Tracing Your First World War Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
The First World War was perhaps the most traumatic event of the Twentieth Century. Millions of men, women and children were affected by it. And it still has a resonance today more than a hundred years after the Armistice. This guide offers a simple, yet comprehensive, guide to researching the men and women from Britain-and its dominions and colonies-who took part in the First World War either at the front or at home It is an accessible, up-to-date and expert introduction to get you on your way and to answer those questions you might come across during your researches. In a straightforward, easy-to-follow style the book introduces readers to the multitude of sources they can use to explore the history of the First World War for themselves. In a series of short, instructive chapters the book takes the reader through the process of researching ancestors who served during the First World War providing short cuts and background information as required. The book covers the key sources, including the National Archives and the many online sites that researchers can turn to. It also covers records of casualties, munitions workers, conscientious objectors and service personnel from the British Dominions.
Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
The history of Ireland is one that was long dominated by the question of land ownership, with complex and often distressing tales over the centuries of dispossession and colonization, religious tensions, absentee landlordism, subsistence farming, and considerably more to sadden the heart. Yet with the destruction of much of Ireland's historic record during the Irish Civil War, and with the discriminatory Penal Laws in place in earlier times, it is often within land records that we can find evidence of our ancestors' existence, in some cases the only evidence, where the relevant vital records for an area may never have been kept or may not have survived.
In Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, genealogist and bestselling author Chris Paton explores how the surviving records can help with our ancestral research, but also tell the stories of the communities from within which our ancestors emerged. He explores the often controversial history of ownership of land across the island, the rights granted to those who held estates and the plights of the dispossessed, and identifies the various surviving records which can help to tease out the stories of many of Ireland's forgotten generations.
Along the way Chris Paton identifies the various ways to access the records, whether in Ireland's many archives, local and national, and increasingly through a variety of online platforms.
Tracing Your Second World War Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
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, womens 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 East Anglian Ancestors
A Guide For Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Gill Blanchards practical and informative handbook will help you to trace your ancestors in the traditional counties of East Anglia - Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex and it will give you a fascinating insight into their lives.As well as guiding the researcher to historical records held in all the relevant archives, she explores the wealth of other resources that add the 'flesh to the bones' of our ancestors' lives. She describes how fascinating information can be discovered about the places they lived in and the important historical events they lived through, and she traces the life stories of notable people from all backgrounds who shaped the regions development over the centuries.Her account highlights East Anglias diversity but also focuses on its common features and its strong sense of identity. She starts with a general introduction to its history and geography, then goes on to focus on different aspects of its rich past. In the process she illustrates a wide array of additional research resources that will be revealing for readers who want to find out more about all aspects of life in this area of England.
Tracing Your Ancestors' Childhood
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Every family historian has child ancestors, and childhood experiences and records are an essential aspect of research into a past life. That is why Sue Wilkes's detailed and accessible handbook is such a useful guide for anyone who is trying to find out about the early years of their forbears. In Tracing Your Ancestors' Childhood she explores the history of childhood and education and brings together information about relevant records and archives into one handy reference guide. She outlines ancestors' childhood experiences at home, school, work and in institutions, especially during Victorian times. In the opening chapter she reviews basic family history sources, then she discusses records of childhood in detail. Specialist archives, published sources, recommended reading and other resources and documents are covered. She focuses primarily on England and Wales and covers the years 1750—1950. The second part of her book is a directory of archives and specialist repositories. Databases of children's societies, useful genealogy websites, and places to visit which bring the social history of childhood to life are all included.
Tracing Your Yorkshire Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
If you want to find out about your Yorkshire ancestors, you can visit the many unusual and fascinating archives in England's largest county. As well as tracing when your ancestors were born, married and died, you can explore how they lived, how they spent their leisure time and what their home life was like. Rachel Bellerby's invaluable guide will introduce you to places that hold a wealth of information about Yorkshire's past, and the records you find in these archives will bring your research to life. Whatever you wouldlike to discover more about, from fairground travellers to Romany gypsies, from working deep underground in a mine to making a living from the North Sea, there is so much to learn. The many different archives that welcome family history researchers are explored here and explained. Often these archives are overlooked, yet they contain revealing information about the people who called Yorkshire their home. Dozens of places, from tiny museum archives to large research centres, are open for your research. Tracing your Yorkshire ancestors has never been more exciting.
