Agricultural labourers (also known as 'ag labs') as an occupational
group have always been of interest to family historians but most have given up
on the idea of finding records about them apart from the usual sources such as
census, registration certifications and parish registers. As for them leaving a
will, most family historians have not even considered looking to see if they
did or did not leave one.
The author who has a lot of agricultural labourers in his
own family, was extremely surprised by the amount of information that was
available. After presenting this topic as a lecture a number of times all of
which are extremely popular, the author was inspired to compile this book.
Divided into two parts, the first deals with the lives of agricultural
labourers and their families and how they were affected by social and economic
conditions prevailing throughout their lives, virtually meaning they lived in
or near poverty most of the time.
The second part is the ‘how to research’ section outlining
the many different records from which information can be obtained during your
research.
As this book was written and published in the UK, the records
mentioned throughout relate to those in the UK.
Contents:
About the Author
List of Illustrations
Introduction
Do You Have Agricultural Labourers in Your Family Tree?
Part 1: The Lifestyle of an Agricultural Labourer
- The Rural Economy Affecting
Agricultural Labourers
- The Agricultural Phenomenon
- Agricultural Trade Unions
- The Agricultural Depression and its
Effects
- The Life of an Agricultural Labourer
and his Family
- The National Scene
- Changes Affecting the Countryside and
the Agricultural Labourer
- Heath, Old Age and Death
Past 2: Researching Agricultural Labourers
- Basic Records
- Records Associated with Employment
- Rural Pauperism
- Vaccination Records
- Local Records
- Maps, Photographs and Other Useful
Records
Conclusion
The Records – A Summary
Parliamentary Papers Relating to Agricultural Labourers
Suggested Reading
Specialist Newspapers
Index
