Fascinating 1850s letters written by a County Durham man are to be explored in a hands-on history session.

Following a successful series of family history courses entitled Branching Out, the Durham County Record Office is offering a deeper look into its archive collections.

‘The Graham Letters: from Weardale to New York’ session will uncover the letters of Joseph Graham who emigrated to America from Weardale in 1852.

Liz Bregazzi, county archivist, said: “These letters shed fascinating light on life both in Weardale and in America, with his family quilt also held in Killhope Museum.”

For budding historians, there will be an hour after the talk to browse and use the Record Office’s research facilities with support from an archivist.

The session will be held at Durham County Record Office on Thursday 20 September and will run from 10am to 12 noon and 6pm to 8pm.

Tickets must be booked in advance and are priced at £10 per person.

For more information or to book visit http://www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/ or call 03000 267 626