Tracing Your Ancestors Through the Equity Courts
A Guide for Family and Local Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
The records of the Courts of Equity, which dealt with cases of fairness rather than law, are among the most detailed, extensive and revealing of all the legal documents historians can consult, yet they are often neglected. Susan Moore's expert introduction to them opens up this fascinating source to researchers who may not be familiar with them and dont know how to take advantage of them. As she traces the purpose, history and organization of the Courts of Equity from around 1500 to 1876, she demonstrates how varied their role was and how valuable their archives are for us today. She covers the Courts of Chancery, Exchequer, Star Chamber, Requests, Palatinates and Duchy of Lancaster in clear detail. Her work shows researchers why their records are worth searching, how to search them and how many jewels of information can be found in them. This introduction will be appreciated by local, social and family historians who are coming to these records for the first time and by those who already know of the records but have found them daunting.
Tracing Your Edinburgh Ancestors
A Guide for Family and Local historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland for the last 500 years and more. The 'Athens of the North' is the centre of Scottish banking, medicine, architecture, law and publishing. It is the home of Scotland's national museums and the location of the Queen's official residence in Scotland and of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is also the site of the Edinburgh Festival and Royal Military Tattoo, and the seat of the devolved Scottish government. The city is steeped in national, local and family history, and Alan Stewart's handbook is the perfect guide to it. He takes readers through the story of Edinburgh from the earliest times up to the present day, showing how its colourful history has affected the lives of their ancestors. The many genealogical records of Edinburgh are described in detail, and appendices cover genealogy websites, family history societies, and Edinburgh's many archives, museums, art galleries, castles and palaces.
Tracing Your Naval Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
This concise guide to naval history and naval records is essential reading and reference for anyone researching the fascinating story of Britains navy and the men and women who served in it. Whether you are interested in the career of an individual seaman, finding out about a medal winner or just want to know more about a particular ship, campaign or operation, this book will point you in the right direction. Simon Fowler assumes the reader has little prior knowledge of the navy and its history. His book shows you how to trace an officer, petty officer or rating from the seventeenth century up to the 1960s using records at the National Archives and elsewhere. The book also covers the specialist and auxiliary services associated with the navy among them the Royal Marines, the Fleet Air Arm, the naval dockyards, the WRNS and the Fleet Auxiliary. In each section he explains which records survive, where they can be found and how they can be used for research. He also recommends resources available online as well as books and memoirs. His handbook is a valuable research tool for anyone who is keen to find out about the career of an ancestor who served in the Royal Navy or was connected with it.
Tracing Your Army Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Whether you are interested in the career of an individual officer, researching medals awarded to a soldier, or just want to know more about a particular battle or campaign, this book will point you in the right direction. Assuming the reader has no prior knowledge of the British Army, its history or organization, Simon Fowler explains what records survive, where they are to be found and how they can help you in your research. He shows how to make the best use of the increasing number of related resources to be found online, and he pays particular attention to explaining the records and the reasons behind their creation, as this information can be very important in understanding how these documents can help your research.
Tracing Your Northern Ancestors
A Guide to the North East & Cumbria for the Family Historian
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
The far north of England is a key site for family historians. Many researchers, seeking to trace their ancestry back through the generations, will find their trail leads to the north or through it. And yet, despite the burgeoning interest in genealogy and the importance of the region in so many life stories, no previous book has provided a guide to the documents and records that family historians can use in their search. In this accessible and informative introduction to the subject, Keith Gregson looks at the history and heritage of the region - of Northumberland, Tyneside, Durham, Wearside, Tees Valley and Cumbria - and gives a fascinating insight into the world in which our ancestors lived. He introduces the reader to the variety of records that are available for genealogical research, from legal and ecclesiastical archives, birth and death certificates to the records of local government, employers, institutions, clubs, societies and schools.
Tracing Your Police Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Tracing Your Police Ancestors will help you locate and research officers who served in any of the police forces of England and Wales from the creation of the Metropolitan Police by Sir Robert Peel in 1829. Assuming that the reader has no prior knowledge of how or where to look for such information, Stephen Wade explains and describes the various archives and records and provides a discussion of other sources. Case studies are used to show how an individual officer’s career may be traced and understood from this research. He also explains the range of secondary sources open to the family or local historian, many of which offer a broader account of the social and cultural history of the British police forces.
