by Bob Osborn

Thirty five years of research have gone into the creation of this fascinating electronic book that charts the fortunes of a large number of interconnected families.

With its twenty seven contextual and themed chapters, fully illustrated with nearly one hundred drawings, photographs, maps and pedigree charts, this delightful and interesting book delves into a huge range of genealogical, social and historical material to examine the impact of four hundred years of history on thirteen generations of ordinary, yet extraordinary, people. 

Most chapters also develop a theme of historical, social or genealogical importance while examining individual family groups. From the historical perspective we see the effects of the English Civil War, several major riots and strikes as well as assaults, highway robbery and attempted murder - transportation, gaol and the gibbet! From the social viewpoint are examined the effects of the Poor Laws, Settlement Acts, education and apprenticeship, trades and wages, and the roles played in local communities - the Parish Clerk, the Overseer of the Poor, Members of the Vestry, and so on. In later chapters the eBook features the mass migrations from local rural communities into the crowded cities during the Industrial Revolution. We also get a close-up view of life for factory workers - especially in the munitions industries. Several chapters pay special attention to the information that may be gleaned from specific genealogical resources - parish registers and records, the national census and civil registration documents.