Events

Members

Boat Families

Ormskirk Parish Church Christmas Tree Festival

Ormskirk Parish Church will be open in December and early January on Thursdays and Saturdays (check the OPC website for details)

Our heritage inspired Ormskirk and District Family History Society Christmas Tree is on display.

Ormskirk Library Family History Helpdesk - dates 2025

The helpdesk is available between 10.30-11.30 the first Monday of each month (except Bank Holidays).

Booking is not necessary.

Monday 6th January 2025

Monday 3rd February 2025

Monday 7th April 2025

Monday 2nd June 2025

Monday 7th July 2025

Monday 4th August 2025

Monday 1st September 2025

Monday 6th October 2025

Monday 3rd November 2025

Monday 1st December 2025

Forthcoming Events

Look out for ODFHS out and about in 2025.

We have had a very busy year - see below for our highlights of 2024.

Ormskirk and District Family History Society - Events 2024

Saturday 12th October 2024

"Treasures from our Archive" - ODFHS Research Library Open Day 2024

"A rare opportunity to see documents and artefacts from our collection in the magnificent setting of Ormskirk Parish Church."

Ormskirk and District Family History Society had the opportunity to hold a one day event inside Ormskirk's Parish Church, focusing on the Church history and the people who helped the town grow and prosper from 1170.

Over 100 visitors to our 2024 Open Day enjoyed talks, displays, family history help and tours of the church.

A classic view of Ormskirk Parish Church showing its unique tower and steeple, we were lucky to have such a beautiful day for our event.

Local historian, Dot Broady-Hawkes, with a vintage, hand-painted sign welcoming visitors to Ormskirk Parish Church.

The church has been opened by volunteers during the Summer Season on Thursdays and Saturdays, this has now finished for the winter, but look out on social media for special opening days and Spring 2025 openings.

ODFHS Librarian, Kathryn MacDonald, with our new Ormskirk Parish Church timeline boards which tell the story of the church from its origins around 1170 to the present day.

We plan to take these boards out and about to community venues.

Our "Family History and Ormskirk Parish Church" display was an opportunity to show the many personal items connected to the church which we have in our collection.

Baptism certificates, grave owner's records, funeral memorial cards, parish magazines and Sunday School certificates are all of great interest to family history researchers and help to tell the social history of the church and its congregation.

Local author, historian and longstanding member of ODFHS, Mrs. Jean Gidman presented her detailed talk on the features of the Parish Church and helped a mesmorised audience identify the location of some of its fascinating features.

ODFHS Committee members Dot Broady-Hawkes and Keith Broadbent enjoy a well earned break in the sunshine.

Dot was getting into character ahead of her talk "Who Is In The Vaults?".

A talk on "Who Is In The Vaults?" by Dot Broady-Hawkes gave a detailed insight into how local gentry and noble families supported the Parish Church through service and patronage.

Of particular interest were the Derby effigies and the personas above the High Chancel depicting, amongst others, Lady Margaret Beaufort and King Henry VII, who worshipped at Ormskirk during the Royal Progression of the late 1490s.

Ormskirk Historical Society brought along the scale model of Burscough Priory, built decades ago by their then Chairman, the late Bill Aldridge.

It was a rare chance to see this excellent piece of history with the backdrop of the priory tenor bell which is on permanent display in the church.

Ormskirk Town Centre Shops and Businesses Past and Present

Our collection contains an array of material relating to Ormskirk's shops and businesses, a selection of photographs old and new, shop advertisements and postcards, were on display. It is interesting to see the many changes which have taken place over the years, for example there were a very large number of grocery shops in the days before supermarkets. Some shops such as D.C. Scott (butchers), Hesford's (hardware) and Stoker's (furniture) are still in business today.

The display included information about Ormskirk's Market Charter which will be 740 years old in 2026.

ODFHS member, Dennis Walton's display, recalled his many adventures out and about with the late Ormskirk historian, Mona Duggan.

Dennis took many of the photographs which Mona used in her later books to illustate how Ormskirk has changed over the years. His display, "A Day Out With Mona" attracted a great deal of attention and interest, in particular the photograph he took of Mona amongst the pews of Ormskirk Parish Church which appeared in her 2011 book "The People of Ormskirk Through the Ages 1500-2000".

A team of researchers were in the Tower Room on hand to help people interested in beginning their family history or looking for an elusive piece of information.

They were kept busy throughout the day, visitors were also able to gain ideas for presenting their family history research.

Children and adults alike enjoyed the Ormskirk Clock Tower based activity with local artist Angie Thompson.

Lathom Park Trust presented a full display in the Derby Chapel depicting the lives of the Earls of Derby and their ancestors.

Ormskirk Parish Church embroidery

We don't know very much about the history of this lovely embroidery, which belongs to the church, but it was a great opportunity to have it on display.

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped to make the day possible.

Saturday 7th October 2024

Ormskirk Library Fun Palace

Our traditional toys were as popular as ever at this year's Ormskirk Library Fun Palace, children and adults alike enjoyed testing their skills with our spinning tops, cup and ball and yoyos.

Thursday 12th September 2024

Family History and the Lost Buildings of West Lancashire - talk at Parbold Library

Monday 29th July 2024

Brookside, Aughton Street, Ormskirk

Keith and Julie Broadbent looking after the ODFHS stall at the Brookside Summer Fete

Sunday 14th July 2024

Ormskirk Gingerbread Festival

The ODFHS stall in Church Street

Deputy Mayor, Anne Fennell and Deputy Mayoress, Sarah Lawton at the ODFHS stall, Gingerbread Festival 2024

Saturday 22 June 2024

The Family History Show, Knavesmire Exhibition Centre, The Racecourse, York, YO23 1EX

ODFHS will be one of the attending family history societies, alongside suppliers, and specialists in various subjects.

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May 2024

Ormskirk Mediaeval Festival, Coronation Park, Ormskirk

A recreation of mediaeval life by the Historia Normannis re-enactment group; in previous years, cooking displays, archery practice, a fashion display have all featured. Pitched battles staged throughout the day. Further information will be added as we receive it.

Saturday 30/Sunday 31 March 2024

Images of Burscough Exhibition, Main Hall of the Stanley Club, Burscough

Exhibition of over 700 old local photographs, memorabilia and film footage, hosted by Michael Dawson and Lawrence Critchley. Gifts and books available to buy. Display of model aircraft built by Alan Birch. Other displays by ODFHS, Lathom and Burscough Military Heritage Society, The Stanley Cinema Project, and Alan Barrow's "Airmen of West Lancashire". Free Admission, parking on-site.

Saturday 16th March 2024

The Memory Collectors at Ormskirk Library

Angie Thompson, Becky Atherton, Kathryn MacDonald

Ormskirk Library Fun Palace October 2023

Ormskirk Medieval Festival Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th May 2023

ODFHS Committee Members, Sally Dean and Norma Gregson looking after the ODFHS staff at last year's Medieval Festival in Coronation Park, Ormskirk. Come and see us at this year's event.

Ormskirk and District Family History Society invite you to our...

Virtual Family History Chats via Zoom

Thursday 12th May 2023 at 2 p.m.

Thursday 8th June 2023 at 11 a.m.

Thursday 13th July 2023 at 2 p.m.

If this is something that you’d be interested in, please contact Kate Hurst (ODFHS Chair) at chairman[at]odfhs.email to request a link to the meeting. [Please replace [at] with @ ]

ODFHSOpenLibraryMarch2023 1

Research Library Open Day

Saturday 11 March 2023 . 11am to 3pm
1st Ormskirk Scout Headquarters,
Wigan Road, Ormskirk, L39 2AP

Discover our unique family and local history collections
Parish Registers . Artefacts . Photographs . ODFHS Publications . Digital Library
ODFHS Boat Families Database . Local History Books . Research Donated by our Members

New Projects for 2023 . Help and advice for Beginners

Find out more about joining Ormskirk and District Family History Society
Free admission. Close to local car parks, bus stops and railway station.

