Books for the Genealogist

COLE, Jean & TITFORD, John
Tracing Your Family Tree: the comprehensive guide to discovering your family history
Countryside Books. 3rd edition. 2000
Straightforward explanation of basic sources for the family historian. Includes sections on civil registration, census returns, parish registers, International Genealogical Index, probate records and non-conformist registers. Contains useful addresses and a glossary of terms, abbreviations and colloquialisms used in family history.

TITFORD, John
Succeeding in Family History
Countryside Books. 2001
Covers the basic sources. Full of hints and tips based on the author’s own experience of family history research. Discusses the reasons for errors and omissions on civil registration records. A very readable book for the beginner.

BEVAN, Amanda
Tracing Your Ancestors in the Public Record Office
Public Record Office. 6th revised edition. 2002
This is a useful guide for anyone intending to visit the Public Record Office. Contains detailed information about the range of documents available at the PRO and at the Family records centre. Includes sections on army, navy, merchant navy and immigrations records.

CHRISTIAN, Peter
The Genealogist’s Internet
Public Record Office. 2001
Although this is not a book for the beginner to the Internet it does give some information about the basics. The book concentrates on web sites that have stood the test of time and includes sections about on-line starting points, sources on-line, archives and libraries, surnames and pedigrees and gazetteers and maps. It is important to bear in mind that the Internet can only provide part of the information needed to trace ancestors and it is still necessary to consult printed sources to check details.