Pocket-books for family historians:-
What Date? books 1 & 2 contain lists of all archives from the 'present-day back to 1650.
What Route? Shows you how to find them.
- Dates of the archives are so important!
- There is a huge variety of archives where information about your ancestors might be found. So when you get stuck - think archives and their dates:-
- These are pocket-books because you need the information, whilst you are actually doing the research in the record offices or by your computer. So carry them with you in readiness.
Here is a sample page from book 1. (14 pages of charts)
Easy to use.
The date span is along the top.
All the archives, and where to find them is listed down the right -hand side of the pages.
The dates of the archives are coloured in grey, so that you can see, at a glance when they are available.

There are 14 pages of archives in the form of a timeline chart, in 'What Date?' book 1.
- In Family History Research it is necessary to have knowledge of the dates of archives.
- This will enable you to know what records can be searched at any one time.
- You also need to know where you can see them and how to search them, so you do not waste precious research time.
Here is how the charts will help you if you wish to move on or get stuck. A sample page from 'What Date? ' book two's 22 pages of listed archives.

- Find the date at which you are stuck
- Trace the date down the timeline.
- Mark all the archives available at the time when your research had stalled.
- The marked archives may remind you of an archive not yet researched or a new area where your elusive ancestor may be lurking!
- Mark all the archives that you HAVE researched, so that you do not repeat your research.
- Your research may often get stuck in certain years. In my tutorials I would ask the students to tell me at 'What Date?' they are stuck, then I would show them all the archives available at that date.
- 'Think Laterally'-'Think Dates'.
These books are so useful!
What Route?
This pocket book, like the ‘What Date?’ series has been developed from my lectures in Family History Research providing a different way of progressing your research.
The 'What Date?' books give you the facts of the archives, so that you make up your own mind where to go.
In 'What Route?' whatever difficulties you are having progressing your research, I give advice on each subject to move you on and 'How to find'... any record.
In this book we explore all avenues that might have the missing evidence. |