Meetings of the Society
We have two regular meetings of the society. Our main meeting, the centre-piece of which is
a speaker talking on a family history or local history subject, and a new meeting commencing
24th March 2026 that we are calling the WMFHS Chat In. This second meeting is entirely social,
with no agenda, to help us get to know each other better, and share our experiences as we do
our family history. Our main meeting is open to members and guests. The social meeting is
a members only meeting.
This page includes our programme of talks for our main meeting, including how to register
fot the meetings, and then join on the day.
The WMFHS Chat In page is a members only page
which includes its own Start Zoom link to directly join those meetings, which will be Zoom
only.
Our main meetings are always hybrid Zoom meetings so that the audience may join us
by coming to St. John's Centre, or attend from home using Zoom. Our speakers are
mostly speaking remote using Zoom, but we will always arrange some meetings with
the speaker presenting from St. John's. The programme given below identifies where
the speaker will be speaking from.
The timing of the meetings at St. John's is: Doors open from 7pm; most people there
by 7:30; meeting proper starts at 7:45 with a few announcements and then the talk.
The St. John's Centre, Isleworth
The Zoom process
The Zoom process continues to be that attendees must first register (once) using the Start
Zoom link, and then when the meeting starts they should use the link again to join the
actual meeting.
To be sure that you are reminded of the meeting on the day of the meeting it is recommended
that you send an email to
the Secretary
requesting that you receive invitations to each meeting until further notice.
On meeting days the Zoom meeting will be open from 7:30 pm. Select the Start Zoom link as before, where the
information you previously entered will be recalled, together with the link to actually join the meeting. Select that
and you will be joined. The meeting proper will start at about 7:45 pm when the
chairman will make any announcements, and take any general questions from members. The talk will
begin shortly after, and with questions is scheduled to last for one hour, after which the meeting
will close. Enjoy it all from the comfort of
your home, or at the St. John's Centre. Non-members are welcome to our meetings.
Since October 2021 we have been recording the talks from our Zoom meetings providing the speaker
has consented, so that
any member who could not attend the actual meeting may none-the-less at least play back the talk
itself. To see and hear the last recorded talk, please go to the Meetings Playback page.
The common link for attending our Zoom meetings
This is the common link which takes you to meeting registration and then to the meeting itself, for all meetings:
Start Zoom.
This is the current programme:
| Date & Type |
Title & Synopsis |
Speaker |
17 September 2026
Zoom meeting, speaker is remote |
Finding Sapper Clay.
This is the story of how the chance discovery of a long-lost medal in a garden
in Surrey triggered the search for an old soldier's family.
|
John Colby |
15 October 2026
Zoom meeting, speaker at St. John's |
In the name of God, Amen: Wills for family history.
Whether your ancestors owned large swathes of land in the north of England
or came from a more humble background in the West Country, the chances are that somewhere
along the line some of them will have left wills. In this talk, Dave Annal looks at how to
access wills and how you can use them to get a better understanding of what life was
really like for your ancestors.
|
Dave Annal |
19 November 2026
Zoom meeting, speaker at St. John's |
Feltham’s Middlesex Industrial School and its Successors (Borstal/YOI).
James wrote this talk for the West London Local History Conference on 29th March 2014.
It covers the history of these institutions from 1859-2014 and includes a vivid description of a boy’s
life in the Industrial School in the 1890’s (from Sam Shaw’s ‘Guttersnipe’ autobiography) illustrated
with contemporary images.
|
James Marshall |
17 December 2026
Zoom meeting, run from St. John's |
All members invited to say why they joined the Society.
Why did other members decide to join the Society? We don't really know, but
it would be a bit of fun to find out, and could be very useful for your committee to know.
Ideally about 30 people speaking for just 1-2 minutes each, and then refreshments.
|
All attendees |
21 January 2027
Zoom meeting, speaker is remote |
The 1939 Register Explained.
The talk will look at the history behind the 1939 Register, its release,
and the problems that exist because of its difference anything else.
|
John Hanson |
18 February 2027
Zoom meeting, speaker is remote |
Heroes & Ghosts – How scandal and shame affect genealogical research
The story of pioneer aviator Wing Commander Harold Blackburn MC AFC comes to life
after a century buried under scandal and shame. Michael uses the fascinating story of a
British aviation pioneer and war hero as a case study in how difficult times affect the
stories our families tell and obscure the genealogical record as we seek to reconstruct
them a century after the events occurred. |
Michael Hallett |
18 March 2027
Zoom meeting, speaker is remote |
The AGM and Learn about FamilySearch - an amazing FREE family history resource.
More detail nearer the time. Steve says "Please indicate your requirements when booking as there’s
never enough time to cover everything!" |
Steve Manning |
15 April 2027
Zoom meeting, speaker at St. John's |
Coroners Inquests.
Inquests provide more information than just how people died,
but where and how they lived and also how they got on with those around them. |
Kathy Chater |
20 May 2027
Zoom meeting, speaker at St. John's |
Feltham in World War 2.
|
James Marshall |
17 June 2027
Zoom meeting, speaker is remote |
Occupational Hazards: the working lives of our ancestors.
In the days before Health and Safety, many of the occupations undertaken by our
ancestors were injurious to health. Some, such as mining or fishing were clearly dangerous
but what were the risks for lawyers, fishmongers or grocers? If you descend from a long
line of match girls, munitionettes, knife grinders, hatters or bakers (or several other
trades), this is the opportunity to see how their health may have suffered as a
consequence of the work that they did. |
Janet Few |
15 July 2027
Zoom meeting, speaker at St. John's |
"All Roads Lead to Tottenham" - A 19th Century family's migration across the UK.
A 19th Century family's migration across the UK, through Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire,
Oxfordshire, Cornwall, Devon, Suffolk and Essex to Tottenham in North London. Using sources from
main genealogy websites, local archives and inherited photos and documents, this case study
follows a Grocer, Blacksmith, Shoemaker and Teacher on their journey to London and onwards to
the USA. |
Karen DeBruyne |
Reciprocal arrangements with Hillingdon FHS
With Zoom meetings now proving very popular with FHS members we have made an open invitation to members
of Hillingdon FHS to freely join any of our Zoom meetings, and they have
reciprocated.
To see Hillingdon's talks programme follow
this link.
If you wish to attend any of their meetings please send an email to
Enquiries@hfhs.org.uk expressing your interest, and they will
gladly put you on their list of invitees to attend future talks.
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