The Fife Family History Society has just marked a significant anniversary.
Establishing a history society in Fife in 1989, it has given many people researching their Fife family history 30 years of dedicated help by volunteers.
Fife Family History Society is based in Cupar Library and has an archive room available to the public three days a week. The enthusiastic volunteers who run the society are on hand to help provide resources such as monumental inscriptions, traders and shopkeepers directories, local history and family histories donated by grateful members.
Over the years a number of publications were researched, produced and printed by the society and are now to be found all over the World. CDs were created and sold in their thousands and now the history society have embraced the 21st century with a smart new website, new records in the members area and an addition of 24 digital downloads available in the online shop.
Alison Murray, chairman of the society, said: ‘We have had a huge effort in the last year to bring the society up to the mark.
‘Our website wasn’t really doing what we wanted it to do but it has had a makeover and looking and performing much better. People can become members by joining online. We offer a digital membership only now.
‘We are mindful of the impact printing materials for our members has on the environment and with that, we are no longer printing our members journal three times a year.
‘We will however still produce a journal in a new format, to include news items, events and links to other websites of interest to those researching their ancestors, this will go out electronically via email.’
Last October, Jenny Mackie approached the group offering to become a volunteer. Jenny has since put policies and procedures in place to keep the society, a registered charity in Scotland compliant.
Following a recent recruitment drive for volunteers, the society has more than doubled its volunteer personnel allowing a properly structured monthly rota to be implemented. The society has also provided training for all the new and existing volunteers.
At a recent training day held in Cupar Library, 14 volunteers and three representatives from Fife Cultural Trust attended.
Subjects included, House History Research, Records and Resources available in Fife Family History Society’s archive and other valuable sources held in Fife through the library and archive services of Fife Cultural Trust.
Andrew J Campbell, who is the editor of the Society’s Journal, published The Fife Kalendar of Convicts, a publication produced on CD and as a Digital Download. Spanning a 20 Year Period of research, this provides over 2,800 pages of crimes committed in Fife during 1790-1880. Andrew is also the author of Fife Deaths Abroad, Traders and Shopkeepers 1820-1870 and Fife Immigrants and Their Ships now all available to download from the shop www.fifefhs.org/shop
Alison Murray added: ‘We are celebrating our anniversary with our volunteers and committee members on an outing. We are also bringing out a special commemorative Members Journal which includes articles and stories, from past and present members. But the icing on the cake is moving forward digitally and keeping the society in keeping with the times, something I am proud to be part of.’
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