Social and Local History for Family Historians by Christine Lightfoot

The purpose of this book is to encourage you to look beyond your ancestors' origins and step into the world they actually lived in. Your ancestors did not live in a vacuum. They were part of something bigger. A knowledge of social history and local history will help you to understand how your ancestors lived, worked, survived and celebrated and how they engaged with their communities. The local environment, historical events and the social issues of the time would also have had a significant influence on their lives.

This book includes a range of social history and local history topics to inspire you to delve a little deeper. It also includes some suggestions for resources to help you with your research. By embracing family history, social history and local history, you have the opportunity to transform your family stories into compelling narratives which place your ancestors in a much wider context.