Having the names and dates of your ancestors is one thing, but knowing what events were occurring during their lives really puts some colour into their existence. A great way of finding out what was happening is through reading about the lives and times of others.
Whether they are household names such as George Stephenson or Grace Darling or more obscure people like Sampson Rogers from Helston, who travelled to America, or Flora Thompson, who wrote “Lark Rise to Candleford”, their biographies will certainly help you to find out what was going on back then.
For the north of England around Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield, there are contemporary biographies that chart the progress of industry in the 19th Century. In the south of England, there are biographies covering members of the Inns of Court.
There is a stunning account of the “Most Noble Families in England”. Why not check to see if your family names are amongst them!
From Oliver Cromwell, through Florence Nightingale to Josiah Wedgwood, the biographies listed below will certainly enhance your research, providing a good backdrop for the lives of your ancestors.