Find your ancestors in Devon Family History Society

Devon Family History Society

The Devon Family History Society, formed in 1976, now has a membership of approximately 5,000, making it one of the largest family history societies in the UK. The society is a registered charity (no. 282490), a member of the Federation of Family History Societies and of SWAG, the South West Area Group of FHSs, which is a regional group of 12 societies. Contact with other societies encourages mutual interests and reciprocal research.

The Devon Family Historian

Our quarterly journal with articles full of background information about the lives and times of Devon families and other information helping members to keep themselves well informed about developments in family history. Each edition includes a booklet of names being researched by new members. Extracts from editions 1-100 are available online to members.

New members

All new members receive a copy of Searching for Devon Ancestors, an information booklet containing useful details on where to find genealogical and historical records in Devon, plus a publications list and an A3 parish map to help you locate your Devon roots.

Members' area

Members may add up to 50 names of interests on the members' area. Search the names that other Devon FHS members have posted.

•Free access to Devon Strays Index
•Free access to 1851 census Index
•Free access to parish maps to print
•Free access to Devon Family Historian extracts editions 1-100
•Free access to monumental inscriptions
•Free access to Devon coastguards
•Advice on finding marriages in Devon before 1754


Tree House Research Centre

Unit 1, 7-9 King Street, Exeter. Open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 10.30am-4.00pm. Entrance is free to members, visitors pay a small fee. Search our holdings and resources via the Tree House webpage. A research service is also available.

Devon FHS' online shop

At our One Stop Shop, you can join the society or renew your membership, browse and order from our huge range of baptism, marriage and burial booklets, Deanery CDs, historic Devon Facsimile Book CDs and a wide range of other publications.

All of our services may be accessed via our award winning website www.devonfhs.org.uk and enquiries posted on our www board.

Available Records

Explore the Devon Family History Society records available on Findmypast. Devon FHS contributed significantly to the transcriptions that we have linked to original parish register images in our Devon parish register collections.*

*These records are available as part of the Plus and Pro subscriptions.