RESEARCHING your family tree on the Internet is better than watching sex online, according to a leading member of the Oxfordshire Family History Society.

Julie Kennedy, secretary of the society formed in 1976, made the claim as she helped members of the public find their ancestors at a Family History Fair at Exeter Hall in Kidlington.

The organisation has 2,000 members across the world who joined up to trace their roots.

Mum-of-four Mrs Kennedy, from Woodstock, said: “A couple of years ago, genealogy websites were the most popular thing on the Internet apart from pornography and I’m sure that’s still the case because interest in family trees is growing all the time.

“I have been researching my family tree since 1978 and I’m still fascinated – I’m no expert but I think you would tire of porn a lot quicker.

“The BBC programme Who Do You Think You Are? has got lots of people interested and eight of our members have come here to help people with their research.

“My maiden name is Arnett and the furthest back I have been able to take my family connections is 1550.”

Richard Hamer, 76, from Headington, a former English lecturer at Oxford University, who attended Sunday's event, said: “So far I have been able to trace my family tree back to the end of the 18th century.

“You can do a tremendous amount online, and it’s a nice hobby to have when you retire.”

Alec Quarterman, 62, from Bracknell, Berkshire, has been organising the family history fairs since 1994.

He said his organisation now runs about 10 fairs a year across the South East,.

He added: “The Internet has hit our trade a bit because people think they can do all their research online, but that’s not the case and there’s a lot of good material and advice they can get from these fairs.”

Judy Welfare, 59, a human resources officer from High Wycombe, visited the Kidlington fair for the second year running.

She said: “I’m trying to find records about my husband’s grandmother, Beatrice Jean Brooks, who was born in 1888, but so far I haven’t been able to find any information.

“I have been researching my family tree for the past 20 years and the more you do it the more interesting it gets.”

David Fowles, of Cowley-based printers Parchment, said: “Hundreds of people come to these fairs and some of them want to self-publish their family histories.”

  • For further information about the society visit oxfordshirefhs.org.uk