England Using Gazeteers: Difference between revisions

<br>Where Your Ancestor Lived<br>Guide<br>Introduction<br>Once you have identified the name of a place where your ancestor lived, you should learn more<br>about it. Knowing details about a place will help you find records about your ancestor. Sources<br>that provide information about places include:<br>• Gazetteers.<br>• Topographical dictionaries.<br>What You Are Looking For<br>The information you find varies from source to source. In these sources you may find information<br>about:<br>• Location.<br>• Jurisdictions.<br>• Local religions.<br>• Geographical descriptions.<br>• Manors or estates.<br>• Industries and manufacturing.<br>• Land use.<br>• Population.<br>Steps<br>These 5 steps will help you find information about a place in England.<br>Step 1. Choose a place where your ancestor lived.<br>Look at the information you have gathered and choose the name of a town or parish where your<br>ancestor lived. If only the county or country is known, go to How To Find a Place-Name.<br>Step 2. Choose a gazetteer.<br>Choose a gazetteer to search. The following gazetteers are listed in order of the amount and<br>value of the information they give. These gazetteers are available at the Family History Library.<br>Other gazetteers may be available at a library near you. You may want to look at more than one<br>gazetteer to gather details about the place you have chosen.<br>England, How to Find Information About the Place Where Your Ancestor LIved<br>Research Guidance<br>Version of Data: 03/08/01<br>2<br>Title Publication Date Features<br>Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of<br>England and Wales.<br>about 1870 Gives location, jurisdictions,<br>geographical description, local religions,<br>local manors or estates, industries and<br>manufacturing, land use, and population.<br>Lewis' Topographical<br>Dictionary of England.<br>1831 and later;<br>several editions<br>Gives location, jurisdictions,<br>geographical description, local religions,<br>local manors or estates, industries and<br>manufacturing, land use, and population.<br>Cassell's Gazetteer of Great<br>Britain and Ireland.<br>1894-1898 Gives location, jurisdictions,<br>geographical description, local religions,<br>local manors or estates, industries and<br>manufacturing, land use, and population.<br>The Parliamentary Gazetteer<br>of England and Wales<br>1846 Gives location, jurisdictions,<br>geographical description, local religions,<br>local manors or estates, industries and<br>manufacturing, land use, and population.<br>Bartholomew's Survey<br>Gazetteer of the British Isles.<br>Original, 1904;<br>9th edition, 1943;<br>reprinted 1966<br>Gives location and geographical<br>description; also gives jurisdictions,<br>industries and manufacturing, and<br>population for larger cities.<br>Smith's Genealogical<br>Gazetteer of England.<br>1968 Gives location, jurisdictions, local<br>religions, population, and date of earliest<br>parish registers.<br>Bartholomew's Gazetteer of<br>Places in Britain.<br>1986 Gives location, geographical description,<br>and includes maps.<br>Gazetteers and topographical dictionaries are not the only sources for information about placenames.<br>For more sources, see Tip 1.<br>Step 3. Obtain a copy of a gazetteer.<br>You can find gazetteers at:<br>• Family History Centers.<br>• The Family History Library.<br>• Other archives and libraries.<br>Step 4. Search the gazetteer for the place-name.<br>Once you have obtained a copy of a gazetteer, look for the name of the place where your<br>ancestor lived. Information in gazetteers is arranged alphabetically by the place-name.<br>If you cannot find the place in a gazetteer or other place-name source, see Tip 2.<br>Step 5. Copy the information and note the source.<br>Copy the information about the place-name onto family group sheets, a pedigree chart, and in<br>your notes. Some of the information may not seem helpful at this time but may be important in<br>future research. You may want to make a photocopy of the information directly from the source.<br>England, How to Find Information About the Place Where Your Ancestor LIved<br>Research Guidance<br>Version of Data: 03/08/01<br>3<br>Be sure to write down the source of the information on a research log, including any library call<br>numbers. Be specific when writing down this information. If you should ever need to look at the<br>source again, your documentation will show where to find it. If anyone else should consult your<br>research, they will also see where to find the source. Your research log will serve as a guide to<br>your research.<br>Tips<br>Tip 1. Where else can I find information about a place?<br>Information about places can also be found in:<br>• County histories.<br>• Town or parish histories.<br>• County directories.<br>• Descriptive regional guides.<br>Look for these other types of sources in the FamilySearch Catalog. Go to What to Do<br>Next, select the Catalog, and look for the county, town, or parish, and your topic of choice.<br>Tip 2. What if I cannot find the place-name in any of the<br>suggested sources?<br>You may not find a place-name because it is:<br>• Misspelled.<br>• Known by another name.<br>• Obsolete.<br>• A farm or other property name.<br>The following sources may help you identify and locate your place-name:<br>• The Ordnance Survey Gazetteer of Great Britain. This is a good source for smaller localities if<br>they still exist today. This gazetteer relates to the detailed, large scale Landranger maps<br>published by the Ordnance Survey Office of Great Britain.<br>• English Place Names Society publications. These books discuss the historical use of place<br>names, name changes, disuse, and alternate spellings. This is an ongoing project and not all<br>counties have been published yet. Those that have been are found in the Family History<br>Library Catalog. Go to What to Do Next, select the catalog, and look for your county of<br>interest and the topic of NAMES, GEOGRAPHICAL.<br>Tip 3. How can I find a map showing the place where my<br>ancestor lived?<br>For information on how to find a map, see How To Find Maps.<br>England, How to Find Information About the Place Where Your Ancestor LIved<br>Research Guidance<br>Version of Data: 03/08/01<br>4<br>Where to Find It<br>Family History Centers<br>Family History Centers have gazetteers for England on microfiche. Other place-name sources<br>may be available on microfiche or microfilm. Centers can purchase microfiche or borrow microfilm<br>from the Family History Library. There is a small fee to have a microfilm sent on loan to a center.<br>Family History Centers are located throughout the United States and other areas of the world.<br>Find a Family History Center near you.<br>Family History Library<br>The Family History Library has several gazetteers and other place-name sources for England in<br>book form as well as on microfilm or microfiche. There is no fee for using the library's collection in<br>person.<br>You may request photocopies of pages from a gazetteer or other source from the library for a<br>small fee. You will need to fill out a Request for Photocopies form, which is available at all Family<br>History Centers. Complete the form with the book, film, or fiche number you found in your search<br>of the FamilySearch Catalog (see What to Do Next). Send the form and payment to the<br>Family History Library.<br>Other Archives and Libraries<br>Addresses for archives and libraries can be found at Ready, 'Net, Go. Select Master List of<br>Archives.