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Discover your Family History with the Society of Genealogists

Explore the largest specialist genealogical library outside of North America, access unique collections covering over 7 million surnames, and a community of experts to help you with your research.

Share and expand your knowledge

Whether you’re a seasoned family historian or a first-time tree tracer, the Society of Genealogists can help you to take your research to the next level. Join today to access 11 million online records, our vast offline archive and library, educational resources, training, our ask-the-expert advice line, and a special member's rate on all our books, courses and talks. With a community of members sharing their discoveries and supporting each other with research conundrums, you’ll never feel alone with a brick-wall problem again. There will always be someone to share your family tree stories with.

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Unique collections at your fingertips

Enjoy over 11 million records in our online collection. Access thousands of books and other media from our archive and library. Get started today for free by searching our catalogue before choosing from Associate or Full Membership options. Our online collections are growing with new additions such as TreeSearch™ – our tool for exploring hand-crafted historical family trees, and our Memorial Cards Collection. These cards, made to commemorate the recently deceased, were particularly fashionable during Victorian England and continued to be created well into the 20th century. Our digital collection comprises 4,500 exquisite cards and 8,500 images.

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Researching 17th-Century Ancestors

Our members benefit from a special member's rate on all our courses and talks. From one-hour lunchtime sessions to six-week evening programmes and beyond. Our educational courses and talks are delivered by leading industry experts. For example, our upcoming course ‘Researching 17th-Century Ancestors’ is delivered by Else Churchill, a genealogist and educator with 40 years of experience, Andrew Hopper, Professor of Local and Social History in the Department for Continuing Education at the University of Oxford, and Ian Mortimer, best selling author of the Time Traveller’s Guide series. Designed to develop your 17th-century family history research skills, this course will shed light on the documents, sources and resources you need to understand in order to progress your family tree during this period. Covering topics from Parish Registers to Migration to America and more!