ABC Family History Association is all about making connections!  Our members have some connection with Northern Ireland, whether they live there or their family came from there, no matter how long ago.  We run family history courses to teach people from our area and throughout the world how to find the connections between us and know who our ancestors were, where they came from, what they did and how they lived.  We offer regular talks,  workshops and visits. Members can also take part in projects to use those skills and share results. Each year we publish a book written by our members based on the results of our current project. We love to welcome those from overseas to our area and help them get the most from their trip to their ancestral homeland!

Planting a Tree to Commemorate the Platinum Jubilee

ABCFHA have planted a Sweet Gum Tree on the lawn at Ballinteggart House to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  A commemorative plaque is being prepared and will be placed at the tree. Pictured on the right, beside the tree, are Helen and Philip Troughton, owners of Ballinteggart House, with a framed photograph presented to them by Chairperson, Joy Smith.  The photo is of Philip's Great Grandfather and his 2 brothers, and was given to us by one of our members, Pooler Clements, who it turns out is Philip's 3rd cousin. Pooler's Great Grandfather is one of the brothers in the photograph.

'Our Family Stories' Project - NEW!

We have now launched our second major project, to run between January and the end of June 2022.  Members are invited to write up short stories of any of their ancestors, whether from many generations ago or more recently, and we will publish a book of these stories in the Autumn.  Members can receive guidance by emailing abcfhaprojects@gmail.com and by checking out the information in the Members Only Area.

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Stories can be as short as 400 words or as long as they need to be and if they can be accompanied by a photograph or family tree image, then so much the better!  The ancestors may be from Northern Ireland or indeed anywhere in the world - the important thing is that they are the ancestors of our members and we are preserving these family stories for future generations by publishing them in book form.  We already have tales of a policeman/fireman in Londonderry in the 1800s; a local grocery store in Bangor West from 1930 - 1970; a great story of Wee Billie, an unruly chap from Creeveroe, Armagh 1826-1909; the ups and downs of the Reverend Septimus Tebay in Lancashire in the 1800s .....and much, much more to come!

All orders have now been fulfilled but you can still order this 130 page plus book. 

Details are here.   

Below is a photograph of Donna Fletcher, one of our members, presenting Jackie McIlroy with a hardback copy of the book.  Jackie gave us permission to use the glass plate negatives for our project and we know he is very pleased with the outcome.

Evelyn Gardiner, our Projects and Publications Manager, has written a piece about what we can find in old books to help us in our family research.  She has begun to transcribe the Appendices from Captain Richard Linn's 'History of Banbridge' - Appendix 1 lists the tenants from Ballyvally in the 1700s and there are 16 more Appendices to come.  Maybe one of your ancestors is there?  Members can access this new resource by clicking HERE.  Many thanks to Evelyn for this great new and unique resource!  Update:  Appendix 2 now available!