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The Society is organised into five branches, which are centres of expertise based on the nineteenth century Registration Districts and Sub-Districts of Monmouthshire, and broadly reflecting the current unitary authorities.
Each branch is run by its own Management Committee: these are supervised by our Society Executive Committee at County level, and the Chairman of each Branch Management Committee is an ex-officio Vice-Chairman of the Society's Executive Committee:
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BLACKWOOD
This is our newest Branch, formed in September 2000. Blackwood branch covers the Rock Bedwellty Sub-District within Bedwellty Registration District and the Mynyddislwyn Sub-District within Newport Registration District, but excluding the parishes of Bedwas and Machen. (Before 1852, Bedwellty was a Sub-District within Abergavenny R.D.) It is broadly equivalent to the eastern part of the current Caerphilly Council area. |
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CHEPSTOW
Chepstow branch covers the Registration District of Chepstow and its Sub Districts of Chepstow and Shirenewton (excluding the parishes within Gloucestershire). It is broadly equivalent to the southern part of the current Monmouthshire County Council area. |
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EBBW VALE
Ebbw Vale branch covers the Aberystruth and Tredegar Sub Districts of Bedwellty Registration District. (Before 1852, Bedwellty was a Sub-District within Abergavenny R.D.). It is broadly equivalent to the current Blaenau Gwent Council area. |
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NEWPORT
Newport branch covers the Sub Districts of Newport, Caerleon, and St Woollos within the Registration District of Newport, and the parishes of Bedwas and Machen within Mynyddislwyn Sub District. It also includes Rumney and St Mellons, which were part of Monmouthshire but came under the Cardiff Registration District. It is broadly equivalent to the current Newport Borough Council area. |
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PONTYPOOL
Pontypool branch covers the Registration District of Pontypool, with its Sub Districts of Pontypool, Usk and Llangibby. It is broadly equivalent to the current Torfaen Council area. |
All five Branches hold monthly Branch Meetings, at which there are usually guest speakers, who talk on varied subjects of interest about family history, local history, research resources, or related topics.
You are also encouraged to become knowledgeable in research techniques. Newport Branch holds an annual cycle of monthly tuition classes, whilst the Chepstow Branch arranges such evenings according to demand. Monthly help-desks are also held at local libraries by Chepstow and Newport Branches.
Both members and visitors alike are most welcome at any of the above. Additionally, Blackwood, Ebbw Vale and Pontypool Branches hold "workshop" evenings for members only, at which you can progress your own research using their extensive resource facilities.
To learn more about these branches, where and when they meet, their future programme of speakers etc, and the nineteenth century parishes
 they cover, please "click" on the name of the branch on the map at the top of this page. You can then return to this page by "clicking" on any of the 'Branches' buttons on the branch page.
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BOOK LIBRARIES |
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Each Branch has a library of books which
is taken to its monthly branch meetings and members may borrow from this
stock for a small fee. The selection of books are of historical or
genealogical interest, to assist members with their researches or
to provide information on the social or historic background.
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BOOK STALLS |
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Members attending meetings of Newport and Pontypool Branches will find a
variety of books on sale on their Branch book stalls, published by
the Federation of Family History Societies and others. These include
books specifically aimed at helping members with their research.
Profits made from the sales of these books go directly into branch funds, to help purchase further resources.
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CD-ROM LIBRARIES |
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Most Branches each have a library of CD-ROMs, from which members may borrow at the monthly branch meeting, with donations being welcomed so that further stock can then be bought. Their 'core' selection of CD-ROMs comprises the LDS Vital Records Indexes for Great Britain and the 1881 Census Index for Great Britain.
Other selections vary from branch to branch, and include items such as the 1851 3-county Census Index, the LDS Vital Records Indexes for North America and Australia, the UK-InfoDisk, and the 1851 Census Indexes for Gloucester and for Bristol. Check with the branch concerned for details of the actual stock but please remember they can only be borrowed in person at the monthly branch meeting. And one of Murphy's Laws of Genealogy states that there may be a waiting list for the one you want!
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FAMILY HISTORY MAGAZINES |
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A number of our branches obtain copies of the Family Tree Magazine and Family History Monthly each month for those members who are interested. At some branches, the members receive and pay for their copies at the monthly meetings of Family History Monthly, whilst also other branches arrange for its members to complete subscription forms for them to have their copies delivered direct by post at a reduced annual cost to their homes. In each case, as well as being more convenient for members, it is an extra way of raising funds for the branch through the special discount arranged with the publishers.
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MICROFICHE LIBRARIES |
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All branches hold a copy of the 1881 Census
Index section for Monmouthshire and most of our Branches own a copy of the
International Genealogical Index for the UK on fiche. Sections of
the 1881 Census Index for some of the other counties in England
and Wales, and sets of various other fiche, have been purchased
by the individual Branches in accordance with the interests
expressed by their Branch members.
For a nominal charge, these may be borrowed by the members,
together with the loan of a fiche reader for those members who
can arrange to collect it and return it.
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VISITS TO RESEARCH CENTRES |
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Blackwood Branch have now taken over from our Newport Branch the responsibility of organising reasonably-priced coach trips.
They arrange a number of trips from Blackwood to London, via Newport and Chepstow, on a regular basis each year,
for members to visit the record repositories at the Public Record Office in Kew, Somerset and Devon Record Offices etc. They also organise other trips according to demand,
such as to Family History Fairs and Open Days, County Record Offices in other counties.
All trips are publicised in
advance at branch meetings and all members are eligible to join
in, provided seats are available. Please see our page of News and Events to see more details
and the dates of the trips that are currently planned.
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WELSH WILLS |
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The Society holds fiche of abstracts of
wills from the Welsh diocese up to 1858. These fiche circulate around the
Branches in turn, in accordance with the timetable published in
our Journal, and may be borrowed by the members of the branch
concerned to view at home, by arrangement with the appropriate
Branch Fiche Librarian. However, it is not practicable to provide
a postal service.
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