1st March marks the meteorological first day of spring and St David’s Day. For many people, spring feels like the true beginning of the year. As plants emerge and the days grow lighter, it is a natural season of renewal making it the perfect time to start your family history journey.
If you have been thinking about researching your family tree, now is the ideal moment. Family history fairs and shows are beginning across the country, offering wonderful opportunities to meet other family historians, speak to local family history societies and discover new resources.
RootsTech 2026 begins on Thursday 5th March 2026 in Utah, USA. This major international family history conference has run as a hybrid event since 2020, with most talks available online. From the UK, you can watch expert-led family history presentations throughout the afternoon and evening. Even better, sessions are recorded, so you can catch up at any time.
I will be attending my first family history fair of the year at Swaffham Assembly Rooms on 7th March 2026. If you are local, do come along and say hello. I would love to chat about your research. I am also delivering two talks this month: Suffragettes and Suffragists and Beginning Your Family History.
With International Women’s Day on 8th March, this is also a time to reflect on the women in our family trees. In my suffrage talk, I focus on the women of Norfolk and the remarkable role they played in securing the vote. Wherever your ancestors lived, there will be inspiring women whose stories deserve to be uncovered and remembered.
When researching earlier records, it is important to remember that 1st January has officially been recognised as New Year only since 1752. Before then, the year began on 25th March. Understanding this, along with the role of the Church, feast days and festivals, is essential when interpreting historical documents accurately.
It is equally important to consider why records were created in the first place and why your ancestors appear in them. As I explain in my More Than Just Names on a Page talk, there is a wealth of valuable historical material that is not available online and is often overlooked by researchers.
20th March 2026 is World Storytelling Day which is a wonderful reminder that family history is about more than names and dates. Whether your ancestor was an agricultural labourer, servant, shopkeeper, soldier or suffragist, each one played a part in the story that leads to you. When we share these stories, we preserve them for future generations.
If you would like help beginning your family tree, breaking through a brick wall, or booking a family history talk for your group or society, please get in touch.
Spring is the season of new beginnings.
Make this the year you discover your story.