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or search for
ODFHS Research Library Open Day 2023 on Facebook for more details

Edge Hill University: Research Catalyst Event - a series of sessions focusing on research developed by Library and Learning Services and academics in various departments at Edge Hill University.

Thursday 9 March 2023, 4.30pm - 8.00pm

Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday 8 December 2022 at 11a.m. (GMT)

These sessions are held via Zoom; we also plan to host them on the following dates -

Thursday 12 January 2023 at 2p.m.

Thursday 9 February 2023 at 11a.m.

Thursday 9 March 2023 at 2p.m.

Virtual Really Useful Family History Show - Friday 11 and Saturday 12 November 2022

ODFHS volunteers will attend Family History Federation’s Virtual Really Useful Show. This is a ticket-only online event, and further details about the show, planned talks, attending societies and how to book tickets can be found at https://www.fhf-reallyuseful.com/

And some past events...

Virtual Really Useful Family History Show - Friday 12 and Saturday 13 November 2021

ODFHS volunteers attended the Family History Federation’s Virtual Really Useful Show, which proved to be a good opportunity to find out what other family societies have been doing in recent months, and also allowed us to discover a few new family history resources and projects that were mentioned in Issue 86 of our Magazine.

During the summer of 2021, we have been trialling a Virtual Family History Chat via Zoom. Knowing that we have members and supporters all over the world, from November 2021, we will be alternating between 11.00am and 2p.m. (UK) time, in the hope that it will allow both UK-based and overseas supporters to join in.

For reference, 11.00a.m. (Greenwich Mean Time) is:

3a.m. Seattle

5a.m. Chicago

6a.m. New York/Ottawa

9p.m. West coast Australia (Perth)
11p.m. East coast Australia (Brisbane/Melbourne/Sydney)
Midnight. New Zealand

2.00p.m. (Greenwich Mean Time) is:

6a.m. Seattle

8a.m. Chicago

9a.m. New York/Ottawa

Midnight. West coast Australia (Perth)
2a.m. East coast Australia (Brisbane/Melbourne/Sydney)
3a.m. New Zealand

ZOOM Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday 10 February 2022 - 11:00am (UK)

Members talked about whether school history lessons had influenced their enthusiasm for family history, and the benefits of studying subjects. One member sought advice on finding IDDON ancestors in the Croston area. The screen-share facility offered a great way for all to see the results of a search using the Lancashire Online Parish Clerks website, where the rich possibilities for finding revealing notes in the parish registers became clear.

ZOOM Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday 13 January 2022 - 2:00p.m. (GMT).

One member described their experience of searching the 1921 census, noting differences to the 1911 data, and the pay-per-view system for access via FindMyPast. The discussion moved on to digitising family photographs and sharing them, stories about ancestors, different ways of organising research and the various types of memorabilia that our members have collected in the process of researching their families.

ZOOM Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday 9 December 2021 - 11:00am (UK)

Reminiscences about school history lessons in the UK and New Zealand over the decades were followed by a note that the temperature had reached 41°C in Australia, prompting a brief chat about the weather! Members shared information gleaned about the soon-to-be-released 1921 census, leading to further discussion on how the attitudes about censoring documents can vary from country to country.

ZOOM Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday 11 November 2021 - 2:00p.m. (GMT).

The subject of Irish migrants settling in West Lancashire in the nineteenth century led some members to reflect on their Mayo ancestors, who came to the area seeking work. Our New Zealand members drew comparisons with those left the UK to emigrate there, noting the risk of contracting illness on the sea voyage. Women’s suffrage in New Zealand, and the reality that WWI soldiers from that country were away from home for five years were also discussed.

ZOOM Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday 14 October 2021 - 11:00am (UK)

Sanitation, public health and hygiene were prominent topics, with everything from drowning and the practical benefits of draining West Lancashire’s waterlogged soil, to night soil, cholera and epidemics being mentioned. The ongoing pandemic prompted reflections on the “Spanish flu” of 1918-19, quarantine practices and management of infectious diseases, before a discussion on ancestors’ wills and how they can assist research followed.

