Welcome
You may be new to family history, you may have some experience, you may be an old hand; this may be the first family history society you have joined or you may already be a member of several. Whatever the case we will welcome you as a member and do our best to help you in this fascinating pastime.

Background to Family History interest
Future historians will doubtless regard with some astonishment the enormous expansion of interest in genealogy and family history in the last decades of the 20th century. People have always had a natural curiosity about their forebears but only recently have they begun to trace their ancestors with such single-minded dedication. Their pursuit is not normally of the gentry or nobility, but of the common man and his origins. In the UK, the USA, and certainly throughout the Western world, the degree of interest has been extraordinary; indeed family history is reputed to be the UK's fastest growing pastime, and the formation of hundreds of family history societies to cater for the many thousands of enthusiastic amateur historians in the UK alone has been clear evidence of that.

Foundation of the Society
The East Surrey Family History Society was founded in 1977 and, not surprisingly, its catchment area is the eastern part of the ancient county of Surrey, which includes those London Boroughs south of the Thames that are now in Greater London London Boroughs - Croydon, Kingston, Lambeth, Merton, Richmond, Southwark, Sutton and Wandsworth.

All are welcome to join
The Society welcomes as members not only those living in its area who wish to belong to a local society (regardless of whether or not they have Surrey ancestry) but anyone with a research interest in this part of the county, irrespective of their address, be it in the UK or overseas. The Society has members throughout the UK and in many other countries; it has its own representatives in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA.

Meetings
Regular meetings are held at our branch venues in Croydon, Lingfield, Richmond, Southwark and Sutton. Most meetings take the form of a talk followed by a question and answer session, but at all the venues there are opportunities to obtain advice and meet others with similar interests. Items from our Bookstall are often available and books on research and other publications can be purchased. From time to time there are informal meetings when members can discuss their research problems or assist in Society projects. Occasionally visits and walks are arranged, notably at the Southwark branch.

The Journal
The Society issues its Journal four times a year and it is free to members. It carries articles of particular relevance to east Surrey, and much useful information, including lists of new members with their research interests, 'Help Wanted' and 'Question & Answer' sections.

Indexing and transcribing
The Society and its members have for some years been transcribing and indexing many local records, such as census returns, parish registers, monumental inscriptions, poor law records, apprenticeship indentures, settlement examinations, land tax assessments and quarter sessions order books. Much of this work has been published, originally as microfiche but increasingly on a CD, with copies sent to Record Offices and Libraries. Naturally such transcription and indexing continues; additional volunteers are always needed and are guaranteed a warm welcome by those already providing useful material for family historians, now and in the future.

Local Liaison
Liaison with Local History/Local Studies Libraries within our area is maintained including the Sutton Archive & Local Studies Department, situated at Sutton Central Library which is the designated library for Surrey genealogy.

How to join
Membership runs from 1st January to 31st December. Subscription details for the UK and overseas are available from the Membership page . Members joining at any time during the course of a subscription year receive all the Journals for that year.

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