Tracing Your Ancestors from 1066 to 1837

Jonathan Oates • £12.99
Pen & Sword

The trail that an ancestor leaves through the Victorian period and the 20th century is relatively easy to follow – the records are plentiful, accessible and commonly used. But how do you go back further, into the centuries before the central registration of births, marriages and deaths was introduced in 1837, before the first detailed census records of 1841? How can you trace a family line back through the early modern period and perhaps into the Middle Ages? Jonathan Oates’s clearly written new handbook gives you all the background knowledge you need in order to go into this engrossing area of family history research.

He starts by describing the administrative, religious and social structures in the medieval and early modern period and shows how these relate to the family historian. Then in a sequence of accessible chapters he describes the variety of sources the researcher can turn to, including church and parish registers, manorial and property records, and many more.

Guide to the Crew of Titanic

Günter Bäbler • £20
The History Press

Much has been written about Titanic, the British passenger liner that sank on her maiden voyage after a collision with an iceberg in 1912; however, until now little mention has been made about the intricate world of the ship’s complement, which comprised more than the total of third-class passengers alone.

Titanic researcher Günter Bäbler examines in detail the working structure of the crew, including the complex arrangement of the engineering department and information on tips, salaries and hidden bonuses, while each of the 899 crew members on board is mentioned.

This valuable study breathes life into the forgotten but significant story of the ship and its relationship to its crew, of whom over 75 per cent died when Titanic sank.

My European Family

Karin Bojs • £16.99
Shire Books

Science journalist Karin Bojs grew up in a small, broken family. My European Family tells the story of Europe and its people through its genetic legacy, from the first wave of immigration to the present day, weaving in the latest archaeological findings. Karin goes deep in search of her genealogy over the last 54,000 years; by having her DNA sequenced she was able to trace the path of her ancestors back through the Viking and Bronze ages to the Neolithic and beyond. Travelling to dozens of countries to follow the story, she explores her roots from a uniquely pan-European perspective.