India Societies

Societies and organizations that emphasize genealogy and family history may be able to provide information of value to your genealogical research. Some societies are set up on a county-wide basis; others cover a portion of a county. This section discusses only English societies, but do not overlook societies in the country your ancestors moved to.

Many societies publish helpful journals, transcripts, and compiled genealogies. They may have ongoing projects to transcribe records, create indexes, and so on. Most societies publish queries in their journals and maintain lists of members’ research interests. See the "Periodicals" section of this outline for more information about the journals and newsletters.

You may want to join one of these societies and support its efforts. You can normally find membership fees and the address for a society’s secretary printed in its journal, and the Family History Library also has many journals in its collection. In addition, you may find information about a society on the Internet. Many societies have Web sites that include membership information.

The most useful society in India is the Families In British India Society (FIBIS). This site contains information useful to people researching ancestors in India. It not only contains guides to help you research, but also lists sources, and general background information about the culture, society and history of India during the period from 1600 to 1947. The society can be accessed on the Internet at http://www.fibis.org.