The Hampshire Family Historian | Volume 51 No.4 | March 2025

HGS News

How to Register for the AGM

On page 150 you will find the formal notification of The HGS 51st Annual General Meeting to be held by Zoom videoconference at 7:00pm BST on Tuesday 17th June 2025. Members wishing to attend should apply to the Secretary, Jane Painter, by any of the methods listed below. Details of how to log in to the meeting, together with a password allowing access and a voting card, will then be sent out to all attendees via email. Email: AGM2025@hgs-online.org.uk Post: The Secretary, HGS, Flat 4 Watersedge, Bridge Street, Wickham, Hants PO17 5PX Registration closes at 5:00pm BST on Sunday 15th June 2025.

Free access to FindMyPast to end?

In January we learnt that Hampshire County Council is considering withdrawing free access to FindMyPast (FMP) at Hampshire Libraries and Hampshire Archives from March 31st, 2025. As FMP is regarded as providing the best coverage for UK family history research and includes unique indexes provided by Family History Societies across the UK, We have written to Hampshire County Council expressing our concern. A final decision will be reached in February which will be after this Journal goes to press,

so please check our HGS website for any updates. Hampshire Libraries and Hampshire Archives have both said they will keep HGS informed. At present Portsmouth Libraries are continuing with both Ancestry and FMP. Currently records held at Portsmouth History Centre are only on FMP. So, members would need to visit any of the nine Portsmouth libraries or take out a personal subscription to FMP if their family are in the Portsmouth Area.

152