We have put together a shiny list of eBooks that you can consult from the comfort of your phone.
For more indepth family history resources, please contact the local record office. You may also use free BDM records, or other other online sources.
The link to the digital copy can be found below the description and most of these can be found in our book catalogue or in branches.
This post is part of a series for National Non Fiction November
Birth, Marriage and Death Records
A Guide for Family Historians
by David Annal
Audrey Collins, 2012.
Birth, marriage and death records are an essential resource for family historians, and this handbook is an authoritative introduction to them. It explains the original motives for registering these milestones in individual lives, describes how these record-keeping systems evolved, and shows how they can be explored and interpreted. Authors David Annal and Audrey Collins guide researchers through the difficulties they may encounter in understanding the documentation. They recount the history of parish registers from their origin in Tudor times, they look at how civil registration was organized in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and explain how the system in England and Wales differs from those in Scotland and Ireland. The record-keeping practiced by nonconformist and foreign churches, in communities overseas and in the military is also explained, as are the systems of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Other useful sources of evidence for births, marriages and deaths are explored and, of course, the authors assess the online sites that researchers can turn to for help in this crucial area of family history research.
A Guide for Family Historians
by David Annal
Audrey Collins, 2012.
Birth, marriage and death records are an essential resource for family historians, and this handbook is an authoritative introduction to them. It explains the original motives for registering these milestones in individual lives, describes how these record-keeping systems evolved, and shows how they can be explored and interpreted. Authors David Annal and Audrey Collins guide researchers through the difficulties they may encounter in understanding the documentation. They recount the history of parish registers from their origin in Tudor times, they look at how civil registration was organized in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and explain how the system in England and Wales differs from those in Scotland and Ireland. The record-keeping practiced by nonconformist and foreign churches, in communities overseas and in the military is also explained, as are the systems of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Other useful sources of evidence for births, marriages and deaths are explored and, of course, the authors assess the online sites that researchers can turn to for help in this crucial area of family history research.
Easy Family History
The Beginner's Guide to Starting Your Research
by David Annal
Easy Family History takes the stress out of family history research. It guides readers through the most important information sources for family historians in the UK including family documents, official records, archives and websites. From what to expect on a birth cert to how to use newspaper archives each chapter focuses on an area of research and takes you through the basics. This book focuses on UK records and archives.
Fully updated, this new edition includes information on recently released archives such as the 1911 Census and recently digitised military records and archives that are now online. This book features screenshots of useful websites and images of sample archival documents throughout. Author David Annal draws on his expertise and experience as a professional family history researcher to help budding family historians to get started and keep their findings in order and in perspective.
The Beginner's Guide to Starting Your Research
by David Annal
Easy Family History takes the stress out of family history research. It guides readers through the most important information sources for family historians in the UK including family documents, official records, archives and websites. From what to expect on a birth cert to how to use newspaper archives each chapter focuses on an area of research and takes you through the basics. This book focuses on UK records and archives.
Fully updated, this new edition includes information on recently released archives such as the 1911 Census and recently digitised military records and archives that are now online. This book features screenshots of useful websites and images of sample archival documents throughout. Author David Annal draws on his expertise and experience as a professional family history researcher to help budding family historians to get started and keep their findings in order and in perspective.
Researching Your Family History Online For Dummies
by Nick Barratt
Sarah Newbery, 2011.
Navigate your way through your family's past
Interested in family history? Keen to discover who your ancestors really were? Want to find out more from the comfort of your own home? If so, this book is for you. Walking you through the process of researching, organising and presenting your family tree online, this expert guide makes it simple. So what are you waiting for? Get plugged in and start tracking down your ancestors today!
• Lay the groundwork - take the first steps on your genealogical journey and start searching for evidence
• Find out about your ancestors - discover who your predecessors were and where they came from
• Get to grips with research tools - find the best online and offline archives and dig deeper into your family's past
• Present your results effectively - compile your findings into a family tree and create a place to host your material online
Open the book and find:
• What clues you can get from photos, letters, diaries and your relatives
• The best genealogy websites in the UK and around the world
• How to get the most out of archives and documents
• Techniques for creating family history charts on your computer
• The advantages of coordinating your hunt with other researchers
• Ways to share research online
• Tips and tricks for building a family history web page
Learn to:
• Get the most out of genealogy websites and resources
• Store and organise information on your computer
• Create your family tree and host it online
by Nick Barratt
Sarah Newbery, 2011.
Navigate your way through your family's past
Interested in family history? Keen to discover who your ancestors really were? Want to find out more from the comfort of your own home? If so, this book is for you. Walking you through the process of researching, organising and presenting your family tree online, this expert guide makes it simple. So what are you waiting for? Get plugged in and start tracking down your ancestors today!
