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  2. Family History Federation
  3. Suffolk Family History Society

Suffolk Family History Society

We are pleased to be working in partnership with the Suffolk Family History Society.

The Suffolk Family History Society was founded in Lowestoft in 1975. Its objectives are to promote and encourage the public study of British family history, genealogy, heraldry and local history with particular reference to Suffolk; and to promote the preservation, security and accessibility of archival material.  Our volunteer transcribers have produced comprehensive indexes to Suffolk parish register records, available on Findmypast, or directly from the Society via our website shop.

The society is always pleased to welcome new members. If you live in or near Suffolk or are visiting our beautiful county, you will be made most welcome at any of the monthly group meetings held at Ipswich, Haverhill, Sudbury, Lowestoft or Bury St Edmunds, as well as our annual Conference & Fair. The Society holds regular free Zoom presentations on a wide range of topics which draws an international audience. Recent talks have covered the use of DNA in family history, records beyond parish registers relating to Suffolk, local industries and Suffolk places of interest.

Check the website https://suffolkfhs.co.uk/ to see what is coming up.

Parish church

Vital records

The Suffolk Family History Society have made generous contributions to our collection of vital records for the Suffolk area, with indexes available for marriages, baptisms and early burials.

If you have ancestry in the Suffolk area, then these record sets are a great place to start making new discoveries about your ancestors.

Freemen Of Ipswich, Suffolk

Was your ancestor admitted to the Freemen? You can now explore the records of over 7,400 Freemen of the Borough of Ipswich, Suffolk between 1320 and 1996. Many Freemen were admitted through birth right and you may find multiple family records. Discover your ancestor’s occupation, residence and father’s name.

Search Freemen Of Ipswich, Suffolk

Beneficiary & Testator Indexes

Thanks to our partnership with the Suffolk Family History Society, you can now discover whether or not your Suffolk ancestor created a will or was named a beneficiary to a will between 1847 and 1857.

The information included in these records may help you to discover more about the relationship between the beneficiary and the testator, which may reveal another relative for your family tree.

Old records stacked on shelves

Suffolk Hearth Tax Lists, 1662-1675

Thanks to our partnership with the Suffolk Family History Society, you can now explore over 100,000 records documenting Hearth Tax paid across Suffolk between 1662-1675. Hearth Tax Lists document the payment of Hearth Tax that was levied in England and Wales between 1662-1689. The tax was introduced mainly to raise funds after the Restoration of Charles II.

You can expect to find details such as the number of hearths in the property, address details and in some cases, additional comments about status or occupation. Hearth Tax Lists are a great way to trace your ancestors in the 17th century and can help to trace families in between gaps in parish registers.

Search Suffolk Hearth Tax Lists, 1662-1675

Suffolk, Coroners' Inquest Records

As the final milestone in their life, your ancestor's death is an inextricable part of their story and this index of Coroners’ Inquest Records from east Suffolk will help you discover more meaningful details about the life and death of your ancestor. Could your ancestor’s death have been the result of gruelling and unsafe work they carried out or perhaps it was classed as suspicious or unexplained?

This index which covers over 150 years of inquest records will allow you to delve deeper into the final chapter of your ancestor’s life. The collection currently covers inquests from 1767-1921 and can provide details such as a year of birth, where the inquest took place and inquest notes relating to your ancestor’s death.  Work is underway to increase the coverage to the end of the records in 1936.

Search Suffolk, Coroners' Inquest Records

Additional information

Every new member receives a presentation pack containing information about Suffolk and the group. Each quarter members receive the Suffolk Family History Society's journal Suffolk Roots. This is packed with news, articles, letters, important little snippets of information and much more.

Suffolk Family History Society is pleased to announce that its members' interests listing is now available online. Access to this service is totally free to everyone.

The society has a collection of reference books, transcripts and other documents which may be consulted in the Suffolk Record Office at Ipswich. In addition it has access to magazines from many other local, national and international societies.

The Society has an online shop, which stocks a large collection of publications such as parish register transcripts available as CDs or downloads. It is also possible to renew your subscription or join the society online. Products are ordered through a secure server.

Suffolk Family History Society is a member of the Federation of Family History Societies.