Link for all presentations:
| 3pm | Start and open of conference | Opening remarks by Kirsty Gray | |
| 3:10pm |
Risa Daitzman Heywood is a professional genealogist, writer and speaker specializing in Ashkenazi Jewish genealogy and research methodology. She loves helping her clients solve their genealogy puzzles, especially finding their original surname. Risa holds a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists. She has been involved with Jewish genealogy for over 25 years. She is on the board of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and a past president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado. Risa lives in Lisbon, Portugal. |
Ashkenazi Jewish Surnames: Recently Acquired, Easily Shed Did you know that most Ashkenazi Jews didn't have surnames until around 1800, when they were required to adopt them? Then, driven to leave their homes due to economic hardship, political unrest, and antisemitic violence, families scattered across the globe. In their efforts to blend into new cultures, they often chose surnames that sounded local or neutral--anything to avoid standing out as immigrants. This makes tracing Jewish ancestry a fascinating but tricky puzzle for genealogists. How do you connect the dots when family names were changed, adapted, or even invented? In this presentation, we'll explore the origins of Jewish surnames, uncover the most helpful records for research, and show how a surname project can reconnect lost family lines. | |
| 4.00pm | Break |
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| 4.30pm | Sandra Robinson is a UK-based genealogist who specializes in Huguenot ancestry. She speaks French, Dutch/Flemish and German, having lived in The Netherlands and Belgium, including working in these languages. Sandra is on the Council of the Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and is consultant genealogist to the Huguenot Museum in Rochester, UK. She was the Huguenot ancestry expert for the BBC's "Who Do You Think You Are?" TV episode with Joe Sugg, broadcast in November 2021. Sandra works for private clients and also regularly publishes articles on Huguenots, often co-authored with art historians or other subject specialists. | French-speaking Protestants Part 1 : The Walloons in England - Refugees from the Low Countries An introduction to Calvin, and his teachings differ(ed) from other Protestant Reformation leaders. Then moving on to the Low Countries: Who were these "Walloons" or "Strangers"; why and how were they persecuted as Protestants? Why did they adopt the nickname The Beggars? When, why and where did they flee to, including England, and how did they affect the countries that took them in? An illustrated talk, complete with heroes and villains, and a historic 16C declaration of independence that directly inspired Thomas Jefferson two hundred years later. | |
| 5:30pm | Break | ||
| 6.00pm | Jill Williams FIGRS was born and brought up in Cork. A University College Cork graduate, she is a qualified teacher and accountant and has been teaching courses in Family History for over 20 years. For 15 years she volunteered regularly in the library of the Irish Genealogical Research Society in London and in 2013 was honoured with a Fellowship of the Society. She maintains the society’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/IrishGenealogicalResearchSociety, which currently has over 33000 followers. Last year she was elected a vice-president of the society. She has given Irish genealogy talks and run workshops in various venues in Ireland, England & Scotland and recently online to a more global audience. Jill moved to Edinburgh 9 years ago and is a volunteer searcher for a Scottish adoption charity. Pre-Covid she did a regular stint in the Scottish Genealogy Society library answering queries on Irish Genealogy. She has a particular interest in websites to use for Irish genealogy and is passionate about encouraging people in their study of Irish family history. | Understanding Irish Catholic Records : a key tool for Irish research. Jill will introduce us to Irish Catholic records, where to find them and their quirks and cover how understanding a little of Irish history & religious persecution are vital parts of the Irish story. | |
| 7.00pm | AGM | Annual General Meeting of The Surname Society (see agenda below) | |
| 7.30pm | Break | ||
| 8.00pm | Janet Few is a well-known British family, social and community historian who has lectured at conferences across the English-speaking world and at sea. She is an author of both historical fiction and non-fiction, as well as many magazine articles. For Janet, the joy of genealogy lies in the context and she believes in the importance of understanding the history of the places in which our ancestors lived and the social history of their time. | Farm, Fish, Faith or Family?: motivations for emigration from North Devon to Canada 1830-1900 One of the most fascinating aspects of researching those emigrated is trying to understand why they took such a life-changing step. Seventy five percent of all those who left British shores for a life overseas in the Victorian era went to the United States. Why then did the overwhelming majority of emigrants from North Devon go to Canada? Were the motived by farm, by fish, by faith or by family? This presentation uses case studies to investigate what prompted nineteenth century North Devonians to leave for a life overseas. In particular, it looks at the impact of the Bible Christian church on levels of emigration. |
For members of the Society only:
Welcome and apologies: Kirsty Gray
Minutes for 2024 AGM: https://surname-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2024-03-16-TSS-AGM-minutes.pdf
Report from the Committee:
Society accounts: https://surname-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2024-Accounts-for-The-Surname-Society.pdf
Committee 2025 – 2026
Date of next AGM: 21 March 2026
Any other business