• Lay the groundwork - take the first steps on your genealogical journey and start searching for evidence
• Find out about your ancestors - discover who your predecessors were and where they came from
• Get to grips with research tools - find the best online and offline archives and dig deeper into your family's past
• Present your results effectively - compile your findings into a family tree and create a place to host your material online
Open the book and find:
• What clues you can get from photos, letters, diaries and your relatives
• The best genealogy websites in the UK and around the world
• How to get the most out of archives and documents
• Techniques for creating family history charts on your computer
• The advantages of coordinating your hunt with other researchers
• Ways to share research online
• Tips and tricks for building a family history web page
Learn to:
• Get the most out of genealogy websites and resources
• Store and organise information on your computer
• Create your family tree and host it online
The Oxford Companion to Family and Local History (2 ed.)
Edited by David Hey
The Oxford Companion to Family and Local History is the most comprehensive and authoritative guide available to all things associated with the family and local history of the British Isles. It provides practical and contextual information for anyone enquiring into their English, Irish, Scottish, or Welsh origins and for anyone working in genealogical research, or the social history of the British Isles. This fully revised and updated edition contains over 2,000 entries from adoption to World War records. Recommended web links for many entries are updated via the Family and Local History companion web site. This edition advises how to research your family tree using the internet and details the full range of online resources available. Newly structured for ease of use, thematic articles are followed by the A-Z dictionary and detailed appendices, which include further reading. New articles for this edition are: 'A Guide for Beginners', 'Links between British and American Families', 'Black and Asian Family History', and an extended feature on 'Names'. With handy research tips, a full background to the social history of communities and individuals, and a special updated appendix listing all national and local record offices with their contact details, this is an essential reference work for anyone looking for guidance on the availability of records and advice on how to approach genealogical research, as well as a fascinating read for anyone interested in the past.
Edited by David Hey
The Oxford Companion to Family and Local History is the most comprehensive and authoritative guide available to all things associated with the family and local history of the British Isles. It provides practical and contextual information for anyone enquiring into their English, Irish, Scottish, or Welsh origins and for anyone working in genealogical research, or the social history of the British Isles. This fully revised and updated edition contains over 2,000 entries from adoption to World War records. Recommended web links for many entries are updated via the Family and Local History companion web site. This edition advises how to research your family tree using the internet and details the full range of online resources available. Newly structured for ease of use, thematic articles are followed by the A-Z dictionary and detailed appendices, which include further reading. New articles for this edition are: 'A Guide for Beginners', 'Links between British and American Families', 'Black and Asian Family History', and an extended feature on 'Names'. With handy research tips, a full background to the social history of communities and individuals, and a special updated appendix listing all national and local record offices with their contact details, this is an essential reference work for anyone looking for guidance on the availability of records and advice on how to approach genealogical research, as well as a fascinating read for anyone interested in the past.
Access
Oxford Reference
Oxford Reference
The Oxford Dictionary of Local and Family History
Edited by David Hey
With the increasing interest in family history, this portable and authoritative dictionary provides both amateur and professional local history and family historians with quick answers to questions of terminology that may arise in the course of research. For instance:;
Over 1,500 clear and concise entries cover:;
Edited by David Hey
With the increasing interest in family history, this portable and authoritative dictionary provides both amateur and professional local history and family historians with quick answers to questions of terminology that may arise in the course of research. For instance:;
- what does boon work mean?
- what is pontage?
- who were the Premonstratensians?
- what is outfangtheof, escheat, and berewick?
- who were the Inghamites?
- what are Quo Warranto enquiries?
- who lived in a prodigy house?
- how could you be half-baptized?
- what would you find in the Register of Sasines?
Over 1,500 clear and concise entries cover:;
- legal and other specialist terms, from amercement to yardland
- types of documentation
- sources of information
- social and religious groups
- institutions and organizations
- historical and political events
- official functions and occupations
- authors and scholars;
Copies
Oxford Reference
Oxford Reference
Tracing Your Ancestors from 1066 to 1837
by Jonathan Oates, 2012.
This title helps any reader to trace their family tree from the Norman Conquest and the Domesday Book to the reign of Queen Victoria.
by Jonathan Oates, 2012.
This title helps any reader to trace their family tree from the Norman Conquest and the Domesday Book to the reign of Queen Victoria.
Tracing Your Ancestors' Lives
A Guide to Social History for Family Historians
by Barbara J Starmans, 2017.
Tracing Your Ancestors' Lives is not a comprehensive study of social history but instead an exploration of the various aspects of social history of particular interest to the family historian. It has been written to help researchers to go beyond the names, dates and places in their pedigree back to the time when their ancestors lived. Through the research advice, resources and case studies in the book, researchers can learn about their ancestors, their families and the society they lived in and record their stories for generations to come. Each chapter highlights an important general area of study. Topics covered include the family and society; domestic life; birth life and death; work, wages and economy; community, religion and government. Barbara J. Starmans's handbook encourages family historians to immerse themselves more deeply in their ancestors' time and place. Her work will give researchers a fascinating insight into what their ancestors' lives were like.
