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The reviews are the opinion of the editor (unless indicated otherwise). They are solely for the aid of our readers. Reviews appear in every issue of the journal. If you would like to subscribe or order any back issue, please click here. To return to the master index of reviews, please click here. This review was published in 2001
The Genealogical Publishing Company, 1001 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, reprints the following books and CD-ROMs. Phone orders can be placed at 1-800-296-6687 or fax 1-410-752-8492 with a VISA or Master Card number. Postage for one item is $3.50. For each additional item add $1.25. Maryland residents please add 5% sales tax and Michigan residents add 6% sales tax.
General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland (Baltimore: GPC, reprint 2000), hardcover, 968 pp. $50.00. This index is based on the 1851 census of Ireland and is one of the primary sources for Irish research. The townland is the smallest land unit in Ireland. This index identifies over 70,000 townland to which county, barony, parish, poor law union, and the location on the Ordinance Survey maps. Tying the townland to the appropriate parish is the key for successful Irish research. It is a great service to keep this basic reference source in print. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records edited by Lorraine Cook White is a reprinting of the marvelous manuscript created by Lucius Barnes Barbour between 1911 and 1934 in which 137 towns' vital records were transcribed. Originally, only four copies were made. Now, the town of your interest or the entire collection can be yours. Each alphabetically arranged volume contains births, marriages, and deaths, and the original volume and page to the source of each entry. On marriage listings, the spouse's surname is in bold and capitalized for easy scanning. Unknown surnames entries appear at the end of a town. This series is one of the best transcriptions GPC could have picked to make valuable records more widely available to genealogists!
Genealogical Research in England's Public Record Office: A Guide for North Americans by Judith Reid and Simon Fowler. (Baltimore: GPC, 2nd ed., 2000), hardcover, xiv + 167 pp. Indexed. $22.50. The PRO recently moved the original records outside of London and created a Family Records Centre in central London. This low-cost guide is designed for genealogists beginning their research in England for the first time. A step-by-step approach to the Public Record Office (PRO) is presented by when to use the PRO, a guide to the facilities, finding aids there, general migration, and basic sources of census, vital records, probate, military, taxation, and other records. The England records are arranged differently then here in the U.S. Before you start your English research, read this book. What's in a Name? Everything You Wanted to Know by Leonard R. N. Ashley. (Baltimore: GPC, rev. ed., reprint 2000), softcover, xii + 257 pp. $17.95. The study of onomastics has always been a part of the scholarly genealogical field. This is an entertaining read on the subject by one of the leaders in that field. Ashley takes a look at first, last, and nicknames. Place names, businesses and objects are also discussed. There is even a guide to name, or not name, your child! If you need a break from your genealogy, but still like to learn more about your world, you will enjoy reading this work. International Vital Records Handbook by Thomas Jay Kemp. (Baltimore: GPC, 4th ed., 2000), 8½"x11", softcover, xiv + 603 pp. $34.95. This is a handy book for every public library and genealogist that do not have an internet connection. The U.S. data is available on the web in the most current form. If you do much writing for certificates, it is more convenient to have this book. Each state lists the availability of vital records and a form to mail in. Some are pdf files downloaded from the web. Others give phone numbers where records can be ordered by using a credit card. Under Vermont, Kemp did discover the change in the adoption law allowing records to be searched under certain restriction. It was not noted that all adoption records over 99 years are now open. The greatest value of this book is the collection of data on foreign countries and the general U.S. data on citizen's events in other countries and U.S. Trust Territories. This data is not readily available. Not all countries have forms, but the appropriate address will be there. A bonus is that the address is given for every country's embassy in the U.S.
© Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2011 Please report any broken links, additions, or corrections to the webmaster. Page updated 14 April 2011
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