About DFHG
We are a very friendly independent group interested in the study of family, local and social history throughout the Norfolk and Suffolk borders. Some of our members have Norfolk and Suffolk ancestors but many are researching ancestors from all over Britain. Most of our members live in Norfolk or Suffolk but there are those who live as far away as America.
We have run occasional six-week courses on Family History, using a professional tutor, also afternoon workshops on various subjects such as wills, writing and publishing your family history and reading old handwriting. We have also organised outings to historic places. Some reports on talks can be found here.
We provide a twice-monthly illustrated newsletter of at least twenty pages which is emailed to all our members. An example of a newsletter can be found here.
It is always helpful if members of the DFHG or visitors to this site can contribute to its content. If you could help with transcribing any information, have amendments or additions to existing information, or have, or would undertake, any small project, we are always grateful for this.
We are always looking for constructive feedback on the site and would welcome your comments.
As so many different devices are used to access the internet it is impossible to test all possible devices for errors, especially when searching data - if you could do a small piece of testing for us then please make contact.
To make contact use the Contact page.
We now invite a yearly membership subscription with renewal on 1st October each year.
Full membership - Subscription charge £12 per year. ( £18 for two people sharing the same address.)
Friends of DFHG - we also have a subscription charge of £8 per year for those who live too far away or for other reasons are unable to attend our meetings.
For more information please make contact using the Contact page.
The following are scheduled meetings with speaker/subject details. See home page for next meeting details. For more information on any of the meetings please make contact Contact.
20 Aug 2025 - “Bringing the Census up to date” (including 1921 and 1939), Simon Pawley. Venue: doors open at 1.45p.m. and meeting starts at 2p.m. at Diss Bowls Club, Fair Green, Diss, IP22 4BE. Large free car park.
17 Sep 2025 - “Milady Charlotte Atkyns – the Norfolk Pimpernel”, Stephen Poulter. The extraordinary true story of a pretty young girl from Ireland who came to London during the Georgian period and swiftly found fame as an actress. She was subsequently whisked away to become the wife of a wealthy Norfolk Squire, but soon ended up in Paris where she became a confidante of Marie Antoinette. After the French Revolution convulsed France, Charlotte became embroiled in one of the many plots to rescue the French Queen and her son, the Dauphin, from the Guillotine. Venue: doors open at 1.45p.m. and meeting starts at 2p.m. at Diss Bowls Club, Fair Green, Diss, IP22 4BE. Large free car park.
15 Oct 2025 - “Norfolk in the Great War”, Steve Smith. Venue: doors open at 1.45p.m. and meeting starts at 2p.m. at Diss Bowls Club, Fair Green, Diss, IP22 4BE. Large free car park.
19 Nov 2025 - “Little known Treasures in Norfolk Churches”, John Vigar. This lecture looks at details to be found in these churches that might be missed by a casual visitor. Paintings, sculptures, stained glass and other features that might not be seen by the naked eye. Even the most visited church has secrets to discover. John Vigar has visited every medieval church in Norfolk and is on the Advisory Council of the Norfolk Churches Trust. He regularly leads tours for groups across the county and has an image catalogue of its churches running into hundreds of thousands of pictures. Venue: doors open at 1.45p.m. and meeting starts at 2p.m. at Diss Bowls Club, Fair Green, Diss, IP22 4BE. Large free car park.
17 Dec 2025 - TBA
21 Jan 2026 - TBA
18 Feb 2026 - TBA
14 Mar 2026 - “The Victoria Cross”, Mark Smith from Antiques Roadshow. Venue: Lopham Village Hall, 7:30p.m.
18 Mar 2026 - TBA
Past meetings:
16 Jul 2025 - “Pink Witchcraft”, Jenny Jenkins & Nick Woods.
18 Jun 2025 - Summer Special - “That Rings A Bell” (Town Crier), Mike Wabe.
21 May 2025 - “The 1919 Brandon Riots”, Darren Norton.
16 Apr 2025 - “A Family Holiday in the 1960s”, Richard Ashberry and others.
19 Mar 2025 - “Frolic Fervour & Fornication”, items from parish registers revealing a great deal about our ancestors!., Pip Wright
