Getting started in family history

This was the topic of Saturday's meeting which proved very popular, reflecting no doubt the interest in this fascinating subject. We were pleased to welcome members of the Dyfed Family History Society, Rosalie Lilwall, Jean Williams, Barbara Chester and Stella Donovan.

I must admit to knowing little about this branch of history; I seem to be more interested in delving into other people's stories rather than my own. But I do intend to take the plunge sometime and I am a fan of the 'Who do you think you are?' series on the television.

So, how to get started? This was what Rosalie Lilwall came to talk to us about; an introduction aimed to inspire people like me on how to go about our search and inform us of the help we can call upon along the way.

Search for one's roots

Rosalie is chairman of both the Dyfed Family History Society, as well as the Haverfordwest branch this year. I asked her about her interest in family history and about the work of the society.

"The search for our family origins," began Rosalie, "has been called the fastest growing leisure activity and membership of the Dyfed Family History Society is evidence of this. We now have about 1,200 members.

'Find my Past' and 'Who do you think you are?' make finding your ancestors look easy, just to make interesting programmes. Let's face it, they make good television and they fire people with enthusiasm to start their own research, but it can be extremely complicated.

If you can find your way around the Internet you can do a tremendous amount on your own and that is how many people start these days. If you are lucky enough to have stayed in or near the same area for many generations, maybe you haven't needed to use the internet. Family tales of yesteryear can send you all over the place looking for that tombstone, which marks the spot where that ancestor lies.

However, you can feel rather lonely in this search for people, who are very important in making you what you are today, and it may seem difficult to find others who understand the need to find what you are looking for. When you just cannot find where that elusive great grand parent ended his days, or five times great grandparent, the answer lies out there somewhere, but where?

Dyfed Family History Society

For the last 30 years, Dyfed Family History Society has been helping people all over the world with their research into ancestors who were born in or just passed through Dyfed (as it was known until more recent years) ie. Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

There are five branches within Dyfed, where monthly meetings are held, ie: Cardigan branch (at The Guildhall), Haverfordwest (at Prendergast Church Hall), Carmarthen (at Bethania Chapel), Llanelli (in the Computer Suite at Llanelli Library) and Upper Towy Valley (at the Dolaubran Complex in Llandovery). Plus, for all those Welsh exiles in London, four times a year meetings are held at The Borough Welsh Congregational Chapel, at 90 Southwark Bridge Road.

The society produces three magazines (or journals) per year, which are each full of accounts and anecdotes that might be of interest to other members of a like mind. They have a website, http://www.dyfedfhs.org.uk">www.dyfedfhs.org.uk, which is there to help members find the answers to their research.

Getting involved

It is through the website, the journals and at these branch meetings that contacts are made with other members of the society, which grow into longstanding friendships, where information and help is exchanged.

Twice a year, as many members of the society as possible meet as one. On the first Saturday in March the AGM is held in Carmarthen, which is attended by the president of the society, Bishop Wyn Evans. On the third Saturday in September, the society's open day is held somewhere within the three counties. Everyone is welcome, members and the general public, representatives of the National Library of Wales. and other interested organisations.

Meetings

The Pembrokeshire branch of the society meets monthly in Haverfordwest and meetings take place on the second Monday in each month, 7.30 pm, at Prendergast Church Hall, Haverfordwest. Rosalie can be contacted on 01646 686527 for more information.

Well, I have made the first step and I've joined the society. It costs £12 for a year's membership (£15 for a family), but well worth it for the help and assistance on hand - and I hope I really will get started one day and perhaps make links with branches of my family who are at present unknown to me.

One Pembroke family

Along with the exhibition of the Dyfed Family History Society, I put out a display of photographs from one Pembroke family I know something about. The photographs are from the archive of Peter Hurlow-Jones, who is related to the Stephens family, of East Back, popularly known as Knacky Stephens to Pembroke people. Peter has allowed us to scan to whole of his collection and has now donated many original photographs to the Museum.

J. and A. Stephens & Son were involved in a great many engineering enterprises. There are photographs of ships undergoing repair work on Pembroke's South Quay, agricultural machinery on hire to farmers, a boiler being removed from Hook colliery. More photographs show a gun being removed from Dale Fort, materials handling equipment engaged in the building of the lighthouse on Skokholm Island, shipwreck salvage work, steam powered road construction machinery and more.

The point is, these family photographs shed an important light on Pembroke's past and contribute greatly to our work of piecing together a history of the town. And you can help in this process. When you are delving into your family's past, if you come across any photographs or memorabilia depicting scenes from old Pembroke, your family partaking in an event or going about their business please contact us. The museum will be re-opening on December 3, so drop in to see us then and help build up the collection. The museum will have a 'new look' when we open and we will be working on a major exhibition of old trades and occupations of Pembroke.

Appeal

Has anyone got a photograph of Pembroke Police Station before it ceased to be a police station? Urgently needed for our community history project 'Through My Eyes'.

Contact

If you have any stories, photographs or feedback for this column, please contact me, Linda Asman, on 01646 622428, email [email protected]">[email protected] and visit our website http://www.pembrokeandmonkonhistory.org.uk">www.pembrokeandmonkonhistory.org.uk

November events

Our big fundraising event the Victorian Murder Mystery in Pembroke Town Hall will be held on Friday, November 15. Tickets are £10 and include a two-course fork supper.