In Search of Your British & Irish Roots: A Complete Guide to Tracing Your English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish Ancestors

Jan Roseneder was Bibliographer at the University of Calgary Library.

In his first book, In Search of Your Roots (1978), Angus Baxter discussed how to do genealogical research in Canada. This work, written from a Canadian point of view, tells how to conduct research into family history within the British Isles. There is a great wealth of information contained in this text: addresses, dates, places, “how to” formulas, and what to do for the next step. Records kept in both national (i.e., England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales) and local (county, shire) repositories are dealt with and the many well-known sources listed. These more common records, such as Civil Records, census, and church records, are supplemented by a number of offices and records which would not normally spring to mind, such as annuity on school records. By listing local resources geographically, Baxter has made it easier for researchers to focus on their own particular concerns. There are enough stories and examples of individual research results or problems to both enliven the text and encourage the budding family historian. Specific problems, such as adoption, date and calendar changes, or military records are also covered. In addition to the various archives, record offices, and libraries where primary sources will be found, Baxter has also included the local family history societies which relate to each of the geographic areas.

As is the case with any genealogy text, the addresses, hours, and prices may well have changed. On the whole, however, this is an excellent book for anyone considering or conducting genealogical research in England, Scotland, Wales, or Ireland; it is especially applicable to the beginner.