A Guide to Social History for Family Historians
by Barbara J Starmans, 2017.
Tracing Your Ancestors' Lives is not a comprehensive study of social history but instead an exploration of the various aspects of social history of particular interest to the family historian. It has been written to help researchers to go beyond the names, dates and places in their pedigree back to the time when their ancestors lived. Through the research advice, resources and case studies in the book, researchers can learn about their ancestors, their families and the society they lived in and record their stories for generations to come. Each chapter highlights an important general area of study. Topics covered include the family and society; domestic life; birth life and death; work, wages and economy; community, religion and government. Barbara J. Starmans's handbook encourages family historians to immerse themselves more deeply in their ancestors' time and place. Her work will give researchers a fascinating insight into what their ancestors' lives were like.
Tracing Your Ancestors' Parish Records
A Guide for Family and Local Historians
by Stuart A Raymond, 2015.
Parish records are essential sources for family and local historians, and Stuart Raymond's handbook is an invaluable guide to them. He explores and explains the fascinating and varied historical and personal information they contain. His is the first thoroughgoing survey of these resources to be published for over three decades. **In a concise, easy-to-follow text he describes where these important records can be found and demonstrates how they can be used. Records relating to the poor laws, apprentices, the church, tithes, enclosures and charities are all covered. The emphasis throughout is on understanding their original purpose and on revealing how relevant they are for researchers today. **Compelling insights into individual lives and communities in the past can be gleaned from them, and they are especially useful when they are combined with other major sources, such as the census.**Your Ancestors' Parish Records is an excellent introduction to this key area of family and local history research - it is a book that all family and local historians should have on their shelf.
A Guide for Family and Local Historians
by Stuart A Raymond, 2015.
Parish records are essential sources for family and local historians, and Stuart Raymond's handbook is an invaluable guide to them. He explores and explains the fascinating and varied historical and personal information they contain. His is the first thoroughgoing survey of these resources to be published for over three decades. **In a concise, easy-to-follow text he describes where these important records can be found and demonstrates how they can be used. Records relating to the poor laws, apprentices, the church, tithes, enclosures and charities are all covered. The emphasis throughout is on understanding their original purpose and on revealing how relevant they are for researchers today. **Compelling insights into individual lives and communities in the past can be gleaned from them, and they are especially useful when they are combined with other major sources, such as the census.**Your Ancestors' Parish Records is an excellent introduction to this key area of family and local history research - it is a book that all family and local historians should have on their shelf.
Tracing Your Ancestors through Death Records
A Guide for Family Historians
by Celia Heritage, 2013.
Of all family history sources, death records are probably the least used by researchers. They are, however, frequently the most revealing of records, giving a far greater insight into our ancestors' lives and personalities than those records created during their lifetime. Celia Heritage leads readers through the various types of death records, showing how they can be found, read and interpreted - and how to glean as much information as possible from them. In many cases, they can be used as a starting point for developing your family history research into other equally rewarding areas. This highly readable handbook is packed with useful information and helpful research advice. In addition, a thought-provoking final chapter looks into the repercussions of death - its effects on the surviving members of the family and the fact that a premature death could sometimes affect the family for generations to come.
A Guide for Family Historians
by Celia Heritage, 2013.
Of all family history sources, death records are probably the least used by researchers. They are, however, frequently the most revealing of records, giving a far greater insight into our ancestors' lives and personalities than those records created during their lifetime. Celia Heritage leads readers through the various types of death records, showing how they can be found, read and interpreted - and how to glean as much information as possible from them. In many cases, they can be used as a starting point for developing your family history research into other equally rewarding areas. This highly readable handbook is packed with useful information and helpful research advice. In addition, a thought-provoking final chapter looks into the repercussions of death - its effects on the surviving members of the family and the fact that a premature death could sometimes affect the family for generations to come.
Tracing Your Ancestors Through Family Photographs
A Complete Guide for Family and Local Historians
by Jayne Shrimpton, 2014.
Jayne Shrimpton's complete guide to dating, analysing and understanding family photographs is essential reading and reference for anyone undertaking genealogical and local history research. Using over 150 old photographs as examples, she shows how such images can give a direct insight into the past and into the lives of the individuals who are portrayed in them. **Almost every family and local historian works with photographs, but often the fascinating historical and personal information that can be gained from them is not fully understood. They are one of the most vivid and memorable ways into the past.**This concise but comprehensive guide describes the various types of photograph and explains how they can be dated. It analyses what the clothes and style of dress can tell us about the people in the photographs, their circumstances and background.**Sections look at photographs of special occasions - baptisms, weddings, funerals - and at photographs taken in wartime, on holiday and at work. There is advice on how to identify the individuals shown and how to find more family photographs through personal connections, archives and the internet - and how to preserve them for future generations.
