Chapman Record Cameos

A very useful and authoritative series of books by Colin R. Chapman, the eminent British genealogist (originator of the Chapman county codes). They are available from various on-line bookshops and specialist genealogy booksellers.

Tracing Your British Ancestors. Colin R Chapman. iv + 108pp. Lochin Publishing. ISBN 1-873686-07-2.

An essential guide for beginners and more experienced researchers tracing their roots in England, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Besides the commonly used records, some more unusual sources are suggested. Particular attention is paid to researchers who cannot visit the archives in person and have to conduct their research by mail or other means. There are chapters on subscribed/registered research, census returns, parish registers and transcripts, probate records, other church records, old and new poor laws, land records, military records, family history societies, heraldry and writing up the results of research. Very many current addresses, books recommended for further reading, and a useful index are included.

Pre-1841 Censuses & Population Listings in the British Isles. Colin R Chapman. 4th edition. vi + 82 pp. Lochin Publishing. ISBN 1-873686-08-0.

Background details on censuses and listings from 1086 to 1841 in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Many lists contain names, ages, addresses, occupations and birthplaces of individuals. Some listings were required by central or local government for military purposes (muster rolls and militia lists), or to aid collection of levies, fines and taxes (poll tax, subsidy lists, hearth, window and land taxes, etc), others were required by Church authorities to determine who was (and who was not) regularly attending Church. An appendix lists which censuses for 1801, 1811, 1821 and 1831 contain names of people. There are over 200 references and a comprehensive index.

The Growth of British Education & Its Records. Colin R Chapman. 2nd edition. iv + 84 pp. Lochin Publishing. ISBN 1-873686-05-6.

An historical description of education and the present whereabouts of its records in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Schools of every description, universities, reformatories, military and adult academies were provided by the State, by charities, by endowments, by religious bodies of all denominations, by professional institutions and by individuals. Of great help to family, social and educational historians are the surviving records of student admissions and attendances, teachers' log books, reports, honours and awards, punishments, accounts and managers' and governors' meetings. This indexed book identifies where these records may be found with numerous addresses to contact given throughout the text.

Ecclesiastical Courts, Their Officials and Their Records. Colin R Chapman. iv + 76pp. Lochin Publishing. ISBN 1-873686-03-X.

An easy-to-understand explanation of the complex organisation and procedures of Church Courts and their officials. Ecclesiastical Courts granted probate (wills and Letters of Administration), issued common and special marriage licences and honorary degrees, heard cases of, and passed judgement on, sexual misconduct of parishioners and priests, abuse and defamation of neighbours and the appointment and discipline of the clergy. The depositions (statements) of witnesses were recorded in graphic detail, mostly in English; these are a much under-used source for family history and are excellent for migration studies. The present location of Church Court records is provided in this indexed book to encourage researchers to make greater use of the material.

How Heavy, How Much & How Long?: Weights, money and other measures used by our ancestors. Colin R Chapman. iv + 92pp. Lochin Publishing. ISBN, GL11 5RS. ISBN 1-873686-09-9.

Thousands of units of weight, money and other measures used in the past throughout the British Isles are laid out in over 100 tables with their relationships to each other and to modern units of measurement. There are chapters on general numeration, length, area, volume and capacity, weight and mass, money and metric units. Such information is invaluable for anyone studying wills, inventories, accounts, letters and journals, surveys and maps. The index to the tables includes goods which were commonly measured and the units by which they were quantified.