Tracing Your Kent Ancestors
A Guide for Family and Local Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
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 Wrights 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 Church of England Ancestors
A Guide for Family and Local Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
In his latest handbook on the records of the major Christian religions, Stuart Raymond focuses on the Church of England. He identifies the available sources, comments on their strengths and weaknesses and explains how to make the best use of them. The history of the Church of England is covered, from the Reformation in the mid-sixteenth century until the present day. Anyone who has a family connection with the Church of England or a special interest in the local history of the church will find his book to be a mine of practical information and an essential aid for their research. A sequence of short, accessible chapters gives an insight into the relevant records and demonstrates how much fascinating genealogical information can be gleaned from them. After providing a brief history of the Church of England, and a description of its organization, Stuart Raymond explores the wide range of records that researchers can consult. Among them are parish registers, bishops’ transcripts, marriage licenses, churchwardens’ accounts, vestry minutes, church magazines, tithe records and the records of the ecclesiastical courts and Anglican charities and missions. A wealth of research material is available and this book is the perfect introduction to it.
Tracing Your Liverpool Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Tracing Your Liverpool Ancestors' gives a fascinating insight into everyday life in the Liverpool area over the past four centuries. Aimed primarily at the family and social historian, Mike Royden's highly readable guide introduces readers to the wealth of material available on the citys history and its people. In a series of short, information-packed chapters he describes, in vivid detail, the rise of Liverpool through shipping, manufacturing and trade from the original fishing village to the cosmopolitan metropolis of the present day. Throughout he concentrates on the lives of the local people on their experience as Liverpool developed around them. He looks at their living conditions, at poverty and the laboring poor, at health and the ravages of disease, at the influence of religion and migration, at education and the traumatic experience of war. He shows how the lives of Liverpudlians changed over the centuries and how this is reflected in the records that have survived. His useful book is a valuable tool for anyone researching the history of the city or the life of an individual ancestor.
Tracing Your Canal Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Britain’s industrial revolution depended on canals for the cheap movement of materials and goods until the coming of the railways. Canal companies struggled to compete and went into a long decline, but much of the canal network is still with us today, and interest in the history and heritage of canals - and those who worked on them - is strong. That is why Sue Wilkess well researched and highly readable handbook on the subject is so valuable.
She concentrates on the people who lived and worked on the waterways the canal boatmen, their families and their way of life - and those who depended on the canal trade for a living the lock-keepers, toll collectors, and canal company clerks. She provides a thorough, practical guide to the sources the archives, books, websites, societies available for researchers if they are studying our inland waterways, or trying to find out about an ancestor who worked on the canals or was connected with them.
Her book is essential reading for anyone interested in this aspect of the industrial past.
The Somme
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
If you want to find out about an ancestor who served on the Somme during the First World War during the Battle of the Somme in 1916 or at any time during the fighting in this sector of the Western Front this book is the ideal guide. It provides practical information and advice on how to conduct your research. It will help you to discover when and where your ancestors served and give you an insight into his experience of the war. It is also a fascinating introduction to researching the Great War as a whole.Simon Fowler outlines the course of the fighting on the Somme, introducing the many historical resources that you can use to explore the history for yourself. He identifies the key sources for family historians, including at The National Archives and Imperial War Museum and the many online sites that researchers can turn to. There is also advice on the literature, archives, museums and monuments that may help you to gain an insight into your ancestor's story.
Ypres
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Do you have an ancestor who served at Ypres in the First World War, during the four years in which the city was in the front line? Perhaps you have thought of visiting the battlefields nearby and the monuments that commemorate them, and want to find out exactly where your ancestor served and what part he played in the four great battles that took place there?
So many British soldiers served in Flanders during the long struggle to defend the Ypres Salient and to break out of it that there is a good chance that your ancestor was there at some stage of the war. This practical and informative handbook is an ideal guide to the struggle for the city and the stories of the men who took part in it. It is also a fascinating introduction to researching the Great War as a whole.
Simon Fowler outlines the course of the fighting around the city and he introduces the most important historical resources that you can use to explore the history for yourself. The book identifies the key sources for family historians, including at The National Archives and the Imperial War Museum, together with the many resources online that researchers can turn to. There is also advice on the literature, archives, museums and monuments that may help you to gain an insight into your ancestor's story.