ZOOM Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday 16 September 2021 - 11:00am (UK)

Boatmen who were missing from the 1939 register, famous ancestors, the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are?, records for local schools and a hospital for tuberculosis patients in Rufford were some of the topics under discussion during a virtual meeting attended by members from France, New Zealand, Australia, and three different areas of England. Details about the Western Australian Military Digital Library were also shared.

ZOOM Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday, 12 August 2021 - 11:00am (UK)

Eager to find new topics to feature on our social media channels, we used this meeting as an opportunity to gather some suggestions from willing volunteers, before the discussion moved onto finding local school records and church records, Martin Mere, our boat families website and geography in West Lancashire. Working together, attendees then tried to solve one member's puzzle over a mysterious ancestor who apparently vanished between the 1861 and 1871 census nights . . .

ZOOM Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday, 8 July 2021 - 11:00am (UK)

Eight people (including residents of Australia and New Zealand) joined our Zoom meeting for an informal conversation about newspaper archives, Catholic records and the village of Scarisbrick, before one overseas participant shared some family snapshots and a few views of the Ring o'Bells area of Lathom, prompting a brief explanation of the distances between the villages around Ormskirk.

ZOOM Virtual Family History Chat: Thursday, 10 June 2021 - 11:00am (UK)

Ormskirk and District Family History Society held a virtual alternative to the face-to-face Help Desk that we operated at Ormskirk Library before the COVID-19 pandemic.

FHF Virtual Really Useful Exhibition: Saturday 10 April 2021

ODFHS joined more than 40 regional and specialist family history societies from the UK and overseas, and other commercial organisations for a one-day online family history exhibition. We dealt with several virtual queries, and also had a chance to catch up with other like-minded societies, to find out how they had been managing during the lockdown period.

FHF Virtual Really Useful Exhibition: Saturday 14 November 2020

Our only public event of 2020 was also our first experience of a virtual family history show, and proved to be a good opportunity to "meet" visitors and other societies with an interest in family history without having to leave home! A review of the day will be published in Issue 84 of our magazine very shortly.

Westhead Carnival: Saturday 6 July 2019

This year was on the 6th of July 2019 and WE were there! Yet again it was a very well-run event. A little drizzle at the beginning did not mar the enjoyment of everyone present.

Gingerbread Festival: Sunday 14 July 2019

To celebrate all things Ormskirk there was an event on Sunday 14th July 2019. This event has become an Ormskirk Institution and the centre of Ormskirk was packed with entertainments and activities. There were also groups such as ourselves with all our records of Ormskirk.

Church Tower Open Day: Saturday 21 September 2019

Christ Church, Aughton held their Open Day with trips up the Tower (in good weather, views are to North Wales & beyond Blackpool - even to the Lake District) and ODFHS were present on the day.

Dig Up Your Roots: Saturday 5 October 2019

Dig up your roots

For the first time since 2012, Ormskirk and District Family History Society hosted a family and local history fair in Ormskirk. Dig Up Your Roots In West Lancashire took in the Langham Hall, at the Emmanuel Methodist Church, Ormskirk, on Saturday 5 October 2019.

Supported by a grant from the North-West Group of Family History Societies, ODFHS was supported by a variety of organisations, including the North-West branch of the Catholic Family History Society, Cumbria Family History Society, Lancashire Archives, North Meols (Southport) Family History Society, Ormskirk Historical Society, and Skelmersdale and Upholland Family History Society.

for a video review of Dig Up Your Roots 2019

...or see here for more.

Images of Burscough Exhibition: Saturday/Sunday 19/20 October 2019

On Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th October 2019, ODFHS attended the Images Of Burscough and Surrounding Areas Exhibition at the Stanley Club, Liverpool Road, Burscough.

The free exhibition offered a chance to see more than 650 historic images of Burscough, Ormskirk, Scarisbrick, Parbold and other local villages, including a diverse selection of images of people who lived and worked in West Lancashire during the past. A range of local information sheets were also available.

The ODFHS display included our collection of articles, magazines, local records and gravestone transcriptions on CD and DVD, and postcards for sale, and several visitors came to us with their family history questions.

Images of Burscough website