A Complete Guide for Family and Local Historians
by Jayne Shrimpton, 2014.
Jayne Shrimpton's complete guide to dating, analysing and understanding family photographs is essential reading and reference for anyone undertaking genealogical and local history research. Using over 150 old photographs as examples, she shows how such images can give a direct insight into the past and into the lives of the individuals who are portrayed in them. **Almost every family and local historian works with photographs, but often the fascinating historical and personal information that can be gained from them is not fully understood. They are one of the most vivid and memorable ways into the past.**This concise but comprehensive guide describes the various types of photograph and explains how they can be dated. It analyses what the clothes and style of dress can tell us about the people in the photographs, their circumstances and background.**Sections look at photographs of special occasions - baptisms, weddings, funerals - and at photographs taken in wartime, on holiday and at work. There is advice on how to identify the individuals shown and how to find more family photographs through personal connections, archives and the internet - and how to preserve them for future generations.
Tracing Your Ancestors Through Local History Records
A Guide for Family Historians
by Jonathan Oates, 2016.
Family history should reveal more than facts and dates, lists of names and places - it should bring ancestors alive in the context of their times and the surroundings they knew - and research into local history records is one of the most rewarding ways of gaining this kind of insight into their world. That is why Jonathan Oates's detailed introduction to these records is such a useful tool for anyone who is trying to piece together a portrait of family members from the past. In a series of concise and informative chapters he looks at the origins and importance of local history from the sixteenth century onwards and at the principal archives - national and local, those kept by government, councils, boroughs, museums, parishes, schools and clubs. He also explains how books, photographs and other illustrations, newspapers, maps, directories, and a range of other resources can be accessed and interpreted and how they can help to fill a gap in your knowledge. As well as describing how these records were compiled, he highlights their limitations and the possible pitfalls of using them, and he suggests how they can be combined to build up a picture of an individual, a family and the place and time in which they lived.
A Guide for Family Historians
by Jonathan Oates, 2016.
Family history should reveal more than facts and dates, lists of names and places - it should bring ancestors alive in the context of their times and the surroundings they knew - and research into local history records is one of the most rewarding ways of gaining this kind of insight into their world. That is why Jonathan Oates's detailed introduction to these records is such a useful tool for anyone who is trying to piece together a portrait of family members from the past. In a series of concise and informative chapters he looks at the origins and importance of local history from the sixteenth century onwards and at the principal archives - national and local, those kept by government, councils, boroughs, museums, parishes, schools and clubs. He also explains how books, photographs and other illustrations, newspapers, maps, directories, and a range of other resources can be accessed and interpreted and how they can help to fill a gap in your knowledge. As well as describing how these records were compiled, he highlights their limitations and the possible pitfalls of using them, and he suggests how they can be combined to build up a picture of an individual, a family and the place and time in which they lived.
Tracing Your Ancestors Using the Census
A Guide for Family Historians
by Emma Jolly, 2013.
The Pen & Sword guide to the census is detailed, accessible and authoritative, and it is one of the most comprehensive on the market. It has been written with the family historian in mind, and it is packed with advice on how to explore and get the most from the census records. As well as describing the modern censuses, it provides information on the less-known censuses dating from before 1841, and it covers the records of all the constituent parts of the British Isles. It is an essential introduction and tool for anyone who is researching the life and times of an ancestor. Emma Jolly describes how and why census records came to be created, then looks in detail at how to search the main censuses from 1841 to 1911. Each chapter covers the relevant historical context, compares online and other sources, identifies problems like lost or damaged records, and shows how the specific information in the census concerned can be interpreted effectively. While the censuses of England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are all examined, the main focus is on the English and Welsh census, with differences noted for other areas. An extensive appendix and bibliography, which, for ease of access, gathers together all the key resources in one place, is also provided.
A Guide for Family Historians
by Emma Jolly, 2013.
The Pen & Sword guide to the census is detailed, accessible and authoritative, and it is one of the most comprehensive on the market. It has been written with the family historian in mind, and it is packed with advice on how to explore and get the most from the census records. As well as describing the modern censuses, it provides information on the less-known censuses dating from before 1841, and it covers the records of all the constituent parts of the British Isles. It is an essential introduction and tool for anyone who is researching the life and times of an ancestor. Emma Jolly describes how and why census records came to be created, then looks in detail at how to search the main censuses from 1841 to 1911. Each chapter covers the relevant historical context, compares online and other sources, identifies problems like lost or damaged records, and shows how the specific information in the census concerned can be interpreted effectively. While the censuses of England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are all examined, the main focus is on the English and Welsh census, with differences noted for other areas. An extensive appendix and bibliography, which, for ease of access, gathers together all the key resources in one place, is also provided.
Tracing Your British Indian Ancestors
by Emma Jolly, 2012.
