There are always events and activities taking place at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre. Keep visiting this page to see what is coming up over the the next few months.   

Afternoon Lectures and workshops

• Thursday 12th January 2012 - Reading Old Handwriting with Steve Hobbs - Discover how to understand the writing and scripts that you will find in early documents. Our palaeography expert will help you make sense of these archives. Limited to 25 people
• Thursday 26th January 2012 - Using Parish Registers by Robert Jago - Explore this major source for family historians with an Archivist who is an expert on family history resources. Limited to 20 people
• Thursday 16th February 2012 - Using Maps in Local History - Discover the value of a variety of maps in the study of a town, village or area. Using original maps & copies. Limited to 30 people
• Thursday 1st March 2012 - Horrible and Unusual Wiltshire History with Terry Bracher - Horrible Histories for gown ups! Come and hear about some of the nastier and less usual aspects of history. Limited to 30
• Thursday 15th March 2012 - Conserving Wiltshire's Treasures with Seb Foxley - Discover how archaeological finds and museum objects are conserved and restored by a Wiltshire Conservator. Limited to 30 people
• Thursday 29th March 2012 - Records from Hospitals & Asylums for Family History with Margaret Moles - A lesser known source of material with which many people are unfamiliar, but provides useful information for family historians. Limited to 30 people
• Thursday 12th April 2012 - Defence of the Realm: story of the Wiltshire Yeomanry and Militia with Robert Pearson. Fascinating insights into these two bodies in which many people's ancestors served. Limited to 30

All talks begin at 2.15 pm.

Admission £3.50 (concessions £2.50).  Spaces are limited so please buy your ticket in advance. Telephone 01249 705500 or visit our Help Desk at the History Centre. (Payment by credit/debit card or cheque available for the purchase of 2 or more tickets).

Day Course 

Thursday 26th April 2012

The 3rd of our popular series of village day courses. This course will start at 9.30 examining archival and documentary sources for Sherston in the History Centre. After lunch (please bring your own) we will drive (own cars) to Sherston for an afternoon of interpreting the houses and landscape, finishing about 4.30. Limited to 15.

Cost of course £12.00

Starting Out in Family History  

Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre offers free monthly ‘starting out in family history’ sessions on the first Wednesday of the month. An experienced member of staff will provide a group of beginners in family history with a short introduction to the main sources for family history. This will be followed by a quick tour of the search room to show where these are held, and how to access them. The sessions will last about 20-30 minutes.

There will also be a member of Wiltshire Family History Society on hand to answer specific family history enquiries.