Tracing Your Merchant Navy Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
What was a merchant Seaman’s life like in the past, what experiences would he have had, what were the ships like that he sailed in, and what risks did he run? Was he shipwrecked, rewarded for bravery, or punished? And how can you find out about an ancestor who was a member of the long British maritime tradition? Simon Wills’s concise and informative historical guide takes the reader and researcher through the fascinating story of Britain’s merchant service, and he shows you how to trace individual men and women and gain an insight into their lives. In a series of short, information-packed chapters, he explains the expansion of Britain’s global maritime trade and the fleets of merchant ships that sustained it in peace and war. He describes the lives, duties and tribulations of the generations of crews who sailed in these ships, whether as ordinary seamen or as officers, stewards, engineers and a myriad of other roles. In addition, he identifies the websites you can explore, the archives, records and books you can read, and the places you can visit in order to gain an understanding of what your seagoing ancestor did and the world he knew. Simon Wills’s practical handbook will be essential reading and reference for anyone who is keen to discover for themselves the secrets of our maritime past and of the crewmembers and ships that were part of it.
Tracing Your Army Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
This well-known author has produced yet another excellent guide for researching ancestors who have served in the Army. The book is an ideal text for reference when investigating army personnel. Military Archive Research. Coma splendid publication with a great deal of valuable information. Michael Brooker, Guild of Battlefield Guides Whether you are interested in the career of an individual officer, researching medals awarded to a soldier, or just want to know more about a particular battle or campaign, this book will point you in the right direction. Assuming the reader has no prior knowledge of the British Army, its history or organization, Simon Fowler explains what records survive, where they are to be found and how they can help you in your research. He shows how to make the best use of the increasing number of related resources to be found online, and he pays particular attention to explaining the records and the reasons behind their creation, as this information can be very important in understanding how these documents can help your research.
Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters & Personal Writings
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Could your ancestors write their own names or did they mark official documents with a cross? Why did great-grandfather write so cryptically on a postcard home during the First World War? Why did great-grandmother copy all the letters she wrote into letter-books? How unusual was it that great-uncle sat down and wrote a poem, or a memoir?
Researching Family History Through Ancestors' Personal Writings looks at the kinds of (mainly unpublished) writing that could turn up amongst family papers from the Victorian period onwards - a time during which writing became crucial for holding families together and managing their collective affairs.
With industrialization, improved education, and far more geographical mobility, British people of all classes were writing for new purposes, with new implements, in new styles, using new modes of expression and new methods of communication (e.g. telegrams and postcards). Our ancestors had an itch for scribbling from the most basic marks (initials, signatures and graffiti on objects as varied as trees, rafters and window ledges), through more emotionally charged kinds of writing such as letters and diaries, to more creative works such as poetry and even fiction.
This book shows family historians how to get the most out of documents written by their ancestors and, therefore, how better to understand the people behind the words.
Tracing Your London Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
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’ 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 Trade & Craftsman Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Almost all of us have a tradesman or craftsman a butcher, baker or candlestick maker somewhere in our ancestry, and Adle Emm's handbook is the perfect guide to finding out about them about their lives, their work and the world they lived in. She introduces the many trades and crafts, looks at their practices and long traditions, and identifies and explains the many sources you can go to in order to discover more about them and their families. Chapters cover the guilds, the merchants, shopkeepers, builders, smiths and metalworkers, cordwainers and shoemakers, tailors and dressmakers, coopers, wheelwrights and carriage-makers, and a long list of other trades and crafts. The training and apprenticeships of individuals who worked in these trades and crafts are described, as are their skills and working conditions and the genealogical resources that preserve their history and give an insight into their lives. A chapter covers the general sources that researchers can turn to the National Archives, the census, newspapers, wills, and websites and gives advice on how to use them. Adle Emm's introduction will be fascinating reading for anyone who is researching the social or family history of trades and crafts.
Tracing Your British Indian Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Tracing Your British Indian Ancestors gives a fascinating insight into the history of the subcontinent under British rule and into the lives the British led there. It also introduces the reader to 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 in the country.
