BOOKS & DIGITAL PICKS
by Ian Maxwell Pen and Sword, 202 pages, £14.99
This month’s family history inspiration
Structured across 15 chapters, Ian Maxwell's latest book starts by providing the basics of how to research in Glasgow, establishing a brief overview of the city's history, and describing some of the key documentary resources that can help with research. The rest of the book then tackles a range of themes in dedicated chapters – for example, the history of the Church in Glasgow, a portrait of Glasgow at War, the Health and Welfare establishments of the city, and how Glaswegians enjoyed themselves through Sport and Entertainment. An appendix lists some of the key Scottish websites, with a useful bibliography and index.
In seeking to provide a broad flavour of the city as a historical canvas, Maxwell's book hits the mark, but for those seeking some advice on ancestral research strategies, there are some oddly frustrating omissions. For example, while the book does mention the Mitchell Library as an important resource, and its role in housing the city's archives, it barely mentions the all-important Glasgow Genealogy Centre. This is briefly referenced within the Glasgow at War section where it is noted simply as 'the Registrars', and not included in the Key Records section where it should have been given equal prominence to ScotlandsPeople, providing access as it does to the same records.
The author also appears to have decided not to discuss how to research Glaswegian ancestors using many key resources hosted on commercial genealogy websites such as Ancestry and Findmypast. For example, if we take the Glasgow at War chapter, it describes the history of various regiments, but provides no advice on how to locate service records.
While the book will be useful for those with Glaswegian ancestors, it will unfortunately still leave the reader seeking answers to some basic questions.