A fascinating insight into the history of the subcontinent under British rule and the lives the British led there. This title also introduces the range of historical records that can be consulted in order to throw light on the experience of individuals who were connected to India over the centuries of British involvement.
by Emma Jolly, 2012.
A fascinating insight into the history of the subcontinent under British rule and the lives the British led there. This title also introduces the range of historical records that can be consulted in order to throw light on the experience of individuals who were connected to India over the centuries of British involvement.
Tracing Your Caribbean Ancestors
A National Archives Guide
by Guy Grannum, 2013.
This book is ideal for anyone who reaserching their Caribbean family history The National Archives and beyond. The National Archives holds records for many people who lived in British West Indian colonies such as emigrants, plantation owners, slaves, soldiers, sailors and transported criminals. The Archives also hold the colonial office records for the British West Indies. This includes state correspondence to and from the colonies and passenger lists. Tracing Your Caribbean Ancestors also shows readers how to use family history sources and genealogy websites and indexes beyond The National Archives.
Fully updated and revised, this new edition covers recent developments in Caribbean archives, including details of newly released information and archives that are now available online. This book outlines the primary research sources for those tracing their Caribbean ancestry and describes details of access to archives, further reading, useful websites and how to find and accurately search family history sources.
As Britain does not hold locally created records of its dependencies such as church records, this book doubles as a gateway to the local history sources throughout the Caribbean that remain in each country's archives and register office. This book will be of use to anyone researching family history in British Caribbean countries of Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands as well as Guyana, Belize and Bermuda.
A National Archives Guide
by Guy Grannum, 2013.
This book is ideal for anyone who reaserching their Caribbean family history The National Archives and beyond. The National Archives holds records for many people who lived in British West Indian colonies such as emigrants, plantation owners, slaves, soldiers, sailors and transported criminals. The Archives also hold the colonial office records for the British West Indies. This includes state correspondence to and from the colonies and passenger lists. Tracing Your Caribbean Ancestors also shows readers how to use family history sources and genealogy websites and indexes beyond The National Archives.
Fully updated and revised, this new edition covers recent developments in Caribbean archives, including details of newly released information and archives that are now available online. This book outlines the primary research sources for those tracing their Caribbean ancestry and describes details of access to archives, further reading, useful websites and how to find and accurately search family history sources.
As Britain does not hold locally created records of its dependencies such as church records, this book doubles as a gateway to the local history sources throughout the Caribbean that remain in each country's archives and register office. This book will be of use to anyone researching family history in British Caribbean countries of Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands as well as Guyana, Belize and Bermuda.
Tracing Your Criminal Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
by Stephen Wade, 2012.
Did you have a criminal in the family, an ancestor who was caught on the wrong side of the law? If you have ever had any suspicions about the illicit activities of your relatives, or are fascinated by the history of crime and punishment, this is the book for you.
A Guide for Family Historians
by Stephen Wade, 2012.
Did you have a criminal in the family, an ancestor who was caught on the wrong side of the law? If you have ever had any suspicions about the illicit activities of your relatives, or are fascinated by the history of crime and punishment, this is the book for you.
Tracing your Family History on the Internet
A Guide for Family Historians-
by Chris Paton, 2014.
This fully revised second edition of Chris Paton's best-selling guide is essential reading if you want to make effective use of the internet in your family history research. Every day new records and resources are placed online and new methods of sharing research and communicating across cyberspace become available, and his handbook is the perfect introduction to them. He has checked and updated all the links and other sources, added new ones, written a new introduction and substantially expanded the social networking section. **Never before has it been so easy to research family history using the internet, but he demonstrates that researchers need to take a cautious approach to the information they gain from it.
They need to ask, where did the original material come from and has it been accurately reproduced, why was it put online, what has been left out and what is still to come? As he leads the researcher through the multitude of resources that are now accessible online, he helps to answer these questions. He shows what the internet can and cannot do, and he warns against the various traps researchers can fall into along the way.**As seen in Your Family Tree Magazine.
A Guide for Family Historians-
by Chris Paton, 2014.
This fully revised second edition of Chris Paton's best-selling guide is essential reading if you want to make effective use of the internet in your family history research. Every day new records and resources are placed online and new methods of sharing research and communicating across cyberspace become available, and his handbook is the perfect introduction to them. He has checked and updated all the links and other sources, added new ones, written a new introduction and substantially expanded the social networking section. **Never before has it been so easy to research family history using the internet, but he demonstrates that researchers need to take a cautious approach to the information they gain from it.
They need to ask, where did the original material come from and has it been accurately reproduced, why was it put online, what has been left out and what is still to come? As he leads the researcher through the multitude of resources that are now accessible online, he helps to answer these questions. He shows what the internet can and cannot do, and he warns against the various traps researchers can fall into along the way.**As seen in Your Family Tree Magazine.
Tracing Your First World War Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
by Simon Fowler, 2013.
As the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War approaches, there is a huge surge of interest in the men and women who took part in it. This book is a timely guide if you are researching the soldiers, sailors or airmen. It is an accessible, up-to-date and expert introduction to get you on your way and to answer those questions that might crop up during your researches. In a straightforward, easy-to-follow style it introduces readers to the multitude of sources they can use to explore the history of the war for themselves.
Anyone who is eager to piece together the wartime career and likely experiences of an ancestor who was involved in any aspect the conflict, at home or overseas, will find his book to be an indispensable source of information and advice. In a series of short, instructive chapters Simon Fowler takes the reader through the process of researching ancestors who served in the armed forces, providing short cuts and background information as required.
A Guide for Family Historians
by Simon Fowler, 2013.
As the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War approaches, there is a huge surge of interest in the men and women who took part in it. This book is a timely guide if you are researching the soldiers, sailors or airmen. It is an accessible, up-to-date and expert introduction to get you on your way and to answer those questions that might crop up during your researches. In a straightforward, easy-to-follow style it introduces readers to the multitude of sources they can use to explore the history of the war for themselves.
Anyone who is eager to piece together the wartime career and likely experiences of an ancestor who was involved in any aspect the conflict, at home or overseas, will find his book to be an indispensable source of information and advice. In a series of short, instructive chapters Simon Fowler takes the reader through the process of researching ancestors who served in the armed forces, providing short cuts and background information as required.
Tracing Your House History
A Guide For Family Historians
by Gill Blanchard, 2013.
Anyone who wants to find out about the history of their house needs to read this compact, practical handbook. Whether you live in a manor house or on a planned estate, in a labourer's cottage, a tied house, a Victorian terrace, a 20th-century council house or a converted warehouse - this is the book for you. In a series of concise, information-filled chapters, Gill Blanchard shows you how to trace the history of your house or flat, how to gain an insight into the lives of the people who lived in it before you, and how to fit it into the wider history of your neighbourhood.
A Guide For Family Historians
by Gill Blanchard, 2013.
Anyone who wants to find out about the history of their house needs to read this compact, practical handbook. Whether you live in a manor house or on a planned estate, in a labourer's cottage, a tied house, a Victorian terrace, a 20th-century council house or a converted warehouse - this is the book for you. In a series of concise, information-filled chapters, Gill Blanchard shows you how to trace the history of your house or flat, how to gain an insight into the lives of the people who lived in it before you, and how to fit it into the wider history of your neighbourhood.
Tracing Your Kent Ancestors
A Guide for Family and Local Historians
by David Wright, 2016.
Genealogically and historically, Kent is an important maritime county which has played a prime defensive role in English history. It is large and diverse and replete with great houses, castles and other family homes, many with their own archives. It is also a fascinating area of research for family and local historians, and David Wright's handbook is the perfect guide to it. For thirty-five years he has been working with the various Kent archives, and his extensive experience means he is uniquely well placed to introduce them to other researchers and show how they can be used.
He summarizes the many different classes of Kent records, both national and local. For the first time he draws together the best of modern indexing and cataloguing along with other long-established sources to produce a balanced and up-to-date overview of Kentish genealogical sources - where to find them, their contents and utility to researchers. Tracing Your Kent Ancestors is essential reading and reference for newcomers to family history, and it will be a mine of practical information for researchers who have already started to work in the field.
A Guide for Family and Local Historians
by David Wright, 2016.
Genealogically and historically, Kent is an important maritime county which has played a prime defensive role in English history. It is large and diverse and replete with great houses, castles and other family homes, many with their own archives. It is also a fascinating area of research for family and local historians, and David Wright's handbook is the perfect guide to it. For thirty-five years he has been working with the various Kent archives, and his extensive experience means he is uniquely well placed to introduce them to other researchers and show how they can be used.
He summarizes the many different classes of Kent records, both national and local. For the first time he draws together the best of modern indexing and cataloguing along with other long-established sources to produce a balanced and up-to-date overview of Kentish genealogical sources - where to find them, their contents and utility to researchers. Tracing Your Kent Ancestors is essential reading and reference for newcomers to family history, and it will be a mine of practical information for researchers who have already started to work in the field.
Tracing Your London Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
by Jonathan Oates, 2012.
London is a key site for family historians. Many researchers, seeking to trace their ancestry back through the generations, will find their trail leads to London or through it. Yet, despite the burgeoning interest in genealogy and the importance of London in so many life stories, few previous books have explored the city's history or provided guidance on the research resources family historians can use to discover the life of a London ancestor.
This is the purpose of Jonathan Oates's invaluable handbook.
