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1 - Millions of Ancestors (in preparation) |
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The comfort and low cost of intercontinental travel, earlier retirement
and increased leisure time, together with the easy availability
of computerised data banks, have all combined to promote a serious
interest in family history for many who, a century ago, might
have been quite unenthusiastic about their ancestry. This first
essay analyses the causes of the recent expansion in genealogical
studies, demonstrates why so many researchers are now able to
find the "gateway ancestors" who will lead them back to very early
times, and illustrates with the aid of case studies the support
Moncreiffe's Family Records can give to everyone. Not so many
years ago those who could trace their descent from Charlemagne
thought it quite an exclusive achievement, but with the computerisation
of existing family histories increasing rapidly, hundreds of thousands
more can set out along this fascinating path through mediaeval
history. |
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2 - Coats of Arms as Clues and Evidence (in preparation ) |
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There is a real value in heraldry, to both the historian and the
family genealogist, that goes far beyond the pleasure well-presented
armorial decoration can give the eye. This essay explains how
heraldry can provide useful evidence and illustrates its importance
through the ages with case studies |
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3 - Feudal Titles |
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A review of the ranks of the feudal nobility with special reference
to the changes in the meaning of the term "Baron" through the
centuries. |
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4 - The Origins of the Peerage (in preparation ) |
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A review of the development of the concept of Peerage from the
time of Charlemagne and the contemporary Mormaerships (Earldoms)
of Scotland. |
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5 - The Structure of the Clans (in preparation ) |
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An examination of the role of the clan and its contribution to
social cohesion in the middle ages, and the flourishing life of
clan societies and surname societies today. |
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6 - Calendars and Spelling - Be Wary |
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An explanation of the differences between the Julian and Gregorian
calendars and the consequences of the various dates of modification
in individual countries, together with advice on the treatment
of orthographic inconsistencies |
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7 - Errors to Beware in Burke's Peerage |
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A recent bulletin board message recommended the use of Burke's
Family Index as a guide to the availability of published genealogical
data. This Index is indeed an extremely valuable guide, but researchers
should not treat the Burke's publications it lists with an unquestioning
approval. They do not constitute a scholastic authority. They
have many errors to trap the unwary, and these errors are particularly
awkward for a researcher tracking laterally from one family to
another. This essay uses examples to illustrate the dangers. |
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8 - Heraldic Badges are for Everyone (in preparation ) |
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The widespread use of heraldic badges by Scots all over the world
is an example that could be followed by many other nations. This
essay looks at the origins and the traditional uses of badges,
describes their development and their importance after they became
predominantly heraldic, and recommends ways in which they can
meet the modern requirements for identification and decoration
without destroying the legitimacy that justifies their survival.
The author includes suggestions on how they may be integrated
with the design of home pages for use on the World Wide Web. |
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9 - How to Recognise the Frauds (in preparation ) |
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When Burke's Peerage went into liquidation a few years ago, one
of its most missed services was the instant provision of advice
on the genuineness of titles. Almost every day there would be
a telephone call from some suspicious businessman or hotel or
restaurant to check on the validity of someone's use of a title,
a practice most would believe belonged only to fiction. A recent
and much-publicised case in the British news has concerned the
misdoings of a financial officer at Scotland Yard who used money
from a special fund to "live the life of a lord" in the Scottish
Highlands, and yet it should have been well known (and a hundred
years ago it would have been well known) that the feudal barony
of Chirnside he had bought did not make him a lord as he pretended.
The moment he introduced himself as "Lord Williams" or, as some
newspapers reported, as "Lord Williams of Chirnside", he should
have been caught. This essay explains the privileges attached
to manorial lordships and to feudal baronies and relates them
to the use of peerage titles. |
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Structure of Moncreiffe's Family Records |
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Return to Contents Page |
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