Jersey team at UK show helping people trace their roots back to the Island

Friday 08 April 2016

People across the UK can find out a bit more about their Jersey roots this week and are being encouraged to come and visit the home of their ancestors.

The team from the Jersey Family History Forum are at the Who do you think you Are? Live Show at the NEC in Birmingham - the largest family history event in Europe.

The team will be taking a stand and joining over 160 exhibitors in Birmingham including major players in the family history industry like Ancestry.com to smaller local family history organisations.

Archives and Collections Director Linda Romeril said: “In 2015 over half of new readers registered at the Jersey Archive were non-Jersey based so there is a significant interest in local genealogy from abroad. The Who do you think you Are? Fair allows us to make people aware of the resources available in the Island and online and encourage them to visit and find out more.

“At the event last year we were inundated with people interested in how to conduct research and wanting to know more about visiting the Island. It is a great opportunity to promote the Island and our local family history providers.”

“The Jersey Family History Forum has been in place together for over 10 years and is a fantastic example of heritage organisations working together in partnership. We are looking forward to jointly promoting the services we provide and telling the stories of Jersey to a wider audience.”

The Jersey Family History Forum is a partnership between Jersey Heritage, the Channel Islands Family History Society, the Société Jersiaise, Jersey Library and the Superintendent Registrar.

The trip to Birmingham has been funded through sponsorship from Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture.