Midland Ancestors

Wolverhampton: Longest Way Up and Shortest Way Down
2026-01-28 19:30 - 21:15 (Europe/London) | Wolverhampton, The Terry Harding Room, Perton Civic Centre, Church Road, Perton,, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV6 7PD, United Kingdom
Join us for the first meeting in 2026 of the Wolverhampton Group for a look at life in the Mounted Police by an experienced officer, Stephen Gwilt, with first-hand experience of the role.
The doors open at 7.15 p.m. for a 7.30 p.m. meeting start. There is plenty of FREE parking at our venue and all members and visitors are welcome to join us for what promises to be an interesting presentation about the Mounted Police.

On Line Meeting via Zoom
2026-02-07 14:00 - 15:00
Title: Breaking Down Brick walls: Methods and Skills
Speaker: Mike Sharpe
All of us encounter ‘brick walls’ in our research. Indeed, it can be argued that
every research line ends with a brick wall at some point. Going back to
basics, professional genealogist Mike Sharpe will look at theoretical
concepts for our research, as well as some practical approaches and skills for
becoming a better researcher.
Aspects discussed will include:-
using online information; reading old handwriting; understanding local context; making
the most of archives; family reconstitution; and using DNA in our research.
Mike Sharpe is a professional genealogist, writer and lecturer and runs
Writing the Past, a family history research and writing service. He is a
Member of the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives
(AGRA), the Society of Genealogists, as well as a Trustee and Vice-Chair,
Genealogy for Midland Ancestors. He writes for family history magazines
and is the author of three books on family history.

Course: Introduction to Family History Research at Perton Library
2026-02-23 14:00 - 17:00 | 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 research 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

Heraldry Group Meeting
2026-02-24 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-24 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-04-28 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-26 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-06-23 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-07-28 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-09-22 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Birmingham & Midland Institute – Kingsley Norris Room, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 3BS, United Kingdom
Why not come along and learn how to interpret the various coats of arms in stained glass windows, church monuments, etc, and discover who married who, together with their family history.

Wolverhampton: Members Evening
2026-02-25 19:30 - 21:15 | Wolverhampton, The Terry Harding Room, Perton Civic Centre, Church Road, Perton,, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV6 7PD, United Kingdom
We invite members of the Wolverhampton 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. No-one is expected to speak for longer than they feel comfortable with however we do try to limit each person to approximately 15 minutes to give everyone a chance to ask questions and to make a contribution to the evening.
During a similar evening in 2025 we learned of a connection to a lifeboat disaster, a Swiss barometer maker and drownings of two different merchant seamen of the coast of South American all from just one member. What will we learn this year?
There is plenty of FREE parking at our venue. Doors open at 7.15 p.m. for a 7.30 p.m. meeting start.
Presenters: our Group Members!

Stourbridge Group - J M W Turner and the Black Country
2026-02-28 14:30 - 16:00 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
J M W Turner and the Black Country
Speaker: Brendan Clifford

Voted Britain’s favourite artist in a 2004 BBC Poll, JMW Turner visited the Black Country and Birmingham area a couple of times during his life (1775-1851). The Talk covers the background of Turner’s interest in the area, the watercolours he produced and specifically the tangled tale of what happened to his watercolour of Dudley.

Stourbridge Group - William Morris and Nuffield Empire
2026-03-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
William Morris and the Nuffield Empire
Speaker: Max Hunt

William Richard Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield (10th October 1877 – 22nd August 1963)

William Richard Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield was an English motor manufacturer and philanthropist. He was the founder of Morris Motors Limited and is remembered for establishing the Nuffield Foundation, the Nuffield Trust and Nuffield College, Oxford, as well as being involved in his role as president of Bupa in creating what is now Nuffield Health. He took his title from the village of Nuffield, Oxfordshire, where he lived.
William Morris, Lord Nuffield, was born in fairly humble circumstances in the St Johns area of Worcester in October 1877. His entry in the baptismal register of Hallows Church gives his father’s occupation as clothier, though he was in fact clerk to a local firm. While William was still a child, the family moved to the Oxford area when his father took up the position of farm bailiff to his father-in-law at Brasenose Farm.
In 1913, William was able to rent, for a modest sum, the premises of the old Oxford Military College at Cowley; as part of the deal, he also rented, and began to live in, Temple Cowley Manor House. His first car, the Morris Oxford, was produced in 1913 using an engine bought in from White and Poppe in Coventry. A light 10 hp vehicle, it retailed at £175. He then looked to the example of Henry Ford in the USA to see how to build bigger, more powerful machines, in 1913-1914 ordering 5,000 engines from Continental Motors in Detroit. In 1920 he built the Cowley works on the old parade ground of the military college.