In a series of short, information-packed chapters he describes the principal record offices, archives, libraries and other sources researchers can go to, and shows how Londoners can be tracked through censuses, registers and directories over the last 500 years. Then he explores key aspects of London's history from a family historian's point of view. Crime, religion and education - and the body of evidence associated with them - are covered, as is the historical trail left by taxation, health, welfare, work and business. He looks also at the military and wartime records available in the city, and at the records of immigrant communities who have had such a notable impact on the development of the capital.
Each section introduces the reader to the relevant sources, indicates where they can be found, and offers essential advice on how this information can be used to piece together the lives of distant and not-so-distant relatives.
A Guide for Family Historians
by Jonathan Oates, 2012.
London is a key site for family historians. Many researchers, seeking to trace their ancestry back through the generations, will find their trail leads to London or through it. Yet, despite the burgeoning interest in genealogy and the importance of London in so many life stories, few previous books have explored the city's history or provided guidance on the research resources family historians can use to discover the life of a London ancestor.
This is the purpose of Jonathan Oates's invaluable handbook.
In a series of short, information-packed chapters he describes the principal record offices, archives, libraries and other sources researchers can go to, and shows how Londoners can be tracked through censuses, registers and directories over the last 500 years. Then he explores key aspects of London's history from a family historian's point of view. Crime, religion and education - and the body of evidence associated with them - are covered, as is the historical trail left by taxation, health, welfare, work and business. He looks also at the military and wartime records available in the city, and at the records of immigrant communities who have had such a notable impact on the development of the capital.
Each section introduces the reader to the relevant sources, indicates where they can be found, and offers essential advice on how this information can be used to piece together the lives of distant and not-so-distant relatives.
Tracing Your Rural Ancestors
A Guide For Family Historians
by Jonathan Brown
Many family historians will come across direct links to ancestors who lived and worked in the countryside as farmers, laborers, landowners, village tradesmen and professionals – for most of us have rural ancestors. Yet despite the burgeoning interest in genealogy, these people have rarely been written about with the family historian in mind. No previous book has provided a guide to the documents and records, from medieval times to the twentieth century, that researchers can use to find out about their rural ancestors and the world in which they lived. That is why this accessible and informative introduction by rural historian Jonathan Brown is so important.
He describes the make-up of country and village society - the farmers, large and small, the farm-workers, the landowners and estate-owners, and the local business people, the tradesmen and merchants. At the same time he identifies and discusses the relevant national and local records, indicates where they can be found, and offers essential advice on how this information can be used to piece together the lives of distant and not so distant relatives.
Tracing Your Rural Ancestors is essential reading for anyone who is looking for an insight into the history of rural life, work and society.
A Guide For Family Historians
by Jonathan Brown
Many family historians will come across direct links to ancestors who lived and worked in the countryside as farmers, laborers, landowners, village tradesmen and professionals – for most of us have rural ancestors. Yet despite the burgeoning interest in genealogy, these people have rarely been written about with the family historian in mind. No previous book has provided a guide to the documents and records, from medieval times to the twentieth century, that researchers can use to find out about their rural ancestors and the world in which they lived. That is why this accessible and informative introduction by rural historian Jonathan Brown is so important.
He describes the make-up of country and village society - the farmers, large and small, the farm-workers, the landowners and estate-owners, and the local business people, the tradesmen and merchants. At the same time he identifies and discusses the relevant national and local records, indicates where they can be found, and offers essential advice on how this information can be used to piece together the lives of distant and not so distant relatives.
Tracing Your Rural Ancestors is essential reading for anyone who is looking for an insight into the history of rural life, work and society.
Tracing Your Second World War Ancestors
by Phil Tomaselli, 2011.
The Second World War was the defining conflict of the twentieth century and it is one of the most popular and fascinating areas for historical research - and for family historians. More records than ever are available to researchers whose relatives served during the war. And this new book by Phil Tomaselli is the perfect guide to how to locate and understand these sources - and get the most out of them. He explains how, and from where, service records can be obtained, using real examples showing what they look like and how to interpret them.
He also examines records of the military units relatives might have served in so their careers can be followed in graphic detail. The three armed services are covered, along with the merchant navy, the Home Guard, civilian services, prisoners of war, gallantry and campaign medals, casualties, women's services and obscure wartime organizations. Also included are a glossary of service acronyms, information on useful websites, an introduction to the National Archives and details of other useful sources.
by Phil Tomaselli, 2011.
The Second World War was the defining conflict of the twentieth century and it is one of the most popular and fascinating areas for historical research - and for family historians. More records than ever are available to researchers whose relatives served during the war. And this new book by Phil Tomaselli is the perfect guide to how to locate and understand these sources - and get the most out of them. He explains how, and from where, service records can be obtained, using real examples showing what they look like and how to interpret them.
He also examines records of the military units relatives might have served in so their careers can be followed in graphic detail. The three armed services are covered, along with the merchant navy, the Home Guard, civilian services, prisoners of war, gallantry and campaign medals, casualties, women's services and obscure wartime organizations. Also included are a glossary of service acronyms, information on useful websites, an introduction to the National Archives and details of other useful sources.
