British

What Can the British College of Arms Do for You?

What Can the British College of Arms Do for You?

The British College of Arms is a little known and little used genealogical resource for American genealogists. Yet, it has one of the richest collections of British genealogical records available, with some of them being primary source family trees begun 600 years ago or more and added to ever since. Genealogy has always been an important part of life for the British royal and noble families. They needed to prove their ancestry for inheritance purposes, as well as to get more prestigious positions and titles and to increase their respect among their peers. A good genealogy could also secure a quality marriage for the child of a noble family. That is why these genealogies began being collected in medieval times and put into the custody of the College of Arms. The British College of Arms continues this work, and more, today. This is what the British College of Arms can do for you to help you enhance your own British genealogy, and how to go about getting their assistance.

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The Evolution of Florida

The Evolution of Florida

Florida has a long and checkered history in North America. The indigenous culture remained a uniform one from what the archaeological evidence tells, until about 500 years ago. At that time, the native people began to divide into distinctive tribes, which they remained in throughout the period of Spanish, British, and American colonization.

Florida was continuously inhabited by European colonists beginning in 1513 with the Spanish. The Spanish had a monopoly on European colonization in Florida until the late 1600’s, when French and British explorers began to set up rival settlements. Native American tribes took sides with the various colonists, usually whoever was fighting against their rival tribes. Attacks were made upon Spanish settlements by both the French and the British with the help of their Native allies. Yet, the Spanish managed to retain their control of most of Florida for a very long time.

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In Search of Your British & Irish Roots

In Search of Your British & Irish Roots

Genealogy Book Club Recommendation:

Whether you conduct your research in person or by mail, this celebrated manual–now in its Fourth Edition–will guide you in finding your ancestors in Britain or Ireland. Noted genealogist Angus Baxter provides detailed instructions for locating records abroad and shows how easy it is to do it by mail–or on a vacation trip!

He begins with step-by-step instructions on drawing up a family tree, and explains how to use sources close at hand. The search continues by correspondence with family history societies, record offices, and other organizations listed here, before concluding with a possible–but not essential–trip to the source, Britain or Ireland.

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