Wolverhampton: War As Seen Through Artists and Poets
2026-03-25 19:30 - 21:15 | Wolverhampton, The Terry Harding Room, Perton Civic Centre, Church Road, Perton,, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV6 7PD, United Kingdom
Tonight’s presenter, Craig Denston, will be visiting Wolverhampton group again to share with us his research into the various Artists and Poets who have been influenced by their experiences to express themselves through their works. Join us to hear more.
Doors open at 7.15 p.m. for a 7.30 p.m. meeting start. Plenty of FREE parking at our venue.
All members and visitors are welcome to a meeting that promises to be interesting and thought provoking.

London: "Titanic– The Midlands’ Connection"
2026-04-11 11:00 - 13:00 | London Family History Centre, 64-68 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2PA, United Kingdom
“Titanic– The Midlands’ Connection”
A talk by Andrew Lound.
Although the towns of Belfast and Southampton claim the Titanic as their own, over 70% of the ship’s interior was manufactured in the Midlands. Based on his own
research Andrew tells the story of the Midlands’ industrial work on the ship and the fate of the local passengers. A dramatic presentation delivered in full White Star Line Uniform, using images, audio and numerous props. Climb aboard and experience the voyage of your life.
Meetings will be held at the LDS Hyde Park Family Search Centre, 64-68 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2PA. Doors open 10.00; 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, Circle and Piccadilly Lines).
Buses: 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430, C1

'First Steps' in Family History
2026-04-18 10:00 - 16:00 | Birmingham & Midland Institute – Kingsley Norris Room, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 3BS, United Kingdom
Gareth, Mark and Kim will be hosting an all day of tuition, tips and advice on how to research your family history.
The day is open to anyone first starting out on their journey, but also to members who simply want to refresh their knowledge.
Linda and Susan will be in the Family History Centre to answer questions on our resources available to assist your journey.
Please contact Kim Walker – General Secretary, for further information and to book a place.
Whilst the event is free, donations are always welcome.

Stourbridge Group - "Oh, What a Bostin War"
2026-04-21 19:30 - 21:30 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
“Oh, What a Bostin War”
Speaker: Quintin Watt

“Oh, what a bostin war!” – Mobilisation & Recruitment in the Black Country in 1914This illustrated presentation examines the military reaction to the outbreak of the Great War in the Black Country. Were people really excited to have a ‘pop at the Kaiser’? Did thousands of eager young men immediately ‘rush to the colours’, afraid they might miss out on all the fun? Why did they really join up? What are the myths and what was the reality?

Wolverhampton: The Forgotten Staffordshire Workhouse
2026-04-29 19:30 - 21:15 | Wolverhampton, The Terry Harding Room, Perton Civic Centre, Church Road, Perton,, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV6 7PD, United Kingdom
In Victorian England, the question haunted every parish: what should be done with the poor? The answer, in 1834, was the workhouse — a place meant to provide food, shelter, and discipline… but remembered today for something far darker.
Hidden among the lanes of Trysull, the Seisdon Union Workhouse served the surrounding villages — from Wombourne to Tettenhall, Pattingham to Kinver. Built in 1860, it stood for decades, shaping countless lives — and then, somehow, slipped quietly from memory.
Join the Wolverhampton group as we learn about the stories of those who lived and worked behind its walls — and rediscover a forgotten chapter of Staffordshire’s social history.
Presenter: Andrew Sloane
Doors open at 7.15 p.m. for a 7.30 p.m. meeting start.
Plenty of FREE parking at our venue. Members and Visitors are welcome.

