Genealogical Research In England S Public Record Office

Researching family history has become increasingly popular in recent years. The documents held at the Public Record Office and the Family Records Centre span over 1,000 years and contain a wealth of information for family historians. This revised and expanded sixth edition of the publication provides a guide to using the national archives of England, Wales and the UK. It contains guidance on: using basic family history records, such as the census, wills and records for birth, marriage, death; tracing records regarding migration; researching the background of people from a wide range of professional, religious, social and regional groups; using military and legal records; and using the Public Record Office online catalogue.

"This is the fifth edition of a handbook originally written in 1981 by Mrs J Cox and Mr T Padfield...In this, the fifth edition, it has been revised and enlarged again by Dr Bevan, to take into account the closure of the Public Record Office's Chancery Lane site, the opening of the Family Records Centre, and the development of Kew, as well as the natural increase in the number of records available to the public -- in particular, the service records of the First World War. Other chapters too have been added or considerably expanded."--Preface.

This is a first-time guide for anyone wishing to research their family history at the Public Record Office at Kew. It provides clear and helpful advice on finding one's way around the newly reorganized PRO, using the finding aids and beginning research. It also includes a comprehensive A-Z index of useful sources, from apprenticeship records to wills, case studies of individuals and illustrations of some of the most commonly found documents.

The Joys of Family History offers a taster to the new researcher, covering the mian introductory topics. It highlights the many rewards of tracing your ancestors and explains what you are likely to uncover. It helps you look for the clues your forebears left behind- relics, old photographs, medals - and points you in the direction of other useful sources of inforamtion, such as archives or the Internet. An afforable easy to use guide to one of Britain's fastest growing pursuits.

A manual for researchers writers, editors, lecturers, and Librarians.