Learn about your family and heritage (From Gazette Series)

Learn about your family and heritage

FAMILY history is now a opular hobby, helped currently by the television series, Who do you think you are?'

Viewers inspired by this programme, which follows familiar actors and other 'personalities' in their quest for knowledge about their ancestry, are being offered local assistance.

The curator of the Wotton-under-Edge Heritage Centre, Beryl Kingan, said: "At the centre we have extensive resources for tracing family and local history, primarily in Wotton and the surrounding area, but also for the whole county and, in general terms, further afield.

"We have most of the local 19th century Census records, transcripts and microfiches of parish registers, card indexes of names, places and topics, and local newspaper scrapbooks.

"There is a wide range of reference books and maps, including copies of tithe maps and the 1763 Berkeley Estate map.

"Photocopies of documents can be supplied, and also copies of many of the photographs in our collection."

There is a small charge for the use of the research room and for postal research.

The heritage centre is open from Tuesday to Friday 10am-1pm and 2pm-4pm (5pm in the summer), and on Saturday 10am-1pm.

It is run entirely by volunteers and more are needed in the team.

Commitment can be once a week, once a fortnight or once a month.

New volunteers are placed with someone experienced and there are always at least two people on duty. Previous experience is not necessary, as training will be given.

Anyone interested can call in at the centre or phone 01453 521541.

More details can be found on the website at www.wottonheritage.co.uk.

Miss Kingan said: "We would be very pleased to hear from you."