Tracing Your Service Women Ancestors
by Mary Ingham, 2012.
Whether you are interested in the career of an individual service woman or just want to know more about the part played by service women in a particular war or campaign, this is the book for you. Assuming that the reader has no prior knowledge of service women, Mary Ingham explains which records survive, where they can be found and how they can help in your research.
She also vividly describes the role of women with the armed services from the Crimean War of the 1850s to the aftermath of the First World War and offers an insight into what the records can tell you about the career of an ancestor who served at home or abroad. From the army schoolmistresses to the Women's Land Army, her account outlines the history of each service, describes uniforms and gives examples of daily life and likely experiences. This is the book you need if you want to follow up those clues in your family's history – stories heard from older relatives, pictures in family photograph albums.
by Mary Ingham, 2012.
Whether you are interested in the career of an individual service woman or just want to know more about the part played by service women in a particular war or campaign, this is the book for you. Assuming that the reader has no prior knowledge of service women, Mary Ingham explains which records survive, where they can be found and how they can help in your research.
She also vividly describes the role of women with the armed services from the Crimean War of the 1850s to the aftermath of the First World War and offers an insight into what the records can tell you about the career of an ancestor who served at home or abroad. From the army schoolmistresses to the Women's Land Army, her account outlines the history of each service, describes uniforms and gives examples of daily life and likely experiences. This is the book you need if you want to follow up those clues in your family's history – stories heard from older relatives, pictures in family photograph albums.
Unearthing Family Tree Mysteries
by Ruth A Symes, 2016.
The intriguing characters in these real family history mysteries include an agricultural labourer who left secrets behind in Somerset when he migrated to Manchester, a working-class woman who bafflingly lost ten of her fourteen children in infancy, a miner who purportedly went to 'live with the Red Indians' and a merchant prince of the Empire who was rumoured to have two wives.
This book shows how a variety of sources including birth, marriage and death certificates, censuses, newspaper reports, passports, recipe books, trade directories, diaries and passenger lists were all used to uncover more, and how much can be detected by setting the characters from your family tree in their proper historical backgrounds. This book is an updated edition of Ruth Symes' previous book, titled Stories From Your Family Tree: Researching Ancestors Within Living Memory (2008).
by Ruth A Symes, 2016.
The intriguing characters in these real family history mysteries include an agricultural labourer who left secrets behind in Somerset when he migrated to Manchester, a working-class woman who bafflingly lost ten of her fourteen children in infancy, a miner who purportedly went to 'live with the Red Indians' and a merchant prince of the Empire who was rumoured to have two wives.
This book shows how a variety of sources including birth, marriage and death certificates, censuses, newspaper reports, passports, recipe books, trade directories, diaries and passenger lists were all used to uncover more, and how much can be detected by setting the characters from your family tree in their proper historical backgrounds. This book is an updated edition of Ruth Symes' previous book, titled Stories From Your Family Tree: Researching Ancestors Within Living Memory (2008).
Writing your Family History
A Guide for Family Historians
by Gill Blanchard
Gill Blanchard's practical step-by-step guide to writing a family history is designed for anyone who wants to bring their ancestors' stories to life. She looks at ways of overcoming the particular problems family historians face when writing a family history -- how to deal with gaps in knowledge, how to describe generations of people who did the same jobs or lived in the same area, how to cover the numerous births, marriages and deaths that occur, and when to stop researching and start writing.
Her book provides examples to help readers find their own writing style, deal with family stories, missing pieces of information and anomalies. It also offers advice on key aspects of composition, such as adding local and social history context and using secondary material. The focus throughout is on how to develop a story from beginning to end.*Exercises are a key feature of the text. There is guidance on the various formats a family history can take and how to choose the appropriate one, with examples of format and layout. Production and publishing are also covered -- books, booklets, newsletters, websites, blogs and ebooks.
A Guide for Family Historians
by Gill Blanchard
Gill Blanchard's practical step-by-step guide to writing a family history is designed for anyone who wants to bring their ancestors' stories to life. She looks at ways of overcoming the particular problems family historians face when writing a family history -- how to deal with gaps in knowledge, how to describe generations of people who did the same jobs or lived in the same area, how to cover the numerous births, marriages and deaths that occur, and when to stop researching and start writing.
Her book provides examples to help readers find their own writing style, deal with family stories, missing pieces of information and anomalies. It also offers advice on key aspects of composition, such as adding local and social history context and using secondary material. The focus throughout is on how to develop a story from beginning to end.*Exercises are a key feature of the text. There is guidance on the various formats a family history can take and how to choose the appropriate one, with examples of format and layout. Production and publishing are also covered -- books, booklets, newsletters, websites, blogs and ebooks.
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