Beginning Your Family History: Sixth Edition

By George Pelling

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1860060633
• ISBN13: 9781860060632
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Federation of Family History Societies
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Road Map to Find Your British Ancestors (If You Have Any)

Many people have told me that they would like to know more about their family's history, but they don't know how to get started. My aunt undertook to capture our family's history a few years ago, and did very well until she reached the ancestor who first came from Britain to the United States. She didn't know what to do next. This book would have been a fabulous resource for her. Many beginning books just look at planning steps. This book goes well beyond that. It gives you a sense of the reasons for doing geneology, a process to use, how to locate the best resources that may fit your situation, and what to do with the information you develop. Although I knew nothing about geneology until I read this book, I can see ways that my aunt could have greatly improved and eased her task even when looking at U.S. ancestors. Naturally, if you live in Great Britain now, this book is even more valuable. The book looks at sources outside of England in detail, including Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Channel islands, and the Isle of Mann. You get access to official records, church records (conforming and nonconforming), indexes, and unofficial records of all sorts. It looks like you should be able to make good process back into the middle 16th century, but luck is required before then. Personally, I have never understood the difference between a first cousin once removed and a second cousin. This book has a wonderful table that explains all of those definitions that had been beyond my simple understanding. One aspect of this book that is interesting relates to the ways that families prefer to keep certain secrets. These secrets often make it difficult for geneologists. Misconceptions abound in the cleaned-up records that families often share with one another. The family Bible is not necessarily accurate, for instance. Use this book to overtake your own misconceptions about the perfection of your forbearers.