RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 6, 2006
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
A reference book already considered a classic is Mark D. Herber's ANCESTRAL TRAILS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BRITISH GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY. Impressive in both its breadth and depth of coverage, it was originally published in 1997 in association with the prominent Society of Genealogists. Reflecting the latest developments in the field, the new revised and updated second edition of the "Bible of British Genealogy" is now available.
Written with both amateur and experienced genealogists in mind, ANCESTRAL TRAILS begins with chapters to help beginners get started in basic steps like obtaining information from relatives, drawing family trees, and delving into vital statistics records and censuses. Later chapters guide researchers to more difficult records to find and use, such as parish records, wills, civil and ecclestiastical court documents, poll books, and property records. Herber also leads researchers through the voluminous British archives, gives a detailed view of the resources and available published sources, analyzes the records, and helps them to locate aids and indexes. Perhaps even more important, the work informs readers about the many significant changes that have taken place in British genealogical research in recent years.
Especially interesting is the chapter on religious denominations and their records. In addition to providing details about Catholic and well-known "non-conformist" churches like the Baptists, Presbyterians, Quakers, and Mormons, Herber furnishes information on French Huguenots and the Salvation Army. He also provides material about Jewish records.
The chapter dealing with records of trades, professions, and business contains possibly the work's most unique topic: Gypsy ancestry. Due to the usually itinerant lifestyle of many Gypsies, tracing their lineage can be difficult. To overcome this hurdle, Herber gives information about where to find resources to search.
Although the main focus is genealogical records in England, the work includes data on materials in the Channel Islands, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland, and Wales. It also briefly mentions genealogical resources about the British in such countries as the United States, Australia, Canada, Gibraltar, India, New Zealand, and South Africa. Maintaining the high standards set in the original publication, Herber's revisions and updates show his meticulous attention to detail. As a result, A copy of the second edition of ANCESTRAL TRAILS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BRITISH GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY will be a major asset to library genealogical collections.
The 873-page paperback contains nearly 150 illustrations, 11 appendices, an extensive bibliography, and an index. This new edition normally sells for $34.95. As a special introductory offer, however, the book will be available for $29.95 until August 15, 2006. To the book's price, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $4 for one book and $2.00 for each additional copy; for UPS, the cost is $6 for one copy and $2.50 for each additional book. The volume (item order #2692) may be purchased by check, MasterCard, or Visa from Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, Maryland 21211 (for phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website www.genealogical.com).
Bonnie Bright Johannes, 5594 North 10th, Apt. 103, Fresno, CA 93710-6586 (e-mail: [email protected]) would appreciate information about Marion LAMBERT, born in 1862 in Limestone Co., Alabama, and Ophelia HARGROVE. They married on 15 May 1881 in Limestone Co., Alabama. Did they have any children?