This book tells the engaging story of when our surnames first came into use, why they were necessary and how people acquired them. At some point we all consider our surnames - many of us will wonder about the stories behind them, especially if they are unusual. Those of us with British surnames possess that magic thread which leads back nearly a thousand years to a time when surnames were a new idea on this side of the English Channel. There have been many books with surnames as their theme: dictionaries of surnames, books about unusual surnames, heraldry, researching family history and so forth, but there are few books which look at British history solely through surnames. Although the origins of the majority of British surnames lie in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, the author shows that the near-Continent, especially France, has contributed its share too. The author has provided accounts of over 2000 of our surnames. Within this book the reader will find the answers to many questions about our surnames and will perhaps encourage its reader to pursue the study further. CONTENTS: What are Surnames and how old are they? - Surnames from Occupations - Surnames from Places - Surnames from Local Features - Surnames from Relationships - Surnames from Words of Affection - Surnames from Nicknames - Surnames from Personal Names - Postscipt - References - General index - Index of surnames.

This is the story of the ancestors of Charles E. Roseberry and Betty Jean Keister. Charles Roseberry's parents were Charles Wesley Roseberry and Elizabeth Clancy Sutton of Radford, Virginia. Charles Wesley Roseberry was born in Newbern in Pulaski County, VA and his ancestors were from there going back to 1872 when his grandfather, Samuel Roseberry, moved from Carroll County, VA. The Sutton family was also from Pulaski County, VA. Elizabeth's great-grandfather, John C. Sutton was born in Montgomery County, VA in the part that would later become Pulaski County. Betty Jean Keister's grandparents were Walter Henderson Keister and Ida May Foster of Radford, Virginia. Walter was born in Montgomery County, VA where his ancestors had lived since 1800. The Foster family was from Prince William County, VA but Ida May's line had lived in Monroe County, VA since before 1795 when it was Greenbrier County, VA.

The Genealogy and Family History Collection is a unique set of materials that describes the histories and narratives of particular American families. The Collection brings to life pre-1923 books that contain information such as birth, death, marriage, property and migration records of specific families. Many of these families followed interesting migration and movement patterns from Western Europe and beyond to the United States well over 200 years ago. Included in these volumes is information such as last wills and testaments, period photographs of towns, buildings and landscapes, portraits of family members, and descriptions of business interactions. Encompassing such comprehensive and personal information, this collection will appeal to genealogists, family history researchers, as well as descendants and casual historians.

Discusses German and German American history and culture with specific instructions for researching German family history.