This 4-week course is designed for genealogists who want to deepen their understanding of historical documents to extract vital information effectively. Using original records, you will learn about the formats of key documents and their essential elements and how to uncover the crucial genealogical details hidden within them. Each week there will be a brief introduction to the document type, its purpose and key features, examples of original records and tools and techniques for efficient interpretation.

Week 1: Family and Estate Records

Explore how family and estate records provide invaluable insights into family relationships, property ownership and social status.

• The structure and types of records involved.
• Tips on how to quickly identify heirs, property details and key dates.
• Using correspondence and family archives to create a wider context.

Week 2: Parish Records

Discover how the parish worked and how the records produced provide valuable genealogical information.

• Be aware of all the different aspects of parish work
• Understand formats of the records produced by the parish officers.
• Identify different sources for similar documents.
• Practical tips for navigating these wide-ranging records.

Week 3: Poor Law Records

Gain an awareness of the pressures and difficulties that produced these records

• Understand how the evolving law produced different records.
• Recognise typical formats found within records such as settlement or workhouse.
• Extract genealogical clues from a name-rich set of records.

 Week 4: Ecclesiastical Court Records
 Gain confidence about using these valuable but sometimes avoided resources.

• Understand the structure that produced these records
• Common formats of records involving names of ancestors.
• How to identify what is important in the record and what is standard.

By the end of the course, participants will have the skills to confidently analyse and extract genealogical information from these historical documents. 

• 20% Discount for all Society of Genealogists Members
• Recordings available until 24 October 2026 for everyone who pre-books

Click here for information about our events.  Contact events@sog.org.uk if you have any questions.