County Durham residents invited to trace family tree

Image from archives at The Story

Our Durham County Record Office will be running a family history course in conjunction with The Cornforth Partnership, an organisation which runs community projects to support residents in Cornforth and the wider county.

Drawing from two collections that will form part of The Story, a new history centre and registration service for the county, participants will be shown how records from these collections and other national resources can help them discover their ancestry.

Fascinating history

Dawn Layland, our education and outreach archivist, said: "We are delighted to be working with The Cornforth Partnership to offer residents the chance to explore their family tree.

"County Durham has a long and rich history, as reflected in the many fascinating archives we hold which we'll be moving together into The Story. It's exciting to think of how our families' histories are connected to the county's heritage, so I encourage anyone who wants to learn more about their ancestors to join this course."

Community interest

Ashleigh Owens, from The Cornforth Partnership, said: "The Cornforth Partnership has been given the opportunity to run a family history course as requested by our ageing community in our small pit village. This is something that has been of interest for a while, and we are pleased to be able to deliver it at our community building in West Cornforth."

The three-week course will begin on Monday 31 October at Cornforth House, West Cornforth, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.