London: Group Visit to the The National Museum of Computing
2026-05-17 | The National Museum of Computing, Block H, Bletchley Park, Bletchley, MK3 6EB, United Kingdom
Group Visit to The National Museum of Computing
The National Museum of Computing is an independent charity. It houses the world’s largest collection of functional historic computers and World War II machines.
This museum is home to the world’s largest collection of working historic computers and is recognised as one of England’s top 100 “irreplaceable places”. It houses the functional historic computers and World War II machines, including Enigma, Lorenz, the working Turing-Welchman Bombe, the rebuilt Colossus (the world’s first electronic computer), and the WITCH (the world’s oldest working digital computer).
The Museum enables visitors to follow the development of computing from the ultra-secret pioneering efforts of the 1940s through the large systems and mainframes of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and the rise of personal computing in the 1980s and beyond. Visitors will engage with several volunteers as they go round, who will be on hand to deliver the stories and full demonstrations of the working exhibits.
This museum is situated adjacent to the Bletchley Park complex and is an independent museum with its own separate entrance and admission fee. There is a car park, but the site is only a short walk (less than 15 minutes) from Bletchley train station. Trains run from London Euston and typically take around 53 minutes. There is also a café at the museum.
We will meet at the museum but will need to know in advance who will be coming.
This is a paid event- currently £15, with some concessions.
Further details to follow. Please re-visit this page for details and joining instructions.

Stourbridge Group - The Magic of Glass
2026-05-19 19:30 - 21:30 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
The Magic of Glass
Speaker: Dr Kate Round

In ancient times glass-making was viewed as mysterious and magical, it was alchemy, and referred to as ‘The Art Feat and Mystery of Glass’. Sand subjected to high temperatures became jewel-like material that could be moulded into vessels, magic indeed!
It has clever physical properties, it can easily be recycled and it does not deteriorate with age or use. The chemical properties of glass make it versatile and at the ‘cutting-edge’ of technology.
This talk looks at the colourful world of glass, how is made and how we can change it physically and chemically to suit its use. From bottles to bridges, optical glass to architecture; oven-ware to radiation shields, and from bending light to bendable glass.

Dr Kate Round

Stourbridge Group - Visit to National Memorial Arboretum
2026-06-16 19:30 - 21:30 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
Visit to National Memorial Arboretum

Wolverhampton: The Extraordinary Story of Sabrina Sidney
2026-06-24 19:30 - 21:15
Sabrina was at the bottom of the eighteenth-century pile; female, abandoned and illegitimate. But then she was found chosen from one of the Thomas Coram Foundling Hospitals to become an Apprentice Wife: the subject of a unique experiment in education and matrimony undertaken by a gentleman named Thomas Day.
Friend to some of the men who powered both the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, such as James Watt and Erasmus Darwin, Day believed the answer to society’s ills lay in education. A practical, rational and purposeful education that would breed up a new generation of Enlightenment wives. Sabrina would epitomise this education and in so doing, would become Mrs Thomas Day.
Presenter: Kate Croft
Members and Visitors alike are welcome to join Wolverhampton group for this fascinating tale of the real life Pygmalion.

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

London: "Genetic Hide and Seek: Exploring Missing Ancestor Mysteries with Autosomal DNA"
2026-07-11 11:00 - 12:30 | London Family History Centre, 64-68 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2PA, United Kingdom
“Genetic Hide and Seek: Exploring Missing Ancestor Mysteries with Autosomal DNA”
A talk by Dr. Sophie Kay.
Missing ancestor mysteries’ in our family tree – those perplexing blanks where an individual has defied identification in historical records – can seem like an
insurmountable challenge. Yet if that missing ancestor lies within the most recent 6-7 generations of your pedigree, your autosomal DNA may hold the answer. This session will equip you with a clear strategy for tracing missing ancestors using autosomal DNA, no matter which provider you’ve tested with. Using a real-life case study, we’ll walk through a four-step process for identifying an unknown forebear from genetic matches, and showcase some handy tools you can use along the way. Whether you’re hunting down a single mystery ancestor, or are an adoptee looking to reconstruct a significant portion of your biological family tree, this strategy will keep you on course. It’s time to make sense of those DNA matches and realise their problem-solving potential!
The talk will be followed by an informal buffet and the group AGM.
Meetings will be held at the LDS Hyde Park Family Search Centre, 64-68 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2PA. Doors open 10.00; 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, Circle and Piccadilly Lines).
Buses: 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430, C1

Wolverhampton: Members Evening
2026-07-29 19:30 - 21:15
Join us for a Members Evening – at the moment we have not decided if it will be group members sharing details of their research or maybe a presentation about an unusual record set: the content of the evening will be determined by the group nearer to the event.
If you have any ideas for the content please email the Wolverhampton group with suggestions.
Keep a watch on this page for further details to be announced.

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

Stourbridge Group - Research Day
2026-08-15 11:00 - 15:00 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom

Stourbridge Group - Curiosities of Dudley
2026-09-15 19:30 - 21:30 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
Curiosities of Dudley
Speaker: Craig Denston

A talk about the curiosities & oddities wrapped up in Dudley’s history, using dozens of images from a huge collection of engraved prints, postcards, photographs, maps and memorabilia from the town. Including the Castle and Castle Hill, the old town hall & market place, the fountain & many old shops and buildings now long gone.

Craig Denston

Graduated Bretton Hall College 1984 – BA. in Creative Arts
Specialised in illustration
1984 – 1992 worked as Workshop Manager for Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre – for its time, the largest puppet theatre in Great Britain (Producing four productions per year).
1992 became freelance – now working as

Mask maker / designer
Puppet maker / designer
Sculptural costume and body suits
Out of the ordinary props made to order
Talks given on a variety of subjects
Tour guide operator

Wolverhampton: Tales from the Coroner's Casebook - Life and Death in Georgian South Staffordshire and the Black Country. Part 1: 1801 - 1826
2026-09-30 19:30 - 21:15 | Wolverhampton, The Terry Harding Room, Perton Civic Centre, Church Road, Perton,, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, WV6 7PD, United Kingdom
This presentation examines the cases of unexplained deaths, presided over by Henry Smith Esq. – Coroner of the County of Stafford – between 1801 and 1842. These include accidents, manslaughter, murders, suicides and ‘visitations of God’. Join Coroner Smith’s Jury and re-consider some of the cases he dealt with during the first part of his long career.
Presenter: Quinton Watt
Members and visitors are very welcome to join us for what promises to be an interesting and eye-opening meeting.
Doors open at 7.15 p.m. for a 7.30 p.m. meeting start.

London: "A Brick Wall in My Tree: I solved one/I have one"
2026-10-10 11:00 - 13:00 | London Family History Centre, 64-68 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2PA, United Kingdom
Members Day: “A Brick Wall in My Tree: I solved one/I have one”
An opportunity for members to give a short presentation about how they solved a brick wall in their tree. What techniques did you use? Did it involve any little known archives or serious detective work? Alternatively tell the group about a brick wall you have that you would like some help to solve.
Meetings will be held at the LDS Hyde Park Family Search Centre, 64-68 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2PA. Doors open 10.00; 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, Circle and Piccadilly Lines).
Buses: 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430, C1

Stourbridge Group - Unlocking the secrets of DNA Testing
2026-10-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Stourbridge, St. Peter's Church Hall, Pedmore, West Midlands, DY9 0SW, United Kingdom
Unlocking the secrets of DNA Testing
Speaker: Karen Evans

Adverts for DNA testing kits are constantly on the TV-but what do you actually get? This talk covers areas such as understanding how the test works in very general terms, getting the most from the test (what the results mean) and how to use your results to overcome brick walls such as illegitimacy and validating paper resources. It also highlights the range and pitfalls of using DNA testing, particularly finding out where your family came from- Can you really be a Viking?

Karen Evans
After completing a History degree Karen taught in Primary schools before retiring in 2015. Karen wrote two ‘Grim Almanac’ books for the History Press and is currently writing for Family Tree Magazine on all things genealogical.
