Family History Conference - Saturday, April 27th

24th April 2019

Family history enthusiasts from across Scotland and beyond will gather in Caithness this month for a major one-day conference.

Wick's Pulteney Centre Saturday is the venue on Saturday, April 27th for the annual conference of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) under the title of Northern Roots.

Caithness Family History Society will mark its 20th anniversary by hosting the event, which combines a formal programme of talks for paying delegates with a family history fair open to the public.

The conference will be officially opened by Lord Thurso, and MC for the day will be local historian Harry Gray.
Ian Leith is vice-chairperson of CFHS and was instrumental in bringing the event to Caithness for the first time.

"There are two strands to it," he explained. "There's the conference part, whereby people can sign up as delegates and for that they get three lectures on the Saturday morning, then they are being bussed over to the Nucleus archive centre.

“Alongside that there is the family history fair so the various family history societies across Scotland bring their information, and that will run all day. That’s an open part of the conference so local people are more than welcome to participate."

Find My Past, one of the leading genealogical websites, will be represented at the event and will be opening up its website free of charge on the day.

Ian added: “To help people that maybe have particular enquiries, we have an ‘ask the expert’ panel that will be there all day as well.”

Booking forms for delegates are available from committee members and also on the CFHS and SAFHS websites: caithnessfhs.org.uk and www.safhs.org.uk

“As for the fair, you don’t have to book for that - just turn up, come along,” Ian added. “We believe that this is a glorious opportunity for Caithness Family History Society to showcase family history and genealogy in Caithness.”

The fair will run from 10am to 4.30pm.