Emma Jolly looks at every aspect of British Indian history and at all the relevant resources. She explains the information held in the British Library India Office Records and The National Archives. She also covers the records of the armed forces, the civil service and the railways, as well as religious and probate records, and other sources available for researchers. At the same time, she provides a concise and vivid social history of the British in India: from the early days of the East India Company, through the Mutiny and the imposition of direct British rule in the mid-nineteenth century, to the independence movement and the last days of the Raj. Her book will help family historians put their research into an historical perspective, giving them a better understanding of the part their ancestors played in India in the past.
Tracing Your Tank Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
If you want to find out about the career of a soldier who served in tanks, are researching medals awarded to a tank crew member or just want to know more about a particular regiment squadron or operation, this book will point you in the right direction.Assuming that the reader has little prior knowledge of the history of British armored forces, Janice Tait and David Fletcher trace their development from their formation during WW1, through WWII and on to their role as an essential part of today's British army. Most importantly, they demonstrate how you can explore this history for yourself. The authors describe the records that are available and show how they can help you to reconstruct the career of a soldier who served in tanks or was connected with them. They also describe the kind of work the soldiers did, the armored vehicles they worked with, and the men and women they served alongsideThis accessible, information-packed introduction to the history of British armored forces will be essential reading and reference for anyone who is researching this aspect of military history.
Tracing Your Coalmining Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
In the 1920s there were over a million coalminers working in over 3000 collieries across Great Britain, and the industry was one of the most important and powerful in British history. It dominated the lives of generations of individuals, their families and communities, and its legacy is still with us today many of us have a coalmining ancestor. Yet family historians often have problems in researching their mining forebears. Locating the relevant records, finding the sites of the pits, and understanding the work involved and its historical background can be perplexing. That is why Brian Elliott's concise, authoritative and practical handbook will be so useful, for it guides researchers through these obstacles and opens up the broad range of sources they can go to in order to get a vivid insight into the lives and experiences of coalminers in the past. His overview of the coalmining history and the case studies and research tips he provides will make his book rewarding reading for anyone looking for a general introduction to this major aspect of Britain's industrial heritage. His directory of regional and national sources and his commentary on them will make this guide an essential tool for family historians searching for an ancestor who worked in coalmining underground, on the pit top or just lived in a mining community.
As featured in Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine and the Barnsley Chronicle.
Tracing Your Channel Islands Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
by Marie-Louise Backhurst
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Tracing Your Channel Islands Ancestors is an expert introduction for the family historian to the wealth of material available to researchers in libraries and archives in Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark. Full information is given on how to access the civil birth, marriage and death records which are only available in the islands and differ in format from those in England and Wales. Marie-Louise Backhurst covers the census, church records, nonconformist registers, rating lists, newspapers, wills and inheritance, official records, and the variety of other sources that can illuminate a past life and make family history research so rewarding. Migration has played a large part in the history of the islands and details of the records are fully explained.
This authoritative and easy-to-use guide to these collections, and the authors advice on how to use them and get the most out of them, will be invaluable to anyone who is trying to find out about the life and experience of an ancestor who lived in the Channel Islands or was connected with them. This book will equally be essential reading and reference for anyone who wants to explore the history of the Channel Islands.
Tracing Your Ancestors: Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk & Suffolk
A Guide For Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Gill Blanchard's practical and informative handbook will help you to trace your ancestors in the traditional counties of East Anglia Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex and it will give you an insight into their lives. As well as guiding the researcher to historical records held in all the relevant archives, she explores the wealth of other resources that add the 'flesh to the bones' of our ancestors' lives. She describes how fascinating information can be discovered about the places they lived in and the important historical events they lived through, and she traces the life stories of notable people from all backgrounds who shaped the regions development over the centuries. Her account highlights the diversity of this part of England but also focuses on its common features and strong sense of identity. It introduces a wide array of research resources that will be revealing for readers who want to find out about their ancestors who lived here.
Tracing Your Leeds Ancestors
A Guide for Family & Local Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Explore the lives of your ancestors in the 'city of 1,000 trades' in this family and local history guide, dedicated to the city of Leeds. Learn how to find out more about the streets where your ancestors lived, where they would have gone to school and church and chapel, how they'd have spent their leisure time, what life would have been like for immigrants in the city, and discover more about the different trades in which your family members were involved.Leeds is home to many different archives and collections, from records of major companies such as Joshua Tetley & Sons, Burtons Tailors and Marks & Spencers, to street plans, photo collections and records of theatres and football clubs. Rachel Bellerby's handbook shows you how to get started with your research, building up an intriguing and colourful record of the city that your ancestors called home. It is an essential guide for anyone living in Leeds or with family connections to the city.
