The Victoria Cross is Britain and the Commonwealth's most prestigious gallantry medal for courage in the face of the enemy. It has been bestowed upon 1,355 heroic individuals from all walks of life since its creation during the Crimean War. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated with bravery since he was a young boy, now owns 200 VCs, by far the largest collection of its kind in the world. Following on from the bestselling Victoria Cross Heroes, first published in 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of the award, Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II gives extraordinary accounts of the bravery behind the newest additions to Lord Ashcroft's VC collection - those decorations purchased in the last decade. With nearly sixty action-packed stories of courageous soldiers, sailors and airmen from a range of global conflicts including the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58, the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 and the First and Second World Wars, this book is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and a worthy tribute to the servicemen who earned the Victoria Cross. Their inspirational deeds of valour and self-sacrifice should be championed and never forgotten.

This new edition is a comprehensive research guide to all of Maryland's family history resources, including libraries, archives, historical and genealogical societies. An updated bibliography includes hundreds of the most valuable genealogical book titles as well as available e-mail addresses, web sites, and fax numbers for all the state's research centers and societies. The Guide is organized into sections such as Vital Records, Church Records, Tax Lists, and Special Finding Aids.

17c wills revealing the details and preoccupations of past lives. -To wife Elizabeth, tenement where testator now dwells; on her death, same to go to grandchild Robert Large & heirs. To go to daughter Frances Miller, pair of sheets & stock of bees in the orchard- Early wills make compulsive reading and supply invaluable information for social, local and economic historians, and for genealogists. The Archdeaconry of Sudbury corresponded broadly to the administrative county of West Suffolk. The editor of this collection, a professional historian, brings out any indication of the religious beliefs of the testator, and everything to do with the life and domestic environment of the family. The volume is rich in detail, both personal, shedding light on the personalities of those involved, and specific, as in old place-names and geographical references. The vivid and telling contents should stimulate everyone interested in history, whether of Suffolk or of England, andgive a fascinating insight into life at the time. [East Anglian] This volume contains the wills of 576 people in the Archdeaconry of Sudbury (corresponding broadly to the administrative county of West Suffolk). Like its predecessors, it is of exceptional interest for social, local and economic historians, and for genealogists, and makes compulsive reading for the layman. Rich in detail, its vivid and beguiling contents illuminate the characters of those involved, old place-names and geographical references and give a fascinating insight into life during the first half of the seventeenth century.Wills volumes already published: Wills of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury, 1630-1635 (EVANS) 0 85115 492 1, 19.50/$39.00 Wills of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk, 1620-1624 (ALLEN) 0 85115 530 8, 19.50/$39.00

Sheriffs were among the most important local office-holders in early modern England. They were generalist officers of the king responsible for executing legal process, holding local courts, empanelling juries, making arrests, executing criminals, collecting royal revenue, holding parliamentary elections, and many other vital duties. Although sheriffs have a cameo role in virtually every book about early modern England, the precise nature of their work has remained something of a mystery. The Tudor Sheriff offers the first comprehensive analysis of the shrieval system between 1485 and 1603. It demonstrates that this system was not abandoned to decay in the Tudor period, but was effectively reformed to ensure its continued relevance. Jonathan McGovern shows that sheriffs were not in competition with other branches of local government, such as the Lords Lieutenant and justices of the peace, but rather cooperated effectively with them. Since the office of sheriff was closely related to every other branch of government, a study of the sheriff is also a study of English government at work.