| Status: | Active, full but can join waiting list |
| Coordinator: | |
| Group email: | Family History group |
| When: | On Thursday mornings 10:30 am-12:00 pm Second and last Thursday |
| Venue: | Washington Arms |
What has Family History Group been up to during 2025/2026?
Read the AGM the review 'A Rhyme Through Time' by John
Diary dates for Spring 2026
| 8th January | Workshop | 10.30 am |
| 29th January | 10.30 am | |
| 12th February | Workshop | 10.30 am |
| 26th February | Visit to Redhills, Durham City | 10.00am (meet 9.30 at Cub Car Park) |
| 12th March | Workshop | 10.30 am |
| 26th March | 10.30 am | |
| 9th April | Workshop | 10.30 am |
| 30th April | 10.30 am | |
| 14th May | Workshop | 10.30 am |
| 28th May | Podcast Room at Washington Town Centre Library | 10.00am to 1.30 pm |
| 11th June | Workshop | 10.30 am |
| 25th June | 10.30 am |
Our meeting on the Thursday the 26th February 2026 was a visit to 'Redhills' in Durham City. Known as the 'Pitmans Parliament'
Redhills Durham Miners Hall and Offices is an Edwardian Baroque – styled building, now a Grade II listed building, built in 1915 to equal the grand houses of the mine owners, built to be the new HQ of the Durham Miners’ Association. At the peak of coal production in Durham County in 1913, it looked after the interests of 250,000 pitmen and 400 pits.
THE PAST WE INHERIT, THE FUTURE WE BUILD
Margaret has kindly written a history and a review of our tour...a very interesting and enlightening documentary.
The Pitman’s Parliament is located on floor one of Redhills. Designed as a debating chamber, and modelled on Methodist Chapels of the area with a nod to their Sunday observance, it has Art Deco windows, decorated plasterwork, is wood panelled using Austrian oak, and leather covered seats for the delegates. Seats are set in a semicircle, a seat for every elected delegate from the miners’ lodges in the Durham coalfield, 298 downstairs and 60 upstairs. Seating was randomly allocated.
The Committee Room was the Executive Office where the Cabinet met ‘the heartbeat of the building’ where BIG decisions were made…ex-Committee delegates were nominated by collieries for one year post…6-month change? Hung on the wall a map of County Durham collieries…the area covered was from Tyne to Tees, drift mines more common in the west, underground/water collieries to the east. Coal was taken to the staithes at Newcastle…for London?
The Muniment Room…otherwise known as numerant room or ruminant room (our guesses) Muniment means a vital document, the room used for storing historical documents has to be secure.
FHG Members planning our project 'Mapping our Family History' - It came together quite nicely, with a lot of of hard work from all the group members. September 2024.
Our next project started 2025 and is 'An Ancestor Timeline' hopefully followed by a podcast in 2026...Watch this space!
Also for 2026 a visit to Redhills, Durham City in February. Anne & Hilary
Thursday 26th June 2025
This was our last Family History meeting before the summer break, it was a real brain teaser quiz and research exercise - how much do we know? and what have we forgotten!!
We used Parish records and Civil Registration certificates to show how they can help us build our family trees and verify our research results.
After the summer break we will be in touch with dates when we intend to restart the group sessions. Until then have a really enjoyable summer. Anne & Hilary
May 2025
VE DAY and WW2 Family History memorabilia sesion. Including medals, the National Identity Card, St John's Ambulance certificates, an important telegram, Navy, Army and Air Force war records, a war time baby baptism certificate and some fantastic family photos of those ancestors who served their country in many different ways - 1939 to 1945.
Wonderful memories of our parents, grandparents etc and an important part of our Family History research.
Why am I researching my Family History?
Exercising the brain, far superior to crosswords, sudoku etc. and can be very rewarding tracing ones generations past with present time leaves a legacy for following generations...
Joe Soulsby - Group Member
Reviews and photos of previous meetings can be viewed here: