About The Society

The Somerset & Dorset Family History Society was founded in 1975 and helps people to research their family history, especially those with ancestors in the two counties. The Society’s Family History Centre is in Yeovil, Somerset and includes an excellent local and family history library.

You might be at the stage where you are considering taking up this all-absorbing interest, or you may have started, hit a ‘brick wall’ and need guidance to break it down, or you may have been researching your family for many years – wherever you are on your journey please come and see us in person at our Family History Centre. It can often help just to talk about your research and our Volunteers are always on hand to help you search out that elusive ancestor, or suggest sources that you might not yet have investigated. Family history need not be a solitary computer-based occupation and at the SDFHS we offer you the chance to become part of a community of like-minded people.

If you aren’t able to visit us in Yeovil, or go to any of our local Group meetings, you can always engage with us on social media: we have a Facebook Page and Group and you can follow us on Twitter. Please also explore this website as we have here a lot of useful and interesting information which can help you with your family history research.

Non-members can use the research facilities at our Family History Centre for only £3 a day but, as your research progresses, you might wish to consider becoming a member of the Society.

Facilities

The SDFHS has the records and facilities to help anyone who has ancestors in the two counties research their family history. The Library in our Family History Centre in Yeovil has transcripts of many registers and gravestones from local parishes, and also includes books and journals related to local history, and on more general genealogical and military history topics. The Society has its own database of names from local records and pedigrees which can be searched for a small fee.

The Family History Centre can also be used by members of the SDFHS to access many of the most important online genealogical resources. Non-members can also use the facilities on payment of a daily fee. When the Centre is open it is manned by teams of very knowledgable and experienced Volunteers who can help visitors with their research. For those not able to visit Yeovil, Volunteers will undertake research but since this is very time consuming, the Society does have to make a charge for this. New members receive a free hour of research and, after this, members are charged £5 an hour (non-members £10 an hour). Enquiries should be sent by e-mail or by post to: Somerset & Dorset Family History Society, Broadway House, Peter St., Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1PN.