TASMANIA
Tombstones and Monumental Inscriptions of Tasmania (TAMIOT),
published by the Genealogical Society of Tasmania, second edition published
June 1999 on microfiche.
The aim of this project was to record all the monumental inscriptions in
Tasmania to June 1998, except for Carr Villa, Launceston and Cornelian Bay
cemeteries which have been indexed separately and are also held by the AIGS
library. Also included are addresses for the five branches of the Genealogical
Society of Tasmania, each of which is responsible for its own area.
The index to the transcriptions is in two formats. The first is alphabetical
by surname, and the second is by reference number. Where more than
one person is referred to in a transcription the same reference number has
been allocated.
After the introduction on the microfiche there is a list of abbreviations,
a map of Tasmania indicating local government areas with letter codes, and
a list of cemeteries by municipality.
The alphabetical index and transcriptions is the section that most of us
will want to look at first, but don’t forget the information on the introductory
fiche to help you get the most out of your search.
VICTORIA
The Eureka Encyclopaedia, by Justin Corfield, Dorothy Wickham
and Clare Gervasoni. Book, VIC 994.57 COR.
The maps on the endpapers of this volume give a taste of the treasures inside.
If your ancestor had anything to do with the Eureka Stockade or Ballarat
at the time of the Stockade, step inside.
The short introduction contains an excellent timeline beginning on the 8th
August 1851 and ending on December 31st with the death of Governor Sir Charles
Hotham from convulsions.
From then on there is an alphabetical index to names resulting sometimes
in a large article with illustrations and sometimes just a few lines to note
the participation of a person. Sometimes newspapers are quoted, and
photographs and copies of documents are well used.
ENGLAND
Fire Insurance Records for family and local historians 1696
to 1920, by David T Hawkings. Book, England General, ENG 368 HAW.
A book like this often sits virtually untouched on the shelves, but can reveal
a treasure if you think that your family may have owned a business which
could have been insured. Certainly there are some well known names
and companies mentioned, but they are not the main focus of the book.
There are some wonderful illustrations and reproductions of documents which
are worth a look just to give you some idea of the scope of the book, and
of course there is the usual favourite section, the alphabetical index to
names at the end of the book. There is a place name index as well,
but don’t be discouraged if you don’t find your person or family, try doing
some further searching for insurance company indexes on the internet, or
explore the catalogue of the Public Record Office in London. The Sun
Fire Office was one of the most commonly used, and the records can sometimes
give a clue to family relationships as policies would change hands if a family
member died and a relative took over the business.
The main focus of the book is on the insurance companies themselves, with
chapters on, for example, Locating a Policy for a Particular Person, Railways,
Ships, Householders, Tradesmen and Inns.
There are a number of appendices and a bibiliography.
SCOTLAND
The Stirling Observer Index, People 1836-1856, compiled by
the staff of the Community Heritage Project, under the auspices of the Stirling
District Libraries. Book, Scotland 929.38 STI.
Newspapers are such a wonderful source of information for family history
researchers, but sometimes it feels like very hard work to find a mention
your surname over a period of years, and disappointment if you don’t find
it all.
This volume covers a useful span of years and is divided into a number of
colour coded sections.
There is a general introduction and a map of the area, which is useful to
refer to. There is also a list of abbreviations to assist in understanding
the index. There is a general reference file of surnames with a one
line precis of the reason for inclusion, with the date of the newspaper,
page and column numbers. Following on there are sections for Advertisements,
Crimes, Births Deaths and Marriages. The marriages are separated into
males and females. Use this volume if you have family history in Stirlingshire,
but if you don’t, check to see if there is a similar index for the area you
are searching in.