terry Harding Room, Perton Civic Centre, Church Road, Perton,, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV6 7PD, United Kingdom
John “Iron-Mad” Wilkinson was an English industrialist who pioneered the manufacture of cast iron and the use of cast-iron goods during the Industrial Revolution.
John Wilkinson started life inauspiciously in 1728, born in a cart as his mother was on her way to market in Workington, Cumbria.
The adult Wilkinson was involved from the start in the ‘new’ iron industry, eventually operating nine ironworks including the New Willey Ironworks near Broseley, which was established in 1757. He was a man of huge energy and foresight, the ultimate inventor and entrepreneur, a member of the Lunar Society. His 88-acre site at Bradley near Wolverhampton became the first integrated ironworks in the world and included everything necessary for iron production, from blast furnaces to canals and housing for his workers, earning him the sobriquet the ‘Father of the South Staffordshire Iron Industry’. He was also a major force behind the construction in 1779 of a certain bridge across the Severn linking Broseley with what is now the town of Ironbridge.
Despite being ‘mad on iron’ Wilkinson did not confine his interests to the iron industry. He had investments in copper and lead mines, chemical plants, canals and banking, and is famed for his work in developing cannon to be more accurate and safe. He even took advantage of the government’s inability to produce enough copper coinage to meet demand and began to mint his own trade tokens depicting his own head.
There is so much to hear about with John “Iron-Mad” Wilkinson that the talk is divided into two parts: part two will follow in June.
Presenter: Richard Sells
Doors open at 7.15 p.m. for a meeting start of 7.30

Birmingham: How We Got Here – the story of back to back housing in Birmingham
2025-04-05 14:00 - 16:00 | Birmingham & Midland Institute – Kingsley Norris Room, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 3BS, United Kingdom
How We Got Here – the story of back to back housing in Birmingham.
Presenters – David and Pam Humphries
This talk by husband and wife team David and Pam tells the story of back to back housing in Birmingham. Find out what was happening in the Town of Birmingham in the 18th & 19th centuries that led to half the population living in these tiny houses – and about their disappearance.
In retirement from the telecoms industry David has become a tour guide at the Back to Backs and a number of other heritage attractions in Birmingham. Along with Pam, he was responsible for training as many as 150 new tour guides at The Coffin Works, Highbury Hall & the Back to Backs.
David and Pam are society members.
