Leicester’s Old Town Festival
18 March, 2026
Saturday 25th April 12 noon – 5pm We’re taking part in this year’s Old Town Festival and will be based in the Guildhall, Guildhall Lane, Leicester, LE1 5FQ. As part
Welcome to the Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society
Introducing the Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society
Whether you have ancestors in the two counties or are interested in family history and live in the area, you are welcome to join us.
Established in 1974, Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society (LRFHS) is a primary source for all genealogical matters relating to family history research across the two counties. It is a registered charity run by volunteers who are keen to share their love of family history.
We would like to meet you!
Upcoming Events
Apr
8
Arthur Wakerley: architect, politician, visionary
Leicester Oadby Tennis Club
Apr
13
Apr
16
Member’s short talks
Market Harborough
Apr
24
Canadian Family History
Hinckley
Apr
29
Latest News
History and Heritage Event
16 March, 2026
Saturday 21st March 12.00 – 16.00 Percy Gee Building, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH Join us at this free event where 40 local heritage groups will be showcasing their work.A
Starting Out
15 February, 2026
A new family history course for 2026, starting Monday March 9th. For full details, see ‘Special Events’ on drop down menu.
Researching Your Family History
LRFHS has a research centre in the city of Leicester. Here we hold a range of archival records, books and provide computer access for online research. We can provide assistance to break down those tricky family history ‘brick walls’ or simply help you to get started on researching your family history.
There are also some free resources and advice on this website which may be of use to you, plus a shop containing many datasets only available from us.
Join Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society
We have over 900 members both local and from around the world. You may well have connections to some of them, so join us and find out!
Membership of LRFHS brings many benefits:
- A quarterly Journal of 70+ pages
- A Research Centre in central Leicester with access to all LRFHS data
- Access to Zoom talks through the year
- A free research service
- A monthly email newsletter
- Local groups with regular meetings
Meetings around the counties
Whilst our research centre is in Leicester, the society covers the whole of Leicestershire and Rutland and you don’t necessarily want to travel to meetings. So, we have 4 local groups which hold regular meetings at locations around the area. Each group organises talks on a wide range of family and local history subjects. There are also some visits to places of interest.
Click on the buttons below to find out more about each group.