Research help from Family History Society gems

Looking for an ancestor away from your home town, and 'run out' of digital records? Help could well be at hand through the local family history society.

Over 160 such societies are members of the Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS). Each is specialist in the genealogical sources of their local area, and shares this expertise though their published resources (as well as partnering with major genealogy subscription sites).

One society publication, a set of parish register transcriptions from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society, has this week given me a magical find of five words - a simple note in the parish register margin, "he was also known as". Carefully transcribed by a society volunteer, this phrase melted away a potential brickwall, enabling me to follow an individual through previously unknown connections.

The FFHS lists websites and contact details for each of its member societies. Hopefully you'll find gems to help with your research, and many thanks from me to the Cambridgeshire FHS!