Federation Of Family History Societies

New Books

 

The Vagabond Book of Stirling by Marie Brammeld

Stirling: Lomax Press, 2010                  ISBN: 978-0-9560288-3-9

The original Vagabond Book of Stirling: 1752-1787, preserved in Stirling Archives, is a historical record of the many rascals who came before the Burgh’s magistrates in that time: their petty crimes and their sentences. Marie Brammeld has selected some of the more interesting cases, quoting the original record, setting the stories in context and describing living conditions in 18th century Stirling. The major buildings of the burgh at that time are described and in many cases illustrated.

Compared with modern times, the sentences handed down seem very heavy given the relatively petty crimes. The 18th century ASBO is banishment from the burgh and there must have been ample resources to enforce this. Penalties for returning include being committed to the workhouse, or house of correction, with hard labour!

Considering that few vagabonds left a paper trail, background detail for many people involved has been unearthed, in particular previous and subsequent appearances before the court, previous employment (in a few cases), parents and inevitably mentions in the Kirk Session minutes! However, the victim or employer, sometimes both, were often the only ones who did leave records!

Not only were vagabonds guilty in Stirling, however. A gap of six years in the ‘Vagabond Book’ in the 1770’s reflects political scandal in the Burgh when corruption in Town Council was revealed and, in due course, the entire council was suspended by the Court of Session.

A useful bibliography of books on the history of Stirling and on domestic life in Scotland is provided; the book is well indexed.

While we may not have any ancestors who appeared before the Stirling magistrates, this book gives us a fascinating insight into life in an 18th century Scottish town. Meat on the family history skeleton with relevance to the whole of Britain.

Reviewed by Stuart Laing - Scotslot
For details on how to purchase email

The Brewers and Breweries of Stirlingshire by Forbes Gibb

Stirling: Lomax Press, 2008         £10-00         ISBN: 978-0-9560288-0-8

The Brewers and Breweries of Linlithgowshire by Forbes Gibb

Stirling: Lomax Press, 2009         £7-00           ISBN: 978-0-9560288-2-2

These books are the first in a series (Fife is next) describing the brewers and breweries of Scotland, county by county. The author, a professional information scientist and expert brewing archivist, has brought together a considerable amount of information gathered from contemporary documents and newspapers.

In both books, brewers and their breweries are listed by place; for the larger towns a background to the local industry is given followed by a detailed description of individual businesses and their owners, illustrated by maps and photographs.

The timescale is from mid 18th century to the present day. There is considerable detail about the people and their families who either owned or were responsible for running the breweries. For those with ancestors in the trade, both books give insight into their business activities.

The major breweries of Stirlingshire are described in depth with considerable detail on the history of the business and its associated people. There are two groups: those larger breweries founded many years ago that have all now closed and the smaller breweries, opened in the last few years and now flourishing.

Full references are given to archive and journal sources and to more general internet sites. Personal and brewery names are well indexed. While our ancestors may not have been brewers, they will almost certainly have been their customers or their suppliers. As well as appealing to real ale enthusiasts, this series is a welcome source of local history for family historians.

Reviewed by Stuart Laing - Scotslot
For details on how to purchase email

FFHS says: If you have Scottish ancestors and live in the northern Home Counties, then why not go along to Scotslot! They have regular meetings in Harpenden. Email for further details.

 

Pitfalls & Possibilities in Family History Research by Pauline Litton (Vice-President FFHS)

If your ancestors are proving elusive and the records are not where you expected, or do not contain the information you anticipated, then Pitfalls and Possibilities is the book for you. Based on a series of articles with the same title published in Family Tree Magazine, updated and expanded, it is not a book on 'how to do your family tree.' Rather it suggests unexplored avenues and additional sources which you may not have considered. Possible errors and omissions in original records, transcriptions and indexes - often caused by poor handwriting, inconsistent spelling and regional accents - are described and illustrated. Family history is like a game of snakes and ladders and this book should help you to reach the final square.

For more information and to order a copy visit www.pitfallsandpossibilities.co.uk

 

New titles from Pen & Sword Books

Buy via this link so that the FFHS can benefit at no cost to you

Tracing Your Army Ancestors by Simon Fowler

Simon Fowler is a leading authority on family history and a prolific writer on the subject. This book is a comprehensive introduction to researching army history and shows how to trace the careers of individual soldiers from 1760 to the present day. Information on all the major archives and museums including The National Archives is included. 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.
FFHS says:  Why not look at our feature on Using Medals to help trace your Ancestors?
http://www.ffhs.org.uk/ezine/articles/medals.php

Tracing the Rifle Volunteers by Ray Westlake

Ray Westlake has an established reputation as a military historian specializing in the British army of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This publication provides a comprehensive guide to the Rifle Volunteer Corps, the forerunner of the Territorial Army. The bulk of the book consists of a county by county account of the history of each unit. Westlake identifies the key commanding officers, the professions and trades of the men who joined up and traces each unit through the various reorganizations and amalgamations that took place over 50 years. Background information is also given on the communities from which the rifle volunteers came.

Tracing Your Air Force Ancestors by Phil Tomaselli

This book provides researchers with pointers and examples which should assist in helping them to find the records of units and bases that individuals served in, the kind of work they did, the aeroplanes they worked with and the men and women they worked alongside. It contains information on all the major archives and museums, explains Air Force organisation and unit histories as well as giving a graphic account of the Air Force history and development. Tomaselli who has written extensively on family history topics and who has made a special study of the men and women who served in the RAF recommends resources available online as well as books and memoirs.

