The long-awaited fourth edition of this best-selling manual continues to
offer up-to-date guidance both to newcomers and to the more experienced, on
how to make best use of the labyrinth of genealogical sources in England and
Wales. It takes into account recent, and even some future, changes to the
civil registration system, and incorporates many of the vast sources newly
available on the internet. There is also a substantial bibliography for
those who discover that their ancestors migrated from other countries. New
appendices provide research into underregistration of birth and death, and
hitherto unpublished details from the 1915 and 1939 National Registers.
'The Family Tree Detective' remains an indispensible source of information on how to locate births, marriages and
deaths, and alternative strategies if those searches fail.
Contents:
List of Illustrations
List of Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Preface
A Note on Presentation
1. Introduction
- Preamble
- Where to Start
- Getting Organised
- Asking Questions
2. Looking for Parents
- Birth Certificates, 1837 to the Present Day
- The Census, 1801 to the Present Day
- Church Baptism, 1558 to the Present Day
- The Middle Ages, c.1300-1558
3. Looking for Marriages
- Marriage Certificates, 1837 to the Present Day
- Civil Partnerships
- Marriage in Church, 1558 to the Present Day
4. Looking for Deaths
- Death Certificates, 1837 to the Present Day
- Church Burial, 1538 to the Present Day
- Finding a Death Before 1538
5. Epilogue
Appendix 1. Underregistration in the Early Years of Civil Registration
Appendix 2. The National Registration Act of 1915
Appendix 3. The National Registration Act of 1939
Appendix 4. Employing Professional Help
References
Index
