A Dictionary of Family History: The Genealogist’s ABC
By Jonathan Scott
Pen and Sword, 247 pages, £14.99 When you see a title like A Dictionary of Family History, there is the inevitable thought: "not another book covering the same old stuff." In many ways so this is, but in many ways it is not and the latter triumphs. This is certainly a book worth investing in.
The blurb on the back describes this work as "part encyclopaedia, part dictionary, part almanac… doesn’t claim to be exhaustive, but it is practical, easy to use, entertaining and genuinely informative". And so it is. It's far more than a reference book used solely for looking things up, which will nevertheless always be its main function. Just like its only real predecessor, Terrick VH Fitzhugh’s The Dictionary of Genealogy, originally published in 1985, a great deal can be gained by sitting down and having a good read, both for reminders of what is known or forgotten, but also for new words, events and themes that may never have been considered. The entries include definitions, timelines and terminologies as well as details of archives, websites and counties. You can’t look something up if you don’t know it exists.
Whether this is the place to seek advice on research methodology on topics such as "Getting started" or "Probate tips" is up for debate. There is the occasional error:1801-1831 censuses do include names – admittedly only that of the householder. But many entries such as Magic, British Film Institute, Conventicle Act, E 179 database and People’s History Museum are welcome additions.
Many items would have benefitted from a ‘q.v.’ (which see) or two: for example, there are entries under both Sandhurst and Royal Military Asylum, each expanding on the other but are not cross-referenced.
If you don’t want to rely on Google, Wikipedia and the like for your information, this is undoubtedly a worthy addition to the bookshelf. Paul Blake co-wrote Discover Your Roots and is a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists (SoG)