Interested in finding your family's past? We are a family history group covering the Bromsgrove area, with links to many local and family history researchers in Worcestershire and across the Midlands.
Due to conditions relating to copyright and licensing, historic copies of the Bromsgrove Messenger are no longer available via this website.
As of December 2020, the Messenger can be accessed via the British Newspaper Archive and Findmypast, which are both subscription websites. The new, high-resolution digital scans are far superior to the images that were previously available here and are fully searchable. This project was undertaken by the Bromsgrove Society in partnership with the L.G. Harris Trust. Currently, editions from 1860 through to 1913 are available and further scanning is being considered.
The previous scans are no longer available, please do not contact us about them.
Talks for our Spring 2021 season commence in January.
Due to the on-going restrictions, all meetings will continue to be held online via the Zoom platform.
To attend, participants will need to pre-register using the links below. Note: Registration will open one month before each event.
All meetings will be held at 7.30 p.m. 'Doors' to the online meeting room will open at 7.15 p.m. to give people time to login and connect to the meeting.
These meetings are open to both members and non-members. However, if you are not already a member of Midland Ancestors, we encourage you to join the Society; membership costs just £14.50 per year.
Note: Once received, the meeting registration link is unique to you and cannot be used by anyone else.
Statement from Midland Ancestors
Midland Ancestors has issued the following statement regarding the Coronavirus crisis:
In view of the current Government advice, all Midland Ancestors events and meetings are suspended as of today (17 March). This includes the Family History Centre in Birmingham, outings, members meetings, both in Birmingham and at satellite groups. The situation will be monitored and will be reviewed as and when the position changes.
If you attend one of our satellite groups, please stay in contact with the group organisers either via our website or through the local group.
We will try to keep you up to date with the current situation using our website, via the society Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, and updates may be made available through local group newsletters.
Always heed government advice, if in a risk group, stay at home
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Consequently, the Bromsgrove meetings on 14th April and 12th May are cancelled and we hope to reschedule the speakers at a future date. Please check back here for further information.
The March 2020 issue of Bromsgrove Briefing is now available. Mike Fisher previews this month's meeting and presents a round-up of the latest genealogy news. Click here to download.
You can read previous newsletters in our archive.
Whether you're a newcomer to family history or an experienced researcher, we all need to understand the range and types of records available to us. Every county is different, so it helps to have a well written guidebook to call on that describes the resources available. Explore the Past, Worcestershire's award-winning Archive and Archaeology Service, has produced such a guide, which provides a go-to reference for those tracing their ancestors in Worcestershire.
The downloadable 70-page research guide is the ideal starting point to discovering your family's history, wherever you are in the world. It explains how to get hold of the information you need, whether it's held in the Worcestershire collections or from other sources.
Local historian Jenny Townshend has made a study of the building trades in Bromsgrove from the 17th to 19th centuries. This short, name-rich article summarizes her findings. You can download it here (as pdf file).
Due to the volume of spoof registrations, the login facility has been suspended. All resources that previously required registration and login are now publicly accessible.
The North Worcestershire Family History Forum has also been suspended.
A new website for Midlands Ancestors' Bromsgrove Branch will be launched later this year. Please bear with us while we migrate to a new site.