While this handy little book is a useful background guide to records available in the English National Archive, it is really a history of religion and record keeping in England from 1500-1940. It also features an additional chapter on South Asian peoples about their records and history from the 1700s to the present day. While Michael Gandy claims this book is not for beginners, the basic historical information will help anyone looking for ancestors in England understand what kind of records would be generated for people of all faiths, not just Anglicans. While the majority of the records he discusses are held in the National Archives, he also points out records posted online, and other records held either in the LDS church's Family History Library or in other repositories in England.

In his introduction, Gandy points out that we should not fall into the trap of using our 21st-century mindset when looking at records and the lives of our ancestors. For instance, as he mentions in chapter 2, that laws governing marriage were not stable until the mid-1700s. Before that time, marriages could be performed without a ceremony if both parties verbally agreed that they were married. It was not until Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act of 1753 that a marriage required witnesses, a public venue, advance notice, or performance in a church (p. 62). Consequently, if there is no legal document proving the marriage of your ancestors, Gandy says, do not assume that they were living together as an unmarried couple or that their children were illegitimate.

The first chapter gives a brief refresher on English history, especially the formation of the Anglican church, the Reformation, the Glorious Revolution, and the role of the Catholic church in England. This brief history helps us see how our ancestors might have negotiated these differences, especially since many were forced to convert to the Anglican church when Catholicism was outlawed during the reign of King Henry VIII. As Gandy points out, there were not always records kept for all of the changes in our ancestors' lives, especially if they openly converted to the Church of England but continued to practice their true faith at home. For example, Catholics celebrate seven different sacraments -- "baptism, confirmation, holy communion ... penance, anointing of the sick, holy order, ... and matrimony" (p. 36) -- while Anglicans only celebrate two: Baptism and holy communion. Therefore, knowing whether your ancestors were Anglican or Catholic will determine the records for which you should look. And while Gandy makes valid points about religious records, much of what he writes is full of conjecture about what your ancestors might have done or may have believed and what records even still exist to document their lives. This book is by no means a definitive text on everyone's ancestors.

Chapter 2, as stated earlier, focuses on marriage and other "life stages" and records, from birth to death. In this chapter Gandy includes helpful information about the changes from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1752, which may lead to confusion since a birth may have two years (such as 1 April 1646/7). Also, keep in mind that the new year used to start on March 25th, so if your ancestor was a 'new year baby', this means her birth was not on January 1st; the change to January was not made until after 1752.

Along with a basic overview of the different denominations in England, chapter 3 also includes the call numbers for these groups' records in the National Archive. Gandy also lists a few other sources for records on Anglican, Catholic, and other Protestant denominations.

In spite of being short, chapter 4 gives some useful history of immigration in and out of England from medieval to present times. However, he does not point to any specific records in the National Archive for such migrations. His history -- including details about religious pilgrimages and missionary work along with the travels of specific groups such as Huguenots, Jews, and Quakers --is interesting and can remind readers of missing pieces to the puzzle in their family histories. He briefly mentions the mass immigration of the English throughout the British Empire from 1830-1930 to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (p. 154-155). For instance, your ancestor could have been a Catholic child who was transplanted to Quebec, where it was believed "that they would be safer, spiritually ... than in Protestant England" (p. 155).

Chapter 5 is all about Jacobite and Catholic records and gives a nice concise overview of the history of these groups in England after the creation of the Anglican Church. Gandy reminds readers that Jacobites are those who supported the Catholic King James II and his son and grandson instead of the Protestants William and Mary of Orange (p. 163). Another intriguing fact is that many families in the northern English counties of Lancashire and York remained Catholic -- even in spite of persecutions and a lack of rights.

Huguenots and their records are the focus of chapter 6. Interestingly, Huguenots kept additional records from other Protestant groups, especially about tithing and charities among their congregations. Gandy reminds readers that not all French immigrants to England were Huguenots and often once in England they married outside their religious faith and integrated into the larger Anglican population. Fortunately, there are a few Huguenot societies today that publish records in both England and France, so one 's ancestors can (hopefully) be identified as Huguenot or not.

Chapter 7 details the difference between two main groups of Jews that settled England. The first immigrant group, Sephardic Jews, fled religious persecution in Spain during the 1490s. The second group, Ashkenazi, came later from the Germanic and Eastern European countries. Even though there were similarities between these two groups, Gandy points out that because Jews in England came from different nations and economic classes they were not as totally unified as we might think. He points out that, "By the end of the 19th century many Jewish families had been in Britain for generations and were anglicized" (p. 192-93). Therefore they may follow cultural practices, but not attend synagogues or have records in those religious repositories. Unfortunately, Gandy informs us, many Jews kept relatively few records, especially for girls.

Chapter 8 is the most comprehensive section. Written by Abi Husainy of the National Archives, it gives detailed information about South Asian ancestors, especially Hindu and Muslim records. While peoples from South Asia first arrived in England in the late 1700s, it wasn't until the late 1800s that they were firmly established as a people and then the population exploded into the high numbers of today. Husainy's chapter discusses burial and marriage practices in great detail. But what is especially useful is a list of sources outside the archive on p. 241-243.

Chapter 9 and the following Appendices give helpful definitions of records, useful addresses and websites, lists for further reading, and an index.

This little book, Family History Cultures and Faiths: How Your Ancestors Lived and Worshipped, may or may not help you with your research. If you are looking for information to flesh out the details of your ancestors lives, it will be helpful. But if you are looking for specific records and have already identified what religion your ancestor belonged to, a visit to the National Archives' website or a visit to the LDS church's website may be more helpful.

Review written by Larisa S. Asaeli