RESIDENTS of Wyre Forest with the surname Preen are being urged to get in touch with the Preen Family History Study Group.

The group is holding its 26th annual meeting on Saturday, June 14, at Astley and Dunley Village Hall, as it looks for members who are interested in finding information about their ancestors.

Organisers say the meeting will be a good opportunity for all Preens, as well as their friends and family, to attend and chat about their own family history and the Preen family.

Sue Laflin, archivist and group leader, said: “We are always seeking to welcome people who have the surname Preen or who are descended from a Preen.

“There are a lot of people in the Worcestershire area, particularly Stourport, who we would love to meet.”

The earliest findings of the Preen family were in parish records of Shropshire in the mid-16th century, where Mrs Laflin believes the name was taken from the manor of Prene.

The name also appeared in the earliest records of the nearby parishes of Hope Bowdler and Bridgnorth.

Recently an analysis was carried out which showed Preens belong to three main families, from Cardington and Hope Bowdler, Bridgnorth, and Kings Stanley.

The meeting starts at 10am. Mrs Laflin will be giving a brief talk about the history of the family. She will also be available after the meeting to talk to visitors about their own family history.

Visitors to the meeting can visit the nearby St Peter’s Church in Astley, where a monument to Joseph Preen, a descendant of the Bridgnorth Preens, can be seen.