Tracing British Roots
1. Determine the county, or better yet, the parish of origin. Clues may be found in a variety of sources -- land records, wills, church records, obituaries.
2. Make sure that the immigrant put down roots. Hopefully he or she will have left descendants in the area.
3. Examine all possible available records to extend the immigrant's ancestry back into England, Scotland, or Ireland. Locating these records may be easier than one thinks. There are a variety of sources--print, manuscript or microfilm--at local repositories.
- Published parish registers at the George Peabody Library or Library of Congress.
o Sylvia Timmons compiled a checklist of parish registers at the Peabody
o Arthur M. Burke published a Key to the Ancient Parish Registers.
- Published county histories at the George Peabody Library or Library of Congress
- Published periodicals with genealogical material.
o The Genealogist's Magazine.
o Periodicals with the terms archaeological or topographical in their titles
o Publications of county /family history societies.
- Microfilms of parish registers or probate records at Family History Centers.
- Land records at the Maryland State Archives.
- Local church records at the Maryland State Archives.
- Published pre-colonial lineage books.
- Other published family histories.
- There are a number of indices to published British Family Histories
o Marshall.
o Whitmore.
o Bowers
4. Evaluate your findings. Information in family histories may lack documentation. Use primary sources wherever possible.
5. Place the family in its community or in the history of the county or country of residence.
- Consult the Dictionary of National Biography.
For more information visit The Guide to History/Family History: Overseas Research or the Guide to Ethnic Sources.
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