Magazines, Books & DVD’s

If you have worked your way through the first five lessons you may well have been bitten by the family history bug and will be ready to buy your own genealogy books as opposed to borrowing them from your local library. Whilst the library is a great resource there is nothing like having your own copies of books that you will be referring to on a regular basis. Next time someone asks what you would like as a gift you will have a ready answer for them.

MAGAZINES

I subscribe to almost all of the major family history magazines and am moving my subscription over to e-magazines as they come due. This means I don’t have such a huge pile of magazines to store and I always have something good to read on my iPad when I am travelling !

So here is a run down of those that I read each month.

Who Do You Think You Are?

Linked to the popular TV series this magazine offers stories about the research that goes on behind each episode and also has articles aimed to assist those of us who are celebrities and don’t have our ancestry traced for us by a team of professionals. Plenty of practical advice, book reviews and all the latest news. I always enjoy getting the latest edition.

Available in newsagents, by subscription and also as an e-magazine.

E-Magazine http://www.zinio.com and key in “Genealogy”

Your Family Tree

Your Family Tree magazine has a host of experts who each month help a selection of readers solve their genealogy problems. Each issue has a good spread of articles aimed at all levels of expertise so something for everyone. Good magazine that builds into a good resource that you can always come back to.

Available in newsagents, by subscription and also as an e-magazine.

E-Magazine http://www.zinio.com and key in “Genealogy”

Your Family History

This magazine has the well known tv genealogist Nick Barratt at the helm, informative, colourful and always interesting each edition is worth keeping to and referring back to. The editors seem to have insider information on many of the new releases from the major subscription sites such as Ancestry.co.uk and FindMyPast.co.uk so readers are kept up to date with new releases.

Available in newsagents and by subscription.

BOOKS

These are books that I can recommend.

Ancestral Trails by Mark Herber

This book has become, quite rightly, known as the family history bible. If you are only buying one book then this is the book to buy. Mark Herber is a solicitor. He has been researching his own family tree since 1979 and has traced some lines back to about 1580 so he has plenty of experience of sources.  Divided into chapters for each type of document the book is of use for those just setting out on their ancestral quest to researchers with many years of experience. There is always something new to learn in genealogy and this book is sure to please all levels of expertise.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/ancestraltrails

Tracing Your Family History on the Internet by Chris Paton

Chris Paton is a well known family historian, his website http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/ is a popular blog amongst genealogists. In this book Chris writes about how to get the most out of the internet to aid your family history. It seems that every day there is something new to look at for the family historian on the internet.  Then there is social media to get to grips with. All is dealt in an informed manner. The internet is a genealogical wonderful tool, but as Chris points out you need to be cautious and bear in mind that you can’t believe everything just because it is on the internet. 

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Family-History-on-Internet-Chris-Paton

The Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers edited by Cecil Humphrey-Smith

I don’t think this book is published in paperback and if it was I would be telling you to pay a little more and get it in hardback. You will refer to this book so much that a paperback version would soon fall to pieces ! The Atlas consists of a double spread of pages for each county of England and Wales.  One page is of a Victorian map of the county so useful for see where the rivers and canals were and where the roads ran and the facing pace is a map of the county divided up into parishes. The parish maps you will use most, it is essential to know which parishes neighbour your ancestral parish and printed on each parish is the start date for the parish registers.

In the latter half of the book there is a list per county of each parish and details such as where the original registers are held, if there are any transcripts etc. Definitely a book to have on your desk.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Phillimore-Atlas-Index-

Palaeography for Family and Local Historians by Hilary Marshall

This book is for the more advanced family historian, but once you get into the 17th century and earlier you will find that you need to learn how to read old handwriting. The first thing to remember is that it is not as scary as it looks with help from Hilary Marshall book and some practise you will soon be working on transcribing your first will or other document which at first sight seems to be a jumble of ink splatters on a page !

There is also information on reading Latin and a words list that will help you read the key words in a document. This is a book that you will need close to hand once you have reached the 17th century.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Palaeography-for-Family-Local-Historians

The Dictionary of Genealogy by Susan Lumas, edited by Terrick V H Fitzhugh

I have an earlier edition of this book and find it excellent as a reference on all sorts of unusual subjects that you come across when researching. The legal system, various religions, education, emigration, surnames and a whole lot more is covered. The book does get updated every few years, but really doesn’t go out of date.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Dictionary-Genealogy

More will be added shortly ……..