Jersey Family History Forum – Visit Jersey and Discover Your Past
The Jersey Family History forum invites you to visit Jersey this year to discover more about your ancestors and our beautiful Island’s heritage.
Jersey possesses a fascinating and complex history stretching back over a thousand years. From the parapets of Mont Orgueil Castle to the gentle sweep of the bay beyond, it's hard to imagine a more peaceful and tranquil island. Yet Jersey's landscape and the character of its people are forged by centuries of battles, exploration, struggle and reinvention - leaving behind a unique legacy of history, culture and heritage.
Your ancestors might well have been a part of this unique legacy and a visit to the Island to discover more about your Jersey roots might lead to some fascinating discoveries.
To find out more about visiting Jersey go to www.jersey.com
The Jersey Family History Forum is a group which is made up of the principle providers of genealogical sources and research on the Island. The Forum will be manning a stand at this years Who Do You Think You Are? Fair at Olympia in February 2011.
Jersey Archive – www.jerseyheritage.org
Jersey Archive was established as part of Jersey Heritage in 1993. The Archive is the Island’s national repository holding material from public institutions as well as private businesses and individuals. Jersey Archive’s purpose is to preserve the unique written cultural heritage of the Island thus ensuring that future generations can access archival material to learn more about Jersey’s past.
Since 1993 Jersey Archive has collected over 300,000 archival records from the States of Jersey, States Committees and Departments, the Royal Court, H.E. Lieutenant-Governor, Parishes, Churches, Businesses, Societies and individuals relating to the Island. As well as collecting and preserving records the Archive is committed to making archives available to all members of the local and worldwide community.
Family History is one of the most popular subjects for researchers at the Jersey Archive. The Archive’s most popular collections include church registers, wills and testaments, occupation registration cards and land registry documents. Records at the Jersey Archive cover over 600 years of the Island’s history. Therefore we are able to assist with a wide variety of research enquires from 1378 to the present day.
Channel Islands Family History Society – www.jerseyfamilyhistory.org
The CIFHS was founded in 1978 and is dedicated to the study and tracing of the family histories of Jersey people. The Society has an extensive collection of books, family trees and indexes of baptisms, marriages, burials and censuses which were all prepared by members of the Society. This invaluable resource is located in the help desk area of the Jersey Archive where volunteers with up to 30 years experience in family history are also available to help members of the public.
The CIFHS volunteers also answer research enquiries and the Society produces a quarterly journal. Details on becoming a members of the Society can be found on the web page.
Société Jersiaise - www.societe-jersiaise.org
The Société Jersiaise was founded in 1873 for the study of Jersey archaeology, history, natural history, the ancient language and the conservation of the environment. The Lord Coutanche Library holds many family trees, copies of CIFHS indexes of births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials as well as almanacs, rates lists, newspapers, published family histories, manuscripts, journals and ephemera.
The Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive is the key Jersey resource for nineteenth and early twentieth century photography. With over ten thousand portraits of named subjects and views of every bay, valley and vista this collection is of great interest to family historians. The library and photographic archive catalogues are searchable online.
Jersey Library – www.gov.je/library
Jersey’s public library is open six days a week for you to undertake your own research. The Library has a local studies section with a wide range of local books and sources. The Library also holds copies of the Island’s newspapers on microfilm. Please book in advance if you would like to use the microfilm.
Office of the Superintendent Registrar – www.gov.je/lifeevents
Civil Registration in Jersey began in August 1842 and the Office of the Superintendent Registrar can produce birth, marriage and death certificates from this date until the present day. Charges are made for certificates and research. The contact details for the Office of Superintendent Registrar can be found on the website.
Parish of St Helier – www.sthelier.je
The Parish of St Helier administers cemeteries within the parish and has extensive burial records from 1827 to the present day.