Scotland's history has been influenced by many factors ? the division between the Highlands and the Lowlands, the feudal system, the Reformation, the Industrial revolution ? that have shaped the country's past and impacted on the lives of its people. Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors is a lively accessible introduction to this long, complex and fascinating story. It is aimed primarily at family historians who are eager to explore and understand the world in which their ancestors lived. Ian Maxwell guides readers through the wealth of material available to researchers in Scotland and abroad. He looks at every aspect of Scottish history and at all the information held at local archives throughout the country. He also describes the extensive Scottish records are now available online. His expert survey will be essential reading for anyone who is researching Scottish history, for he explains how the archive material can be used and where it can be found. This pioneering book breaks new ground in that it offers a detailed social history showing how the lives of our ancestors changed over the centuries and how this is reflected in the documentation that has survived. It will help family historians put their research in historical perspective, giving them a better insight into the part their ancestors played in the past. AUTHOR Ian Maxwell, a former record officer at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, is now a freelance writer and a leading expert on Irish Genealogy. He conducts courses on genealogy throughout Northern Ireland and he is a regular speaker at genealogical conferences in Belfast and Dublin. He writes articles regularly for Family History Monthly, Your Family Tree and Ancestor magazine on Irish, Scottish and English social history and genealogy. ILLUSTRATIONS 40 images *