Tracing Your Jewish Ancestors by Rosemary Wenzerul

Rosemary Wenzerul’s lively and informative guide to researching Jewish family history will be an absorbing read for anyone who wants to find out about the life of a Jewish ancestor or who is researching any aspect of Jewish history. In a clear and accessible way she takes readers through the entire process of research. A concise account of the history of the Jewish presence in Britain, a guide to relevant libraries, archives, records, websites and museums in both the UK and abroad as well as chapters on Jews in the armed forces and Jewish heraldry ensure this will be essential reading and an invaluable reference guide.
FFHS says: Why not visit the website of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain?
http://www.jgsgb.org.uk/

Tracing Your Royal Marine Ancestors by Richard Brooks and Matthew Little

Brooks is a military historian who has made a special study of the Royal Marines and Royal Navy, Little is an archivist and librarian at the Royal Marines Museum in Southsea who has over thirty years experience of building and researching the museum’s collection. This publication gives a comprehensive introduction to researching Royal Marine History, shows how to trace individual Royal Marines from the seventeenth century to the present day and describes the duties, organization and ethos of the Royal Marines as well as giving information on all the major relevant archives, websites and museums. An accessible and practical handbook.

Tracing Your Northern Irish Ancestors by Ian Maxwell

Ian Maxwell’s book ‘Tracing your Northern Irish Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians’ contains 182 pages packed with information on sources of use to those with an interest in family history in Northern Ireland, and is illustrated throughout with black and white illustrations taken from historical prints and photographic collections.

There is an introduction and nineteen chapters, in the introduction Ian gives a brief summary of the history of the North of Ireland from about 500 BC, through the founding of Northern Ireland in 1921, to the present day.  It is this historical context that runs through the book that is one of the strengths of the book for me.  With each chapter he explains the historical context in which the various records were required, the information that was collected and which records survive.  Another and probably the most important strength of this book lies in Ian’s intimate knowledge of the records at PRONI, his previous books, particularly those on researching your ancestors in Down and Armagh and in Ian’s own knowledge of Northern Irish family history gathered over many years in the field.

Chapters include where to begin, census records, civil registration, church records, school records, valuation records, landed estate records, wills, poor law records, local government records, military records, electoral records and emigration records.  There are also chapters on 17th and 18th century records and on miscellaneous collections, a catch-all chapter for those smaller collections and sources that don’t easily fit into any of the other chapters.  The appendix lists useful addresses but with the exception of Belfast Central Library and the Linen Hall Library does not list any of the other local studies collections in Northern Ireland.  The book is completed by a bibliography and index.

Overall I found the book an easy and enjoyable read, the number of sources included in the book is remarkable and I now have a lot more sources to check out in my own exploration of my family tree.

Reviewed by Richard Burns (North of Ireland FHS)

FFHS says: Why not visit the website of the North of Ireland Family History Society?  www.nifhs.org

Tracing Your Shipbuilding Ancestors by Anthony Burton

“Anthony Burton’s concise and informative guide to British shipbuilding will be absorbing reading for anyone who wants to learn about its history or find out about the life of a shipbuilder and his family. In a clear and accessible way he traces its development from the medieval period to its peak in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and on into the present day.”

Tracing Your Railway Ancestors by Di Drummond

“Di Drummond’s concise and informative guide to Britain’s railways will be absorbing reading for anyone who wants to learn about the history of the industry and for family history researchers who want to find out about the careers of their railway ancestors. In a clear and accessible way she guides readers through the social, technical and economic aspects of the story. She describes in vivid detail the rapid growth, maturity and long decline of the railways from the earliest days in the late eighteenth century to privatization in the 1990s. In the process she covers the themes and issues that family historians, local historians and railway enthusiasts will need to understand in order to pursue their research.”

FFHS says: Why not visit the website of the Railway Ancestors Family History Group ? www.railwayancestors.org.uk

Tracing Your Liverpool Ancestors by Mike Royden

Mike Royden is well known in Liverpool and through this book will become better known.

This is an excellent reference handbook for those who have ancestry in Liverpool.

The title byline refers to it being ‘a guide for family historians’ but as he says it is more than that: it is a handbook for family and local historians, combining the history of Liverpool and the whereabouts of records.

He demonstrates how family historians with a good knowledge of local history can enhance their research and enable them to understand more about their ancestors and the society in which they lived.

The 260 pages of the book are very easy to read and filled with interesting information. Mike has adopted 2 main Parts for his book:  Work and Economy being the first and Society the second.

The chapters in part 1 include references to the development of the port and various maritime trades, including Liverpool’s involvement in the slave trade, as well as to land, agriculture and estates (Lords Sefton and Derby) with helpful guidance to manorial records. Transport other than the sea is also dealt with in another chapter.

Part 2 includes chapters on housing development, poverty, immigration and religion, education which includes workhouses, and the impact of 2 World Wars.

The chapters follow a useful plan: historical details followed by an end section on ‘Further Research Ideas’, ‘Further Reading’ both in books and websites.

The final third of the book comprises 6 superb Appendices under the  headings of Research Guide, Archives Libraries and Local Study Centres, Web Resources to name but three.

The work is scholarly and an excellent reference guide. No family historian with ‘scouse’ ancestors can afford to be without a copy!

Reviewed by David Lambert.

FFHS says: Why not visit the website of the Liverpool & SW Lancs FHS www.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk
For up to date information concerning the Liverpool Record Office please see our News page