An introductory overview on English History and its effect on sources and repositories. Understand where to look for records and how to access.
Understanding the historical and geographical context of England is vital for any researcher aiming to trace their lineage across the British Isles. In the webinar “English Context: History, sources, and repositories,” professional genealogist Paul Milner provides a foundational roadmap for navigating the complexities of English research. He emphasizes that a clear grasp of shifting political boundaries—such as the distinction between the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and Crown Dependencies—is the first step in identifying where records were created and where they are housed today. By moving beyond basic record-searching to understand the social and historical structures of the past, genealogists can more effectively solve complex family mysteries.
Political and Geographical Clarity: Researchers must distinguish between the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) and Crown Dependencies like the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, which are self-governing and maintain independent record-keeping systems.
Diverse Repository Ecosystem: While the National Archives is a primary resource, critical records are often decentralized across County and Diocesan Record Offices, specialized academic libraries, and local history societies that focus on specific manors or one-place studies.
Methodological Skill Building: Success in English research requires developing analytical skills and a deep knowledge of historical sources, such as the manorial system or apprenticeship records, which often pre-date or supplement standard civil registration.
For any genealogist looking to advance their research from simple name-searching to professional-grade historical analysis, viewing the full webinar is highly recommended. The session offers a deep dive into obscure but powerful resources like the EThOS database for PhD theses and the extensive British Newspaper Archive. To further enhance your journey, we invite you to explore the additional resources, specific website links, and comprehensive bibliographies included in Paul Milner’s detailed eight-page syllabus.
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Syllabus
Wow! Amazing stuff. So much information and resources available that I had no idea about . Thanks for that . Fascinating stuff . Certainly an eye opener.
Outstanding overview of British sites and sources and gave me new avenues to search. Thank you very much.
Very knowledgeable. Thanks.
Always LOVE to hear Mr. Milner’s talks–ever since I saw him in person at an NGS conference in Grand Rapids. This man has so much knowledge in his head and is generous enough to share it all with us! Today’s talk was mostly introductory, but as usual I learned a lot. Great syllabus, too!
This excites me as my family research focuses on both John Evelyn the Diarist and Rev John T. Rogers the Martyr. John Rogers is my 11th great-grandfather. John Evelyn is my 1st cousin 11x removed. I hope to research places to visit for more info and history. Thanks!
Another great webinar from Paul. Full of very useful and interesting information. I was wondering how I was going to find out how my Irish ancestors got to New York. Now I know I can research the ships that came and went. Thank you.
Very thorough and totally captivating!!! Thank you for the great syllabus. Clara in NE
Extremely helpful and might take me a few years to go through it all. But I did enjoy many aspects of the talk.