Berkshire Family History Society

Berkshire Family History Society, Family Research Centre provides one of Reading’s and Berkshire’s best facilities for family and local history research,  both nationally and internationally, not  just in Berkshire.

We have recently moved premises to London Road Campus (University of Reading),  near to the Royal Berkshire Hospital and the Museum of Rural Life (MERL). Our opening times will be posted online as soon as possible.

The Centre is run by volunteers who  offer informed help and advice with research when needed. Afternoon talks are held in a central Reading location and occasional workshops are held at the Centre.  Monthly online evening meetings based at various locations  around the old county of Berkshire,  aimed at widening researchers’ knowledge and deepening their understanding of family and social history. Talks, walks, courses and workshops deliver updated perspectives and help place research findings into their historical context. The Centre is open to all, and all are welcome to use the facilities there. This includes is free access to online resources, namely Ancestry (worldwide), FindMyPast, British Newspaper Archive,   Genealogist, and additionally, the Centre is an affiliate library for Family Search.  Networked PCs also provide access to more than 100 pre-loaded datasets, with many indexed entries from Berkshire, other parts of the UK, and overseas. There is also a reference library containing  a mix of books, CDs and microfiches; the library catalogue is accessible via the Society’s website.

For more information, directions and details of meetings please visit our website.

_{updated 13 May 2026}