Tracing Your First World War Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
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 Legal Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
The law had as much influence on our ancestors as it does on us today, and it occupies an extraordinary range of individuals, from eminent judges and barristers to clerks and minor officials. Yet, despite burgeoning interest in all aspects of history and ancestry, lawyers and legal history have rarely been looked at from the point of view of a family historian. And this is main purpose of Stephen Wades accessible and authoritative introduction to the subject. Assuming that the reader has little prior knowledge of how or where to look for such information, he traces the evolution of the law and the legal professions. He describes the parts played in the system by solicitors, officers of the High Court, registrars, recorders, town clerks, clerks of the peace, proctors, coroners, notaries, parliamentary agents, judges, barristers and magistrates. Also he identifies the various archives, records and books that the family researcher can turn to, and discusses other sources including the internet. Stephen Wades concise account of legal history and research resources will be an invaluable guide for anyone who is studying the subject or seeking an ancestor who was associated with it.
Tracing Your Ancestors' Lives
A Guide to Social History for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
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 ancestor’s time and place. Her work will give researchers a fascinating insight into what their ancestors lives were like.
Tracing Your Criminal Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
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. Stephen Wade’s useful introduction to this fascinating subject will help you discover and investigate the life stories of individuals who had a criminal past. The crimes they committed, the conditions in which they lived, the policing and justice system that dealt with them all these aspects of criminal history are covered as are the many types of crime they were guilty of murder, robbery, fraud, sexual offenses, poaching, protest and public disorder. Graphic case studies featuring each type of crime are included, dating from the Georgian period up until the present day. All of these cases are reconstructed using information gleaned from the many sources available to researcher’s libraries, archives, books and the internet among them. 'Tracing Your Criminal Ancestors' is essential reading for anyone who wishes to explore the criminal past and seeks to trace an ancestor who had a criminal record.
Tracing Your Manchester & Salford Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
For readers with family ties to Manchester and Salford, and researchers delving into the rich history of these cities, this informative, accessible guide will be essential reading and a fascinating source of reference.
Sue Wilkes outlines the social and family history of the region in a series of concise chapters. She discusses the origins of its religious and civic institutions, transport systems and major industries. Important local firms and families are used to illustrate aspects of local heritage, and each section directs the reader towards appropriate resources for their research.
No previous knowledge of genealogy is assumed and in-depth reading on particular topics is recommended. The focus is on records relating to Manchester and Salford, including current districts and townships, and sources for religious and ethnic minorities are covered. A directory of the relevant archives, libraries, academic repositories, databases, societies, websites and places to visit, is a key feature of this practical book.
Tracing Your Pre-Victorian Ancestors
A Guide to Research Methods for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Tracing Your Pre-Victorian Ancestors is the ideal handbook for family historians whose research has reached back to the early nineteenth century and are finding it difficult to go further. John Wintrip guides readers through all the steps they can take in order to delve even more deeply into the past. Carrying research through to earlier periods is more challenging because church registers recorded less information than civil registration records and little census data is available. Researchers often encounter obstacles they don't know how to overcome. But, as this book demonstrates, greater understanding of the sources and the specific records within them, along with a wider knowledge of the historical context, often allows progress to be made. Most important, John Wintrip concentrates on how to do the research on the practical steps that can be taken in order to break through these barriers. He looks at online services, archives and their catalogues, factors that can influence the outcome of research, wider family relationships, missing ancestors and mistaken identity. Throughout the book he emphasizes the process of research and the variety of resources and search tools that can be used.
Tracing Your Air Force Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Whether you are interested in the career of an individual air-man or woman, researching medals awarded to a pilot or crew member or just want to know more about a particular squadron or operation, this book will point you in the right direction. Assuming that the reader has no prior knowledge of the air force, its history or organization, Phil Tomaselli explains which records survive, where they can be found and how they can help you in your research. He also recommends resources available online as well as books and memoirs. Each era in air force history is described, from the pioneering days of early aviation and the formation of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War to the creation of the Royal Air Force, its operations during the Second World War and its postwar development. The author explains the evolving organization of the air force in each period. He also provides pointers and examples which should help researchers find the records of units and bases that individuals served in.
