Often, our most fascinating ancestors are those on society’s margins. They might have been discriminated against due to personal misfortune, or have been a victim of society’s fear of difference. You may have ancestors who were poor, or sick, illegitimate, or lawbreakers. Were your family stigmatised because of their ethnicity? Perhaps they struggled with alcoholism, were prostitutes, or were accused of witchcraft. This book will help you find out more about them and the times in which they lived.

The nature of this book means that it deals with subjects that can make uncomfortable reading but it is important to confront these issues as we try to understand our ancestors and the society that led to them becoming marginalised. In Tracing your Marginalised Ancestors, you will find plenty of suggestions to help you uncover the stories of these, often elusive, groups of people. Will you accept the challenge to seek out your marginalised ancestors and tell their stories?

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• toc
• Illustrations
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Poverty
  • The Story of Harriet Bentlif
• Chapter 2 Criminality
  • The Story of Frederick Michael Railton
• Chapter 3 Immigration and Ethnicity
  • The Story of Catherine Eve
• Chapter 4 Prostitution
  • The Story of Charity Platt
• Chapter 5 Illegitimacy
  • The Story of Hannah Midgely
• Chapter 6 The Inebriate
  • The Story of Sarah Grosvenor
• Chapter 7 Sickness and Disability
  • The Story of Richard Gill and William Leathern
• Chapter 8 Mental Ill-Health
  • The Story of Fanny Amelia Ellington
• Chapter 9 The Romany and Traveller Community
  • The Story of Joshua Mobbs
• Chapter 10 Witchcraft
  • The Story of Susanna Edwards
• Chapter 11 Other Marginalised Groups
  • Religious Belief
  • Sexuality
  • Conscientious Objection and Desertion
  • The Story of William Wilcox
• References and Further Reading