Where am I?: Are You Searching in the Right Place?

If we can’t find our ancestors, it is often because we are looking in the wrong place but what exactly is a place? Researching in Britain, the British Isles or the United Kingdom can be confusing. To begin with, those three terms are not interchangeable. To maximize your chances of finding your ancestors, some knowledge of geographical and political jurisdictions and boundaries is essential. Why do we say County Durham but not County Kent and never Kent County? What is a hundred, a poor law union, a townland or a peculiar? What is the difference between a manor, a village, and a parish? Why does this matter? This presentation explains various terms you will come across when researching in the British Isles. It will describe how different boundaries affect the records that you will use and shows why an understanding of these disparate jurisdictions can help you find documents that may relate to your family members.