Tracing Your Secret Service Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Did you have a spy in the family, an ancestor who was involved in espionage at home or abroad? If you have ever had any suspicions about the secret activities of your relatives, or are curious about the long hidden history of Britain's secret services and those who served in them, this is the book for you. Phil Tomaselli's fascinating guide to over 200 years of British spies and spying takes the reader on a journey through the twilight world of the secret intelligence organizations Britain has run since the time of the French Revolution to the modern day, and it shows where their records can be found.
Tracing Your Aristocratic Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Do you believe you are descended from the aristocracy, or even from royalty? Or do you have a line of descent from a blue-blooded family, but want to know more? How far back do noble and royal lines go? How do coats of arms work, and how can heraldic records tell you more? How can genetics help you find your aristocratic origins?
In Tracing Your Aristocratic Ancestors leading British genealogist, Anthony Adolph explains how to decode family stories, to find the truth and prove your descent from blue-blooded forebears. His book shows you how to expand your aristocratic pedigree sideways and backwards, incorporating heraldic records and printed pedigrees such as those in Burkes Peerage. In a series of concise, fact-filled chapters he explains how to find out about and prove aristocratic ancestry, defines who is blue-blooded, and describes all the sources that researchers can use to explore this fascinating subject. Under Adolph’s guidance, you will travel back into the distant past, using cutting-edge DNA technology and arcane genealogies, back to the evolution of the human race, and the point where real ancestors fade into mythical ones Adam and Eve, the heroes of old and, ultimately, the very gods themselves.
Tracing Your East End Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
East Enders are a very special breed and tracing your East End ancestry is going to be tremendous fun. Everyone has got some East End ancestors - and if they havent they invent them, rollicking chaps, larky and resourceful, talking a funny language to keep them guessing, eating at eel and pie shops, shouting out their wares in clattering, colorful markets. Their wives and masters ( er in doors) are brazen lassies, smart as paint, tough as their men folk, presiding over an undoubted matriarchal society where Mum rules OK? The good tales are of bright little kids, unshod and streetwise, rising above their origins and making a mint. The bad ones are of indescribable horror - children dying in diseased heaps, infant sex for sale and gangs of armed bandits terrorizing the neighborhood.
As author Jane Cox writes in the preface, the East End of our great grandparents days was another world, and her fascinating and accessible guide to East End ancestry will help you find out about it. She takes readers through the maze of courts and alleys that was the home of their ancestors, bringing to life that vibrant, polyglot society, and describing the many sources researchers can consult archives, records, books, the internet in order to discover the lives of individuals who lived in the area or passed through it.
Tracing Your Service Women Ancestors
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
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 Womens 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 familys history stories heard from older relatives, pictures in family photograph albums, handed-down uniforms, badges or medals that seem to indicate that one of your women ancestors served in wartime.
Tracing Your Welsh Ancestors
A Guide For Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Few previous publications have focused on Welsh family history, and none have provided a comprehensive guide to the genealogical information available and where to find it. That is why the publication of Beryl Evans's new Welsh family history handbook is such a significant event in the field. Her detailed, accessible, authoritative guide will be essential reading and reference for anyone who is eager to research ancestors from Wales. She describes the key archival sources and shows how the development of new technology, the internet in particular, has made them so much easier to explore. Drawing on her long experience of family history work, she gives clear practical advice on how to start a research project, and she sketches in the outlines of Welsh history, Welsh surnames and place-names and the Welsh language. But the main body of her book is devoted to identifying the variety of sources researchers can consult the archive repositories, including The National Library of Wales, civil records of all kinds, the census, parish registers, wills, the records of churches, chapels, schools, businesses, tax offices and courts, and the wide range of printed records. Beryl Evans's handbook will be a basic text for researchers of Welsh descent and for anyone who is keen to learn about Welsh history
Tracing Your Pauper Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Many family historians will come across direct links to ancestors who were affected by poverty. Yet despite the burgeoning interest in genealogy, the history of pauperism and of poor relief has rarely been written about, and no previous book has provided a guide to documents and records that family researchers can use to their trace their pauper ancestors. In this accessible and informative introduction, Robert Burlison gives a vivid account of poverty and the poor. He identifies relevant 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 Ancestors Through Death Records
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
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 Great War Ancestors: Gallipoli
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Do you have an ancestor who served in the Gallipoli campaign in the First World War? Perhaps you have thought of visiting the battlefields in Turkey and the monuments that commemorate them, and want to find out exactly where and when your ancestor served and what part he played in the landings and the fighting that followed? This practical and informative handbook is an ideal guide to the struggle for the Gallipoli peninsula and the stories of the men who took part in it. Simon Fowler outlines the course of the campaign and introduces the many historical resources that you can use to explore the history for yourself. He identifies the key sources for family historians, including The National Archives in Britain, the Australian War Memorial, and other sources in Australia and New Zealand and the many websites that researchers can turn to, and he gives advice on the literature, archives, museums and monuments that may help you to gain an insight into your ancestor's story.
