Deal and District Branch, was founded in April 2000. Deal was the seventh branch of Kent FHS, the offspring of Canterbury and Thanet branches when, in the late 1990s, attendance at meetings of Canterbury and Thanet were exceeding those two branches' hall capacities. It was decided a new branch should be set up centred on Deal as research showed that a high proportion of members were coming from that vicinity.
Deal’s inaugural meeting took place on 11th April 2000, in the Landmark Centre, High Street, Deal CT14 6BB. Despite it being a very wet evening a grand total of 90 members and guests attended. The audience enjoyed a “very excellent talk … well illustrated with slides” entitled 'In Search of Ancestry,' which followed speaker Meryl Catty's quest for some of her own ancestors.
Deal & District branch members have always been very active waving the flag for the Society in their community by manning help-desks, researching local mining families, the Mayors of Deal etc. whilst also promoting the Society at local events where their research has been on display.
Now in their 25th year they still meet on the same day, the second Tuesday of most months (not January), in the same venue where their first meeting was held.
Deal's Silver Anniversary celebratory meeting will be held on Tuesday 8th April 2025 - the talk 'Establishing the General Registry Office' will be given by Lady Teviot. Further details ...
