MORE than 100 history fans were given the opportunity to trace their family tree at the Oxfordshire History Centre.

An open day allowed visitors – including some who were married there when it was St Luke’s Church – to view the many documents, books, newspapers, photos and sound recordings held at the centre.

History centre manager Mark Lawrence said: “We are trying to encourage people that have not been to the history centre before to come and find out about the history of their family, their house or their town or parish.

“We’ve had a fabulous response with a mix of people from across the country.”

The centre ran tours throughout the day on Saturday, exploring themes like schools, world wars, leisure and business, with guided tours providing access to wills and parish registers.

Younger guests were also treated to fun activities such as a “make your own seal” workshop and a treasure trail around the centre.

The centre’s new listening post also played a cross-section of soundbites from the oral archives.

Mr Lawrence added: “We received a total of 154 visitors in all. We ran eight separate tours of the building, all of which were fully subscribed, so that people could look behind the scenes at how we look after the historic records.

“We had a spread of children across the age range who happily went hunting around our displays, looking for treasure trail clues, and they were able to make their own certificates, including using old handwriting scripts and sealing them with a wax seal.

“We did also have several folk come who were married in St Luke’s Church, keen to look at the historic parish registers which recorded those happy events.”

From January, the centre will also be holding an exhibition by historian Liz Woolley, which details the lives of 66 South Oxford men killed during the First World War.

As part of the project Ms Wooley has spoken to the families of 20 of the 66 men and filmed interviews with many of them for a documentary which is due to be premiered in Oxford in May.

One of them was Meatmaster butchers director Matthew Alden, who lives in Abingdon Road.

He trawled through company archives to learn more about his cousin by marriage John Benson, a lance corporal with the 5th Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry who was killed in action in 1915 aged 19, at Ypres.