19 Feb 2025 - “Britain with Betjeman”, John Vigar.
15 Jan 2025 - A new murder mystery brought, by Nick Woods.
18 Dec 2024 - “Christmas Meeting - Myths & Mistletoe”..
20 Nov 2024 - “The Golding Family - From Workhouse boy to brigadier in three generations.” Rosemary Steer.
16 Oct 2024 - “Voices From The Workhouse”, Janette Robinson.
5 Oct 2024 - “Little Pat - The Riddlesworth Evacuee Murder”, Janette Robinson.
18 Sep 2024 - “The Hardest Day – 18th August 1940”, Steve Smith.
21 Aug 2024 - “The Teacup Poisoner”, Mike Wabe.
17 Jul 2024 - “Family Search”, Ian Waller.
19 Jun 2024 - “You’ll Make A Lovely Sergeant!”, Janette Robinson.
11 Jun 2024 - “To The Hammer Born”, Stephen Poulter.
21 May 2024 - WORKSHOP, “Everyone Has Roots”, Ian Waller.
15 May 2024 - “Fig Leaves to Feather Boas” - Frances Saltmarsh.
17 Apr 2024 - “A Very Edwardian Murder” - Nick Woods.
20 Mar 2024 - “The History of Hats and Hat Making” - Ian Waller.
16 Mar 2024 - “Saturday Quiz”, Maureen & - Alan Gaynor.
21 Feb 2024 - “History Using Old Newspapers” - Pip Wright.
17 Jan 2024 - “The Golding Family – from Workhouse Boy to Brigadier” - Rosemary Steer.
20 Dec 2023 - “Christmas Meeting”
15 Nov 2023 - “A Canning Town Lad at War” - Robert Rogers
20 Oct 2023 - “Diss Family History Group hosts a Quiz”
18 Oct 2023 - “The Witchfinder General” - Nick Woods
29 Sep 2023 - “An Eccentric Look at East Anglia” - Charlie Haylock
20 Sep 2023 - “Tracing My Huguenot Ancestry” - Jill Wright
16 Aug 2023 - “Gone to Look for America” - Simon Pawley
19 Jul 2023 - “An Ancestor I wish I could have met” - talks by DFHG members.
21 Jun 2023 - “Norwich Shawls in the 19th century” - Joy Evitt
17 May 2023 - “Arsenic’s Toxic Legacy – People, Places, Pests and Peppermints” - Neil Dickinson
19 Apr 2023 - “From Poacher to Pillar of Society”
15 Mar 2023 - “Whistlecraft”. - Pip Wright
11 Mar 2023 - DFHG HISTORY FAIR AT Roydon Village Hall
15 Feb 2023 - “WW1 Spies and spy stories in Norfolk” - Steve Smith
18 Jan 2023 - Talk: “Life in Medieval England” - Mike Wabe
21 Dec 2022 - Christmas Meeting.
16 Nov 2022 - “Mills on a stick” - Andrew Tullett
19 Oct 2022 - “Remembering, Researching and Writing” - Jill Wright
12 Oct 2022 - SPECIAL. Workshop ““A Little Learning” - Tutor: Rosemary Steer
21 Sep 2022 - “Twangs to Bangs (Archery to Fire power)” - Mike Wabe
17 Aug 2022 - “Poor Law & Settlement” - Simon Pawley
20 Jul 2022 - “The Dereham Zepplin Raid” - Steve Smith
15 Jun 2022 - “The Story of Lopham Linen” - Jennie Vere
18 May 2022 - “Terror in the Night – 1953 North Sea Surge” - Michael Holland
20 April 2022 - “Fred Rolfe, King of the Norfolk Poachers” - Charlotte Paton
16 Mar 2022 - Identifying and Dating Victorian Photographs - Tom Doig
16 Feb 2022 - “The Dereham Zepplin Raid” - Steve Smith
19 Jan 2022 - “The Unsavoury Tale of Elijah Snelling from Tivetshall” - Nick Woods
12 Jan 2022 - House Meeting (at Roydon)
15 Dec 2021 - CHRISTMAS MEETING – DFHG Members only
17 Nov 2021 - “HOUSE DETECTIVE – Researching the History of Your Home” - Stephen Poulter
20 Oct 2021 - “THE WIDOW KETT” - Alice Kett
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Page last updated: 1 Oct 2024
© Diss Family History Group & Nigel Peacock 2024