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Family History

Emsworth Museum has, over the last forty years, collated and listed information specific to local people, especially where several generations have lived and worked in the area. In a small town like Emsworth we have found that many families are inter-connected.

The information collected and listed, includes artefacts, wills and inventories, memorabilia and photographs. In addition it has a store of interesting CDs and DVDs compiled by local residents happy to share their memories and recollections of a bygone era in Emsworth. Many files created about local families, the town’s traders, sports reports and the activities of local societies and clubs have been supplemented added to by Emsworth people happy for the Museum to archive and show, either on loan or as a gift, mementoes which fill in the ten year gaps between censuses; these in particular are delightful personal reminders of, for example, how well someone did at school or what clubs or associations they belonged to.

If you are just starting your search you will probably know that an ever increasing amount of information is now available on the Internet provided by commercial as well as volunteer organisations. In fact, there has never been a better time to start your research! You might be doing this by yourself or with other family members, or perhaps you have a friend who wants to trace their family history and you are going to help each other. Even in this computer-driven age we know some people are wary of exploring such online resources and this is where the Museum can help. However you begin, there may come a time when you need some guidance or advice on where to go next. The Museum is therefore ideally placed to help and give advice to anyone researching their local family history, particularly if they belong to or have Emsworth family connections. If they do, their first port of call should be the Museum’s Research Room which has the most comprehensive store and extensive knowledge of many town residents.