A Heritage and Fife Family History Fair is being held in Cupar Corn Exchange on Saturday March 19.
Fife Family History Society have booked the upper hall in the Corn Exchange to coincide with the farmer’s market in Crossgate.
Experts will be on hand to help with queries and items will be on sale to assist with family and local history research.
Those taking part in the fair include Fife Folk Museum, Cupar Heritage Museum, On Fife Archives, St Andrews University Library Special Collections, Hidden Heritage, Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland (RAWS), St Andrews Heritage Museum and Garden and Tay Valley Family History Society.
The event is being funded by Fife Family History Society with no cost to the organisations attending. The event is free to the public.
Spike in family history interest
Fife Family History Society chairman Alison Murray, who was recently elected as deputy chairman of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies, explained that in January 2020, Fife Family History Society, Fife Cultural Trust, St Andrews University Library Special Collections, Fife Folk Museum and Cupar Heritage hosted an event to kick off the 150th Anniversary of Cupar’s Duncan Institute.
The event was such a success, organisers felt that a bigger venue should be investigated to accommodate such large numbers for future similar events.
Little did they know at that time they would not be able to plan a similar event for two years due to the pandemic.
She said: “The interest in family history research has been incredible during lockdown.
“We have had a 50% increase in enquiries through our website and our membership is up by 30%.
“Getting back to meeting people at last year’s ‘Cupar Celebration Weekend’ was such a tonic.
“Our volunteers have been working away in the background but to see people face to face was brilliant.
“We hope to get back to doing what we do best in Cupar Library.
“We are gearing up for visitors again and we can’t wait to get back to what we do best.
“Since moving into Cupar Library in 2016 we have engaged with likeminded organisations, and we have built up very good relationships and we have shared our experience and resource”.
Sharing venue
Fife Family History Society will be sharing the venue for the fair on Saturday with Cupar in Bloom.
Further details can be found at the Fife Family History Society website www.fifefhs.org and on social media.
Fife Family History Society’s Heritage and Fife Family History Fair, Cupar Corn Exchange, Upper Hall, Saturday March 19, 9am to 3.30pm.
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