ENGLAND:  POST-1700 SOURCES

BYU HISTORY 413

Winter 2008

Objective: Gain a working knowledge of major genealogical sources for research in England after 1700; prepare for accreditation exam; experience English research first hand.

Course Outline:

	Topic for the evening	Assignments due following class
8 Jan	Introduction, Gazetteers & Maps Landranger Map Series Young’s Local & Administrative Units	Young’s Assignment Landranger Assignment (part of link at left)
15 Jan	Civil Registration Civil Registration Special Indexes	Civil Registration Assignment
22 Jan	Census	Census assignment
29 Jan	Census Indexes: surname, street, CD-ROM Big City Research	Census Index Assignment
05 Feb	Church Records: parish registers part I Historical Background and Timeline	Church Records Assignment 1
12 Feb	Church Records: parish registers part II Church Records: The Parish Church Records: the PVRL	Church Records Assignment 2
19 Feb	NO CLASS (to compensate for Presidents’ Day)	STUDY!
25 Feb	Church Records:Nonconformists, Jews, Catholics and Friends  REVIEW for midterm English NonConformity Quaker – Society of Friends Dr. Williams Library	Nonconformists Assignments (Reading plus four problems)
04 Mar	Midterm Exam (3 hours)
11 Mar	Church Records: parish chest material Poor Law Records	Parish Chest Assignment
18 Mar	Probate Records: History & Strategies Probate Records: Principal Probate Registry Things to Remember about Probate Records	Probate Records Assignment #1
25 Mar	Probate Records: How to Search	Probate Records Assignment #2
01 Apr	Military Records Different Ways of Organizing Seamen's Tickets (Navy) See also--The Irish in the British Army           See also—ARMY (old way) Strategies for Searching Bibliography of British Military Reference Works	Military Records Assignment
08 Apr	Read Hidden Treasures in Land Tax Assessment Records. Print out the form for LTA Research. Read English Deeds for Genealogists: Yorkshire Only. Print out and do the Yorkshire Registry of Deeds assignment. If this is confusing, see Land records, Emigration and Immigration, Naturalization)	Land Tax assignment Yorkshire Registry of Deeds assignment
15 Apr	Societies and Periodicals; REVIEW for final; Makeup **Turn in final reports and projects**	Periodicals Assignment
22 Apr	Final Exam

Grading:	% of final grade
Class attendance and participation	5
Keep a glossary of terms	5
Reading Assignment Presentations	15
Weekly assignments	25
Midterm test score	15
Final exam score	20
Research log for applied research	15

93 - 100 A

85 - 92 B

78 - 84 C

70 - 77 D

below 70 Failing (extra credit possible to help bring up)

Before exams, we will discuss what will be included. Use this period to help you prepare for the test. The test will be based on lecture notes and items found in the various reading or homework assignments

A bibliography will be given to you at the beginning of the course. It does not include every item you may use during the course. The Family History Library collection is large, with a wide range of material. However, you may use additional materials from other libraries (BYU, UofU, Public) which are pertinent to the course.

Each class period will begin with a question/answer period on the previous week's assignment, then student reading presentations, followed by a lecture and discussion of the assigned topic. Any remaining time will be for research, study, and follow-up questions.

Reading Assignment Presentations:

Each student will be required to present a summary of some reading assignments at least twice during the semester. The number and length of these presentations will depend on the number of students enrolled in the course. Points will be awarded for completing the assignment, demonstration of understanding of the material presented, and ability to summarize and communicate the key points of each reading assignment.

Glossary:

Each week, some new terms may be introduced. Make a note of these and by the end of the semester, have a glossary of terms. I suggest entering them into a word processor and then sorting them into alphabetical order. However, you may choose to put yours by topic—whatever seems best to you.

Exams:

The mid-term and final exams are given on the days shown in the above schedule. Please arrange your schedule to be able to attend on those nights. The exams are patterned after the accreditation exams and include both document recognition and a timed research question section.
The exam is intended to be nearly impossible to complete in the time allotted, and requires the student to manage their research time during the exam.

Research Log Guidelines:

Seek to apply the topic of each week to your personal research. If your own family was not in the right time period or place, use any name or ask the instructor for an example to use. You should use a formal research log to record date, call number, what you were looking for, and what you found. The research log should be clear enough for the instructor to figure out what you were trying to do, whether you used the source correctly, and what the scope of recorded results were. You may use a form available at the FHL, or use my custom form available online in Word or RTF format. Be sure to record the results (photocopy or extract acceptable), attach a copy where appropriate, and reference the copy from the research log (that’s what the last column is for). It may be necessary to attach a pedigree or family group record to illustrate the situation. This counts as the equivalent of 10 assignments, so don’t consider it a trivial thing!

Course Text:

Library staff. Research Outline: England. Salt Lake City: Family History Library, 1999. Purchase for $1.75 at the library attendant office, B2.

Herber, Mark D. Ancestral Trails. Stroud, Gloucestershire : Sutton Publishing, Ltd. in association with the Society of Genealogists, ©2004 (FHL Book 942 D27hm 2004). ISBN/ISSN: 080631771X (Note: now available in paperback 2^nd edition) Note: page numbers may not match due to edition differences.

Rogers, Colin D. Tracing Your English Ancestors. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989 (FHL book Ref 942 D27r 1989). Note: page numbers may not match due to edition differences.

You are not required to purchase these books (except the Research Outline). You may use them at the library—just plan your time to allow for it.

We require you to purchase a copy card at the Family History Library (FHL) and to use it to pay for prints during the semester AND for the midterm and final exams. Please have at least a $2 balance on the card before exams.

Other source books will be recommended, but you are not required to purchase any of them. Required readings will be portions of books, so you may photocopy the assigned portions.