Membership
About the Society
Patron: HRH Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO
The Society of Genealogists offers a unique combination of research material, guidance and support for those interested in family history and the lives of earlier generations. It is a charity whose objects are to "promote, encourage and foster the study, science and knowledge of genealogy".
The Society is a registered charity (No. 233701) and a company limited by guarantee (No.115703) its Registered Office is at 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA. In the event of its liquidation, the liability of members is limited to £2 each.
Our Library is the foremost in the British Isles with a large collection of family histories, civil registration and census material, and the widest collection of County Sources in the country (over 9,000). They are arranged with local histories, poll books and directories, other topographical material, and the publications of county records and archaeological societies. Sections relate to the professions, schools and universities, the services, religious denominations, the peerage and heraldry, and to British citizens living abroad, in the Commonwealth and USA. Boyd's Marriage Index covers some 2,600 parish registers with nearly seven million names: a general Card Index contains some three million references: there are about 6,000 rolls of microfilm (including Scottish civil registration indexes) and the International Genealogical index on both CD-ROM (FamilySearch with over 200 million names) and fiche.
The Society runs an extensive range of Lectures and Courses on specific topics, and also regular series of courses designed to help improve the understanding of genealogical sources and methods. These are graded to suit beginners, intermediates, and those with considerable knowledge. There is always more to learn.
Our Publications are available at 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA. All goods are available by mail order, and the Society's OnlineShop provides for online purchase using credit and debit cards.
Anyone conducting research into family history, social history or biography should benefit from the Society's resources. All our facilities and events are available to members and non-members alike, but members have free access to the library and discounts on the Society's events and publications. Applications for Membership are welcomed from all those engaged in this most fascinating pursuit.
The management of the Society is governed by it the Memorandum and Articles of Association. A copy of these documents and other relating to the governance of the Society can be obtained from the Society or downloaded in Adobe Acrobat ® format from here.
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The day-to-day running of the Society's affairs is managed by the Executive Committee with specific specialist tasks delegated to the Lectures, Library and Publications Committees and to individual members of staff. The current list of Committee Members is available