Tracing Your Birmingham Ancestors
A Guide for Family and Local Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Birmingham, the cradle of the industrial revolution and the world's first manufacturing town, is an important focus for many family historians who will find that their trail leads through it. Rural migrants, Quakers, Jews, Irish, Italians, and more recently people from the Caribbean, South-Asia and China have all made Birmingham their home. This vibrant history is reflected in the city's rich collections of records, and Michael Sharpe's handbook is the ideal guide to them. He introduces readers to the wealth of information available, providing an essential guide for anyone researching the history of the city or the life of an individual ancestor. His work addresses novices and experienced researchers alike and offers a compendium of sources from legal and ecclesiastical archives, to the records of local government, employers, institutions, clubs, societies and schools. Accessible, informative and extensively referenced, it is the perfect companion for research in Britain's second city.
Tracing Your Labour Movement Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
If you want to find out about the life of an ancestor who was active in the labor movement or was a union member, this handbook will be a fascinating introduction to the subject. Mark Crail provides a graphic and authoritative account of the history of the labor movement in Britain from the early nineteenth century to the modern day. He gives a vivid insight into the key stages in the development of labor relations - the battles fought by labor movement pioneers, the formation of the first unions, the influence of Chartism and the early socialist societies, the rise of the Labor Party and other left-wing groups, and the impact of organized labor on workers lives as ordinary people gradually won the right to vote over the course of 200 years. At the same time he describes in detail the various books, museums, archives, websites and other resources that researchers can use to explore labor history for themselves and to uncover the careers and experience of their ancestors. A mass of information is available relating to individuals and to labor history in general, and this handbook is an invaluable guide to it. 'Tracing Your Labor Movement Ancestors' should be essential reading for anyone who wishes to learn about the origins and development of the labor movement and the role of individuals within it.
Tracing Your Potteries Ancestors
A Guide for Family & Local Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Tracing Your Potteries Ancestors introduces readers to the wealth of information available to those wishing to trace their North Staffordshire roots. Michael Sharpe gives a fascinating insight into the history of this part of the Midlands which was for so long dominated by the pottery industry. The six pottery towns Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton are at the heart of the story. His handbook is an essential guide for anyone researching the life of an individual or family connected with the area, bringing together all the relevant local and national archives for the first time. In a series of short information-packed chapters it describes the lives and experiences of ordinary people in this most extraordinary of landscapes. It charts the transition of the Six Towns from scattered farming communities to a thriving industrial conurbation. The living conditions of the urban poor, health and welfare, the influence of religion and migration, education, leisure pursuits, and the traumatic experience of war are all explored, and the many different archives and sources that are open to family history researchers are explained.
Tracing Your Insolvent Ancestors
A Guide for Family Historians
Part of the Tracing Your Ancestors series
Debtors' prisons are infamous but very little has been written about the records of those confined within them in London or elsewhere in the country. Even less has been written about the trials of those who were often incarcerated following misfortune or mismanagement rather than criminal intent. That is why Paul Blake's handbook will be so useful for researchers who want to find out about forebears who may have been caught up in the insolvency system. In a series of information-filled chapters, he covers the historical background to the handling of debt and debtors, and bankruptcy and bankrupts. In addition, he describes the courts and procedures faced by both creditors and debtors, and the prisons where so many debtors were confined. Throughout the book, details are given of the records that researchers can turn to in order to explore the subject for themselves. Many are held at The National Archives, but others are to be found at local record offices around the country. Paul Blake's book will be appreciated by local, social and family historians, as well as those with an interest in debtor crime and punishment, and bankrupts in general.