Slightly off-mint

Family papers and annotated books can contain a treasure trove of information about your ancestors, especially those from the Victorian period onwards, when greater literacy and social mobility inspired increasing written communication. Ruth Symes, a genealogical expert, details the ways that family historians can interpret and research unpublished writings, from postcards, diaries and poetry to humble signatures.

Once you have tracked down the names, dates and places in your family tree, this handbook will help you to explore further by investigating the day-to-day experience of your forebears. It contains advice on the best sources and methods for research into British social history and presents a variety of case studies that illustrate topics of special interest to family historians, such as economic and demographic change, domestic life and education.

Family history is often seen as concerned with the traditional heterosexual unit, but what of ancestors who were attracted to same-sex partners? This first history of gay relationships aimed specifically at family historians offers valuable insights into those often seen as outcasts. Empathetic and meticulously researched, it charts the ways in which gay men and women lived their lives, from the Mollies and Sapphists of Georgian England to the Wolfenden Report of 1957.

In 1695, the short-lived Marriage Duty Act imposed a tax on births, marriages and burials, as well as an annual charge on bachelors over the age of 25 and childless widowers. The tax assessment relied on censuses and seven of these documents have survived for Lyme Regis. Transcribed in this volume, with a substantial introduction, the censuses give a valuable insight into the life and social structure of the town between 1695 and 1703.