Tracing Your Ancestors' Childhood: A Guide for Family Historians - Softcover

Every family historian has child ancestors, and childhood experiences and records are an essential aspect of research into a past life. That is why Sue Wilkes's detailed and accessible handbook is such a useful guide for anyone who is trying to find out about the early years of their forbears. In Tracing Your Ancestors' Childhood she explores the history of childhood and education and brings together information about relevant records and archives into one handy reference guide. She outlines ancestors' childhood experiences at home, school, work and in institutions, especially during Victorian times. In the opening chapter she reviews basic family history sources, then she discusses records of childhood in detail. Specialist archives, published sources, recommended reading and other resources and documents are covered. She focuses primarily on England and Wales and covers the years 1750 - 1950. The second part of her book is a directory of archives and specialist repositories. Databases of children's societies, useful genealogy websites, and places to visit which bring the social history of childhood to life are all included.

Sue Wilkes is an established expert on our industrial heritage and a well-known family historian. As well as contributing many articles to history and family history magazines, including BBC History, Ancestors, BBC Who Do You Think You Are? and the online magazine Discover My Past, she has written five books: The Children History Forgot, Narrow Windows, Narrow Lives, Regency Cheshire, Tracing Your Canal Ancestors and Tracing Your Lancashire Ancestors.