The First World War was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and one of the most far-reaching. As a result, almost everyone's family history has a Great War connection. In A Tommy in the Family, family historian Keith Gregson explores the human stories behind the history of the war, from the heartwarming to the tear-jerking. He encounters the mystery of the disappearance of the Norfolks; the story of a French girl's note in a soldier's pocket book; and the tragic tale of a group of morris dancers who paid the ultimate price while serving their country. The investigations that preceded each discovery are explored in detail, offering an insight into how the researcher found and followed up their leads. They reveal a range of chance findings, some meticulous analysis and the keen detective qualities required of a family historian. Full of handy research tips and useful background information, A Tommy in the Family will fascinate anyone with an interest in the First World War and help them to find out more about their ancestors who participated in one of the most troubled conflicts in the history of mankind

Sport, in its many forms, is an important part of British heritage and our family histories are littered with amateur and professional sporting references. As people moved from country to town, sport became fashionable and organised, and our ancestors left us with records of their sporting deeds. Newspaper reports, minute books, club histories, team photographs and even cartoons are all available to the family historian. Discover which sports were played when, where and why. Read example case studies, find out how to begin your own research and learn what resources are available to help you progress. From Victorian prizefighters to Edwardian ladies' archery, from inter-war football teams to the shin-kicking contests of the Cotswold Olimpicks - Sporting Ancestors is the essential guide for those wanting to explore what part sport has played in their national and family history.

The story of a typical English rugby club set in its historical context linked to the tale of the rare survival of a multi-sport Victorian complex. This will be of interest and use to local people, sports enthusiasts and serious sports historians.

Genealogist Keith Gregson takes the reader on a whistle-stop tour of quirky family stories and strange ancestors rooted out by amateur and professional family historians. Each lively entry tells the story behind each discovery and then offers a brief insight into how the researcher found and then followed up their leads, revealing a range of chance encounters and the detective qualities required of a family historian. For example, one researcher discovered that his great-great-grandfather, as a child, was carried across the main street of West Hartlepool on the back of the famous tightrope walker Blondin. The Victorian newspaper report said that the rope had been tied between two chimney pots. Research into the author's own family revealed that one of his nineteenth-century ancestors lost his leg in a Midlands coal-mining accident, and that the amputated leg was buried in the local cemetery - to be joined by the rest of him on his final demise. A Viking in the Family is full of similar unexpected discoveries in the branches of family trees.