Find your ancestors in Pontefract & District Family History Society

Pontefract & District Family History Society

Pontefract and District Family History Society, started in 1997, is a small but highly active family history society that covers the part of West Yorkshire which holds the ancient parishes of Pontefract, Badsworth, Brotherton, Darrington, Featherstone, Felkirk, Ferry Fryston, Hemsworth, Kellington, Kippax, Normanton, Womersley, and Wragby. It has close relationships with neighbouring societies, particularly Doncaster and Wakefield FHS. Membership figure is about 320 and many of these members are highly prolific and enthusiastic volunteers.

Meetings are held monthly at Micklegate Methodist Church, Pontefract where both members and non-members are welcome to enjoy of a good variety of speakers and topics on family and local history in particular. For those not able to attend society meetings, news, new members’ personal family history interests, articles on research and local information are produced every quarter in the journal ‘The Bridge’.

The society currently publishes about 350 separate booklets containing parish register transcriptions, monumental inscriptions, some census transcripts, with some also on CD. Further information on these, a listing of members interests and the other activities of the society, including how to join the society, can be found on the website

Pontefract and District FHS is a member of the Yorkshire Regional Family History Group, and a member of the Federation of Family History Societies.

Available Records

Explore the Pontefract & District Family History Society records available on Findmypast.*

The society also contributed to the National Burial Index For England & Wales.

*These records are available as part of a Findmypast Plus and Pro subscriptions.